Trees are growing faster, but the wood is lighter by Meredith Jacques
Forests are considered a great carbon sink--trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow and incorporate it into their body mass. So, trees sequester carbon, which means that the carbon is held in place in the tree's body and not floating around in the atmosphere. And as the climate warms, trees are growing faster. This seems like a good thing, more trees to absorb more carbon! But, a group of researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have been studying tree growth from trees growing over the last 150 years have made a troubling discovery.
According to the data collected by TUM, trees have been getting lighter over the last 150 years. The examined hundreds of trees of various species and looked closely at their ring structure to determine how quickly they are growing and how dense their mass is. This study was conducted on a test plot that was planted 150 years ago and has had the same treatment over the course of those 150 years. They discovered that the mass tress are adding is 8-12 percent lighter than it was 150 years ago. So maybe trees aren't sequestering as much more carbon dioxide as we might have thought, even with faster growth.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180814101501.htm
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112718310600?via%3Dihub
Why is it a problem that the mass of trees is lighter than it was 150 years ago?
What might be causing this change?
Are there any better ways of "scrubbing" carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere?
Forests are considered a great carbon sink--trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow and incorporate it into their body mass. So, trees sequester carbon, which means that the carbon is held in place in the tree's body and not floating around in the atmosphere. And as the climate warms, trees are growing faster. This seems like a good thing, more trees to absorb more carbon! But, a group of researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have been studying tree growth from trees growing over the last 150 years have made a troubling discovery.
According to the data collected by TUM, trees have been getting lighter over the last 150 years. The examined hundreds of trees of various species and looked closely at their ring structure to determine how quickly they are growing and how dense their mass is. This study was conducted on a test plot that was planted 150 years ago and has had the same treatment over the course of those 150 years. They discovered that the mass tress are adding is 8-12 percent lighter than it was 150 years ago. So maybe trees aren't sequestering as much more carbon dioxide as we might have thought, even with faster growth.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180814101501.htm
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112718310600?via%3Dihub
Why is it a problem that the mass of trees is lighter than it was 150 years ago?
What might be causing this change?
Are there any better ways of "scrubbing" carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere?
Creating more green space for plants to grow will help reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere -Avery C
ReplyDeleteWhat will happen to the trees another 150 years from now? Stay the same? Or change as they are now?- Cali Rigby
ReplyDeletei think that planting more trees and having more plants in general is a start to catch carbon. - Triston
ReplyDeleteIf people are aware of the dangers of burning such excessive amounts of fossil fuel and we know of better alternatives, how come those options aren't being put to use? -Myori Felix
ReplyDeletePlanting more greens, and compromising building space for more area for plants to grow is one solution to this problem. - Jordan C
ReplyDeleteIf these trees keep on getting lighter, and continue to grow quicker what would it be in a few years?? - hannah
ReplyDeletePlanting more trees would create competition for the already struggling to grow trees while allowing the ones that are already growing to thrive in a cleared space would provide enough nutrients and lower the competition for the trees to grow thicker and taller.
ReplyDeleteWilliam Hipp
DeleteOne way to help fix the problem is plant more trees and plants and also stop cutting down trees for buildings.
ReplyDelete-Layne H
The trees are smaller and skinnier, but planting even more trees and other plants could help with this issue. Also not burning fossil fuels would help control this. -Klarissa
ReplyDeleteMellish,
ReplyDeleteI think this is strange because there really isn't a win or loss. There are more trees to suck in carbon dioxide but they are holding less waste. As long as there are trees that can still do their job everything should be fine.
If there are too many trees,is that a bad thing?Are plants the only things good for carbon?Tammia D.
ReplyDeleteClimate Change and carbon are some of the reasons why there are changes to the trees growth. - Ogechi Okpara
ReplyDeleteSince the trees are lighter, the trees might not be able to support animals living on the tree.
ReplyDeleteI think the trees are taking in to much carbon which might be making the trees lighter than they should be.
I think we could modify trees to be stronger and absorb more carbon than one tree could hold currently.
-Matthew Brooks
Maria Misner-I think that Global warming may be the cause of this change. I feel like we need to fix this problem, who knows what will happen to the trees years from now.
ReplyDeleteI think a stronger tree is a healthier tree and if they continue getting lighter they might become fragile and brittle
ReplyDeleteI think people should not cut down as many trees because this is like a natural way to solve this problem.
ReplyDelete-Tammia D
I think we should ban plastic in huge quantity's. Also because america is such a big force on the world many country's will follow. In Europe many villages and Asian, and Indonesian city's have banned plastic.
ReplyDelete- Anushka
Cutting down trees is terrible for the environment and it hurts humans in a big way. I believe there are other ways to solve the need for timber and other problems that are created due to this.
ReplyDelete-Anthony
We may not be able to chop trees down anymore because we are cutting too many of them down
ReplyDelete-Daniel Kelly
I bet this lighter wood doesnt burn as long as the thicker wood. -patrick
ReplyDeletehow light will they be in another 150 years??
ReplyDelete- layne
if the trees keep gettin lighter will they not emmit enought oxygen for us- Armando
ReplyDelete