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Carbon sequencher definition7/7/2023 This is why the concept of permanent storage or "permanence" is fundamental to the role of a carbon offset. A true carbon offset credit should provide the same benefits as never extracting fossil fuels from the ground in the first place. Increased use of fossil fuels has allowed the carbon from ancient forests to reenter the atmosphere, enhancing the greenhouse effect. ![]() Wood that is buried underground, where there is little oxygen, decompose even slower and can hold onto carbon for centuries. This is because only a handful of fungi can break down lignin to use as a food source. Wood molecules called lignin decompose very slowly. Roughly 50% of the dry mass of a tree is carbon, much of which is stored in the wood fibers. Trees are good at holding onto carbon for long periods of time, even after the tree stops growing. ![]() Carbon StorageĬarbon storage is the building of plant structures (woody biomass) by converting glucose into cellulose, and lignin. Most carbon in a forest is stored in the soils and the above-ground living biomass (e.g., trees and other plants). The practice of forest management is also well established, and can help enhance carbon sequestration by strategically increasing the amount of tree growth within a stand of trees. Trees that grow rapidly (e.g., young trees, pine species) are often preferred in a carbon market context, because they take up more carbon dioxide at a faster rate. Increasing the rate of carbon sequestration in trees provides climate regulation benefits under climate change.Ĭompared to other plants, trees are ideal for carbon sequestration because of their large size. This warming effect can become socially undesirable when carbon dioxide reaches certain concentrations in the atmosphere.The sequestration of carbon dioxide in forests is part of the carbon cycle. So, forest carbon is really a carbon-based sugar molecule (e.g., glucose and cellulose).Ĭarbon dioxide is a common greenhouse gas that acts like a blanket in the atmosphere keeping planet earth warm. Oxygen is released into the atmosphere as a byproduct of this process. Light, water (H 2O), and carbon dioxide (CO 2) are transformed into energy and sugar. Storage Carbon SequestrationĬarbon sequestration is the creation of glucose in a plant through the process of photosynthesis. ![]() To help improve discussions about greenhouse gases and the value of carbon offsets in a market context, this article will explain the difference between carbon sequestration and carbon storage. Trees both sequester and store carbon as different activities.
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