Forest Ecosystems and the Carbon Cycle

The continuous flow of carbon from the land and water through the atmosphere and living organisms makes up the global carbon cycle [1]. It contains reservoirs where carbon is stored and features dynamic flows of carbon between the carbon pools [2]. Forests are one of the largest reservoirs of carbon on Earth [1], and therefore their storage and release of carbon have a great impact on the global carbon cycle. With 10% of the world’s forests, Canada’s carbon balance is especially dependent on the flow of carbon into and out of forest ecosystems [3].