[Terrapreta] Fwd: Fwd: Global Carbon Cycle

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Kevin,

Kevin wrote:
If a mature tree is not harvested, it stops being a net carbon sink, and 
will fall over when overmature, and rot.

I think this is wrong.  A mature forest of trees is absolutely a "carbon sink".  It does not increase in overall carbon content (or decrease!) because the carbon fixed by photosynthesis in the growing parts of the forest is balanced by the carbon released through decay in other parts of the forest.  The entire forest is in equilibrium.  The entire forest will not change in total carbon content.  The entire forest retains the same level of carbon for EONS.  Left standing, it is a "carbon sink"!

A single mature tree may rot, if it goes un-harvested, but the forest it is within will not reduce in the amount of carbon stored there.

Carbon in the Biosphere is not the same thing as GHG in the atmosphere.  It a country does not cut down a forest and uses the wood there, to burn it, or consume it, and let it become waste, then they absolutely do prevent an increase in GHG emissions into the atmosphere.  They did not increase the amount of carbon in the Biosphere to do that.

Regards,


SKB
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