Zhou Guoyi, researcher with the South China Botanic Garden, said that on the basis of long-term survey on the forests of Guangdong's Dinghu Mountain, one hectare of forest absorbs 500 kg of carbon per year. This is the first accurate data on this issue in global science world.

At the international symposium on carbon balance and circulation in ecosystem recently held by the South China Botanic Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Association of Science and Technology of Guangzhou, Zhou pointed out that long-term follow-up investigation in the South China Botanic Garden manifests significant effects of afforestation on controlling greenhouse effect.

30 years of orientation investigation on the forests of Dinghu Mountain and calculation proves that 1 hectare of forest can absorb 500 kg of carbon. Monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest, mixed coniferous broad leaved forest and pine forest rank downtrend in the order of carbon absorption capacity, which vary in different seasons. In Oct. and Nov., carbon absorption capacity of forests is the highest, while from Dec. to Mar. the lowest. Although forests in different regions might have different functions, such research is broadly representative on account of the fact that monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest is mainly distributed in subtropics in south China.

(Chinanews.cn July 6, 2005)