Certified Arborist Practice Test

The correct answer, carbon sequestration, refers to the process where trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store it in their biomass (leaves, stems, and roots) as well as in the soil. This is a vital process for mitigating climate change as it helps to reduce the amount of CO2, a significant greenhouse gas, present in the atmosphere.

While photosynthesis is involved in this process, carbon sequestration specifically encompasses the broader aspect of long-term storage of carbon. During photosynthesis, trees indeed absorb carbon dioxide and convert it into glucose and oxygen, which are essential for the tree's growth and energy needs. However, carbon sequestration focuses on the end result of storing that absorbed carbon in a stable form over an extended period.

Respiration, on the other hand, is the process where trees convert the stored glucose back into energy for growth and metabolism, releasing CO2 back into the atmosphere. Transpiration is related to water movement and vapor loss from the leaves, and while it plays an essential role in the water cycle and the tree's physiological processes, it is not directly related to the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Thus, carbon sequestration accurately describes the overarching process of absorbing and