Theory 96/Urban & Built Environment/Urban carbon
Urban Carbon Balances Sealing and Plants
The claim
Urban carbon storage is set by the ratio of soil sealing to vegetation cover, so a green city on sealed soil stores less than its canopy suggests.
01Mechanism
Carbon enters through plants and is stored in soil; sealing prevents both input and storage.
02Prediction
Storage should track the ratio.
03Refutation
Storage tracking canopy cover would remove sealing.