We investigate whether income inequality affects subsequent growth in a cross-country sample for 1965-90, using the models of Barro (1997), Bleaney and Nishiyama (2002) and Sachs and Warner (1997), with negative results. We then investigate the evolution of income inequality over the same period and its correlation with growth. The dominating feature is inequality convergence across countries. This convergence has been significantly faster amongst developed countries. Growth does not appear to influence the evolution of inequality over time. Outline

https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/81822/1/02-28.pdf

Economic growth and income inequality

Losses of natural and semi-natural forests, mostly to agriculture, are a significant concern for biodiversity. Against this trend, the area of intensively managed plantation forests increases, and there is much debate about the implications for biodiversity. We provide a comprehensive review of the function of plantation forests as habitat compared with other land cover, examine the effects on biodiversity at the landscape scale, and synthesise context-specific effects of plantation forestry on biodiversity. Natural forests are usually more suitable as habitat for a wider range of native forest species than plantation forests but there is abundant evidence that plantation forests can provide valuable habitat, even for some threatened and endangered species, and may contribute to the conservation of biodiversity by various mechanisms. In landscapes where forest is the natural land cover, plantation forests may represent a low-contrast matrix, and afforestation of agricultural land can assist conservation by providing complementary forest habitat, buffering edge effects, and increasing connectivity. In contrast, conversion of natural forests and afforestation of natural non-forest land is detrimental. However, regional deforestation pressure for agricultural development may render plantation forestry a ‘lesser evil’ if forest managers protect indigenous vegetation remnants. We provide numerous context-specific examples and case studies to assist impact assessments of plantation forestry, and we offer a range of management recommendations. This paper also serves as an introduction and background paper to this special issue on the effects of plantation forests on biodiversity.

Plantation Forests and Biodiversity: Oxymoron or Opportunity?

This paper presents information on global energy consumption by fuel type (liquid fuels, coal, natural gas, renewables and nuclear) and sectors (buildings, industrial, transportation and electricity), and environmental impact of global energy consumption (SOx, NOx and CO2 emissions). There is a strong relationship between energy consumption and economic growth. The Global Financial Crisis has affected the global economic growth violently. The governments have recently adopted some effective measures to fight against the Global Financial Crisis. The structure of energy consumption and the conditions of SOx, NOx, and CO2 emissions affect the global changes (acid rain and greenhouse effect). Today, considerable effort is being devoted to reduce CO2 emissions because of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. This publication presents multidisciplinary perspectives on the interrelated topics of energy consumption, energy security and energy policy. Additionally, the present study examines the relationship between energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission.

Structure and environmental impact of global energy consumption

The Paris Agreement introduced an ambitious goal of limiting warming to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. Here we combine a review of modelled pathways and literature on mitigation strategies, and develop a land-sector roadmap of priority measures and regions that can help to achieve the 1.5 °C temperature goal. Transforming the land sector and deploying measures in agriculture, forestry, wetlands and bioenergy could feasibly and sustainably contribute about 30%, or 15 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) per year, of the global mitigation needed in 2050 to deliver on the 1.5 °C target, but it will require substantially more effort than the 2 °C target. Risks and barriers must be addressed and incentives will be necessary to scale up mitigation while maximizing sustainable development, food security and environmental co-benefits. Transformation of the land sector is required to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5 °C. Here, modelled emission pathways and mitigation strategies are reviewed. A land-sector roadmap of priority measures and key regions is presented.

