Top scientists have emphasized the importance of forest carbon sinks as having an irreplaceable role in reducing carbon in the atmosphere and ultimately combating climate change.

Yin Weilun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and former principal of Beijing Forestry University, said that forests and grasslands hold a unique position in combating global climate change.

Forest carbon sinks are plants that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and fix it in vegetation or soil, thereby reducing concentration of the gas, Yin said.

Speaking on Tuesday at the Forestry and Grassland Carbon Sink Innovation International Forum, which is running parallel to the Zhongguancun Forum held in Beijing from Thursday to Tuesday, the scientist said that good forest management can increase carbon absorption capability.

Yin called for more research in forest management to ensure the sustainability of forests and their carbon sink capacity.

"The growth and development cycle of each tree species is different. For example, poplars reach their peak height in about 20 years. After that, they are unlikely to grow and the tree top will rot away."

To use land efficiently, forest managers must cut down some rotten trees and replace them with young ones so that the forest system can maintain its ability to reproduce and act as a carbon sink, he said.

Yin also stressed the need for increasing forest reserves, grasslands and wetlands to enhance their ability to absorb carbon.

At the forum, Du Xiangwan, former deputy head of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said forests and grasslands can make multiple contributions to climate change mitigation as each cubic meter of wood growth can absorb an average of 1.83 metric tons of carbon dioxide, he said.

In addition, afforestation, grassland and wetland restoration, and desertification control not only protect biodiversity but also provide solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation, he added.

Last year, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration set up a carbon sink research institute to study the country's potential for carbon sinks through forests and grasslands.

This research work will assess the spatial distribution of carbon sinks with the aim of understanding how to increase them, the administration said.