Explainer: How much carbon can the world's forests absorb?
Wednesday, June 12, 2013 - 08:00
in Earth & Climate
You are walking through the bush when you see an enormous tree trunk, tens of metres long, lying across the forest floor. Imagine you and several dozen friends lifting it by hand. Now you've literally grasped the significance of trees and forests when it comes to carbon sequestration – trees are heavy, and carbon accounts for almost half their dry weight, or biomass.