ABSTRACT
In November 1998, the United States signed the Kyoto Protocol, agreeing to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 7% below 1990 levels by about 2010. While the U.S. Congress has not ratified the treaty and it is not yet in effect, many people and organizations are seeking ways to meet emission reduction commitments at minimal cost. One focus of attention has been on using forests as sinks for atmospheric carbon. Forests offer opportunities because as they grow and develop, they take substantial amounts of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (C 02) from the atmosphere and, through photosynthesis, bind the carbon into organic matter. In order to count sequestered carbon as mitigation for other emissions, the quantity and timing of sequestration must be reliably quantified.
