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How does the loss of trees reduce carbon sequestration?

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Edge of a dense forest in Romania where clear cutting has removed most trees, leaving a bare, brown slope beside standing green trees. — Deforestation A section of clear-cut forest in Romania.

Deforestation reduces carbon sequestration through two primary mechanisms: the loss of active carbon uptake and the release of previously stored carbon.

Loss of Carbon Sequestration Capacity

Forests act as vital carbon sinks by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis as trees grow. When trees are removed, this ongoing process of carbon sequestration is halted, meaning fewer plants are available to absorb atmospheric carbon. Because forests are responsible for a significant portion of the world's net primary production, their destruction represents a substantial decrease in the planet's natural ability to regulate the carbon budget.1234

Release of Stored Carbon

Beyond the loss of future sequestration, deforestation actively contributes to global warming by converting forests from sinks into sources of carbon emissions. When trees are cleared, the carbon stored in their biomass is released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, primarily through combustion (burning) or decomposition. This process effectively reverses the long-term storage of carbon that occurred during the trees' lifetimes.132