I'm stumped. If anyone can google the answer, or search a library, or can find the answer some other way such as ask the audience or phone a friend, my hat is off to you: What is the total amount of biomass, living or recently demised, in Canada today; forest, farm, taiga, tundra, city, suburb, swamp, whatever. Let's say for the sake of definition that stuff like peat living within the past 1000 years counts, but stuff like peat that's deader than that doesn't. Part two; how much more or less biomass today than 1000 years ago? One significant digit is good enough. Honourable mention if you at least understand the question.
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Infact, you'll have to pool many results. So far this is what I've come up with, an energy based inventory, probably not what you're looking for but I'll try some more afterwards.
non-biomass energy usage= 12.6 Ej a year in 2000, in the 90s, biomass accounted for only 4.1% of all Canadian energy production
Biomass estimates in equivalent carbon
forest= 15835 Mt
waste products in Canada= 66 Mt
Actually this is a project for more than one person... Estimates for one species of rockfish, specifically Pacific ocean perch, is in the area of 33000-48000 tonnes.
Also, I think dead peat should be included in any biomass assessments. Many microorganisms use dead matter as a substrate to grow on, and the fungi will probably make up the largest portion for many biomass estimates.
A lofty and ambitious question.
non-biomass energy usage= 12.6 Ej a year in 2000, in the 90s, biomass accounted for only 4.1% of all Canadian energy production
Biomass estimates in equivalent carbon
forest= 15835 Mt
waste products in Canada= 66 Mt
Actually this is a project for more than one person... Estimates for one species of rockfish, specifically Pacific ocean perch, is in the area of 33000-48000 tonnes.
Also, I think dead peat should be included in any biomass assessments. Many microorganisms use dead matter as a substrate to grow on, and the fungi will probably make up the largest portion for many biomass estimates.
A lofty and ambitious question.
I googled Biomass Canada and living and the NDP PARTY came up lol
I say its in there http://cbac-cccb.ca/epic/site/cbac-cccb.nsf/vwapj/BSDE%20Technical%20Report-ENGLISH.pdf/$file/BSDE%20Technical%20Report-ENGLISH.pdf
I say its in there http://cbac-cccb.ca/epic/site/cbac-cccb.nsf/vwapj/BSDE%20Technical%20Report-ENGLISH.pdf/$file/BSDE%20Technical%20Report-ENGLISH.pdf
It would be interesting to see one of these tables for Canada, and how it may have changed over the years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomass I think most of the slow rise in C02 from 1800 to 1950 was more due to deforestation and charcoal production and burning than due to coal burning. There is still deforestation and charcoal production and burning going on of course, more than ever perhaps, but it is buried in the increase in peat and coal and oil and gas burning since 1950. I have heard it said that we have more forest biomass than ever in North America, but I don't believe it. We might have more forest biomass production, but I think there is less forest biomass. I think one of the hardest things to predict about climate change is destruction in total global biomass through direct or indirect causes. It is true that higher C02 levels increases photosynthesis as a negative feedback, but habitat destruction as eco-systems migrate North is a positive feedback. Then there are direct causes on top of that. A 10% destruction of the amount of living carbon in the biosphere would release 190 billion tonnes of carbon, which is about 25 years of fossil fuel burning at current rates, if my math is right. I am not saying I understand exactly what has taken place and will take place in terms of total global biomass, but I think its something we should keep an eye on, along with C02 levels. It might be more difficult to measure than C02, but no more difficult and just as critical as global temperature, perhaps more critical, since its the bottom line really.
p.s. I think we're screwed.
p.s. I think we're screwed.
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