A discovery may change our understanding of carbon absorption in trees. Scientists have named this new wood “midwood” as its structure lies between the nanostructure of hardwood and softwood.
What types of wood existed before?
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees (mostly deciduous — leaves that fall during winter) that have a tough, heavy, compact texture while softwood is from gymnosperms (such as conifers—that have needles that remain green year-round), that are lighter, less dense and more flexible.
All trees act as carbon sinks, which means they can absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the air during photosynthesis and store the carbon within their trunks, roots, and soil. However, when cut down, some of that stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere as CO₂, which is why we should avoid deforestation.
Did you know the Arbor Day Foundation predicts a single mature tree absorbs over 48 pounds of CO₂ annually?
Who discovered midwood?
Researchers from the University of Cambridge Sainsbury Laboratory and Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland have identified a wood that does not fit with a hardwood or a softwood tree’s ultrastructure.
Tulip trees (Liriodendron species) could significantly enhance efforts to combat climate change with Liriodendron tulipfera being native to North America, and Liriodendron chinense being native to southern Asia, making them a prime candidate to be utilized to remove carbon while also using native species.
What makes midwood special?
Midwood is distinguished by its microfibrils — cellulose-based fibers — measuring around 22 nanometers in diameter, falling between the sizes found in hardwoods (25 nanometers) and softwoods (15 nanometers).
This intermediate structure is thought to contribute to the tulip tree’s remarkable ability to sequester carbon. Tulip trees can capture up to six times more carbon than other species, especially in forests dense with these trees.
The evolutionary origins of tulip trees, which diverged from magnolia trees 30–50 million years ago, suggest that their unique wood structure developed as an adaptation to declining atmospheric CO₂ levels. This discovery not only offers insights into tree evolution but also paves the way for utilizing midwood in reforestation and carbon sequestration strategies.
Hope for the future
Jan Lyczakowski, a scientist from Jagiellonian University, expresses hopes to breed tree species to increase their carbon-storing capacity.
Continued research aims to identify other tree species with similar properties and explore how these traits can be leveraged to mitigate climate change by planting tree plantations designed to combat carbon.
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