This article hopes to inform its readers on carbon sequestration, especially the substantial role of trees in that process. It also sheds light on the undertakings of MCC in relation to carbon sequestration.                                                                    

The process to transfer and secure storage of atmospheric CO2 into other long-lived Carbon sinks that would otherwise be emitted or remain in the atmosphere is called ‘carbon sequestration’. Globally, 19% of the carbon in Earth’s biosphere is stored in trees. On a global scale, trees combat warming caused by climate change by storing carbon in their trunks and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Deforestation already accounts for 13% of total global carbon emissions, according to an IPCC report. Complete removal of a 25 sq. km patch of forest causes local annual temperatures to increase by at least 2C in tropical areas and 1C in temperate areas. 

Large-scale reforestation has been proposed to offset fossil fuel-based CO2 emissions. 600 million hectares (ha) of tree plantations having an average yield of 12 dry metric tons (t)/ha/year could offset 50% of 1985 emissions by the year 2050 when the tree biomass is used for fossil fuel substitution. The global climate problem could be solved by planting a total of 500 million hectares of plantations, even without parallel efforts to minimize carbon emissions from fossil fuel combustion. (Baral, A., & Guha, G. S)

The amount of carbon sequestered by a tree can be calculated indirectly by measuring its biomass which is an indication of the amount of carbon dioxide stored. Measuring the height and girth of a tree allows for the measurement of its biomass. The Department of Environmental Science, MCC Bangalore conducted this activity on the myriad species of trees of all ages, shape and size on its campus. Mangifera indica (Mango tree), Enterolobium saman (Rain tree), Tamarindus indica (Tamarind tree) and Artocarpus heterophyllous (Jack tree) sequestered 5.56, 11.8, 3.43 and 6.51 tonnes of carbon per tree per year respectively.

The necessity of trees and its significance in sequestering carbon has been reiterated countless times by scientists all over the world. Their paramount importance is the reason the teachers and students of MCC came together to save a Rain tree (Enterolobium saman) infected by white ants with the help of a tree doctor. That one tree has the potential of sequestering more than a ton of carbon in its lifetime. A simple takeaway from this article would be to do everything in our capacity to save and protect trees.