Successful Sequestration
Amy Cheng
Grade 9
Presentation
Problem
In this project, I look at the science and details on how we should look at planting trees in the future as to mximise the effect. There are limited resources on our planet and we should learn to maximise the use of all of them.
Method
To find the information that is needed to answer this question, I used a variety of trustworthy websights and videos to try and ensure any information presented is as accurate as possible.
Research
Background Information
Hypothesis: Although it seems like a rather simplistic question to answer when you consider more things that will be at play during this question it suddenly becomes less obvious. The information that I have is limited when making this hypothesis but I have heard that different types of trees and different types of soil and different conditions will affect the rate that it can capture carbon. This would mean that pointlessly planting trees around our cities and areas would be ineffective in achieving the most efficiency. I believe planting more young trees and their native areas would be the most effective in increasing the overall carbon capture rate of the planet. The matter of pointlessly planting trees would not help our limited supply and time. I believe that the health of the soil where the trees are planted would also have an impact on how much carbon the trees can capture and how much carbon the soil can capture. Soil health is a big aspect of capturing carbon and if the tree that we are planting will end up damaging the soil health it may be better to not plant them in that area or in that specific way. The answer (in my opinion) to this question is a lot less broad as such is just saying a certain thing will solve it, but the question asks about the more in the acute details of efficiency and strategy.
What do I already know about this topic:
My knowledge about this topic is very limited and mainly consists of facts on other areas of carbon capture. One of the most recent documentaries that we had viewed in science class was one that discussed the impact of soil in carbon capture and how the way plants are planted on the soil will affect how it can capture carbon. I believe that this will play a role in the outcome of this question. I had found this question on ted ed when I was searching for a unique and interesting question so I only have some very limited information on this topic from that video. It discussed how different types of trees planted in different conditions will affect the amount of carbon it will be able to take in in a set amount of time. I am sure there are many factors at play that will affect the rate in which reactions like that would occur but I do not know those things currently. I am hoping that through this project much of the unknowns about this topic that I do not know currently will be answered.
How did I come up with this question:
The environment has been something that I am consistently monitoring as it is something that personally matters to me and those around me as it becomes more and more obvious that there will need to be changes made in order to continue on this path that humanity has been set on. I was under a time crunch as well as I had started science fair later then I would like to have. So, like many of the past years I turned to the youtube channel that Ted-Ed had and I looked into their videos to see if they had one that fit my interest in the environment. I came across one that spoke on the topic that I ended up basing my topic off of. I thought that the topic was quite interesting but knowing that this question could not be formatted like many of the ones I have done in the past it made me want to do it more. To me this question was less on a grand big answer but more on the details of resource management and that intrigued me. I hope that this topic will not only allow me to look at the health of our planet in a different light but also help me look at future science fair projects in a different light.
Why does it matter:
Climate change is something that will affect the lives of many. It speeds up when there is a surplus of carbon in the atmosphere that is caused by a multitude of things. Trees are a part of the natural systems of our planet and have gone through many changes in our climate and survived them. They are also one of the things that many see as being able to help us sequester more carbon while benefiting the health of our planet in many ways such as fostering ecosystems and providing a home to a multitude of species. However, oftentimes people will plant trees in a way that will not benefit the environment in the way they hope to and it can be wasteful. It is important to make good use of the resources that are on our planet today as it will catch up to humanity some time in the future if we are wasteful. Having a plan to plant trees is a good direction to go in but the direction it is currently going in is not the most optimal. I hope my project is able to help us better understand the science of tree planting.
Pre-information :
What is a tree? <1>
A tree by definition is a plant that is wood based and will continue to grow. Many plants that fall under this classification are characterized by a major trunk and part that breaks off of the main part called branches. The many species of trees allow it to live in many areas of the world as it adapts to many of the conditions it faces. A good example of this is the existence of two types of trees: coniferous and deciduous. Coniferous trees often shed their leaves as the year goes on so as to not have to shed them quickly before winter and deciduous trees will often drop their leaves before the winter hits as their leaves often won't make it through winter. They are a vital part to many ecosystems and use their massive root systems to store carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They provide shelter and homes for many different species in many different ecosystems to a variety of animal species. These plants can also be found in many places both in nature and in the city for decor. Not only do they benefit the animals around them but there are also many economies that rely on resources that trees give to continue growing. Trees stabilize soil to prevent erosion from happening at a faster pace and help it retain its nutrients as it continues to give back to the earth.
