Botany lab seven carbon sequestration by trees

Botany laboratory six carbon sequestration was pushed back to laboratory seven when the hydroponics field trip moved from week nine to week six. The class went straight into the field with no preparatory notes given in order to take advantage of the break in the weather present on campus at 11:00. By afternoon a flooding rain was falling.


The circumference is measured in inches, the height in feet for the algorithm in this laboratory. The field measurements were recorded in iNaturalist as notes. iNaturalist provides a place to record circumference and height data while automatically picking up the location and date. Identification of the species is also facilitated by iNaturalist. 


The tallest tree in the area is this Acacia. The Acacia is visibly taller than the other trees in that area. 

The Acacia had a diameter of 26.8 inches in spring 2025, spring 2026 the diameter was 28.6 inches.


Santriko holds the end of the tape measure, Susan captures photos.

Susan walks a downed tree. This portion of the field walk was optional.

Next to the Acacia is a Campnosperma brevipetiolata (dohng). Not completely inaccessible, if the weather cooperates.

Telephoto to capture the leaves. This is an endemic tree.


Beverly passes the tape to Ronney. The endpoint would be 110 feet away, ten feet beyond the end of the tape. 


Sweethy walked along a log to assist with routing the tape measure.


Santriko and Trisden measuring the circumference of the tallest Falcataria falcata near the road.


Alex sighting the top of the Falcataria.


The third and last tree was the tallest Pterocarpus indicus along the line of rosewoods that line the frontage road.

Jayron sights the top of the Pterocarpus indicus



The diagram was done post hoc, after the field walk. As in spring 2025, the Acacia was hand worked on the board referencing the directions in the laboratory. Those directions were cleaned up, organized into sections, and formatted last year.  

Data from 2026

This laboratory continues to function well. A video playlist the prior Friday covered carbon capture and some of the caveats associated with carbon capture by planting trees.



This laboratory relies almost entirely on the 100 foot tape measure, which could be locally replaced, and the tangent height gauge, which cannot be locally replaced. Forestry Suppliers will not ship to Micronesia, so the gauge was shipped to Hilo. Hilo then mailed the gauge to Micronesia. Each year this laboratory reminds me of this relay. 

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