American Chestnut's Revival May Combat Climate Change; USA

American Chestnut's Revival May Combat Climate Change - NYTimes.com
The American chestnut tree, which towered over eastern U.S. forests before succumbing to a deadly fungus in the early 20th century, appears to be an excellent sponge for greenhouse gases, according to a new study.
If scientists can develop a fungus-resistant version of the tree, the chestnut could play a key role in the battle against climate change, Purdue University scientists say.
'Maintaining or increasing forest cover has been identified as an important way to slow climate change,' said Douglass Jacobs, whose chestnut tree study appears in the June issue of Forest Ecology and Management.