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You don’t need a source. To be a net emitter the tree would have to be losing mass. That’s not what healthy trees do, even old ones. I believe the article migh
by garmaine 7y ago
You don’t need a source. To be a net emitter the tree would have to be losing mass. That’s not what healthy trees do, even old ones.
I believe the article might have been trying to say is that trees tend to die and decompose (or burn) which makes them carbon emitters.
- benj111 7y agoYou're talking about individual trees though. Theres plenty of mechanisms where the individual trees grow, but the forest holds less carbon. The linked article [1] mentions forest fires and insect infestations. [1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/canada-forests-carbon-sink-or-source-1.5011490 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/canada-forests-carbon...
- jefftk 7y agoIf a tree keeps growing, but also gets more successful at suppressing growth of it's neighbors, then it can be a net emitter overall even though it's a net absorber considered individually.
- Robotbeat 7y agoThat’s not true. Methane is a significantly more potent greenhouse gas than CO2, so if the tree is absorbing CO2 but the decomposing needles and leaves are emitting methane, it could easily be a net GHG emitter.