CO₂ in the atmosphere can accumulate as carbon in terrestrial ecosystems through photosynthesis in vegetation and soil. Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, any process, activity, or mechanism that removes and captures greenhouse gases from the atmosphere is called a sink. Sustainable forest management, afforestation, expansion of forest areas, conversion of degraded forests into fertile forests (rehabilitation), forest maintenance (silviculture), effective forest protection, and forest fire control by the Directorate General of Forestry are activities that increase the sink potential of forests and lead to a reduction in greenhouse gases. The results of these activities are reflected in the annual amount of CO₂ removed and captured by forestry sector in the Land Use, Land Use Changes and Forestry (LULUCF) section of the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report submitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In addition, the captured CO₂ in the processed forest products category in the LULUCF section of the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report is also a sink mechanism related to forestry.

In 2019, 75 million tons of CO₂ equivalent were captured in our forests and 11 million tons of CO₂ equivalent were captured in processed wood products. 2 million tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions were released in the LULUCF sector. Thus, the net carbon capture of the LULUCF sector is 84 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent. This represents a 47 percent increase compared to 1990, with sustainable land use, forest management, afforestation studies, and land restoration and rehabilitation being the main drivers^{21, 22_.}

GRAPH 14- CARBON SINK AREAS AND CARBON CAPTURES IN TURKEY (1990-2019) (CO₂ equivalent Kt / year)

Source: Turkey National Inventory Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report (NIR), LULUCF Section, 2021 (https://unfccc. int/ documents/271544)

TABLE 7- CARBON SINK AREAS AND CAPTURES IN TURKEY (CO₂ equivalent Kt / year)

Source: Turkey National Inventory Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report (NIR), LULUCF Section, 2021, (https://unfccc. int/ documents/271544)