Yale Climate Connections posted a story earlier this week about forest loss in the Southeast and the associated loss of carbon storage that occurs when mature trees are cut down. According to the story, “Between 2000 and 2012, trees in the region were cut up to four times faster than in South American rainforests.” Trees are a natural way to store carbon, and when they are cut down, that carbon is ultimately released back into the atmosphere, potentially increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Of course here, most of the areas with trees that are logged are replanted, but those small saplings are not able to store nearly as much carbon as the larger trees. You can listen to the story and read more here.
