27 October 2011 | Alan Bouquet
Biofuel, Carbon, Energy, Forestry and wood products

 

The Salt Cedar is one of the species used in the study

Whilst conserving current forests is essential in the battle against climate change, a group of scientists have a plan to create forests in desert and other arid environments, thereby creating new carbon sinks.

The researchers from Tel Aviv University are using local plant species, recycled sewage water unsuitable for agriculture and arid land not useful for crops to create a new carbon sink. The crop could also be used to produce biofuels.

"When you take the overall carbon balance of converting agricultural land and freshwater into energy products, you may not gain that much," says Prof. Eshel, who is on the project. "You're investing a lot of energy in the process itself, thus releasing a lot of carbon into the atmosphere." This process however, is a much more effective carbon sink.

The plant used to grow in this harsh environment is Tamarix, a genus from the old world deserts including the salt cedar. Research is still underway as to how much carbon the plant can offset, but it is thought that it could be used for biofuel as well as a standard carbon sink like any other forest.

But Prof. Eshel believes the format can be used in the Sahara and other barren areas, but to make the project economically feasible it would have to take place on a grand scale. Despite being in the early stages, a project like this might be the answer to reducing the carbon already present in the atmosphere.

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