The plantation timber industry has played down the implications of a recent report which shows for the first time that plantation trees emit a leading greenhouse gas.
A report in the international science journal Nature suggests that plantation trees release a small amount of methane into the environment. Bob Pearce from the Forest Industries Federation says even if the research is correct, plantation trees remain the best solution to greenhouse gas problems.
"It's only talking about a few, small amount of methane emissions and it doesn't overcome the fact that trees are still the best way of fixing greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide," he said.
"What it might mean is that in future calculations we might have to discount the amount of carbon take up or reduction of greenhouse gases by 5 per cent. That's all it means."