Forestry Research and Engineering: International Journal

Mini Review Open Access

Carbon sequestration: how much can forestry

sequester CO2?
Abstract Volume 2 Issue 3 - 2018

This mini paper reviewed key principles of carbon sequestration in the concept and
Egbuche Christian Toochi
quest to understand that land and forests have been accounted huge potential source Department of Forestry and Wildlife Technology, Federal
of storing and referred as natural scrubbers or natures “carbon sinks”. Generally, University of Technology Owerri, Nigeria
in scientific term, one way of reducing the emissions of carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere is to store carbon or CO2 in any medium other than the atmosphere. Correspondence: Egbuche Christian Toochi, Department
This paper outlines the main definition and estimates of amount of CO sequestered of Forestry and Wildlife Technology, Federal University of
annually by plants while determining the total (green) weight of the tree, determine the Technology Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria,
weight of carbon in the tree and the weight of carbon dioxide sequestered in the tree. Email ctoochi@[Link]
Prominent evaluation examples involve maple–beech–birch forests and white and red
pine forests (25 and 120 years) while reflecting to world agro forestry sequestration Received: March 03, 2018 | Published: May 31, 2018
calculation. Furthermore, the paper discusses the key process of trees as collectors of
CO2: chemistry of the action. The mini review concludes the assertion and supported
by UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and the global order of
Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM).

Keywords: carbon sequestration, forestry, carbon dioxide, carbon sinks, UNFCC

and CDM

Introduction Problem significant

Sequestration in its concept is very complex which has been The critical concern on the role of soil and forests in the
applicable to rates though vary greatly in consideration of age, global carbon budget and effects of carbon sequestration has been
composition, location of any forests and soil type. This provoking incorporated in international treaties. In Article 3.4 of the Kyoto
presentation seeks to question and recapture the view of how much protocol, soil and forests has been identified as a potential sink of
CO2 does a tree take up? The emergence of climate change and global carbon which various nations tends to establish greenhouse gas
warming has been identified by scientist and occur frequently. This inventories and carbon management authorities. This review paper
phenomenon is been triggered by anthropogenic (human) activities is significant in understanding the potential for forests to sequester
thereby the discharge of large amounts of greenhouse gases into the carbon as a major terrestrial sequestration agent. The main factors of
atmosphere. In a general scientific term, one way of reducing the C disturbance include forest management, fires, floods, deforestation,
emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is to store carbon reforestation, agricultural practices and drainage.
or CO2 in any medium other than the atmosphere. The biological and
geological mediums are two major and vast different ways of carbon Theoretical methods
sequestration. Land and forests have been accounted huge potential Key definitions of carbon sequestration were presented. Theories
source of storing and referred as natural scrubbers or natures “carbon in calculation from plant growth stages and maple–beech–birch forests
sinks”. The process of photosynthesis permits green plants to uptake and white and red pine forests (25 and 120 years) while reflecting to
CO2 from the atmosphere and convert it into organic carbon as they world agro forestry sequestration calculation.
grow and in turn organic carbon is converted back to CO2 when it
is eaten or decomposed known as the process of respiration. This Estimates of amount of CO sequestered annually by
is to say, activities that increase photosynthesis and/or decreases plants
respiration is regarded of great advantage in the global carbon
reduction. Terrestrial and mostly trees (plants) store the most carbon Tropical climates support greatly the sequestration of atmospheric
because of large volume storage and long–lived storage. Various parts carbon dioxide and documented at an average of 50 pounds of carbon
of plants as trunks, leaves, wood, roots as well as the soil in which dioxide per tree per year. It is provoking that not much research and
the plants are fixed as do not decompose or burn, stores carbon from investigation has been conducted on plant species especially in the
the atmosphere. Plants of all categories as well as non tilled fields tropical forests. Generally, the rate of carbon sequestration depends
and grasslands are carbon sinks and storage and thereby store organic on plant growth characteristics of individual tree species, the density
carbon in the soil. On global rating, soil carbon sequestration could of the tree’s wood, and the conditions for growth where the tree is
offset as much as 15 percent of fossil fuel emissions. This mini review planted and plant stage–that is to say the greatest sequestration stage
paper hereby supports activities that have carbon sinking benefits such is in the younger stages of tree growth, between 20 to 50 years.1 A
as improved soil quality, increased crop yields, and some wildlife rough calculation and estimate the amount of CO2 sequestered in a
habitat conservation approaches. given tree.

