Role of forest regrowth in global carbon sink dynamics
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology · CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere · +6 more institutions
Abstract
Although the existence of a large carbon sink in terrestrial ecosystems is well-established, the drivers of this sink remain uncertain. It has been suggested that perturbations to forest demography caused by past land-use change, management, and natural disturbances may be causing a large component of current carbon uptake. Here we use a global compilation of forest age observations, combined with a terrestrial biosphere model with explicit modeling of forest regrowth, to partition the global forest carbon sink between old-growth and regrowth stands over the period 1981–2010. For 2001–2010 we find a carbon sink of 0.85 (0.66–0.96) Pg year −1 located in intact old-growth forest, primarily in the moist tropics…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 46.14
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 53
Authors
7- TAThomas A. M. PughCorresponding
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Goddard Space Flight Center, Lund University, Montana State University, Forest Research, Western Sydney University, University of Birmingham
- MLMats Lindeskog
Lund University
- BSBenjamin Smith
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Goddard Space Flight Center, Lund University, Montana State University, Forest Research, Western Sydney University, University of Birmingham
- BPBenjamin Poulter
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Goddard Space Flight Center, Lund University, Montana State University, Forest Research, Western Sydney University, University of Birmingham
- AAAlmut Arneth
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Goddard Space Flight Center, Lund University, Montana State University, Forest Research, Western Sydney University, University of Birmingham
Topics & keywords
- Carbon sink
- Sink (geography)
- Environmental science
- Carbon cycle
- Carbon fibers
- Atmospheric sciences
- Earth science
- Ecology
- Life in Land