Like native trees and shrubs, deep-rooted native grasses, sedges, and forbs (flowering plants) store carbon below ground where it can stay locked up for centuries in the soil. Together, plants and soil microbes (mycorrhizae) can absorb an estimated 30% of the CO2 emitted by human activities yearly. Planting many different species multiplies this effect, increasing the amount of carbon stored by microorganisms in the soil.