Forest bioenergy at the cost of carbon sequestration?

Bioenergy from forest residues can be used to substitute fossil energy sources and reduce carbon emissions. However, increasing biomass removals from forests reduce carbon stocks and carbon input to litter and soil. The magnitude and timeframe of these changes in the forest carbon balance largely determine how effectively forest biomass reduces greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector and helps to mitigate climate change. This paper reviews the impacts of harvest-residue-based bioenergy on the carbon balance of forests and discusses aspects linked to the concept of carbon neutrality. This type of forest bioenergy will reduce the emissions in a long run but near-term reductions depend essentially on the longevity of the residues used.