A large and persistent carbon sink in the world's forests

Yude Pan; Richard A. Birdsey; Jingyun Fang; Richard Houghton; Pekka E. Kauppi; Werner A. Kurz; Oliver L. Phillips; Anatoly Shvidenko; Simon L. Lewis; Josep G. Canadell; Philippe Ciais; Robert B. Jackson; Stephen W. Pacala; A. David McGuire; Shilong Piao; Aapo Rautiainen; Stephen Sitch; Daniel Hayes

doi:10.1126/science.1201609

A large and persistent carbon sink in the world's forests

Yude Pan
, Richard A. Birdsey
, Jingyun Fang
, Richard Houghton
, Pekka E. Kauppi
, Werner A. Kurz
, Oliver L. Phillips
, Anatoly Shvidenko
, Simon L. Lewis
, Josep G. Canadell
, Philippe Ciais
, Robert B. Jackson
, Stephen W. Pacala
, A. David McGuire
, Shilong Piao
, Aapo Rautiainen
, Stephen Sitch
, Daniel Hayes

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6904 Scopus citations

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.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	988-993
Number of pages	6
Journal	Science
Volume	333
Issue number	6045
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1201609
State	Published - Aug 19 2011

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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10.1126/science.1201609

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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. W., McGuire, A. D., Piao, S., Rautiainen, A., Sitch, S., & Hayes, D. (2011). A large and persistent carbon sink in the world's forests. Science, 333(6045), 988-993. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1201609

@article{52c5260fd75f44ec924f28e16a85d613,

title = "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.",

author = "Yude Pan and Birdsey, \{Richard A.\} and Jingyun Fang and Richard Houghton and Kauppi, \{Pekka E.\} and Kurz, \{Werner A.\} and Phillips, \{Oliver L.\} and Anatoly Shvidenko and Lewis, \{Simon L.\} and Canadell, \{Josep G.\} and Philippe Ciais and Jackson, \{Robert B.\} and Pacala, \{Stephen W.\} and McGuire, \{A. David\} and Shilong Piao and Aapo Rautiainen and Stephen Sitch and Daniel Hayes",

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doi = "10.1126/science.1201609",

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AU - Pan, Yude

AU - Birdsey, Richard A.

AU - Fang, Jingyun

AU - Houghton, Richard

AU - Kauppi, Pekka E.

AU - Kurz, Werner A.

AU - Phillips, Oliver L.

AU - Shvidenko, Anatoly

AU - Lewis, Simon L.

AU - Canadell, Josep G.

AU - Ciais, Philippe

AU - Jackson, Robert B.

AU - Pacala, Stephen W.

AU - McGuire, A. David

AU - Piao, Shilong

AU - Rautiainen, Aapo

AU - Sitch, Stephen

AU - Hayes, Daniel

PY - 2011/8/19

Y1 - 2011/8/19

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

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SP - 988

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JO - Science

JF - Science

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ER -

A large and persistent carbon sink in the world's forests

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