Old trees absorb far more carbon than younger ones, according to scientists, challenging the view that replanting old forests is always environmentally sustainable.
The study of more than half a million trees challenged the conventional view that the growth of old trees gradually slows down to a halt.
Instead it found that the oldest trees appear to grow the fastest and so sequester more carbon as they age.
Dr Emily Lines, of University College London and a co-author, said: “In most tree species, growth rate actually increases continuously with tree size — in some cases, large trees appear to be adding the carbon mass equivalent of an entire mid-sized tree each year.
The study, published today in the journal Nature, studied 403 tropical and