Hurricane Katrina's carbon footprint on U.S. Gulf Coast forests.
Hurricane Katrina's impact on U.S. Gulf Coast forests was quantified by linking ecological field studies, Landsat and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image analyses, and empirically based models. Within areas affected by relatively constant wind speed, tree mortality and damage exhibited strong species-controlled gradients. Spatially explicit forest disturbance maps coupled with extrapolation models predicted mortality and severe structural damage to approximately 320 million large trees totaling 105 teragrams of carbon, representing 50 to 140% of the net annual U.S. forest tree carbon sink. Changes in disturbance regimes from increased storm activity expected under a warming climate will reduce forest biomass stocks, increase ecosystem respiration, and may represent an important positive feedback mechanism to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Chambers
Jeffrey Q
JQ
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, 400 Lindy Boggs, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA. chambers@tulane.edu
Fisher
Jeremy I
JI
Zeng
Hongcheng
H
Chapman
Elise L
EL
Baker
David B
DB
Hurtt
George C
GC
D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D004190:Disasters; D017753:Ecosystem; D015144:Southeastern United States; D014197:Trees
D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002244:Carbon