Deeping our understanding of primary forests
Primary forests are irreplaceable sanctuaries for much of the world’s biodiversity, store significant stocks of carbon which play a vital role in climate mitigation, and support the sustainable livelihoods of their Indigenous custodians. With other 1.4B hectares of primary forests worldwide, only 20 per cent of it is in protected areas and is constantly under threat.
With our breakthrough research, there is now the real promise that we can increase primary forest protection.
Prof Brendan Mackey
Together with partner organisations and empowered by a multi-million-dollar donation from a charitable organisation, Griffith University’s Primary Forest and Climate Program led by Professor Brendan Mackey is advancing the scientific case for primary forest protection and conservation.
“Primary forests are being stripped for timber and exploited for agriculture and mining. We are now at a critical point—if we are unable to protect our primary forests, we will not reach global climate action targets or the goals of the new Global Biodiversity Framework,” said Brendan.
“Despite this enormous challenge, there remains a gap in global data, modelling and evidence needed to provide accurate information to communities and policymakers when considering forest management.
“The long-term investment we’ve received has enabled our project to make substantial progress in addressing this gap.”
Griffith’s Primary Forest and Climate Program have developed new methods for mapping and assessing forests and have tested these methods across boreal, tropical and temperate forests. Before the team started their research, there was no reliable spatial data mapping the world’s primary forests, they have now mapped around 50 per cent.
The research team has mapped primary forests in the Amazon Basin, table forest in Siberian Russia, mature forests in the USA and remnant old grow forest in Europe. The mature forests mapping in the USA has been evaluated by US Forest Service and NASA experts and is now being used by the Biden administration in their climate planning.
Another key metrics developed by the team is being able to measure the amount of carbon removed from the atmosphere and retained within the biomass of primary forest ecosystems, demonstrating their importance in climate change mitigation.
“With our breakthrough research, there is now the real promise that we can increase primary forest protection. We can provide communities, NGOs, businesses and government with the information, decisions support tools and enterprise models they need to transform the way primary forests are valued and protected for all,” said Brendan.
The research team’s data has also empowered the Kayapó people in Brazil to create sustainable enterprises that generate equitably distributed income for their communities, implement effective territorial surveillance and protection along 2,000 kilometres of their border, and manage their own local NGOs.
The Griffith Primary Forests and Climate Program has bold plans, including extending its cases studies and data resources to help protect primary forests. But without the generous support of its donors, none of this work would have been possible.
More than $100 million of philanthropy has already been secured to create a brighter future for all.
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