Plant trees in the Barents Region
Trees in the cold part of the world can absorb more CO2 than trees in the tropic.
It is generally assumed that the tropics with the rain forests are the best place to plant trees in order to increase carbon absorption and save the planet from climate changes. But, a new small-scale study indicates something else. To maximize climate benefits, trees should be planted at higher latitudes, a study by scientists from University of Nova Scotia in Canada shows.
The scientists used high-resolution satellite data from locations, where forests could be expected to thrive, and worked out where new forests would bring the biggest benefit. It is New Scientists that report about the study. The calculations took into account both the cooling effect of the trees soaking up CO2 and the heating effect that would result from the trees reflecting less sunlight than the crops they replaced.
In conclusion the scientists found that planting forests in northern Russia, central Canada and Europe would cool the climate more effectively than planting them in India, Brazil and most of China, New Scientists report.
