How do sequestration activities compare with greenhouse gas reductions in other sectors?
In terms of its global warming impact, one unit of CO2 released from a car’s tailpipe has the same effect as one unit of CO2 released from a burning forest. Likewise, CO2 removed from the atmosphere through tree planting can have the same benefit as avoiding an equivalent amount of CO2 released from a power plant. However, the climate benefits of sequestration practices can be partially or completely reversed because terrestrial carbon can be released back to the atmosphere through decay or disturbances. Trees that sequester carbon are subject to natural disturbances and harvests, which could suddenly or gradually release the carbon back to the atmosphere. And if carbon sequestration practices in agriculture, such as reduced tillage, are abandoned or interrupted, most or all of the accumulated carbon can be quickly released. Some sequestration practices, like tree planting and improved soil management, also reach a point where additional carbon accumulation is no longer possible. For e
