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If a tree falls in the forest how long will it store carbon; not as long as one that has been submerged in a freshwater aquatic system. A new study from the University of Missouri (MU)
has discovered that trees submerged in freshwater aquatic systems store carbon for thousands of years, a significantly longer period of time than trees that fall in a forest, thus keeping carbon out of the atmosphere.
“If a tree is submerged in water, its carbon will be stored for an average of 2,000 years,” said Richard Guyette, director of the MU Tree Ring Lab and research associate professor of forestry in the School of Natural Resources in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. “If a tree falls in a forest, that number is reduced to an average of 20 years, and in firewood, the carbon is only stored for one year.”
The researchers studied trees in northern Missouri which is a geographically unique area and one with a high level of riparian forests (forests that have natural water flowing through them).
What they found were submerged oak trees as old as 14,000 years, potentially some of the oldest discovered in the world. This carbon storage process is not just ancient; it continues even today as additional trees become submerged.
During a tree’s life, it has a high ability to store carbon, thus keeping it out of the atmosphere. Once it begins to decay, a tree’s carbon is released back into the atmosphere. Discovering that certain conditions slow this process reveals the importance of proper tree disposal as well as the benefits of riparian forests.
“Carbon plays a huge role in climate change and information about where it goes will be very important someday soon,” said Michael C. Stambaugh, research associate in the MU Department of Forestry.
“The goal is to increase our knowledge of the carbon cycle, particularly its exchange between the biosphere (plants) and atmosphere. We need to know where it goes and for how long in order to know how to offset its effects.”
Landowners may eb able to profit from this find; while not yet common in North America, emissions trading has been gaining popularity in parts of Europe.
Emissions trading is also known as cap and trade and works to reduce pollution by setting a limit on the amount of pollutants an organization can emit into the air. If the organization exceeds that number, the group is required to obtain carbon credits. One carbon credit equals one metric ton of carbon-dioxide or other equivalent greenhouse gases.
There are a number of ways to purchase carbon credits; for example, planting new trees or harvesting old wood that has stored carbon; collecting methane from landfills; or purchasing credits from other companies who have a carbon surplus by staying below their emission requirements.
The California Air Resources Board has announced the consideration of a large plan to fight global warming. The recommendations include reducing emissions, in part by requiring major polluters to trade carbon credits.
“Farmers can sell the carbon they have stored in their trees through a carbon credit stock market,” Guyette said. “Companies that emit excess of carbon would be able to buy carbon credits to offset their pollution.”
The study “The Temporal Distribution and Carbon Storage of Large Oak Wood in Streams and Floodplain Deposits” was published in the journal
Ecosystems.
