**2. Genesis of the carbon sequestration idea in terrestrial systems**

The idea that the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere can be minimized by sequestering it in terrestrial ecosystems, including the soil was first proposed by Dyson in 1977 [10]. He realized that the danger of rising CO2 concentration in the atmosphere outweighs the benefits and that increased CO2 into the atmosphere is inevitable in the light of continued dependence on fossil fuels. Therefore, a strategy was needed for reducing CO2 emission without 'drastic shutdown of industrial civilization'. He proposed that the excess CO2 could be absorbed by trees in a large scale plantation as a potential strategy for halting the continuous CO2 build up in the atmosphere. This is in light of evidence that the photosynthetic turnover is 20 times larger than the annual increase in atmospheric CO2 [10]. He therefore concluded that by planting of fast growing trees on a massive scale on marginal land or growing and harvesting swamp-plants and converting them into humus or peat the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere could be minimized. This could be a short gap measure to hold the atmospheric CO2

level down until alternatives to fossil fuels are found. Much later in 1989, Sedjo and Solomon also wondered whether CO2 can be offset by increasing the size of forest areas globally [11].