/pdf/contribution-of-the-land-sector-to-a-1-5-c-world-4mczlf60v5.pdf

Contribution of the land sector to a 1.5 °C world

Summary

Attempts to combine biometric and eddy-covariance (EC) quantifications of carbon allocation to different storage pools in forests have been inconsistent and variably successful in the past.
We assessed above-ground biomass changes at five long-term EC forest stations based on tree-ring width and wood density measurements, together with multiple allometric models. Measurements were validated with site-specific biomass estimates and compared with the sum of monthly CO2 fluxes between 1997 and 2009.
Biometric measurements and seasonal net ecosystem productivity (NEP) proved largely compatible and suggested that carbon sequestered between January and July is mainly used for volume increase, whereas that taken up between August and September supports a combination of cell wall thickening and storage. The inter-annual variability in above-ground woody carbon uptake was significantly linked with wood production at the sites, ranging between 110 and 370 g C m−2 yr−1, thereby accounting for 10–25% of gross primary productivity (GPP), 15–32% of terrestrial ecosystem respiration (TER) and 25–80% of NEP.
The observed seasonal partitioning of carbon used to support different wood formation processes refines our knowledge on the dynamics and magnitude of carbon allocation in forests across the major European climatic zones. It may thus contribute, for example, to improved vegetation model parameterization and provides an enhanced framework to link tree-ring parameters with EC measurements.

/pdf/above-ground-woody-carbon-sequestration-measured-from-tree-23pof8ulfl.pdf

Above‐ground woody carbon sequestration measured from tree rings is coherent with net ecosystem productivity at five eddy‐covariance sites

https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf2020/fpl_2020_lan001.pdf

Dynamic life cycle carbon and energy analysis for cross-laminated timber in the Southeastern United States

This study provides a modeling framework to examine change over time in U.S. forest sector carbon inventory (in U.S. timberland tree biomass and harvested wood products) for alternative projections of U.S. and global timber markets, including wood energy consumption, based on established IPCC/RPA scenarios. Results indicated that the U.S. forest sector's projected capacities for carbon sequestration could be notably altered by use of forest resources for energy. A scenario with large expansion in U.S. wood energy consumption (16-fold increase by 2060) coupled with high global growth in gross domestic product would convert U.S. timberlands to a substantial carbon emission source by 2050, as timber growing stock inventories would be depleted because of increased biomass energy production. In contrast, the same high growth in the economy coupled with much smaller expansion of U.S. wood biomass energy consumption (less than two-fold increase by 2060) would result in a projected increase in average annual additions to U.S. forest sector carbon by up to four-fold by 2060. Results also indicated that higher cumulative carbon emissions from increased use of wood for energy could be partially offset—over time—by increased forest plantations and more intensive forest management that could be stimulated by the increased use of wood for energy. The modeling framework will enable future use of the USFPM/GFPM market modeling system to evaluate the impacts of forest carbon offset policies on forest carbon and forest products markets, by allowing carbon offset payments to compete in the model with forest products or wood energy for the control and use of available timber resources.

https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf2012/fpl_2012_nepal001.pdf

Projection of U.S. forest sector carbon sequestration under U.S. and global timber market and wood energy consumption scenarios, 2010-2060.

https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/ja/2019/ja_nepal01.pdf

Projecting global planted forest area developments and the associated impacts on global forest product markets

More wood use in the United States to construct low-rise nonresidential (NR) buildings would increase consumption and production of softwood (SW) lumber, engineered wood products, and structural and nonstructural wood panels. Using a consequential life-cycle analysis, we estimated the change in net CO2 emissions that would be caused by increased use of SW lumber and structural panels in NR construction. Carbon (C) storage and emissions were projected over 50 years for baseline and increased wood use scenarios using the US Forest Products Module operating within the Global Forest Products Model (USFPM/GFPM) and the Southern region timber supply model (SRTS). Increased wood use in NR construction (C content of 428 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent [tCO2e]) could provide an emissions reduction of 870 million tCO2e over 50 years or a net emissions reduction of 2.03 tCO2e/tCO2e of extra wood used in NR buildings over 50 years. The CO2 savings varied for products provided in the South, North, a...

https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf2016/fpl_2016_nepal001.pdf

Prakash Nepal

Papers

Dynamic life cycle carbon and energy analysis for cross-laminated timber in the Southeastern United States

Projection of U.S. forest sector carbon sequestration under U.S. and global timber market and wood energy consumption scenarios, 2010-2060.

Projecting global planted forest area developments and the associated impacts on global forest product markets

Carbon Mitigation Impacts of Increased Softwood Lumber and Structural Panel Use for Nonresidential Construction in the United States

Financial feasibility of increasing carbon sequestration in harvested wood products in Mississippi