What is carbon and how does it affect the environment?<2> Carbon or carbon dioxide
Carbon is the 14th element of the periodic table and is quite rare on its own but is often found in different compounds with different elements. In the sense of what will be referred to the most often in this presentation is aligned with carbon dioxide or what it generally does. Carbon that may get captured by forests may also get referred to as biogenic carbon. This carbon can be found in the trees of a forest who store the carbon in it, in fact in a dead tree its weight is 50% carbon. When looking at carbon in general it is important to note carbon can also be found in soil as it is a great factor that will need to be included. Carbon also often comes up in conversations related to the environment and global warming so some may assume that it is a bad thing but not necessarily. It is the surplus of carbon that can cause some issues. Carbon when combined with oxygen and becoming carbon dioxide is crucial to keeping our planet’s temperature above freezing and making all of life disappear. However, when there is too much of it as we see now it can make our planet’s temperature rise. Everything must exist in moderation. When fossil fuels are burned, they are releasing the carbon that plants had taken out of the atmosphere over the span of millions of years at a very rapid rate compared to the rate it was taken out. This will make the effect of keeping the earth from freezing more extreme and can cause the average global temperature to rise. | *Note* Climate change and global warming are different. Climate change is something that will happen in earth’s cycles and has happened in the past before but global warming is the Earth's average temperature getting warmer global warming can cause climate change to speed up.| For over a millenia the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has not been over 300 parts per million however in more recent times it has risen over 300 parts per million. This shows that there is quite an effect of carbon dioxide on our planet's environment.
Why Trees? <2.5>
Trees are incredible plants who have stood the test of time. They are also one of the best ways for storing carbon. Wood is 50% carbon that has been taken out of the atmosphere. This makes them incredible for storing carbon. They have also been around for centuries and centuries and are a key part in many ecosystems. They have been a part of earth's natural systems for many years in the past and many years to come. Forests are in most climates and areas of the world. They are also a key component to many of the things we use in our daily lives such as paper, tables, chairs, and much more. This provides more of a financial incentive for companies to invest into this area of research and development (whether it be for personal gain or for the environment any investment and research is good). Trees can often come with many animals and in turn bring more biodiversity to an area. They provide homes for many of earth's unique and majestic animals so even if we are not conserving them for the purpose of carbon capture they should still be protected as a home to many living things. Although there are machines that can be used for taking carbon out of the atmosphere, many of them can be expensive and can take a lot of resources to accomplish for the time being. Trees are mainly used for capturing carbon which is one of the four greenhouse gasses that contribute to global warming. They can be used as a way to offset emissions as plenty of machinery and technology we use today generate CO2 in the process.
How do trees sequester carbon?<3>
Planting trees is often mentioned as a counter to the surplus of carbon in our atmosphere but how do trees do this? While the tree grows its leaves, it takes carbon dioxide from the air and keeps the carbon to help it grow,binding it with sugar, finally releasing the two oxygen atoms (Co2 is two oxygen and one carbon). The carbon is then stored there until the tree dies or the leaves fall to the ground passing the carbon to the soil to have it continue being stored in the forest.Trees will also release carbon dioxide at night when there's no more sunlight for them to produce energy out of using photosynthesis. In one year a mature tree can take in 48 pounds of co2, benefiting the climate in many ways.
What factors can affect how trees sequester carbon?<4>
There are many factors that contribute to how trees sequester carbon. I will only go over them briefly in this section and they will be covered in more detail in the future. Trees capture carbon using photosynthesis which needs the sun to work so the environment and the levels of sun a tree gets could have major effects. Things that may disturb the tree during growth and other disturbances could also be one to have a major effect. The nutrients it gets (such as the amount of water it takes in) and the temperature are very factors that will play a role. Different species of trees and their uses will impact the outcome as well because different species of trees can have different compositions and different habitats. Topography or the environment the trees are in is also bound to affect it. Finally, the amount of biodiversity and ecosystems that
surround the tree are all factors. Now that these factors have been identified we can look more into them and their effects.
Factors :
Much of the information being presented will be from * as it is a trustable source that presents the information that I would like. It comes from Springer Nature, a very reputable source.
