All forests store carbon.
This carbon is released when they are destroyed or burned. Currently, up to a fifth of greenhouse gases are thought to come from biomass burning, both through accidental fires and, increasingly, as a result of the use of fire for land clearance or to cover up illegal activities such as logging in protected areas. Protection of threatened forests and reduction of the impacts of logging and agricultural development are important ways of reducing the contribution of forests to carbon emissions. In addition, the creation or enhancement of new carbon sinks through tree planting has been suggested as a way of offsetting some greenhouse gas emissions. While in theory this could provide useful funds for forest conservation, it remains controversial.