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Back to:Carbon Budget Introduction

Go to: Carbon Budget Stated

Go to:What is a carbon budget?

Go to:How much carbon is stored in U.S. forests?

Viewing:What is the current carbon flux of forests in the U.S.?

Go to:How much carbon is in forest products?

Go to:What is the outlook for carbon sequestration in U.S. forests in the future?

Go to:How much carbon could be sequestered if more trees were planted?

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Go to:Are publicly owned forests in the U.S. sequestering carbon?
 
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CARBON BUDGET OF UNITED STATES FORESTS

Q: What is the current carbon flux of forests in the U.S.?

A: Our carbon flux estimates for coterminous U.S. forests are:

Average annual carbon flux (million metric tons/year) for the period 1987-2000.
Soils 113
Forest floor 14
Understory 2
Trees 82
Total 211

Live flux includes understory and trees. Dead flux includes forest floor and soil. A positive number indicates that the forest is sequestering more carbon than it is emitting to the atmosphere.

SOURCE: Birdsey, R. A., and L. S. Heath. 1995. Carbon changes in U.S. forests. IN: Joyce, L. A., ed. Productivity of America's forests and climate change. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, General Technical Report RM-271, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. Ft. Collins, CO. 70 p.


Page Contact: Kevin McCullough