September 20, 2002

The Big Green Sponge

By RICHARD MONASTERSKY

How much carbon-dioxide pollution will forests soak up?

Just off Airport Road on the outskirts of Chapel Hill, a small wooden sign leads to what may be the world's most scrutinized forest.

Every sapling bigger than an inch across has an assigned number and gets regular checkups. Metal bands surround larger trees, tracking their growth from month to month. Meters embedded into trunks monitor how much water flows from the roots to the forest canopy. Instruments 50 feet off the

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