The vast array of Earth’s plants and animals is what makes our world so exciting and beautiful. When it comes to forests, having a diversity of tree species comes with an added bonus that benefits the entire planet: a higher rate of carbon sequestration.
A new study has found that forests with greater tree diversity are more productive, which potentially means extra efficiency in capturing carbon from the atmosphere.
An international team of researchers has found that faster-growing trees that capture carbon more quickly tend to be on the smaller side and have shorter lifespans. This means they store less carbon and release it back into the atmosphere at a faster pace as well, a press release from University of Birmingham said.
On the other hand, trees that grow more slowly are larger, live longer and tend to capture more carbon, especially in an exceptionally diverse forest.
“At the community level, we find that more …