A study released Wednesday on the effect of climate change on old-growth redwood forests revealed a surprising silver lining: not only have the trees thrived as the temperature has risen, but they may also be an unparalleled tool in fighting global warming.

The Redwoods and Climate Change Initiative, a multiyear research study by UC Berkeley, Humboldt State University and Save the Redwoods League, examined the tree rings of coast redwoods in Northern California, providing the most comprehensive redwood chronology available today.

Researchers found that the trees have experienced an unprecedented growth spurt in recent decades, and that redwood forests can store up to three times more carbon than non-redwood forests worldwide.

‘Not only are the trees growing quickly, but they are sequestering that carbon into wood,’ said Emily Burns, Director of Science for Save the Redwoods League.

According to researchers, the results mean that redwoods may not only survive climate change, but they could be one of our greatest natural defenses against increasing levels of atmospheric carbon.

‘The redwoods’ ability for carbon storage is the big message here,’ Richard Campbell, Conservation Science Manager at Save the Redwoods, told The Huffington Post. ‘It’s not so much what effect climate change has on these trees, but rather […]