Dr Lyndall Bull,
CRC Board Member and convenor of Australia’s National
Forestry Masters Program, has received a 2009 Science and
Innovation Award for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and
Forestry. The awards provide grants of up to $50 000 for people
aged 18 to 35 working or studying in rural industries, so that they
can pursue their original and innovative ideas.
Lyndall beat 85 high-quality applications from across Australia
to win the Forest and Wood Products Australia award for her
proposal to conduct a series of interviews and surveys to gain a
comprehensive understanding of how land-owners feel about using
their land for the planting of forest carbon offset sinks.
She’ll also be exploring how well informed land-owners are
about the rules and regulations associated with carbon trading.
On 1 July 2011 the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme will begin in
Australia. Land-owners will therefore have the opportunity to sell
carbon credits from reforestation activities.
Lyndall said “While there has been lots of research done
to identify the area of land suitable for reforestation to mitigate
Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, little is known about
how land-owners feel about using their land for planting of forest
carbon offset sinks”.
Without an
idea of whether land-owners will participate in carbon trading, it
is not possible to accurately predict the contribution that
reforestation in Australia can make to reducing carbon emissions.
Findings from Lyndall’s surveys and interviews will help
improve the accuracy of the current modelling of reforestation
potential in Australia.
The CRC congratulates Lyndall on her award, and wishes her well
over the next 12 months while she undertakes this valuable
research.
See the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries &
Forestry’s
website on the science award winners.
See Forest & Wood Products Australia’s
media release.
