What happens when forests are burned or logged?
When forests are burned, there is an immediate release of carbon to the atmosphere through combustion. Following both fire and logging, there is a slower, long-term release of carbon to the atmosphere as the forest regenerates, because decomposition exceeds photosynthesis. It may take decades for disturbed forest to become productive enough to become a sink for carbon again. However, these disturbance cycles are essential for forest ecosystem renewal.
