[mech987876]

Plant matter dies and rots and the carbon escapes to the atmosphere.

Ever since microorganisms evolved to eat dead plant matter the conditions to make coal on planet earth (and to create a carbon sink of buried coal) have been gone.

[ashoeafoot]

peat is a preform of coal accidic build up peat is pretty carbon storing. Unless the peat dries out.

[graemep]

So you are saying forests and otehr natural eco systems are not carbon sinks?

[mech987876]

While the trees are alive they sink the amount of carbon present within them.

[graemep]

but a natural forest has trees in all stages: growing, mature, dead and decaying.

What you are saying implies this is not a sink.

[mech987876]

I'm not particularly strict on the terminology of whether a carbon sink is permanent or not (in my usage above it is not permanent). But yeah we are on the same page regarding the life cycle of a tree now so it is clear.