Old forests may be better at sequestration than previously thought

Findings in a new study published in the latest issue of Nature challenge the long-held assumption that trees older than 150 years are "carbon neutral" and not as effective as absorbing greenhouse gas as their younger siblings. Research from a group of forest scientists from the U.S. and Europe found that most forests between 15 and 800 years old store more carbon dioxide than they release, and the total amounts to about 10 percent of the net carbon uptake worldwide. The results may bolster arguments in favor of including credits for preserving old growth forests in the Kyoto Protocol and cap-and-trade schemes for controlling greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming.