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Published online 30 November 2006 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news061127-13
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Forests keep active in old age
Established forests may continue to increase soil carbon stores.
Old-growth forests can keep on squirreling away carbon from the atmosphere long after they have reached maturity, a study suggests. The discovery runs counter to the theory that established forests, although valuable stores of carbon, will not help to alleviate the greenhouse effect because they are already 'full' of carbon.
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