Carbon Emission for Overburden Removal

Equipment
 • How much CO2 does a tree store per year?
Across all tree species, a tree stores an average of 24.62 kg of CO2 per year.

This has been calculated by looking at the amount of CO2 that is stored annually by the following tree
species: oak, beech, spruce, fir, Douglas fir, pine and larch.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide over their entire lifetime and store it as carbon in their trunk. An 80-year-old
beech tree, for example, has stored 1,270.87 kg of CO2 in its lifetime. If we now divide this by 80 years,
we can conclude that beech stores about 15.89 kg of CO2 annually.

If we do the same for the oak, beech, spruce, fir, Douglas fir, pine and larch trees, we find that these tree
species store an average of 24.62 kg of CO2 per year.

How much carbon a tree stores depends on several factors. The type of tree and its age are the most
important criteria.

• How much CO2 does each tree species store in a year?

The CO2 storage per tree varies greatly. Broad-leafed trees store more CO2 than conifers when they are
fully grown. However, conifers grow much faster than broad-leafed trees. Therefore, spruce trees are able
to store more carbon in 80 years than beech trees.

The yearly carbon storage per tree:

Tree Species Co2 storage per tree, per year

Oak 1887 kg CO2
Beech 1589 kg CO2
Spruce 2013 kg CO2
Fir 2072 kg CO2
Douglas Fir 4646 kg CO2
Pine 1439 kg CO2
Larch 3591 kg CO2

• How much CO2 do trees absorb in their lifetime?

Trees do not store CO2, they store carbon. During photosynthesis, trees absorb CO2 from the
atmosphere. They convert this CO2 into oxygen and carbon. Then they use the carbon to grow and store
it in their wood mass.
By measuring how much carbon is stored in the wood, we know how much CO2 a tree has absorbed. Lets
look at a period of 80 years to compare the carbon uptake of different tree species.

Tree Species Co2 storage per tree, per year

Oak 1509.59 kg CO2

Beech 1270.87 kg CO2

Spruce 1610.10 kg CO2

Fir 1657.24 kg CO2

Douglas Fir 3717.04 kg CO2

Pine 1150.96 kg CO2

Larch 2872.63 kg CO2

• Why don’t we just plant conifers if they store more CO2?

Conifers sequester a lot of CO2. However, monocultural coniferous forests provide a much poorer habitat
for animals and plants than near-natural mixed forests.

The function of mixed forests goes far beyond that of a CO2 reservoir. Though at first glance coniferous
forests appear to be the better choice to compensate for CO2 emissions, mixed tree systems as a whole are
able to absorb more CO2.

This has to do with the quality of the soil. In a mixed forest, soil quality is better than in a coniferous forest.
When needles fall, they decompose less quickly. As a result, the soil becomes increasingly acidic. This
leads to fewer microorganisms. Foliage, on the other hand, makes the forest soil alkaline. This increases
soil activity and more CO2 can be stored in the forest soil.

Mixed forests also offer the added value of biological diversity. By planting mixed forests it promote
species conservation. Flora and fauna are better coordinated. Biodiversity increases.