Some things may be more valuable dead than alive, but not B.C.'s old growth forests, according to a Simon Fraser University study.

The study, by associate professor Duncan Knowler, has found that trees are far more valuable for their role in capturing carbon from the atmosphere than they would be if they were sold for timber.

As cap-and-trade systems measuring carbon levels gain acceptance, Knowler said, B.C. could find itself with a significant revenue source as long as the trees are standing.

He said his study is being conservative in its assessment of their potential value and doesn't even begin to tally the importance of old growth trees in purifying water and protecting fish habitat.