Forests, wells of carbon
The Earth's forests contain great stores of carbon. The procedure of these carbon wells is natural. It is based on the basic mechanism of photosynthesis. This mechanism is a basic organic biochemical reaction. Water molecules and carbonic gas are transformed by the sun into oxygen molecules and carbohydrates.
All plants have the photosynthesis mechanism, but trees have the ability to store the atmosphere's CO2 for a long time. The forest's trees thus play a major ecological role in the planet's equilibrium. According to scientific estimates, the world's forests contain around 80% of the carbon of the earth's vegetation. To this, we can add about 40% of the soil's carbon (biomass). Which is to say that it is essentiel to preserve and replant our forest ecosystems!
Many countries in the world are aware of this ecological factor and develop special programmes to create new carbon wells. The creation of new forestries is just as important as the preservation of the existing forests. In fact, only growing forests store CO2 efficiently.
The so-called "mature "forests absorb CO2 at a relatively low rate, due to the large emissions caused by the organic material's decomposition process. The result of these recent discoveries has made states adapt their preservation strategies by gradually replacing mature forests by young forests in full growth.
Forest management is a long-term process. Wood is cut for human consumption in quantities which are calculated, and every tree felled is replaced by a young plant which can stock CO2 better. Of course the advantage of this long-term management plan is to accelerate the regeneration cycles of existing forests, but it also avoids the use of fossil fuel energy, which produces large CO2 emissions in the atmosphere, by proposing wood for human consumption.
Reforestation also allows us to restore biodiversity where it has disappeared while at the same time guaranteeing better protection for the soil and for water resourses in these areas.