Photosynthesis: Calculating Biomass and Carbon Storage for Trees
Provided by: Paleontological Research Institution|Published on: June 30, 2022|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Activity - Outdoors
Subjects: Chemistry, Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Mathematics
Authors: Paleontological Research Institution
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this activity, students will measure the circumference of a tree, use a biomass chart to determine the mass of the tree, and then calculate the amount of carbon that the tree has stored.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This activity uses easy-to-follow directions and offers explanations for each step.
- Students will have a chance to practice reading a graph and performing calculations for a tree in their own community.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should have a basic understanding of photosynthesis.
- Teachers will need to provide students with a tape measure.
- While the Instructions and Materials section is designed like a worksheet, the formatting on the site makes it difficult to print the worksheets out. Students will have to record their data and calculations on a separate paper.
Differentiation
- This video resource pairs with this activity, so students can also watch the video before completing the activity.
- After calculating the stored carbon in the tree, students could compare it to annual global carbon emissions data and calculate how many trees it would take to sequester that much carbon.
- Students could turn their data into an awareness campaign by making a video explaining how much carbon each tree has stored and placing a QR code on the tree so that people can scan it to find the video.
- Other resources on this topic include this video on carbon storage in trees, this activity on the carbon cycle, and this digital text on how biology drives the carbon cycle.
Students can engage in this activity to deepen their knowledge of calculating CO2 storage capacity in different tree species. This is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
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