Still, the diversity of that assemblage is small in comparison with what is to come. Immature forests often include a unique assemblage of herbs, shrubs and animals. By separating the fine, leafy fuels from the forest floor, the likelihood of wildfire diminishes. These forests efficiently absorb carbon dioxide and store it in the tree trunks and roots. However, the leafy canopy remains intact and gradually rises above the forest floor as the trees grow. The next phase involves a process of growth and death, where smaller trees are shaded out and killed by larger, faster-growing trees - a process known as thinning. These immature forests pose a high risk of wildfire due to the abundance of fine fuel, small branches and leaves, near the ground. The result is an immature forest composed of trees of small stature and similar age. Within a few years, tree seedlings grow quickly, and their canopies expand to form a continuous green “solar panel.” The time it takes for this growth depends on the site’s fertility and the number of pioneer trees in the environment. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the earliest tree species in an area (called “pioneer trees”) disperse their seeds via wind and can grow rapidly in an open environment. The speed of this regeneration depends on the amount of seed dispersed and the suitability of the post-disturbance environment. While the change process varies across different forest types and locations, there is a general pattern that applies to most forests.Īfter major forest disturbances like a timber harvest or catastrophic wildfire, tree seeds germinate and seedlings become established. The way we perceive and manage this change has significant global implications. In the meantime, such a cycle would almost certainly produce more wildfires and could be exacerbated by increased deforestation and inappropriate forest management.įorest ecosystems are constantly changing, affecting carbon absorption and storage, and the risk of wildfires. When forests regrow, they can again absorb carbon from the atmosphere, but it takes a long time - many decades. When a forest burns, carbon storage is diminished and carbon dioxide is released adding to the concentration of greenhouse gases that are warming Earth’s atmosphere. It is these older forests that will help us prevent future forest fires and will do the most to reduce climate change, and its these forests that we need to protect at all costs.įorested landscapes are important reservoirs of stored organic carbon, but scientists are concerned that we are entering a vicious cycle of wildfires and climate change that could lead to a permanent decrease in the amount of carbon stored in forests overall. Learn more details about the carbon removal projects we support under this link.But a large amount of the forests on public lands is what foresters call “mature” forest, which is nearly as good as old growth and in fact is on the brink of becoming old growth. The partners we choose who help us plant the trees or use their ‘direct air capture and storage’ machines are selected extremely careful. ![]() Where possible we do contribute and maintain existingįorests as well as supporting the replanting of destroyed lands. Sadly natural disasters such as wildfires do happen and we cannot guaranteeĪgainst these occurrences. When selecting tree planting partners we will only choose those which can guarantee that the trees will be properly maintained and under no circumstances be cut down for at least 30 years (realistically the trees will stand much longer than this). Trees are also an excellent natural carbon sink provided they do not rot and are not burned as this will release the CO₂ back into the atmosphere. Which will remain solid and unchanged for thousands of years. The method direct air capture and storage has by nature a solid guarantee as it is constantlyĬapturing and removing CO₂ from the atmosphere, turning it into stone At the moment we support tree planting and direct air capture and storage. To compensate your carbon footprint, we only support carbon dioxide removal and not carbon credits, which are ambiguous and not guaranteed. Our primary focus is to reverse climate change through guaranteed, permanent and sustainable carbon dioxide removal and this is reflected in the methods and partners we choose to do so.
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