How Much CO2 Does a Tree Absorb?
Trees help tackle climate change
During one year, a mature tree will absorb more than 150 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
CO2 Removed by Trees
There is a range between 4.5 and 40.7 tons of Carbon Dioxide removed per year per hectare during the first 20 years of tree growth.
The rate of removal depends on the location and type of forest and the statistic is measured on an area basis rather than a tree basis. This is a good approach. Forests are composed of many types of trees. Furthermore, the initial trees planted during a restoration project may not be the same trees present 20 years later - some trees will die naturally, and some trees will regenerate naturally from seed in the soil or brought in by the wind or by animals. This is a natural process.
To determine the amount of carbon dioxide a tree can absorb, we combine average planting densities with a conservative estimate of carbon per hectare to estimate that the average tree absorbs an average of 75 kilograms, or 150 pounds, of carbon dioxide per year for the first 20 years.
This was determined by taking an average planting density rate of 300/trees per hectare. With carbon estimates, we like to err on the side of being conservative to avoid over inflating the potential benefits, which is why we selected 10 tons per hectare per year. Dividing 10 tons per hectare by 1,000 trees per hectare gets us an average value of 10 kilograms/22 pounds per tree per year. This is a little less than half of the commonly cited 48 pounds per tree per year, which gives us confidence that we are in the same ballpark as the accepted, de facto number, but are now being more conservative, and have a way to back it up.
There are verifiable carbon accounting methodologies that we fully support, like Vera VCS and the Gold standard. These are often only suitable for large projects, and require additional costs and processes that are not applicable to all projects. The 10 kilograms per year is meant as a starting estimate to help us understand the potential carbon impact on a per tree basis.
It’s important to remember that the true benefits of trees and healthy forests go far beyond carbon storage. Their value for biodiversity, social impact, and the stability of the global climate are well documented. This may also be a challenge to measure, but at the end of the day the need to protect and restore our forests by planting trees is essential.
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