Carbon Sequestration through Reforestation: An Effective Measure to Mitigate the Climate Change

Before the industrial revolution, the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere remained relatively constant. Except for slow changes on a geological time scale, the absorption and release of carbon was kept in balance. During that time, changes in biomass and soil organic carbon were the main sources of fluctuation in atmospheric levels of carbon. Carbon is found in all living organisms and is the major building block for life on earth. Carbon exists in many forms, predominately as plant biomass, soil organic matter, and as the gas carbon dioxide(CO2) in the atmosphere and dissolved in seawater. Carbon sequestration is the long term storage of carbon in oceans, soils, vegetation (especially forests), and geologic formations. Although, oceans store most of the earth's carbon, soils contain approximately 75% of the carbon pool on land three times more than the amount stored in living plants and animals.