*Bernal, B., Murray, L.T. & Pearson, T.R.H. Global carbon dioxide removal rates from forest landscape restoration activities. Carbon Balance Manage 13, 22 (2018).https://doi.org/10.1186/s13021-018-0110-8
Sunlight/Solar radiation <5> (refer to figure (2))
The sun is one of the ingredients that is needed to make photosynthesis happen and could be one of the most important ones. Rather than getting food, trees must generate their own due to the inability to move. During photosynthesis which is the process of making food for the plant, it is also sequestering carbon. The areas of the world that are able to get the most sunlight are the equator regions and the areas that get the least sunlight are the polar regions but as you move to a higher latitude,the amount of sunlight will decrease. Some scientists believe that the reason that taller trees are able to take in more carbon is due to the surplus of sunlight that they would be receiving at the top of the forest. According to NASA the earth’s average amount of watts/m^2 is 342 watts/m^2 and the amount of energy the sun will give to the equator on a yearly basis is 200 more watts/m^2 meaning the equator will get approximately get 542 watts/m^2 a year (about 37% more). I am aware that this may not be the most accurate way of taking in how much the sun can impact the amount of carbon a tree is able to sequester and there was no information on how much carbon a tree could sequester with the sun’s energy. There will be some inconsistencies that I will acknowledge : there could be different soil/nutrient conditions in the area of the trees growth, the temperature will also play into the result as being near the equator will usually mean warmer climates as the sun gives more energy there ( although it is a factor of the sun ), there are more but these are the more simple ones that I am mentioning here. The area that gets more sun which in this comparison would be the tropical climate, which has an average of about 24 tons of carbon per hectare every year. Comparing that to an area that gets even less sunlight on a yearly basis, the boreal/subarctic regions have an average of 7 tons of carbon per hectare every year. I acknowledged the gaps in information that could distort the result earlier but I could not find a way to calculate how much carbon a tree could take in with a set amount of energy.
Climate<6>(refer to figure (1))
Temperature fluctuates a lot but climate is a more stable measure of overall economical effects. Climate fluctuates across the globe as it is mostly unique to each area of the world. I will look at a few different climates in this section like, tropical and moist, tropical and dry, temperamental and dry, temperamental and moist, and boreal (more commonly known as the subarctic climate). The definition of each of these climates are as follows : boreal is a climate that is quite limited to the most northern areas (northern Siberia, northern parts of Canada etc), this is areas of the world with an average temperature of around 10 degrees celsius, and finally this area of the world has temperatures that have an average of over 18 degrees celsius. These conditions will allow for a variety of different factors that impact the growth of vegetation and plants. For example, tropical areas of the planet tend to house more of a variety of species of plants and animals while the more polar and in return cooler areas of the climate that can fall under the polar climate will house much less biodiversity and species of plants and animals. As shown in the graph below there is a clear gap between the climate that allows for the least amount of carbon to be taken in. The boreal region which has the coldest climate ended up having the least amount of carbon taken in with an average of 7 tons of CO2 taken in per year (14000 pounds) in every hectare. Following up with the temperate dry climate with an average of 14 tons of CO2 per hectare every year and temperate humid with an average of 18 tons of CO2 per hectare every year. And the climate that did the best the more tropical climates with a dry and tropical climate is able to intake an average of 24 tons of CO2 per hectare every year and a humid and tropical climate is able to intake an average of 31 tons of CO2 per hectare every year. As the location nears the equator the carbon capture rate would increase rapidly. It is important to note that oftentimes the dry climates are able to house more species of trees but with their respective temperatures the areas with more moisture allow for the trees to take in more carbon.
Figure (1)
Nutrients <7>
There are a variety of nutrients present within the soil of the earth, there is soil with a higher concentration of iron or a higher concentration of other elements in the soil. There are a few elements that trees need the most such as : nitrogen and iron as it can help trees speed up the photosynthesis process, phosphorus as it helps the tree grow stronger roots and produce fruit and seeds, and potassium as it can strengthen the tree for a harsher winter or etc. Those three elements are what trees require the most for optimal growth. Nitrogen in particular is vital for the life of a tree and the health of forests. In areas that have more moisture in the environment the speed in which the plants take in the nitrogen is increased. The intake of nitrogen can speed up the storing of carbon. The input of carbon increased in every type of forest with it having the largest effect in boreal forests with an increase of 17%. So does that mean we should add more nitrogen to the soil? There are two sides of this coin, whilst more nitrogen in the soil can improve the overall aspects of trees and the carbon intake, however a surplus of carbon can have some negative effects on the soil. It can cause the soil’s ph levels to change and that can cause damage to the soil and the plants. Now that we have discussed some of the beneficial elements in soil, what are some elements that will damage the trees? As for physical elements, a soil that is too compressed due to multiple reasons can decrease water flow and osmosis speed and damage the trees. Toxic elements such as lead if getting leaked into a food web can end up in the soil and absorbed by the trees and reduce the growth of the trees.
