Maui Reporter

Ever heard of a carbon sink? Did you know that Maui County’s land sequesters carbon and is a critical asset in the fight against climate change? Learn more in the post above, and explore the Greenhouse Gas Emissions report on ResilientMauiNui.org to dive in deeper. #ResilientMauiNui

Slide 1: Carbon Sinks in Maui County: Carbon is an essential element of life on earth. But what happens when there's too much of it? Enter the carbon sink: One way our environment manages carbon.

Slide 2: So what's a carbon sink? Through a process called biological carbon sequestration, organisms like plants, soil, and phytoplankton take up carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store it as a carbon sink. Forests, agriculture, grasslands, and other plants absorb CO2 during photosynthesis, storing it in soil and biomass. Deforestation, development, and desertification reduce the earth's capacity to store carbon. And the destruction of carbon sinks releases the carbon they’ve been storing, sometimes for millennia, into the atmosphere. 

Slide 3: So what are the best carbon sinks in Maui County? Maui County’s land sequesters carbon and is a critical asset in the fight against climate change. Eighteen percent of Hawaiʻi’s land is located within Maui County, and 18 percent of Hawaiʻi’s carbon is stored within Maui County’s lands. In Maui County, most stored carbon is held in Wet Forests populated by native trees like ʻōhia lehua and koa, followed by wet forests overtaken by invasive species, like miconia. 

Slide 4: Graphic of Land Cover Types in Maui County. These may act as carbon sinks. 

Slide 5: Graphic of Carbon Stores in Maui County, illustrating the percentage of carbon stored by each land cover type, measured in metric tons.

Visit https://www.resilientmauinui.org/.../greenhouse-gas... for more info!

Original source can be found here.