The Unseen Effects of Deforestation: Biophysical Effects on Climate
University of Virginia · Woodwell Climate Research Center · +2 more institutions
Abstract
Climate policy has thus far focused solely on carbon stocks and sequestration to evaluate the potential of forests to mitigate global warming. These factors are used to assess the impacts of different drivers of deforestation and forest degradation as well as alternative forest management. However, when forest cover, structure and composition change, shifts in biophysical processes (the water and energy balances) may enhance or diminish the climate effects of carbon released from forest aboveground biomass. The net climate impact of carbon effects and biophysical effects determines outcomes for forest and agricultural species as well as the humans who depend on them. Evaluating the net impact is complicated by…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 26.95
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 99
Authors
5Topics & keywords
- Deforestation (computer science)
- Environmental science
- Climate change
- Global warming
- Tropics
- Biomass (ecology)
- Carbon sequestration
- Latitude
- Climate action