Integrated Biodiversity Conservation and Carbon Sequestration in the Changing Environment (IBC-CARBON)

Public description of the results at the end of the project

The IBC-Carbon project (Integrated Biodiversity Conservation and Carbon Sequestration in the Changing Environment) developed model and remote sensing tools to determine optimized land-use in forest ecosystems for joint biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration targets. Retention of nutrients and carbon in forested catchments was also studied. The project produced policy-relevant integrated analyses on how to reach these multiple targets in an optimal way in the landscape, and how connectivity between the areas should be considered. The role of forests in climate change mitigation and use of different forest management methods were considered. A voluntary monetary compensation mechanism for forest owners was also developed by reforming a pre-existing biodiversity conservation scheme and promoting climate co-benefits by a carbon payment. The results of the project enhance the possibilities to simultaneously reach climate and conservation targets in Finnish forested ecosystems.

Public description of the goals at the beginning of the project

Successful integration of biodiversity conservation with sustainable forest use under global changes is a major challenge for the Finnish society. Key national policies (e.g. Finnish Energy and Climate Strategy) aim at increasing the use of wood for different products and renewable energy. These aims need to be integrated and balanced with policies for biodiversity conservation. Increased biomass outtake will have far-reaching consequences for biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, as well as other environmental effects. The project aims at developing (i) integrated models to determine spatially optimized land-use in forest ecosystems, (ii) voluntary monetary compensation mechanisms for forest owners and (iii) informing stakeholders on adaptation options and sustainable policies and their ecological and economic boundary conditions. The project is carried out by a multidisciplinary team from the Finnish Environment Institute, and Universities of Helsinki and Eastern Finland.