Forests sequester half the CO2 emissions previously predicted

In the Netherlands, a study published in Forest Ecology and Management concluded that Earth System Models that predict the sequestration of CO2 by forests are overestimating future absorption capacity by as much as 100 percent.

Researchers at Wageningen University and Alterra have concluded that low availability of nitrogen, and to a lesser extent calcium and magnesium, are limiting factors in CO2 sequestration. The researchers said that the data from forest monitoring suggests that forests can provide a carbon sink equivalent to 2-4 percent of man-made carbon emissions.

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