|
|
The Science
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) released the report "Adaptation of Forests and People to Climate Change – A Global Assessment Report". One of its key messages is that the carbon-regulating services of forests are at risk of being lost entirely unless current carbon emissions are reduced substantially.
FAO calculates that an area of forest the size of England is converted to other land uses each year. This loss accounts for a fifth of global carbon emissions and it is the 2nd largest contributor to global warming.
Research from the Met Office Hadley Centre shows that "Deforestation in Amazonia seems likely to continue in the 21st century, and fire risk could increase as a result of global climate change. With deforestation activities providing a source of ignition, the combination of this with increased fire risk could lead to widespread impacts on Amazonian ecosystems".
Emissions from deforestation Back to top
The IPCC's latest Assessment Report puts emissions from deforestation at about 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon per year during the 1990s, or one fifth of total global emissions from human activities.
The World Resources Institute's Navigating the Numbers guides the reader through the emissions from land use change.
Carbon storage Back to top
Researchers at the Australian National University have found that natural forests in south-eastern Australia store much more carbon than previously estimated. Their results were presented in Green Carbon.
|
|
