Could the Hungarian acacia be a solution to climate change?

We are used to having acacias in Hungarian forests, so we don’t even realise their value. However, origo.hu writes that it is considered a weapon against climate change in several Asian countries. For instance, it has a ready sale in South Korea and China due to its good soil stick-to-it-iveness, high heating value, utilisation in the furniture industry and apiary.

In Hungary, the acacia is the hit of the heating season. It is a very diverse type of wood, which can be utilised in many different ways. This is what the countries of the Far East realised a few years ago.

South Korean and East Chinese experts work together with Hungarian professionals to modernise the arboricultural technology, especially focusing on the negative effects of global warming.

“We’ve been collaborating with the Korean Forest Research Institute to utilise the acacia diversely in South Korea. We mainly offer our innovative solutions, send adulterants for testing, facilitate the installation of sapling-cultural technologies and contribute to the creation of reference forestation. The second cycle of our collaboration comes to an end in this November, after which we’ll evaluate and hopefully continue the joint work” said Károly Rédei, the doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Science and the scientific advisor of the Hungarian Horticultural Propagation Material Non-profit Ltd.

The acacia, indigenous in North America, made its way to Hungary through West Europe in the beginning of the 1700s. It soon became the most wide-spread tree species and it still numbers 23% of Hungarian forests. Around 50% of its timber is utilised as firewood, while the remaining is used in industrial branches and apiary. In Asia, it plays an important role in the protection against erosion.

Source: http://www.origo.hu/