How much carbon is stored in Kew’s trees?

It would be fascinating to know how much carbon is stored in our trees at Waikereru. The scientists at Kew Gardens in London have used LIDAR, a laser 3D imaging technique, to find out. Turns out most of the carbon is stored below ground in the soil and networks of fungi beneath the forest. Read more here:

How much carbon is stored in Kew’s trees?

Based on data gathered from UK Forest Research (Waring et al. 2020), in temperate forests in the UK approximately

• 17% of the total carbon is stored in tree above-ground tissues,
• 6% is stored in roots
• 5% is stored in surface litter and dead wood, and
• a vast 72% stays in the soil where it can remain for long periods helping to mitigate climate change.

Some related research:

• What role can forests play in tackling climate change? (Waring et al. 2020)