Thinking about Carbon
It seems fitting, as we start a new year to focus on larger issues, trying to make positive changes to tackle the global crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. For those of you who care for our churchyards, chapel yards and cemeteries there is much you can do for wildlife and hopefully these monthly articles have already inspired you to take some steps already. But how climate change and carbon? Is there anything we can do about that on a local level?
Well, yes there is, for those of us who manage a piece of land, whether it’s our own garden or the local burial ground there is a great deal that we can do.
Firstly, care for your trees. Trees and shrubs store carbon in wood, be it the trunk, branches or roots. Trees store more carbon than other plants owing to their size and long lifespan. Hedges too can store carbon for a long time. Many churchyards and cemeteries contain ancient trees as well as trees planted in Victorian times, often conifers with a shorter lifespan as well as the longer-lived native broadleaves. These conifers may be coming toward the end of their life so keep an eye on them, carry out an annual inspection using The Caring for God's Acre sheet on inspecting trees as well as having professional surveys by a skilled arborist. The life of a tree can be prolonged by care and prompt action as problems arise, (which can save money too). Perhaps you can think about planting young trees to replace those nearing the end of their lives. Is there room for a sapling now? Young trees grow quickly, laying down carbon-based wood as they do so.
Secondly, think about your grassland. Rather surprisingly grassland is actually great at storing carbon with most of it out of sight. Whilst carbon is stored in the visible, above ground plants it is within the soil that most if held in fact it is estimated that up to 30% of the earth’s carbon is stored in grassland soil.
Soil carbon comes from decomposing plants, animals and fungi. When things die, they are broken down and used as food by insects, worms and other invertebrates, fungi, bacteria and other microbes. Whilst some carbon dioxide is released most carbon is incorporated into the soil. The more mature the soil, the better for carbon storage. A mature, complex, undisturbed soil has a wide range of life within its soil, all of which contain carbon. Churchyard , chapel yard and cemetery grassland are usually mature and full of different grasses, flowering plants, fungi and lichens. This richness above ground leads to a corresponding richness below the surface.
What about the length of the grass, does that have an effect? Yes it does, taller grassland rather than short lawn has a deeper zone of active soil due to deeper plant roots. This active soil is full of carbon-based life.
So look at your local churchyard with new eyes, seeing it as a carbon store and seeing if you can improve this. Care for your trees, plant replacements and when trees need to be felled try to leave some deadwood on site or maybe keep the carbon locked away by using the wood for timber or wood-turning. Is there scope to increase the grass length in some areas to increase the depth of active, carbon-rich soil? Finally, can you reduce the use of petrol machines such as lawn mowers and strimmers replacing with electric ones or maybe using them less often.
All of these actions will benefit wildlife too so it really is doubly worthwhile.
All the best,
Harriet Carty
Diocesan Churchyard Environmental Advisor
www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk - individuals and groups in the diocese receive 20% members discount on all CfGA materials. Use the discount code diomem22