How does planting trees sequester carbon from the atmosphere?
Carbon storage in forests is part of a natural cycle, whereby some carbon is removed from the atmosphere and incorporated into the plant, and at the same time some carbon is released back to the atmosphere from the decomposition of organic matter. During photosynthesis, carbon dioxide (CO2) is absorbed into a leaf through holes (stomata) in the leaf’s surface, where it is combined with water using energy from light. The products of this chemical reaction are carbohydrates, oxygen and water. The oxygen and water are released from the leaf through the stomata, and the carbohydrates are transported to other parts of the plant where they are used as an energy source and to build structural components of the plant.
