Happy Earth Day!
Earth Day 2013 is focused on climate change and the many faces it is revealing. Climate change is not just about increased temperatures, it is about all the knock-on effects that come from global environmental change. Whether natural or not, environmental changes are happening on a global scale and it is a reflection of the elasticity of our ecosystems as to whether nature can adapt to or absorb them.
Building resilience into ecosystems is a major strategy the Wilderness Foundation and Strutt & Parker (Farms) are adopting in our reaction to climate change. In particular, we have just finished planting a new 7.4ha woodland at Chatham Green. This woodland will not only provide a habitat for a range of species, it will provide ecosystem services such as micro-climatic regulation, flood attenuation, recreational opportunities and of particular importance – carbon sequestration.
Measuring carbon sequestration is difficult. Trees grow at different rates in different areas and a lot of the carbon is in the soil as roots and decaying material.
To celebrate Earth Day, I have calculated the approximate carbon sequestration rate for our woodland using the official Forestry Commission Woodland Carbon Code and a set of big spreadsheets.
The chart below shows the approximate cumulative carbon sequestration rate we can expect from our woodland over the next 100 years:

In 100 years, our woodland will have approximately sequestered a whopping 4,067 tonnes of CO2!* – Jake
 
*(CO2 equivalent), assuming a minimum intervention approach and allowing for a 20% uncertainty level.