00:00We all know that leaves on trees sequester CO2, taking in the carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen
00:09for us to breathe. However, experts now say tree bark could be sucking in a large amount
00:14of another dangerous climate-related gas. When leaves take in CO2, they undergo photosynthesis,
00:19trapping the carbon they pull out of the air in their wood and bark. And a new study has
00:24demonstrated that that very bark is taking methane out of the air. Experts attribute
00:28around a third of our planet's warming to methane. And this new find is surprising,
00:33considering wetlands have long been known to be a methane emitter. However, less research has been
00:37done into the most common kinds of forests, those which sit on dry land in soil that drains naturally.
00:43So how much is pulled out of the air already? The new study estimates that between 25 to 50 metric
00:48tons of atmospheric methane is sequestered in the bark of trees every year, finding the tropical
00:53forests are the biggest suckers. With the researchers noting that means our planet's forests are better
00:58climate change preventers than previously thought by around 7 to 12 percent.
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