Carbon Storage

As plants photosynthesize and grow, they take up molecules of carbon dioxide gas. The carbon and oxygen atoms that make up carbon dioxide are used to build the many parts of all plant cells. In this way, carbon is taken out of the atmosphere and accumulated in plant systems. This carbon storage (sequestration) involves leaves, stems, and roots of all plants, trunks of trees, and the soil when dead plant parts are deposited there.

In home landscapes, trees and turfgrasses are two types of plants that may store significant amounts of carbon. This calculation tool will use measurements that you make in your yard to estimate the total amount of carbon being stored.

Estimates in the calculator are based on averages of data that are currently available. Scientists and industry are continuing to assess carbon release and storage processes, so calculations of carbon footprints may become more precise in the future. Many factors influence the exact amount of carbon that is taken up by a plant. Some tree species, for example, inherently grow and accumulate carbon faster than others. Turfgrass tends to accumulate carbon more quickly when it is first planted than when it is well-established. And of course, plants that are healthy and growing will store more carbon than those that are not.

Carbon Emissions

When fossil fuels are burned, the carbon stored in them is converted into carbon dioxide gas that is released, or emitted, into the atmosphere. This calculation tool will ask questions about your family’s lawn maintenance practices and automobile driving to make estimates of carbon emissions that you can compare with the amount of carbon storage.