Sequestration of carbon in virgin and recycled products is a major factor in the carbon cycle. If wood in use is maintained in service for as long as the normal growth rotation for trees the sequestration of carbon per rotation is extended by a factor of 2.5. Use of wood as a replacement for fossil fuel, and re-growing wood eliminates atmospheric accumulation of CO2 from fossil fuel and because of its low energy intensity, wood may be used as a material to conserve energy. Recycling wood increases carbon sequestration through extension of service life and conserves the wood resource with less expenditure of energy. Research which quantifies carbon sequestration in biomass, organic matter, the soils of forests and related ecosystems, and wood in use will be accelerated.
Forests are a major repository of carbon taken from the atmosphere.
Understanding the carbon cycle and its interrelationship with nutrient, water, and energy cycles is vital to determining the dynamics of the global carbon budget. This program is critical to understanding and predicting CO2, CH4, and sensible and latent heat fluxes in changing land use patterns. Of special interest is the role and interactions of mycrorhizal fungi and other organisms in the rhizosphere with host and associated environments. DOT, EPA, DOE, NSF, NASA, U.S. Industries, Canada Department of Energy, Mines, and Resources Primary beneficiaries are consumers, industry and other researchers. Information to hold 1990 levels of carbon emissions through the year 2000.