Roots aren't just for absorbing water. This paper shows that roots and associated fungi in subarctic forests act as carbon sinks.
Roots and Associated Fungi Drive Long-Term Carbon Sequestration in Boreal Forest, Clemmensen K.E. et. al, Science, 29 March 2013
Roots and Associated Fungi Drive Long-Term Carbon Sequestration in Boreal Forest, Clemmensen K.E. et. al, Science, 29 March 2013