Submit Manuscript | [Link] Forest Res Eng Int J. 2018;2(3):148‒150. 148

© 2018 Toochi . This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.
 Copyright:
Carbon sequestration: how much can forestry sequester CO2? ©2018 Toochi 149

Definition d) 120 year old forest: 3,909lbs of CO2 per year per acre =
average of 5.58lbs of CO2 per tree per year
T (CO2)/tage, = Arate
Northeast, white and red pine forests
T(CO2)–estimated amount of CO2 sequestered in a given tree
i. 25 year old forest: 67,000 lbs of carbon/25 = 2,680 lbs of C per
/tage–divide by the age of the particular tree
acre per year x 44/12 = 9,826 lbs of CO2 per acre per year / 700
Arate–annual sequestration rate. = average of 14 lbs of CO2 per year per tree (rounded to 15 lbs)
In considering the various mechanisms of understanding carbon ii. 120 year old forest: 246,000 lbs of carbon/120 = 2,050 lbs of C
sequestration in plant species, some basic student learning process per acre per year x 44/12 = 7,516 lbs of CO2 per acre per year /
identified in determining carbon sequestration capacity in any given 700 = average of 11.7 lbs of CO2 per year per tree.
tree species2 as in Figure 1.
Source: Forests and Global Change,6 world Agroforestry Centre’s
“Agroforestry Database” and how much a Calliandra calothyrsus
might sequester in a year. This is based on an extension publication
from the University of Nebraska.7
Note: Tree density varies, and an average is always taken in
trees per acre (from DOE’s “Sector–Specific Issues and Reporting
Methodologies Supporting the General Guidelines for the Voluntary
Reporting of Greenhouse Gases under Sections 1605(b) of the Energy
Policy Act of 1992”)

Figure 1 The various mechanisms of understanding carbon sequestration in Discussion

plant species, some basic student learning process identified in determining
The process of trees as collectors of CO2: chemistry
carbon sequestration capacity.
of the action
Determine the total (green) weight of the tree All green plants, trees assimilate CO2 from the atmosphere through
Depending on the tree species,2 a simple algorithm can be applied the process of photosynthesis. The simple sugar molecules that are
to weigh any tree species as below initially formed from CO2 are then combined to produce cellulose,
as well as lignin in the case of woody plant organs. Much of the
W = Above–ground weight of the tree in pounds carbon that is assimilated through photosynthesis is released again
D = Diameter of the trunk in inches as CO2 through respiration–the energy costs associated with growth
maintenance of living material. The remaining carbon is allocated
H = Height of the tree in feet to leaf, root, seed, and wood and branch biomass. At an annual
timescale, the carbon associated with short–lived components of
Determine the weight of carbon in the tree woodland is returned to the atmosphere through decomposition, with
The average carbon content is generally 50% of the tree’s total only a proportion of fixed carbon being retained in the longer term as
volume.3 Therefore, in determining the weight of carbon in the tree, wood. The process of photosynthesis converts two chemicals; carbon
multiply the dry weight of the tree by 50%. dioxide and water into simple carbohydrates, using sunlight as the
energy source. The process takes place within the leaf and other green
Determine the weight of carbon dioxide sequestered surfaces of plants. However, only part of the radiant energy from the
in the tree sun is used in this way. At best, a plant can convert only about 6%
of the total incoming radiation into stored energy. Water enters the
Chemical composition of CO2 means and that composed of
plant mainly through the roots and brings with it essential nutrients.
one molecule of Carbon and 2 molecules of Oxygen. The atomic
Carbon dioxide enters as a gas, mainly through holes (stomata) on
weight of Carbon is 12.001115. The atomic weight of Oxygen is
plant leaves. Stomata open in response to light, but close in the dark
15.9994. In line with the documentaries of4,5 the weight of CO2 in
and in response to adverse conditions such as lack of water or high
trees is determined by the ratio of CO2 is C+2*O=43.999915 to C is
temperature. When a crop is growing vigorously and other constraints,
43.999915/12.001115=3.6663 therefore, to determine the weight of
a daily inflow, via the stomata, of over 150kg/ha carbon dioxide is
carbon dioxide sequestered in the tree, multiply the weight of carbon
needed. The amount contained in the air above the crop to a height of
in the tree by 3.6663.
over 20 meters. Water is lost from plants while the stomata are open,
Northeast, maple–beech–birch forests sometimes over 100t/ha each day.

