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Long-term carbon loss in fragmented Neotropical forests

Author

Listed:
  • Sandro Pütz

    (UFZ—Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research
    UFZ—Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research
    UFZ—Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research)

  • Jürgen Groeneveld

    (UFZ—Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research
    School of Environment, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019)

  • Klaus Henle

    (UFZ—Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research)

  • Christoph Knogge

    (UFZ—Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research)

  • Alexandre Camargo Martensen

    (University of Toronto)

  • Markus Metz

    (Fondazione Edmund Mach—Istituto Agrario di San Michele all’Adige)

  • Jean Paul Metzger

    (Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão)

  • Milton Cezar Ribeiro

    (Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão
    Spatial Ecology and Conservation lab (LEEC), Institute of Bioscience, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP))

  • Mateus Dantas de Paula

    (UFZ—Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research)

  • Andreas Huth

    (UFZ—Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research
    University of Osnabrück, Institute for Environmental Systems Research
    German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig)

Abstract

Tropical forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle, as they store a large amount of carbon (C). Tropical forest deforestation has been identified as a major source of CO2 emissions, though biomass loss due to fragmentation—the creation of additional forest edges—has been largely overlooked as an additional CO2 source. Here, through the combination of remote sensing and knowledge on ecological processes, we present long-term carbon loss estimates due to fragmentation of Neotropical forests: within 10 years the Brazilian Atlantic Forest has lost 69 (±14) Tg C, and the Amazon 599 (±120) Tg C due to fragmentation alone. For all tropical forests, we estimate emissions up to 0.2 Pg C y−1 or 9 to 24% of the annual global C loss due to deforestation. In conclusion, tropical forest fragmentation increases carbon loss and should be accounted for when attempting to understand the role of vegetation in the global carbon balance.

Suggested Citation

  • Sandro Pütz & Jürgen Groeneveld & Klaus Henle & Christoph Knogge & Alexandre Camargo Martensen & Markus Metz & Jean Paul Metzger & Milton Cezar Ribeiro & Mateus Dantas de Paula & Andreas Huth, 2014. "Long-term carbon loss in fragmented Neotropical forests," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms6037
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6037
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    Cited by:

    1. Eshetu Shifaw & Jinming Sha & Xiaomei Li, 2020. "Detection of spatiotemporal dynamics of land cover and its drivers using remote sensing and landscape metrics (Pingtan Island, China)," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 1269-1298, February.
    2. Fischer, Rico & Bohn, Friedrich & Dantas de Paula, Mateus & Dislich, Claudia & Groeneveld, Jürgen & Gutiérrez, Alvaro G. & Kazmierczak, Martin & Knapp, Nikolai & Lehmann, Sebastian & Paulick, Sebastia, 2016. "Lessons learned from applying a forest gap model to understand ecosystem and carbon dynamics of complex tropical forests," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 326(C), pages 124-133.

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