title: Carbon storage and sequestration by trees in urban and community areas of the United States.
abstract: Carbon storage and sequestration by urban trees in the United States was quantified to assess the magnitude and role of urban forests in relation to climate change. Urban tree field data from 28 cities and 6 states were used to determine the average carbon density per unit of tree cover. These data were applied to statewide urban tree cover measurements to determine total urban forest carbon storage and annual sequestration by state and nationally. Urban whole tree carbon storage densities average 7.69 kg C m(-2) of tree cover and sequestration densities average 0.28 kg C m(-2) of tree cover per year. Total tree carbon storage in U.S. urban areas (c. 2005) is estimated at 643 million tonnes ($50.5 billion value; 95% CI = 597 million and 690 million tonnes) and annual sequestration is estimated at 25.6 million tonnes ($2.0 billion value; 95% CI = 23.7 million to 27.4 million tonnes).
authors.affiliation: USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA. dnowak@fs.fed.us
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Greenfield
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Hoehn
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lapoint
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D057965:Carbon Sequestration; D002947:Cities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057231:Climate Change; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D014197:Trees / Q000502:physiology*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D002244:Carbon