We all know that leaves on trees sequester CO2, taking in the carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen for us to breathe. However, experts now say, tree bark could be sucking in a large amount of another dangerous climate-related gas.
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00:00We all know that leaves on trees sequester CO2, taking in the carbon dioxide and releasing
00:08oxygen for us to breathe.
00:10However, experts now say tree bark could be sucking in a large amount of another dangerous
00:15climate-related gas.
00:17When leaves take in CO2, they undergo photosynthesis, trapping the carbon they pull out of the air
00:21in their wood and bark.
00:23And a new study has demonstrated that that very bark is taking methane out of the air.
00:28That's a tribute around a third of our planet's warming to methane.
00:31And this new find is surprising, considering wetlands have long been known to be a methane
00:35emitter.
00:36However, less research has been done into the most common kinds of forests, those which
00:40sit on dry land and soil that drains naturally.
00:43So how much is pulled out of the air already?
00:45The new study estimates that between 25 to 50 metric tons of atmospheric methane is sequestered
00:50in the bark of trees every year.
00:52Finding the tropical forests are the biggest suckers, with the researchers noting that
00:56means our planet's forests are better climate change preventers than previously thought
01:00by around 7 to 12 percent.