US Forests Store Record Carbon in Last Two Decades

America's forests are quietly becoming climate superheroes, locking away record amounts of carbon over the past 20 years.

A new study from The Ohio State University reveals that U.S. forests have stored more carbon in the last two decades than at any point in the previous century. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, breaks down exactly what's making our forests such effective carbon sponges.

The findings surprised even the scientists. Natural forces like rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and something called carbon fertilization (when trees use extra CO2 in the air to grow faster) are doing heavy lifting. Between 2005 and 2022, temperature and precipitation changes alone boosted carbon storage by 66 million metric tons per year.

But humans deserve credit too. While deforestation reduced stored carbon by about 31 million tons annually, tree planting and reforestation added back 23 million tons each year. The biggest factor? Simply letting forests age naturally, which locked in an impressive 89 million metric tons per year as trees reached their peak growth stages.

"Identifying and separating these influences hasn't really been done before," said Brent Sohngen, the study's co-author and environmental economics professor. The research gives the U.S. much clearer carbon accounting, helping forest managers understand which carbon gains come from nature and which come from human action.

Forests act like giant air filters, pulling carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in trees, soil, and roots. Tropical rainforests like the Amazon do this naturally without much help. Temperate forests closer to home, like Ohio's Wayne National Forest, need more active management through tree planting and conservation to maintain their carbon-absorbing power.

The Bright Side

This research proves that climate action is working alongside nature's own resilience. The forests we're protecting and managing aren't just surviving, they're thriving and doing exactly what we need them to do as ecosystem buffers.

The detailed data also opens doors for better conservation planning. Other countries can use similar methods to understand their own forest inventories and meet climate goals more effectively.

Looking ahead, researchers want to zoom in even closer, gathering state and county level data to help local conservationists optimize their land management strategies for the best possible climate future.

Our forests are showing us that when we work with nature instead of against it, remarkable things happen.