Tree Species <9>
In the vast world of trees, there are approximately 64,000 species of trees that have been discovered as of November 7th 2023. Each of these species can have vast differences that set each of them apart from each other. The species of tree may be harder for any changes to be made as each species will be accustomed to living in the climate and region it is adapted for. If we are discussing trees in a warmer climate (near the equator etc) one of the best trees are the mangrove trees. Some studies have shown that they can sequester 2 to 4 times the amount of carbon as mature tropical trees (Fatoyinbo et al, 2017). One hectare of mangrove trees can take in approximately 23.1 tons of carbon per year. Overall mangroves are one of the best trees for sequestering carbon near the equator. There is also a sentiment of restoring many mangrove forests near the equator, it was interesting to see why. In a more general sense, by looking at the graph below we can tell that the types of trees that fall under the eucalyptus genus (not the plant they are two separate entities) which refers to trees and plants native to Australia, Tasmania, and the nearby areas as in the graph we can see that with the ideal conditions they can take in approximately 30 tons of carbon every year and do well in most other warm conditions. Other types of trees do not do as well in the more tropical regions such as the broadleaf trees (trees with wider and flatter leaves). However if we are discussing what trees are best in a higher altitude area, there are both deciduous trees and carnivorous trees that are great at capturing carbon. In terms of deciduous trees, the oak tree is one of the best at sequestering carbon and keeping it stored in the soil. They have large root systems that allow for the carbon to be stored deeper into the soil for it to stay there longer and ensure better forest health. In terms of capturing carbon however, it appears that pine is the most effective for capturing carbon in more boreal/northern areas.
Figure (2)
Tree age <10>(refer to figures (1 and 2))
Trees are an artifact of time. They grow much larger over time and their trunks will get thicker overtime. This factor is something that should be heavily considered as often mature trees are cut down and replaced with much younger trees. Whether the young trees are able to absorb the same amount of carbon as should be considered before cutting down a tree. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences it states that young trees can take more carbon out of the atmosphere per year than older trees. However in another study done by a team of international researchers led by Nathan Stephenson, the 2014 study showed the opposite effect. As it states that as the tree ages it can grow faster and take in more carbon every year. These two studies have two very different results that are the exact opposite from each other. How could these two studies have two very different answers to the same question so what was the difference in what they were studying? The first study done by the National Academy of Sciences studied individual trees and how much carbon each tree is able to take in compared to their biomass while the study done by a team of international researchers led by Nathan Stephenson studies larger patches of forest and areas of forest. Looking at it from a different perspective both at true. Trees do grow faster as they age but younger forests do end up taking in more carbon every year compared to the old forests. Although the amount of carbon an older forest is able to take in is affected by the cutting of trees as it is often the older ones that are cut down and by cutting them you are releasing some of the carbon back into the atmosphere. After harvesting a tree most of the carbon that they have captured is released back into the atmosphere so it may not be the most beneficial to our atmosphere. In conclusion, it appears that when people tend to plant trees the trees are able to sequester the most carbon in their body during the first few years of their lifespan but if we are looking for the carbon to be stored in a proper way in the below ground biomass and ensure that the carbon that is captured is not released back into the the atmosphere older trees are better at doing so. For me, the conclusion shows that we cannot continue replacing the old trees with younger trees as the mortality rate of the young trees is far greater compared to the old trees who are able to properly store the carbon and maintain the ecosystems much better. Many of the young trees that are being planted are also going to plantations only to be cut down again which is not good in the aspect of carbon sequestration.
Land<11>
Using the evidence we have gathered to this point, it is clear that warmer areas near the equator are far more efficient at taking in carbon, but does its topography allow for it to house trees? According to GEOGRAPHICAL tropical climates cover 36% of earth's land mass. In the past 14% of the earth was covered in rainforest but at this point in time they have been reduced to 6% of the land on earth as of October 2023. Although there are mainly human factors in the loss of rainforests, we will mainly focus on the traits that the land may have that are far harder to change. Rainforests most oftenly will occur in areas 1000 meters above sea level, in comparison Calgary is 1048 meters above sea level. Rainforests like areas with high rainfall and for that reason although there can be rainforests in areas with little rain it is extremely rare. Rainforests need very specific conditions and in order to ensure their needs are met it can be very difficult.
