September 3, 2024 | www.ctee.com.tw |
The Environmental Ministry's project team has conducted its third review of the bamboo forest carbon sequestration methodology proposed by the Agriculture Ministry in Taiwan. The current definition states that a bamboo forest is one where bamboo comprises over 20% of the area. However, some committee members expressed concerns about potential exploitation of this definition, fearing that individuals might deliberately cut down regular trees or promote bamboo's excessive expansion. They called for a more careful evaluation and modification of the definition.
The Forestry Research Institute has indicated that, following committee suggestions, it will no longer adopt methodologies from mainland China. The revised definition states that bamboo forests must occupy over 20% of the area, have a continuous size greater than 0.1 hectares, and include bamboo that is at least 2 meters tall and 2 centimeters in diameter. Additionally, the harvesting interval for bamboo has been reduced from 20 years to 15 years based on industry feedback.
Some committee members argued that a bamboo cover of at least 70% should define a bamboo forest, warning that the 20% threshold could lead to bamboo forest degradation or invasion issues. Following discussions, the project team reached a consensus and will submit the methodology for further review by the Environmental Ministry.
