Wood Vaulting

Beneath the weary watch
of ancient wood,
a treasury of
earth-bound rind
preserves decay.
The forest’s spine
encased in clay’s
chill clasp
stands firm
against the sieve
of years.
Here, in soil’s dense grip
wood once stirred
by winds now speaks
of smouldering skies.
In veins
of buds and bark
we feel the runes
of interred lore –
blueprints of the
broken boughs
to cloak our faults
in rotting robes
of dying green.

This poem is inspired by recent research, which has found that burying wood in the right environmental conditions can stop its decomposition and help curb carbon dioxide emissions.

Trees are remarkable for their ability to capture and store carbon dioxide (CO₂), a major greenhouse gas, throughout their lifespan. This natural process of carbon sequestration is a critical component in efforts to combat climate change. Despite the vast amounts of CO₂ absorbed by trees through photosynthesis annually – six times more than what is emitted by all fossil fuel usage globally – most of the carbon they capture returns to the atmosphere when they decompose after death. This cycle limits the long-term climate benefits of current tree-planting initiatives, as the stored carbon is eventually released back into the environment.

However, researchers have made a significant discovery that could enhance the way we approach carbon storage, potentially leading to a more sustainable solution. They unearthed a 3,775-year-old wood log buried two meters underground, remarkably preserved with less than 5% carbon loss, compared to modern wood samples. The exceptional condition of this ancient wood, found encased in compact clay which prevents oxygen from fuelling decomposition, points towards a novel method for carbon sequestration. The study suggests that ‘wood vaulting,’ a process involving the burial of non-commercial wood – like that from diseased trees or unwanted wooden items – in similar low-oxygen environments, could significantly prevent carbon from re-entering the atmosphere. With the potential to lock away up to 10 gigatonnes of CO₂ annually using existing technologies, this method offers a promising, cost-effective strategy for long-term carbon storage, transforming how we might mitigate climate impacts.