Which tree sizes store the most carbon in forests around the world?

What is it about?

Forests play a major role in the global carbon cycle, but the response of forests to climate change is highly uncertain. Tree size is a key determinant of the effect of climate on forest carbon dynamics: here we used data from large forest plots to show that forest carbon stocks and productivity are distributed over a wider range of tree sizes in warmer, wetter forests worldwide. Small trees, which account for a small share of carbon stocks, are relatively more important for carbon productivity.

Featured Image