Forest and Climate

Department of Forest and Climate is a competence center on questions related to climate and forestry.

The department conducts research related to forests and climate. More specifically, the department develops competence on the role of forests in the climate system and the effect of climate changes on forests. Further, we focus on the effects of (boreal) forest management on the exchange of carbon, energy and water between the earth’s surface and the atmosphere — both in climate change mitigation and adaptation contexts. The department has a responsibility to communicate this knowledge to private and public forest management, and to the public as a foundation for the low emission society.

Department of Forest and Climate has a special responsibility to develop methods to quantify the effect of forestry and other land use on the climate system, working together with the Norwegian Environment Agency on the Norwegian national greenhouse gas inventory under United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol.

The department is responsible for the inventory of the LULUCF-sector (Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry), which includes developing and improving methods and models used to estimate emissions of greenhouse gases from forestry and other land-use.

The department leads or participates in applied research and development projects of particular relevance to forest and climate in Africa, including capacity building in methods and tools for Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) for REDD+.

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Photo: John Y. Larsson / NIBIO