How fast trees grow
Of pioneers and climax species
High average temperatures and plenty of rainfall: in the tropics, trees have optimal conditions for rapid growth.
However, individual tree species grow at different rates. So-called pioneers like the trumpet tree (Cecropia sp.) or the balsa tree (Ochroma pyramidale) grow several meters every year.
Climax species like the Nazareno (Peltogyne purpurea), on the other hand, only germinate once the ground is sufficiently shaded and then take several years to stretch through the various growth layers into the sunlight.
The photos impressively show the tree growth on Finca Amable – photographed from the exact same spot over the years!
How much CO2 does a single rainforest tree sequester?
Researchers from the University of Vienna and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) have calculated the average annual CO2 sequestration per planted tree: With a planting density of 800 trees per hectare, one tree sequesters 11.4 kg (BOKU study) or 12.3 kg (University of Vienna study) annually.
We therefore assume that a planted rainforest tree sequesters an average of 11.7 kg of CO2 every year. With an average lifespan of 60 years, a tree therefore sequesters about 700 kg (0.7 tons) of CO2.
