[mac01021]

Forests are self-sustaining, if you don't cut them down.

Individual trees die and decay, but their place is taken by their offspring and the total biomass of the forest does not decrease over time.

The amount of carbon stored in the forest is approximately proportional to that mass.

[belorn]

> if you don't cut them down.

Forests that we don't cut down is called reservations.

In Sweden there is a law that states that any forest cut down must be replanted unless used for farming or new buildings. I also recall Norawy having the similar law. If we counted that as carbon removal, we would have a massive carbon net negative from this pretty old law.

The law is not a carbon removal strategy. It simply maintain current biomass over time.

[mac01021]

That's right. If you want to sequester more carbon, you have to create more forest.