a) 25 year old forest: 12,000lbs of carbon/25 = 480 lbs of C per acre Conclusion
per year x 44/12 =1,760lbs of CO2 per acre per year
It is noted that Kyoto protocol 1979 stated the need for terrestrial
b) 120 year old forest: 128,000lbs of carbon/120 = 1,066 lbs of C ecosystems especially growing trees to sequester carbon. Different
per year per acre x 44/12 =3,909lbs of CO2 per acre per year vegetation and plant species, soils and forest management regimes
c) 25 year old forest: 1,760lbs of CO2 per acre per year/700 trees influences the potential of trees in their capacity to sequester carbon.
= average of 2.52lbs of CO2 per tree per year (rounded to 3 The increasing climate change scenario and warmer climatic condition
lbs) as well as human anthropogenic activities have positioned climate and
global change ecology as an agenda. This assertion was supported

Citation: Toochi EC. Carbon sequestration: how much can forestry sequester CO2?. Forest Res Eng Int J. 2018;2(3):148‒150.
DOI: 10.15406/freij.2018.02.00040
 Copyright:
Carbon sequestration: how much can forestry sequester CO2? ©2018 Toochi 150

by UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) Disclaimer

and the global order of Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM).
Furthermore, this presentation is response to the provoking demand This Mini–Review attracted some calculation methodology in
for basic knowledge for carbon sequestration in the context of how which practitioners have identified the complexity of accounting and
much forestry has contributed in CO2 management. IPCC also took calculating the carbon sequestration by trees in an annual rate rather
cognisance of land use, soil management, and forestry as effective this has provided some useful insight of understanding that trees do
means for global carbon emissions. Brown et al.,8 documented that sequester carbon. The author acknowledges all authors, websites and
global forestation programs 345 million ha of plantation and agro institutions that provided these basic calculation and information
forestry would account to 60–87Gtc equivalent to 12–15 percent meant for more contribution to knowledge especially in this era of
of cumulated fossil fuel and deforestation emissions. Generally, it global change ecology.
is accepted that trees do sequester carbon. Forestry poses a strong
potential as a means of mitigating measure of greenhouse effect. References
Climate change, fire and forest owners also constitute a burden to 1. [Link]
forest sequestration capacity of CO2. Salient factors from carbon
2. Clark A, Saucier JR, McNab WH. Total–Tree Weight, Stem Weight, and
sequestration and forestry are as follows: Volume Tables for Hardwood Species in the Southeast. USA: Georgia
i. Forest as a potential carbon scrubber is considered to be cost Forestry Commission; 1986. p. 1–52.
effective 3. De Wald S, Josiah S, Erdkamp B. Heating With Wood: Producing,
Harvesting and Processing Firewood. USA: University of Nebraska–
ii. Tropical forest may absorb more CO2 Lincoln Extension, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources;
iii. Proper land and forest management supports larger terrestrial CO2 2005.
sink thereby supports afforestation 4. [Link]
iv. Fast growing vegetation species and fertile lands are major benefits 5. Birdsey RA. Carbon Storage and Accumulation in United States Forest
for CO2. Ecosystems. USA: General Technical Report (GTR); 1992.

v. Generally, forestry in relative terms abates climate change, gas 6. Sampson N, Hair D. Forests and Global Change: Forest management
emissions and absorbs larger chunk of CO2. opportunities for mitigating carbon emissions. USA: American Forests;
1996.
Recommendation 7. Myers N, Goreau TJ. Tropical Forests and the Greenhouse Effect: A
Management Response. Jamaica: University of the West Indies; 1991.
This review paper provides an appropriate platform for the
development of field based research project thereby a major support 8. Brown S, Sathaye J, Cannell MGR. Management of forest for
to knowledge and scientific understanding of CO2 sequestration. mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. In climate change 1995
Impacts, Adaptation and mitigation of climate change. In: Watson RT,
Conflict of interest et al. editors. UK: Cambridge University Press; 1996. p. 773–797.

Author declares there is no conflict of interest.

Citation:Toochi EC. Carbon sequestration: how much can forestry sequester CO2?. Forest Res Eng Int J. 2018;2(3):148‒150.
DOI: 10.15406/freij.2018.02.00040