Which of the following is an ecosystem service commonly provided by forests?

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Forests provide carbon storage, an ecosystem service that helps regulate the climate by keeping atmospheric carbon out of the air. Trees and other vegetation capture CO2 through photosynthesis and convert it into biomass—trunks, branches, leaves, and roots—and into soil organic matter. That carbon can stay locked away for years to decades, or longer, especially in soils and in large, long-lived trees. The strength of this service depends on forest health, age, and how it’s managed; intact, growing forests store more carbon, while disturbances like logging or fire release some of that stored carbon while new growth can gradually refill the stock. In contrast, nutrient runoff, soil compaction, and air pollution are not direct carbon-storage services; they relate to different aspects of forest function or stress rather than the storage of carbon itself.