Blog Post Image: Large Old Trees Grow Fastest, Storing More Carbon

A western white pine (Pinus monticola) in Kings Canyon National Park, Calif., towers over USGS ecologist Nathan Stephenson. Scientists analyzed data from 403 species of trees from around the world — including western white pine (Pinus monticola), pictured here — and learned that in general, a tree’s growth continues to accelerate as it ages. This finding reverses previous assumptions, and suggests that large old trees play an unexpectedly dynamic role in removing carbon from the atmosphere. Image credit: Rob Hayden/Nate Stephenson, USGS (Click image to enlarge)