The Role of Forests in the Global Carbon Cycle
Forests, spanning 4.06 billion hectares (31% of Earth’s land), store 861 gigatons of carbon—44% in biomass, 9% in deadwood, and 47% in soil. They sequester 120 gigatons yearly, offsetting a third of the 10 gigatons from human emissions. Tropical forests hold up to 200 tons per hectare, boreal and temperate 50-150 tons, but disturbances like … Read more