Carbon sequestration is the process by which carbon dioxide is absorbed during photosynthesis, and is stored as carbon in biomass (trunks, branches, foliage, and roots). Gains in forest carbon stocks through growth and sequestration will reach a maximum level over time, and are eventually offset by carbon losses through harvesting, thinning, and natural decay.
To determine the total carbon sequestered in a forest at any given time (the forest carbon stocks) it is necessary to work out
how much carbon is in:
The above-ground live biomass, which includes the stem, branches, and leaves or needles.
The below-ground live biomass, which is the root system of the tree. Once the tree is harvested this usually decays slowly.
The coarse woody debris, which includes all larger woody material left on the forest floor after any pruning, thinning or harvesting operations. This coarse woody debris decays over time.
The fine litter, which is composed of decaying leaves or needles, and small branches and twigs. This usually increases slowly over time, until a balance between average annual litter inputs and decay is reached.
The forest estate is already a significant store of carbon and there is potential for this to grow further with farm and larger-scale plantings of both exotic and indigenous forest species.
