What is the role of forests in carbon sequestration and biodiversity?

• A. Forests store carbon only in the air.
• B. Forests store carbon in biomass and soils; support biodiversity; deforestation leads to release of carbon and loss of habitat.
• C. Forests have no impact on biodiversity.
• D. Forests mostly influence weather but not carbon.

Answer: (B)

Forests act as major players in the carbon cycle by converting atmospheric CO2 into organic carbon through photosynthesis and storing that carbon in two main pools: aboveground biomass (trunks, branches, leaves) and belowground soils (roots and soil organic matter). This storage can persist for decades to centuries, making forests important carbon sinks that help dampen climate change.

At the same time, forests are rich habitats that support vast biodiversity. Their structural complexity, from the canopy down to the forest floor, provides diverse niches, food sources, and microclimates that sustain a wide range of species. This biodiversity, in turn, helps ecosystems recover from disturbances and continue providing services like pollination, nutrient cycling, and disease regulation.

Deforestation or forest degradation disrupts both roles: it releases stored carbon back into the atmosphere and reduces the forest’s capacity to sequester carbon in the future, while also shrinking habitat and fragmenting ecosystems that support many species. That combination—carbon storage in biomass and soils plus biodiversity support and the consequences of loss when forests are cleared or degraded—best captures the integral role forests play in both carbon sequestration and biodiversity.