Study
Old-growth forests as global carbon sinks
Luyssaert, S.; Schulze, E.-D.; Börner, A.; Knohl, A.; Hessenmöller, D.; Law, B. E.; Ciais, P.; Grace, J.
Nature, 2008
Carbon flux measurements from old forest stands in the boreal and temperate zones were compiled and compared with the long-standing assumption that forests over about 150 years old are carbon-neutral.
- Sample size
- 519 plot-level carbon flux and stock measurements
Old stands were, on average, still taking up carbon rather than sitting in balance. Uptake was slower than in young vigorous stands but was not zero, and the stands also held very large accumulated stocks in wood and soil.
What it means
The authors' reading, and ours. Where they differ, that difference is the point.
How the authors put it
Old-growth forests continue to accumulate carbon and their large existing stocks are vulnerable to release if they are disturbed.
How NatureHQ reads it
Two separate points that are often merged. The flow — old forests are still absorbing, more slowly. The stock — they are holding centuries of accumulated carbon, and that is the larger number by far. The management implication follows from the stock rather than the flow: an old forest cut down releases what it has been holding, and a young plantation growing fast does not make that back for a very long time.
- Dominated by northern-hemisphere temperate and boreal stands; tropical old growth is under-represented.
- Flux measurements at a small number of sites are extrapolated widely.
- Averages conceal genuine variation, including stands that are net sources.
What this study is used for on NatureHQ
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Published by: Nature PortfolioPublished in a Nature Portfolio journal.
This reference was resolved automatically against Crossref and OpenAlex on 2026-08-30.
NatureHQ summarises research in its own words and does not reproduce published text. Reviewed 2026-08-30.