Up-and-coming forests will remain important carbon sinks
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - 08:30
in Earth & Climate
The aging forests of the Upper Great Lakes could be considered the baby boomers of the region's ecosystem. The decline of trees in this area is a cause for concern among policymakers and ecologists who wonder whether the end of the forests' most productive years means they will no longer offer the benefits they are known for: cleansed air, fertile soil, filtered water and, most important to climate change analysts, carbon storage that offsets greenhouse gas emissions. Now researchers say that coming up right underneath the old forests is a new generation of native trees that are younger, more diverse and highly competitive.