health
Trees may store less planet-heating carbon than hoped, study suggests
Photosynthesis does not always result in wood growth, a key factor in carbon dioxide sequestration
TL;DR
- Trees stop growing months before photosynthesis ends, meaning not all absorbed carbon goes into wood.
- Current climate models may overestimate forest carbon sequestration by assuming photosynthesis directly equals growth.
- Dry and hot conditions, becoming more common due to climate change, immediately halt tree growth while photosynthesis continues at a reduced rate.
- The capacity of forests to store carbon depends on how much absorbed carbon is directed towards wood growth versus other uses like foliage.
- If more carbon flows to transient uses, forests' effectiveness as carbon sinks could decrease.