By sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), trees are a natural way to reduce green house gas, while deforestation and wildfires release the CO2.
The record number of Canadian wildfires that spread smoke and CO2 over large areas of North America in 2023 contributed to the record high global temperature in 2023. The Canadian Wildland Fire Information System reports there were 6,623 wild fires in Canada in 2023, burning a record total of 18.4 million hectares (ha) while emitting about 480 megatonnes of carbon into the atmosphere. This was roughly 23 per cent of global wildfire carbon emissions in 2023.
The below average number of fires in prior years, and the poor forest management since, has almost certainly created the conditions for the record area burned 2023. Subsequent years will most certainly see fewer wildfires, as the natural fire breaks will be larger.
Unfortunately, global deforestation is estimated to total 13.7 million hectares (the area of Greece) annually. This is equivalent to between 14 billion and 34 billion trees. Around 10.9 billion tons of CO2 (around 15% of total) is released into the atmosphere and soil each year when trees burn either in wild fires or as fuel.
The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that only 23% of West Africa's moist forests remained in 1997. And, between 1990–2005, Nigeria alone lost 81% of its old-growth forests.
Regrettably, most trees are typically not replaced, and the land is left permanently lacking nutrients to support comparable regrowth. Also, not only is more CO2 added to the atmosphere but there are increasingly fewer trees to absorb CO2. And deforestation also causes soil erosion, loss of nutrients and desertification.
With good forest management, reforestation is possible. During the first 20 years of growth of 1000 trees planted in one hectare, between 4.5 and 40 ton of atmospheric CO2 are removed per year; the rate depending on the location and type of forest. Assuming an average planting density of 1,000/trees per hectare.
The amount of carbon stored in a tree depends on the species of the tree, its age, and environmental conditions. Since a mature tree can absorb about 22 kg (kilograms) (50 pounds) of CO2 per year from the atmosphere, a mature tree may contains anywhere from 100 to 500 kilograms of carbon.
This carbon storage continues until the tree dies. If it used to build houses, the carbon will be not be released until the houses are demolished. If it decays naturally, or is burned for fuel or in a wild fire, the carbon is returned to the atmosphere.
According to data published by the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) burning of fossil fuels and land use change result in an annual net addition of about 8 billion tons of carbon to the atmosphere.
Around 10.9 billion tons of CO2 is released into the atmosphere and soil each year when trees burn. (Every ton of pure carbon burned produces about 3.66 tons of CO2).
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