Campus trees sequester carbon

Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, playing a large role in global warming. Carbon is released into the environment through the burning of fossil fuels.

To help remove carbon from the atmosphere, Gettysburg College is increasing our campus tree population. Trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and store — or sequester — carbon as biomass in their trunks, branches, foliage, and roots.

Gettysburg College's tree population has grown significantly since 2001, when student research revealed that the approximately 1,200 trees then on campus sequestered nearly six tons of carbon per year. 

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