Researchers say "proforestation" policies protecting standing forest are most effective way to draw excess CO2 out of atmosphere

Wood also releases carbon into the atmosphere when it decomposes. But some of that will make its way into soil from both wood and leaf litter. Per tree is the only sensible measure here. They are looking at huge numbers of different tree species. But let’s say we have a monoculture forest. In a old growth one it’s going to have big upper canopy trees and younger babies underneath. In a forestry plantation they are al young and the same size. I would hazard a guess there would be able the same number of trees that could be supported on that land regardless of their age. But with old growth forest you have bigger trees in there drawing down more carbon. The reality though is old growth forests vs plantations is there will actually be a diversity of species with understories better adapted to higher shade. It doesn’t take many bushwalks to see that there’s a point at which forests can support a much greater biomass than is typical in a plantation due to all the layers wirh species. Plantations are the forest equivalent of a city full of concrete. It is possible a forest could get too old and then have less biomass. This is related to a lot of food forest management theory about keeping forests at that optimum but that’s definitely not just cutting everything down to start fresh constantly and that isn’t just about carbon equations. I don’t think this article goes to this level. Well it doesn’t -I could read the whole thing as I work at an university so could get the whole thing. But it makes sense to start simple at the tree level as prior assumptions as discussed an individual young tree would drawdown more carbon than an individual older tree due to early faster growth and now we know thats not true for most species.

/r/Permaculture Thread Parent Link - ehn.org