Carbon sinks and sources in global forests (IMAGE)
Caption
Carbon sinks and sources in global forests (Pg C year-1) expressed as the mean annual rate across the full three-decadal period 1990 to 2019. Positive values represent carbon sinks, while negative (red) values carbon sources. Because carbon fluxes estimated in temperate and boreal forests were based on the “stock change” method, which included carbon gains and losses (from temporarily harvested forests), the C sink estimated was a net sink. Because carbon fluxes estimated in tropical forests were based on the “flux” method, C sinks estimated were gross sinks. Tropical deforestation emissions were estimated by a book-keeping model. The tropical forest net sink, therefore, was the balance of C sinks and emissions (see Methods for concepts and details).
Credit
USDA Forest Service image by Yude Pan.
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Original content