Phillips, O. L.;Malhi, Y.;Higuchi, N.;Laurance, W. F.;Núñez, P. V.;Vásquez, R. M.;Laurance, S. G.;Ferreira, L. V.;Stern, M.;Brown, S.;Grace, J.
Changes in the carbon balance of tropical forests: Evidence from long-term plots
Science
1998
Journal Article
282
5388
439-442
Reserva Nacional Tambopata Atmospheric co2 concentrations biomass estimation diversity El Niño ecosystems turnover sinks dynamics nitrogen inventories plants trees large spatial scales ecology long-term monitoring Madre de Dios Bibliography
The role of the world's forests as a "sink" for atmospheric carbon dioxide is the subject of active debate. Long-term monitoring of plots in mature humid tropical forests concentrated in South America revealed that biomass gain by tree growth exceeded losses from tree death in 38 of 50 Neotropical sites. These forest plots have accumulated 0.71 ton, plus or minus 0.34 ton, of carbon per hectare per year in recent decades. The data suggest that Neotropical forests may be a significant carbon sink, reducing the rate of increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide.