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.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Newtown Square, PA 19073, USA. ypan@fs.fed.us
authors.forename: Yude
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Birdsey
authors.forename: Jingyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Houghton
authors.forename: Pekka E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Kauppi
authors.forename: Werner A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Kurz
authors.forename: Oliver L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Anatoly
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shvidenko
authors.forename: Simon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Josep G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Canadell
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ciais
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Stephen W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Pacala
authors.forename: A David
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.forename: Shilong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.forename: Aapo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rautiainen
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sitch
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hayes
mesh_terms: D001272:Atmosphere; D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D057965:Carbon Sequestration; D057231:Climate Change; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D014197:Trees; D014329:Tropical Climate
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002244:Carbon