Photo: Thomas Evans | Unsplash
A new study in the UK revealed that old forests lock away twice as much planet-warming carbon as previously thought. In particular, old trees are crucial to fighting climate change. Using 3D-scanning techniques, researchers were able to map and measure each tree's volume and calculate the amount of carbon captured in a tree's trunk and branches. The result was surprising: a patch of UK forest weighs about twice as much as previous calculations suggested. Once you know the density of the wood, you can convert volume into mass. Half of that mass is water, the other carbon. "The value you have in large mature trees is almost incalculable, and so you should avoid losing that at any cost - regardless of how many trees you think about planting," said Prof Disney. "Those large trees are incredibly important."
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