Researchers from Western Sydney University explored how trees capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, integrating fresh knowledge about how plants function. They concluded that forests may hold a larger potential to cut greenhouse gas emissions than earlier estimates suggested. The work was published in Science Advances.
The study notes that a widely used climate model, often employed in global projections by organizations including the IPCC, indicates stronger and more sustained carbon sequestration toward the late 21st century when climate forcing becomes more widespread and is linked to key physiological processes that govern photosynthesis.
Lead scientist Jürgen Knauer explained that the team examined how efficiently carbon dioxide moves inside leaves, how trees adapt to temperature shifts, and how nutrients are allocated to crowns in the most economical way. The group tested several versions of the model, ranging from simplified to highly detailed representations of plant physiology.
Findings showed that the more advanced models consistently forecast greater vegetation carbon sequestration over the globe, with the various processes supporting each other to reinforce the outcomes. Yet the researchers stressed that this does not give governments a free pass to overlook emissions reductions or delay action.
Environmentalists emphasize that planting more trees and conserving existing vegetation are not a universal remedy, but the accumulating evidence underscores multiple benefits of preserving forest and shrubland ecosystems.
In reviewing past work on forest carbon removal, scientists have identified which forest types tend to be most effective at taking CO2 from the atmosphere and contributing to climate mitigation. This evolving understanding helps inform policy, land management, and ongoing research into how ecosystems respond to changing environmental conditions with global implications for carbon budgets and climate resilience.