Secondary forest - The key to reducing emissions

The restored tropical forest on the reclaimed land for agricultural production and cattle grazing not only grows faster but also absorbs a larger amount of CO2 than the perennial forest.

New research results published in the British journal Nature have proved the opposite of a long-standing understanding of forests' ability to absorb CO2.

Based on the analysis of the recovery process of more than 1,500 forests and 45 ecological zones in Latin America, the study shows secondary forests growing on abandoned fields or fields absorbing CO2. faster.

Tropical forests of Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica.(Source: THX / TTXVN).

After only two decades, the growth rate of these forests in Latin America is more than 120 tons of organisms / ha / year and helps eliminate 3 tons of carbon / ha / year, 11 times more than the original forest. born.

The authors also used a database from research to design a map of areas that can regenerate tropical forests in Latin America.

More than 50% of the world's rainforests are not primary forests, but secondary forests that grow naturally on the land reclaimed for agricultural production.

These tropical forests are considered the "lungs" of the Earth, helping to limit climate change by absorbing about 30% of the carbon emissions in the atmosphere.

Deforestation, causing degraded forest ecosystems will not only cause the number of trees to grow and absorb reduced CO _2, but also generate a significant amount of CO2 released into the environment, because when cut down. The tree will release the same amount of carbon dioxide that it has accumulated before.