PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Trees grow faster and store more carbon as they age

2014-01-16
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Beth King
kingb@si.edu
202-633-4700 x28216
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Trees grow faster and store more carbon as they age

Trees put on weight faster and faster as they grow older, according to a new study in the journal Nature. The finding that most trees' growth accelerates as they age suggests that large, old trees may play an unexpectedly dynamic role in removing carbon from the atmosphere.

Richard Condit, staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, devised the analysis to interpret measurements from more than 600,000 trees belonging to 403 species. "Rather than slowing down or ceasing growth and carbon uptake, as we previously assumed, most of the oldest trees in forests around the world actually grow faster, taking up more carbon," Condit said. "A large tree may put on weight equivalent to an entire small tree in a year."

"If human growth would accelerate at the same rate, we would weigh half a ton by middle age and well over a ton at retirement," said Nate Stephenson, lead author and forest ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

Whether accelerated growth of individual trees translates into greater carbon storage by aging forests remains to be seen. Programs like the United Nations REDD+ are based on the idea that forest conservation and reforestation mitigate global warming by reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

In 1980, the first large-scale tree plot was established in Panama in an effort to understand why tropical forests were so diverse. More than 250,000 trees with trunk diameters greater than 1 centimeter were identified and measured within a 50-hectare area.

"ForestGEO is now the foremost forest observatory system in the world with 53 plots in 23 countries and more than 80 partner institutions," said Stuart Davies, ForestGEO director. "We hope that researchers continue to work with our data and our staff as they ask new questions about how forests respond to global change."

INFORMATION:

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, headquartered in Panama City, Panama, is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The Institute furthers the understanding of tropical nature and its importance to human welfare, trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Website: http://www.stri.si.edu.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

2 diabetes studies in Jan. 2014 Health Affairs

2014-01-16
2 diabetes studies in Jan. 2014 Health Affairs Jan. articles examine the toll of diabetes, both in the US and abroad Poorer Americans: depleted food budgets can mean higher risk of hypoglycemia. For generations, economists have noted that low-income households spend much ...

Researchers discover that coevolution between humans and bacteria reduces gastric cancer risk

2014-01-16
Researchers discover that coevolution between humans and bacteria reduces gastric cancer risk Research carried out in two distinct communities in Colombia illustrates how coevolution between humans and bacteria can affect a person’s risk ...

New analysis shows fewer years of life lost to cancer

2014-01-16
New analysis shows fewer years of life lost to cancer Dartmouth researchers say US has underestimated its progress in war on cancer (Lebanon, NH, 1/15/14) - Since the enactment of the National Cancer Act in 1971, the U.S. has spent hundreds ...

Ray of hope for magazines in digital era

2014-01-16
Ray of hope for magazines in digital era Targeted audiences and websites can help magazines weather the onslaught of online competition There is a ray of hope for magazines that do it right. While print media continue to suffer at the hands of their online counterparts, ...

Resisting the flu

2014-01-16
Resisting the flu New avenues for influenza control suggested by identification of an enzyme that plays a crucial role in resistance to the infection McGill researchers, led by Dr. Maya Saleh of the Department of Medicine, have identified an enzyme, cIAP2 that helps the ...

Next-gen reappraisal of interactions within a cancer-associated protein complex

2014-01-16
Next-gen reappraisal of interactions within a cancer-associated protein complex Application of global sequencing technology reveals how an activator of gene expression stays focused KANSAS CITY, MO- At a glance, DNA is a rather simple sequence of A, ...

Hugging hemes help electrons hop

2014-01-16
Hugging hemes help electrons hop Novel biological mechanism relays electrons in proteins in mineral-breathing bacteria important for energy-related research RICHLAND, Wash. -- Researchers simulating how certain bacteria run electrical current ...

Nationwide minimally invasive surgery rates triple for pancreatic disease

2014-01-16
Nationwide minimally invasive surgery rates triple for pancreatic disease Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report a three-fold increase in the use of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) across the nation for patients ...

Most practice guideline recommendations based on less-than-ideal quality of evidence

2014-01-16
Most practice guideline recommendations based on less-than-ideal quality of evidence ROCHESTER, Minn. — Jan. 15, 2014 — A study published in the January issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings shows that most clinical practice guidelines for interventional procedures (e.g., bronchoscopy, ...

Phase II trial of Bevacizumab (Avastin) in locally advanced cervical cancer 'promising'

2014-01-16
Phase II trial of Bevacizumab (Avastin) in locally advanced cervical cancer 'promising' An article published in the January issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics reports results of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

AI can spot which patients need treatment to prevent vision loss in young adults

Half of people stop taking popular weight-loss drug within a year, national study finds

Links between diabetes and depression are similar across Europe, study of over-50s in 18 countries finds

Smoking increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, regardless of its characteristics

Scientists trace origins of now extinct plant population from volcanically active Nishinoshima

AI algorithm based on routine mammogram + age can predict women’s major cardiovascular disease risk

New hurdle seen to prostate screening: primary-care docs

MSU researchers explore how virtual sports aid mental health

Working together, cells extend their senses

Cheese fungi help unlock secrets of evolution

Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking

Mental health effects of exposure to firearm violence persist long after direct exposure

Research identifies immune response that controls Oropouche infection and prevents neurological damage

University of Cincinnati, Kent State University awarded $3M by NSF to share research resources

Ancient DNA reveals deeply complex Mastodon family and repeated migrations driven by climate change

Measuring the quantum W state

Researchers find a way to use antibodies to direct T cells to kill Cytomegalovirus-infected cells

Engineers create mini microscope for real-time brain imaging

Funding for training and research in biological complexity

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: September 12, 2025

ISSCR statement on the scientific and therapeutic value of human fetal tissue research

Novel PET tracer detects synaptic changes in spinal cord and brain after spinal cord injury

Wiley advances Knowitall Solutions with new trendfinder application for user-friendly chemometric analysis and additional enhancements to analytical workflows

Benchmark study tracks trends in dog behavior

OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Google vary widely in identifying hate speech

Research spotlight: Study identifies a surprising new treatment target for chronic limb threatening ischemia

Childhood loneliness and cognitive decline and dementia risk in middle-aged and older adults

Parental diseases of despair and suicidal events in their children

Acupuncture for chronic low back pain in older adults

Acupuncture treatment improves disabling effects of chronic low back pain in older adults

[Press-News.org] Trees grow faster and store more carbon as they age