A large and persistent carbon sink in the world's forests
- PMID: 21764754
- DOI: 10.1126/science.1201609
A large and persistent carbon sink in the world's forests
Abstract
The terrestrial carbon sink has been large in recent decades, but its size and location remain uncertain. Using forest inventory data and long-term ecosystem carbon studies, we estimate a total forest sink of 2.4 ± 0.4 petagrams of carbon per year (Pg C year(-1)) globally for 1990 to 2007. We also estimate a source of 1.3 ± 0.7 Pg C year(-1) from tropical land-use change, consisting of a gross tropical deforestation emission of 2.9 ± 0.5 Pg C year(-1) partially compensated by a carbon sink in tropical forest regrowth of 1.6 ± 0.5 Pg C year(-1). Together, the fluxes comprise a net global forest sink of 1.1 ± 0.8 Pg C year(-1), with tropical estimates having the largest uncertainties. Our total forest sink estimate is equivalent in magnitude to the terrestrial sink deduced from fossil fuel emissions and land-use change sources minus ocean and atmospheric sinks.
Comment in
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The carbon sink in intact tropical forests.Glob Chang Biol. 2013 Feb;19(2):337-9. doi: 10.1111/gcb.12052. Epub 2012 Nov 15. Glob Chang Biol. 2013. PMID: 23504773 No abstract available.
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Evaluating the tropical forest carbon sink.Glob Chang Biol. 2014 Jul;20(7):2039-41. doi: 10.1111/gcb.12423. Epub 2014 Apr 19. Glob Chang Biol. 2014. PMID: 24123580 No abstract available.
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