CO2 sequestration and Trees

[Al Stangenberger]

Paolo Mori (sherwood at ats.it) wrote:
: Dear newsgroup readers
: I am trying to find updated information about the role of trees (and in 
: particular: fast-growing tree plantations) in reducing atmospheric CO2 
: concentration. 

: I really believe that fast growing species can sequester much more CO2 then 
: other species; experimental finding demostrates that the Net Primary 
: Production of a tree plantation is growing when the trees are young until the 
: respiration becom too high; can you please give me your opinion about this?  

Probably the best way to use vegetation to reduce atmospheric CO2 concentration
is to burn it as an energy source and thereby reduce the use of fossil fuels.

It is true that vegetation does sequester carbon in the short term, but keeping
that newly-sequestered carbon in storage for geologic time periods is no easy
task.  It's lots easier to use the vegetation for energy and leave the fossil
fuels in the ground.

--
Al Stangenberger                      forags at nature.berkeley.edu            
Dept. of Env. Sci., Policy, & Mgt.    145 Mulford Hall # 3114
Univ. of California at Berkeley       Berkeley, CA  94720-3114
(510) 642-4424  FAX: (510) 643-5438