Assignment: Carbon in Fordyce

Read carefully the article (linked here as an Adobe Acrobat file) entitled “Fordyce Meeting Focus to be on Carbon Credits” (August 2007, AR Dem. Gazette). Also read the section in the text on carbon sources and sinks 3.5 - 3.10.

1. Give a balanced chemical reaction that illustrates the role that trees can play in sequestering carbon?

2. Assume a typical pine tree ready to be cut has a mass of 3000 lbs. Further assume that the formula of wood can be simply written as CH₂O.

(a) Determine the mass percent of carbon in wood (Hint see Sec. 3.7).

(b) Determine the pounds of carbon contained in a typical pine tree (see pp 142 – 143).

You must show clear work with appropriate units for both (a) and (b) to receive full credit.

3. How does planting trees in Fordyce accomplish carbon sequestration?

4. Comment on the incentives that would attract Fordyce residents to participate in the program described in the article.