Canadian Forest Service Publications
A Large and Persistent Carbon Sink in the World’s Forests. 2011. Pan, Y.; Birdsey, R.A.; Fang, J.; Houghton, R.; Kauppi, P.E.; Kurz, W.A.; Phillips, O.L.; Shvidenko, A.; Lewis, S.L.; Canadell, J.G.; Ciais, P.; Jackson, R.B.; Pacala, S.; McGuire, A.D.; Piao, S.; Rautiainen, A.; Sitch, S.; Hayes, D. Science 333(6045): 988-993.
Year: 2011
Issued by: Pacific Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 32606
Language: English
Availability: Not available through the CFS (click for more information).
Available from the Journal's Web site. †
DOI: 10.1126/science.1201609
† This site may require a fee
Abstract
The terrestrial carbon (C) sink has been large in recent decades, but its size and location remain uncertain. Using forest inventory data and long-term ecosystem C studies, we estimated a total forest sink of 2.4 ± 0.4 Pg C yr-1 globally for 1990–2007. We also estimated a source of 1.3 ± 0.7 Pg C yr-1 from tropical land-use change, consisting of a gross tropical deforestation emission of 2.9 ± 0.5 Pg C yr-1 partially compensated by a C sink in tropical forest regrowth of 1.6 ± 0.5 Pg C yr-1. Together, the fluxes comprise a net global forest sink of 1.1 ± 0.8 Pg C yr-1, with tropical estimates having the largest uncertainties. This forest sink is equivalent in magnitude to the terrestrial sink deduced from fossil fuel emissions and constraints of ocean and atmospheric sinks.