Program Summary Trees are referred to as "carbon sinks," because via photosynthesis they take carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the air and sequester it in living plant tissue. About one-half of a tree is carbon. Carbon can be managed through many different types of forestry activities, most notably by creating new carbon sinks by planting trees on pasture, agricultural land or degraded forest sites. In addition to the tree itself, carbon also exists in roots and in the soil. There are also other ways to manage carbon using forestry, including forest preservation to maintain carbon previously sequestered through reducing deforestation and harvest impacts; forest management to enhance carbon stored in existing carbon sinks; storing carbon in wood products; and energy conservation through shading buildings and homes. The technical potential for forest carbon sinks is great. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, on the global level, 1-1.5 billion tons of carbon (equal to about 12-15% of total global carbon emissions) per year on average over the next half century could be managed through forestry activities. Much of this potential is related to addressing land degradation in developing nations; when trees are cut and either decay or are burned, much of the carbon they store is released back into the atmosphere. Forest carbon management opportunities are among the most economical ways to address CO2 emissions and have numerous ancillary benefits for wildlife, birds, water quality and local human populations. More

For more information, contact John Kinsman at 202.508.5711 or Gary Kaster at 740.962.1200