"Scientists who gathered decades of measurements from hundreds of thousands of trees all over the world are punching a hole in the common assumption that large, old trees are biologically pretty much over the hill.

To the contrary, researchers found that the senior trees have rapid growth rates and keep capturing carbon – lots of it.

"The growth rate just keeps increasing as trees get bigger," said study leader Nate Stephenson, a California-based research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey."

Bettina Boxall reports for the Los Angeles Times January 15, 2014. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Old Trees Grow Faster With Every Year" (NPR) [3]