What trees or plants absorb the most co2?

Question

Global warming is coming so I'm trying to find away to stop it. I think that by finding a tree that can take in more co2 than an average tree would and then breed them together until we have a new breed of super tree that can absorb large amounts of co2. I would like to know what the name of the tree is, where it grows and other imformation about it. plz help me to answer my question soon. @_@

Answer 1

Chad M makes some good points and planting the wrong trees in the wrong place can do more harm than good.

I can't tell you specific trees, I can just about distinguish the most common trees and that's about it.

However, in terms of where to plant, it's a case of the hotter and more equable the climate the better; in essence you're ideally looking at the tropical regions. You want your trees to grow large and quickly so you want areas with high rainfall and rich soil, this rules out many places and really leaves you with areas that are, or were, tropical forests.

Offsetting by planting trees means a lot of tree planting is required. Something like a eucalyptus will sequester about 40kg of CO2 from the atmosphere each year over a 100 year period. If you're an average American you'll produce 19,800kg of CO2 a year so you'd need to plant 500 eucalyptus trees.

From what I recall there isn't a great deal of difference between the best and worst trees. Sequestering CO2 is a consequence of trees 'breathing' and like humans, there's all sorts of shapes and sizes but all breathing about the same amount.

Ideal scanario - trees in a tropical region, high rainfall, lots of sun, high and equable temps, good soil, somewhere that's not going to be deforested, tree that grows quickly, is large and once mature will stay standing or be cut down for lumber (if you burn a tree or it decays then CO2 and other gases are released, if you turn it into something the CO2 remains locked in the wood).

Just come back to this question as I forgot the part about plants. Algea or phytoplankton are excellent plants, tiny but there's vast amounts of them. They sequester CO2 and when they die they sink to the bottom of the sea / lake and take the trapped carbon with them. Schemes to dramatically increase the amounts of algae and / or phytoplankton are being considered, amongst others things, as ways to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

Answer 2

You are concerned with global warming and the assume that it is caused by CO2 emissions.
You then assume that CO2 is the only such gas.
You then assume that trees can actually remove substantial amounts of CO2.
For starters trees may remove CO2 for a while, but they do not reduce either the total of greenhouse gasses since they emit so much water vapour.
Nor do they reduce Global Warming, again because they release more greenhouse gas than they keep.
If you need an excuse to plant trees find another one and please plant them downstream of any catchment or farming area because they use huge amounts of water.
Algae absorb most CO2 and do it without emitting other gases.

Answer 3

Paulownia is what the world bank subsidises a lot of farmers for

quote

this tree is indestructible… it shot out of the ground in spring and grew 15 feet that year, then reached 25 feet the next year. It was like watching Jack and the Beanstalk.

You could measure its growth daily. My 6 year old was out there almost every day staring at it. Two of my neighbors thought it was so beautiful that they planted Empress Trees as well. I've even had professional landscapers stop and ask me where they can find them.

It’s an entertaining tree year-round. In the winter its branches are covered with furry, pea sized buds, just waiting to burst into huge flowers. At the first sign of spring, the tree explodes with purple blooms. Cars slow down to look at it. The fragrance is incredible… it’s like a cross between gardenia and jasmine.

When summer comes, the tree forms a dense canopy that can drastically cut your power bills. The leaves are huge, measuring about a foot wide. They’re almost tropical looking. When they drop in the fall, it’s an easy clean up... not like my Oaks that scatter tens of thousands of tiny leaves.

Plus, bigger leaves mean fewer branches, so you get more sunlight and natural heat coming through in the winter when you need it most.

Best of all, this is a tree you don’t have to baby. It grows almost everywhere, from Mexico to Canada, preferring zones 5-11. It has no significant insect or disease problems… tolerates drought…and grows in almost any kind of soil, even toxic ones. It's a hardwood tree that lives to an old age.

You can also feel good that you’re planting one of the most environmentally beneficial trees in the world. Those large leaves act as giant air filters, pulling pollution out of the air at a remarkable rate… turning it into wood, then releasing high amounts of beneficial oxygen.

This year’s Paulownia Trees are in short supply. Recent publicity and recommendations from TV shows like Oprah have fueled demand.

Just beware that not all Paulownia Trees are the same. Some nurseries use wild seed that doesn't grow as quickly. Others use growth inhibitors to keep their trees smaller for shipping. This can stay in the tree for several months, giving you disappointing results.

Answer 4

It is considerate of you to think of our future. Each and everyone of us wanna stop global warming for good. Yes, including me. But, as far as I'm concerned, it is claimed that trees can't solve the problem of global warming. If we are just a high school science student, we will say that trees/plants definitely can absorb C02, because they release oxygen after they absorb CO2! Unfortunately, the professional scientists that involved in this scientific research regarding global warming says the otherwise. They said that trees are no longer the effective solution to curb this global warming that is getting more and more serious over the past few years. I suggest you to surf the website below to get more answers to your question. Good luck in the quest to find more better solutions to help curb global warming!

Answer 5

Paulownia is extremely quickly becoming; some species of plantation Paulownia could nicely be harvested for observed wood in as low as 5 years. as quickly as the trees are harvested, they regenerate from their present root structures, earning them the call of the"Phoenix tree." Paulownia has the means to reclaim ecologically under pressure and degenerate patches of land truly right now. Its root structures run deep and penetrate compacted and contaminated soils that have resulted from industrialized progression. Paulownia is a phyto-remediator, increasing the organic and organic content fabric of degraded soils, processing and filtering contaminants in the time of the uptake of its vascular device, and emitting oxygen into the ambience.

Answer 6

you know what? Just plant a tree. Find one that thrives in your climate and start with one little tree. Then plant another, and another. Don't think about some "super tree", not all trees will grow in all climates. We just need to start somewhere.

Answer 7

you know, any tree or plant helps a great deal. i applaud you for what you plan on doing!

Answer 8

Global warming is coming? WTF?! Global warming is here my friend. But I am glad to know I'm not the only one trying to fight it.

Answer 9

GRASS