How do forests sequester carbon?
* A: Carbon sequestration is the process through which carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is absorbed by trees, plants, and crops through photosynthesis, and stored as carbon in biomass (tree boles, branches, foliage, etc.). Both live and dead sources of carbon (e.g., dead wood) are important for carbon sequestration. Sequestered carbon can be thought of as “carbon you can see.” But significant amounts of carbon are also stored belowground in plant roots and in soil. Forests and forest soils have an important influence on atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide because trees are long-lived plants and they have significant amounts of biomass compared to other plants. Carbon sequestered in trees and soils can be released back to the atmosphere (e.g., through decomposition or wildfire), and carbon sequestration eventually reaches a saturation point.
