Page 34 - Georgia Forestry - Winter2017

Sustainability Report
Vibrant Land
By almost any measure, forests provide the most sustainable land use because they promote biodiversity and wildlife and soil conservation, along with clean water and air.
Because Georgia’s robust forest industry has successfully increased in efficiency over the years, the state grows more trees than it harvests annually. In fact, the amount of timber growth in the state has outpaced removals since the 1950s.
With terrain ranging from the southern tip of the Appa- lachians to coastal plains at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, Georgia boasts an amazing diversity of plants and animals.
Properly managed timber tracts in Georgia not only provide lumber, but also support wildlife habitats and preserve ecosys- tems and biodiversity as well as or better than ‘natural’ forests.
Thanks to successful wildlife management programs across the state, the white-tailed deer, wild turkey and bald eagles that
CARBON CYCLE
700,000,000
600,000,000
500,ooo,000
400,000,000
300,000,000
200,000,000
100,000,000
Avg. CUBIC FEET PER YEAR 0
1983-1910 1990-1997 1998-2004 2005-2012
Hardwood net growth Hardwood removals net/gain loss
were once endangered are now thriving. Georgia’s State Wild- life Action Plan contains forest management practices, including fire management, conversion of forests, protection from invasive species and Best Management Practices (BMPs) for water.
Properly managed forests help ensure that Georgia’s farmers have the healthy soil needed to support the state’s agriculture industry and overall food security.
CO2 CYCLE
ANIMAL RESPIRATION
ORGANIC CARBON
Clean Air
When trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), an abundant greenhouse gas (GHG), it stays within the wood, bark, leaves and roots as the tree grows.
SUNLIGHT PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Plant RESPIRATION
Decomposition of Plants + ANIMALS
DEAD ORGANISMS + WASTE PRODUCT
FOSSILS + FOSSIL FUELS
ROOT RESPIRATION
32 | GEORGIA FORESTRY
NET WORTH vs REMOVALS FOR HARDWOODS BY SURVEY PERIOD
OCEAN UPTAKE