Forests are considered a natural solution for mitigating climate change
because they absorb and store atmospheric carbon. With Alaska boasting
129 million acres of forest, this state can play a crucial role as a carbon sink for the United States. Until recently, the volume of carbon stored in Alaska’s forests was unknown, as was their future carbon sequestration capacity.
In 2007, Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act that
directed the Department of the Interior to assess the stock and flow of
carbon in all the lands and waters of the United States. In 2012, a team composed of researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Forest Service, and the University of Alaska assessed how much carbon Alaska’s
forests can sequester.
U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station
March 2020 | Issue 225 Science Findings
Writings by Andrea Watts 