根據美國普渡大學最新研究發現「一種新的雜交美國
不僅可以恢復幾乎滅絕的物種，而且還有助於控制地球大氣層中的二氧化碳。」
執教于林業和自然資源系的副教授雅各(Douglass Jacobs)發現，美國栗樹比其他硬木樹種長得快又大，因此同一時期内，能夠吸收更多抑制熱量散發的溫室氣體。
雅各說：「維持或提高森林覆蓋率已被確定為重要減緩氣候變化的一個途徑。」他的論文出現在6月份「森林生態和管理」期刊中。
他說：「美國栗樹成長速度驚人。一般而言，樹木生長越快，碳吸收能力越強。而且這些硬木經採伐加工後，碳儲存時間長達幾十年，有些甚至更長。」
過去曾經遍佈整個美國東部地區森林的優勢物種，一路從緬因州到密西西比州都有美國栗樹的蹤跡。年年結果、耐腐蝕、高大的樹型等特點為人們所看重。
但在20世紀初，因人爲引進亞洲真菌，引發了大量栗樹枯萎，最終造成大規模死亡。直到約50年前，幾乎完全消失殆盡。
一項嘗試將幸存的美國栗樹，與抗枯萎病的中國栗樹雜交的成果，產生出耐病害、美國栗樹佔約94%的新物種。
雅各說「培育出來的新樹種在未來十年內，可以開始種植在現有的森林，或是由農田恢復的林地。」
他繼續道「樹木吸收每年全球排放約1/6的二氧化碳。因此增加年度碳吸收量，非常有利於減緩氣候變化。
他還說「這次研究只著重于地上碳儲存。未來將設法了解，這些栗樹林如何把碳儲存在地下。」
他最後說「復育美國栗樹最大障礙之一，就是現今一系列管理栗樹生長地帶土地法律和法規。」
許多公共用地，過去栗樹生長密集地區，如大煙山（Great Smoky Mountains）國家公園，不歡迎人為介入，而且往往是非法的。但他說，為達到復育美國栗樹的目的，某種程度上的人為介入和採收是有必要的。因此，他呼籲採取一個一致和積極的態度與做法，並在管理公共土地法規上允許特例。
A new hybrid of the American chestnut tree could not only revive the nearly extinct species, but also help limit the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere, according to new research from Purdue University.
Douglass Jacobs, an associate professor of forestry and natural resources, found that American chestnuts grow much faster and larger than other hardwood species, allowing them to sequester more of the heat-trapping greenhouse gas than other trees do over the same time period.
"Maintaining or increasing forest cover has been identified as an important way to slow climate change," said Jacobs, whose paper appears in the June issue of the journal "Forest Ecology and Management."
"The American chestnut is an incredibly fast-growing tree," Jacobs said. "Generally the faster a tree grows, the more carbon it is able to sequester. And when these trees are harvested and processed, the carbon can be stored in the hardwood products for decades, maybe longer."
Once a dominant forest species throughout much of the eastern United States, the American chestnut grew from Maine to Mississippi, treasured for its annual yield of nuts, rot-resistant wood and towering size.
But at the beginning of the 20th century, an introduced Asian fungus caused widespread blight that killed chestnut trees across their range. About 50 years ago, the species was nearly gone.
New efforts to hybridize remaining American chestnut trees with blight-resistant Chinese chestnuts have resulted in a species that is about 94 percent American chestnut with the protection found in the Chinese species.
Jacobs said those hybrid new trees could be ready to plant in the next decade, either in existing forests or in former agricultural fields that are being returned to forested land.
Jacobs said trees absorb about one-sixth of the carbon dioxide emitted globally each year. Increasing the amount that can be absorbed annually could make a considerable difference in slowing climate change, he said.
Jacobs said that since this study looked at aboveground carbon sequestration, future studies would seek to understand more about how forests that contain American chestnuts store carbon below the ground.
One of the greatest obstacles to reintroduction of the American chestnut is the host of laws and regulations that now govern the lands in the chestnut's original range, Jacobs said.
On many public lands where the chestnut used to thrive, such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, human interference is discouraged and often illegal. But Jacobs said some interference and harvesting will be necessary to reintroduce the chestnut, calling for a unified and proactive approach and exceptions to certain laws that govern public lands.
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
