- Tunisia voting ends as Saied eyes re-election with critics behind bars
- Florida braces for Milton, FEMA head slams 'dangerous' Helene misinformation
- Postecoglou slams 'unacceptable' Spurs after 'terrible' loss at Brighton
- Marmoush double denies Bayern outright Bundesliga top spot
- Rallies worldwide call for Gaza, Lebanon ceasefire
- Maresca hails Chelsea's 'fighting' spirit after draw with 10-man Forest
- New 'Joker' film, a dark musical, tops N.America box office
- Man Utd stalemate keeps Ten Hag in danger, Spurs rocked by Brighton
- Drowned by hurricane, remote N.Carolina towns now struggle for water
- Vikings hold off Jets in London to stay unbeaten
- Ahead of attack anniversary, Netanyahu says: 'We will win'
- West Indies cruise to T20 World Cup win over Scotland
- Arshdeep, Chakravarthy help India hammer Bangladesh in T20 opener
- Lewandowski's quickfire hat-trick powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- Man Utd fire another blank in Aston Villa stalemate
- Lewandowski treble powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- Russian activist killed on front line in Ukraine
- Openda strike briefly sends Leipzig top of Bundesliga
- Goal-shy Man Utd have to 'step up', says Ten Hag
- India bowl out Bangladesh for 127 in T20 opener
- Madueke rescues Chelsea in draw with 10-man Forest
- Beckett's belief rewarded as Bluestocking storms to Arc glory
- Trump on the stump, Harris hits airwaves in razor-edge US election
- Flash flooding kills three in northern Thailand
- Kaur leads India to victory over Pakistan in Women's T20 World Cup
- Juventus held by Cagliari after late penalty drama
- In France's Marseille, teen 'stabbed 50 times' then burned alive
- Ruthless Gauff beats Muchova in straight sets to win China Open
- India restrict Pakistan to 105-8 in Women's T20 World Cup
- England target repeat of Pakistan Test whitewash
- Penrith Panthers win fourth straight NRL title after downing Storm
- Weary Sinner happy for day off after battling into Shanghai last 16
- Pakistan's Masood warns England still a force without Stokes
- Madrid's Carvajal to miss several months after serious knee injury
- Israel pounds Lebanon ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
- Sabalenka targets world number one and Wuhan hat-trick
- Toddler among 4 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Bagnaia sets 'example' with Japan MotoGP win to cut gap on Martin
- Intense Israeli bombing rocks Beirut ahead of war anniversary
- Mozambique vote: no suspense but some disillusion
- Austrian rapper channels anti-racist rage in Romani hip-hop songs
- Ohtani magic powers Dodgers over Padres in MLB playoff thriller
- Five of the best: Pakistan-England Test thrillers
- Man sets arm on fire as marches across US mark Gaza war anniversary
- Vietnam's young coffee entrepreneurs brew up a revolution
- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
Giant redwoods thriving in the UK: experts
Endangered giant redwood trees are thriving in the UK but could also be significantly contributing to capturing carbon emissions, according to research published on Wednesday.
The towering giant sequoias, which can soar as high as 90 metres (295 feet) and live for up to 3,000 years, were first planted in the UK in the mid-19th century.
There are now some 500,000 across the country -- more than the 80,000 or so in their native California.
Research by University College London (UCL) and published in the Royal Society Open Science journal, found that "the most massive species" of redwood can potentially pull an average of 85 kilograms of carbon from the atmosphere per year.
It is the first time the growth rate and resilience of the trees have been analysed in the UK.
"Giant sequoias are some of the most massive organisms on Earth and in their native range make up some of the most carbon-dense forests in the world due to their great age," said Ross Holland, the lead author of the research.
"We found that UK redwoods are well adapted to the UK and able to capture a large amount of carbon dioxide."
Sequoias, which have wide trunks and can survive blazes that would wipe out forests of other tree species, were first imported to the UK as seeds and seedlings in 1853.
The trees, which were rare at the time, became a symbol of wealth and power in Victorian-era Britain.
Many were planted at the entrance to large houses and estates.
To assess the adaptability of giant sequoias to the UK's milder climates and varied rainfall patterns, the researchers compiled a map, pinpointing the locations of nearly 5,000 individual trees across the country.
They analysed 97 individual trees at Benmore Botanic Gardens in central Scotland, at Kew Garden's Wakehurst Place in the south of England and at a mixed woodland in Havering Country Park east of London.
Terrestrial laser scanners were used to map the trees in 3D, enabling researchers to accurately measure the heights and volumes of the trees without having to cut them down.
The tallest was approximately 54.87m tall -- towering over most native UK species but modest in comparison to its far older American relatives.
Researchers calculated average growth rates of the trees at the three sites, which they said would be important for the analysis of climate changes in the future.
"Currently, these trees are probably more important for their aesthetic and historical interest than they are for solving the climate crisis," said senior author Mat Disney.
"But as more are planted we need to know how they will grow."
F.Pedersen--AMWN