 Worthless from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Forest carbon storage has declined across much of the Western U.S., likely, they say, due to drought and fire. What else would be the core causal factors? Did it take a team of scientists to determine that? They say forests have been embraced as a natural climate solution due to their ability to soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow, locking it up in their trunks, branches, leaves, and roots.