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      Tropical forests are a net carbon source based on aboveground measurements of gain and loss

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          Abstract

          The carbon balance of tropical ecosystems remains uncertain, with top-down atmospheric studies suggesting an overall sink and bottom-up ecological approaches indicating a modest net source. Here we use 12 years (2003–2014) of MODIS pantropical satellite data to quantify net annual changes in the aboveground carbon density of tropical woody live vegetation, providing direct, measurement-based evidence that the world’s tropical forests are a net carbon source of 425.2 ± 92.0 Tg C yr–1. This net release of carbon consists of losses of 861.7 ± 80.2 Tg C yr–1 and gains of 436.5 ± 31.0 Tg C yr–1. Gains result from forest growth; losses result from deforestation and from reductions in carbon density within standing forests (degradation/disturbance), with the latter accounting for 68.9% of overall losses.

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          Author and article information

          Journal
          Science
          Science
          American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
          0036-8075
          1095-9203
          September 2017
          :
          :
          : eaam5962
          Article
          10.1126/science.aam5962
          28971966
          58b26b44-381d-4f19-a7af-27264a73572f
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