*Science Direct. “. . - definition of . . by The Free Dictionary.” The Free Dictionary . Accessed 25 January 2024.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/tropical-climate
Natural vs Planted by humans<12>(refer to figure (3))
Humans are constantly planting trees but should we be looking at conserving trees rather than planting. This will focus mainly on the point of the sequestration of carbon, trees are a large part of many ecosystems that should be protected. There are many things that fall under the umbrella that are planted trees, such as the restoration of forests that involve people replanting trees and it can range to planting trees for the harvesting of fruit etc. From past research it is clear that trees take in the most carbon in their first 20 years but it does not store it well in the soil of the forest, considering much of what we are planting is young and will be harvested. Is it worth it to continue planting them from the point of view of carbon capture? When we are considering the carbon sequestration I am not going to consider the aspect at how much carbon is lost after harvest at first. In this I will look at three types of trees : fruit trees that are purely used for producing fruit and a natural forest that would have had a little bit of care done to it. For fruit trees, we will look at apple trees as they are one of the most popular fruits in the world. On average an acre of apple trees (aprx 36 trees) can take in 10-20 tonnes of CO2 per year, converting that to hectares and tonnes as it has been the common unit of measurement it comes to 4-8 tons of carbon per hectare every year. Assuming that the apples are being grown in a temperate and humid climate the average amount of Co2 taken in per hectare every year as a planted is 6-13 tons (with an average of 9.5 tons). This is looking at an oak tree in similar conditions to a common apple tree. The apple tree however could be in a temperate and through everything that we've gathered dry climate, in that case the amount of carbon the oak tree in similar conditions would be able to take in 1.8-8.8 tons per hectare per year (with an average of 5.3 tons). These numbers however are very inconsistent. For this comparison I chose to do an oak tree because the numbers were the most similar to the apple trees. The environment of the trees plays a huge role in carbon sequestration. For me, this leads me to think that there is no big difference in the carbon that the fruit trees are able to sequester to the ones in the natural landscape.
(figure (3))
Data
Here are some of the graphs shown in the project, if you wish to view them with more detail.
Conclusion
Analysis :
During this project I've learned a lot and there are a lot of things that are important to mention to be able to draw the conclusion. Trees in tropical and humid climates do the best when it comes to sequestering carbon. And it does also appear that young trees have a faster rate of taking on carbon but in the long run it is best to let the older trees stay up as they are a vital part of ecosystems and tend to be able to maintain the carbon within their systems and the soil. I've also learned some of the nutrients that the trees need to grow and mature faster and the nutrients they need to survive. Of course I've only been looking at this issue from the point of view of the most efficient carbon sequestration. In reality there are many factors that I did not cover yet that could change the conclusion of this project. For example, many young trees may fall victim to an unexpected natural phenomenon or weather pattern/condition. Although our topic like this is not unheard of, much of the information is difficult to gather as there are many aspects that can skew the results.
Conclusion :
After looking for the most efficient way to plant trees, I now know that my hypothesis was wrong as it was way too simple and ignored many aspects that at the time I could not think of when I made my hypothesis. Many of us learned the basics of photosynthesis in the earlier grades but there are more factors to what makes it up and what it truly does. It has provided me with a greater understanding of Earth's unique biodiverse ecosystems. Trees thrive in warm and humid climates so it may be worth looking into planting more trees in those areas. The take away from this project (for me and I hope for everyone who may read it or learn about it) is that it is possible for trees to play a bigger role in mitigating climate change. These plants are ancient creatures after all, many have adapted to many of the changes in climate that our planet has gone through. Looking at their lifespans and adaptations may help us as a species adapt to our ever changing world.
What is next?
If I had more time on this project there would be a lot more I would like to study or take a more concentrated look at.There were a lot of things I did not find enough information on to write about. When I first started this topic I thought the information would be relatively easy to find as we often talk about balancing or carbon emissions with planting trees. However when I look for direct evidence it is very hard to find and compare. I was going to have a section talking about the finances as well as it is an important part when you want to do things efficiently. If I had more time and more resources I definitely would have looked into other areas to consider because it is a very grand thing, there's a lot of variables that are at play, when I use the numbers to see which one was the most efficient. I also have a lot of topics that I had to scrap because either there was no information or I ran out of time because the information was very hard to gather. I really wish there was more information on the topic and I wish I had more time because this topic has so many ways you can look at it from so many ways that we can make what we are currently doing better. There was a part that I was going to talk about the success rates of projects that countries have tried and whether they have been efficient or not, but I ran out of time so if I make it to cities I will be sure to cover that. Overall I just wish I had more time to look into things because I believe the information is out there it is just extremely hard to find our trustable and accurate information.
Citations
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https://youtu.be/bbxmH_Kj7fk?si=GJnSi6C6z_z3r9ZL
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https://www.britannica.com/science/carbon-chemical-element
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<4>
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Acknowledgement
Thank you to all the supportive and enpowering people around me. Mrs.Obrian and Ms.Kowalski that hosted the school science fair. Mr.Houle my science teacher who helped me brainstorm ideas for this topic. Anyone who gave me feedback on how to improve my project help me in great lengths. I hope this project gave you the same feeling as you gave me.