How does forest management affect carbon sequestration?
The amount of carbon that can be sequestered by planting a forest depends on climate factors, the specific species used, the management of the forest, and economic costs. The tree species selected will depend on the local climate. One can opt to establish a forest which is native for that specific region, or one can establish a commercial plantation with fast growing tree species. In the first case, the focus is on regeneration of native tree species, by cutting invasive species and planting some native species. In the second case, a large number of fast growing trees are planted and harvested in short rotation cycles by industrial means. Typical species used in the latter case are Loblolly Pine in the temperature region, or Eucalyptus in tropical regions. The amount of carbon sequestered in a forest depends on the age of a forest. The graph below shows the evolution over time for three forest types in the U.S. The annual carbon uptake is high for a young forest, but decreases as the f
