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.
Description
A Large and Persistent Carbon Sink in the World’s Forests
%0 Journal Article
%1 Pan19082011
%A Pan, Yude
%A Birdsey, Richard A.
%A Fang, Jingyun
%A Houghton, Richard
%A Kauppi, Pekka E.
%A Kurz, Werner A.
%A Phillips, Oliver L.
%A Shvidenko, Anatoly
%A Lewis, Simon L.
%A Canadell, Josep G.
%A Ciais, Philippe
%A Jackson, Robert B.
%A Pacala, Stephen W.
%A McGuire, A. David
%A Piao, Shilong
%A Rautiainen, Aapo
%A Sitch, Stephen
%A Hayes, Daniel
%D 2011
%J Science
%K carbon forests sequestration sink
%N 6045
%P 988-993
%R 10.1126/science.1201609
%T A Large and Persistent Carbon Sink in the World’s Forests
%U http://www.sciencemag.org/content/333/6045/988.abstract
%V 333
%X 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.
@article{Pan19082011,
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.},
added-at = {2011-08-19T08:51:51.000+0200},
author = {Pan, Yude and Birdsey, Richard A. and Fang, Jingyun and Houghton, Richard and Kauppi, Pekka E. and Kurz, Werner A. and Phillips, Oliver L. and Shvidenko, Anatoly and Lewis, Simon L. and Canadell, Josep G. and Ciais, Philippe and Jackson, Robert B. and Pacala, Stephen W. and McGuire, A. David and Piao, Shilong and Rautiainen, Aapo and Sitch, Stephen and Hayes, Daniel},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/282a587a840dfe18dd2fc4ee7dbb77b67/karinnadrowski},
description = {A Large and Persistent Carbon Sink in the World’s Forests},
doi = {10.1126/science.1201609},
eprint = {http://www.sciencemag.org/content/333/6045/988.full.pdf},
interhash = {c3c3ee5720707da46227bbfdf6780fab},
intrahash = {82a587a840dfe18dd2fc4ee7dbb77b67},
journal = {Science},
keywords = {carbon forests sequestration sink},
number = 6045,
pages = {988-993},
timestamp = {2011-08-19T08:55:47.000+0200},
title = {A Large and Persistent Carbon Sink in the World’s Forests},
url = {http://www.sciencemag.org/content/333/6045/988.abstract},
volume = 333,
year = 2011
}