A mature forest not only hosts diverse ecosystems, it also produces a beneficial local climate. It's also a gross oversimplification to look at CO² balance by

A mature forest not only hosts diverse ecosystems, it also produces a beneficial local climate. It's also a gross oversimplification to look at CO² balance by absorption by trees only. Floodplain forests, forested swampland and broad-leafed trees also store massive amounts of CO² even when the forest is mature. But more importantly, mature and healthy forests offer a broad range of benefits beyond binding CO². Reducing the value of forests and the associated ecosystems to CO² is a flawed approach. There's many more factors involved, including preservation of fresh water.