This recognition may signify that activities such as agriculture or those pertaining to wetlands could eventually be included under land use. In the summer and fall of 1998, Parties were invited to submit information related to Articles 3.3 and 3.4 on additional sink activities. Outstanding Policy Issues Canadian scientists face several significant questions regarding the potential for carbon sequestration in wetlands. The fundamental question is whether wetlands can be managed as net carbon sinks over time. When assessing the benefits of pursuing carbon storage in wetlands, the effects of this action on other gases must be considered.
Sinks also raise a number of political issues.
A similar concern faces those advocating inclusion of agricultural soils. The issue is sometimes viewed as one of North America versus the rest of the world. The Sinks Table has expressed concern that the current knowledge of carbon inventories and fluxes in wetlands remains highly deficient compared with that for forests and agricultural lands. Each sector has a long and extensive research history on carbon dynamics as they relate to site and crop productivity. Still, research gaps exist in both areas.