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Old-growth forests as global carbon sinks

descriptionPublicationkeyboard_double_arrow_right Article , Journal 11 Sep 2008 France, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands Publisher:Springer Science and Business Media LLCJournal:Nature, volume 455, pages 213-215 (issn: 0028-0836, eissn: 1476-4687,

Authors: Luyssaert, Sebastiaan; Schulze, Ernst Detlef; Börner, Annett; Knohl, Alexander; Hessenmöller, Dominik; Law, Beverly; Ciais, Philippe; +1 Authors

doi: 10.1038/nature07276

pmid: 18784722

handle: 1871.1/6c224929-34f1-4d3b-89b0-43204014c3a5 , 10067/707940151162165141

Old-growth forests as global carbon sinks

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Abstract

Old-growth forests remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at rates that vary with climate and nitrogen deposition. The sequestered carbon dioxide is stored in live woody tissues and slowly decomposing organic matter in litter and soil. Old-growth forests therefore serve as a global carbon dioxide sink, but they are not protected by international treaties, because it is generally thought that ageing forests cease to accumulate carbon. Here we report a search of literature and databases for forest carbon-flux estimates. We find that in forests between 15 and 800 years of age, net ecosystem productivity (the net carbon balance of the forest including soils) is usually positive. Our results demonstrate that old-growth forests can continue to accumulate carbon, contrary to the long-standing view that they are carbon neutral. Over 30 per cent of the global forest area is unmanaged primary forest, and this area contains the remaining old-growth forests. Half of the primary forests (6 x 10(8) hectares) are located in the boreal and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. On the basis of our analysis, these forests alone sequester about 1.3 +/- 0.5 gigatonnes of carbon per year. Thus, our findings suggest that 15 per cent of the global forest area, which is currently not considered when offsetting increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, provides at least 10 per cent of the global net ecosystem productivity. Old-growth forests accumulate carbon for centuries and contain large quantities of it. We expect, however, that much of this carbon, even soil carbon, will move back to the atmosphere if these forests are disturbed.

Countries

France, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands

Related Organizations

University of Göttingen
Germany
University of Antwerp
Belgium
Max Planck Society
Germany
French National Centre for Scientific Research
France
University of Edinburgh
United Kingdom

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Keywords

[ SDU.OCEAN ] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean, Atmosphere, [SDU.STU.GP] Sciences of the Universe/Earth Sciences/Geophysics, Time Factors, 550, Databases, Factual, [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-GEO-PH] Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Geophysics [physics.geo-ph], [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-GEO-PH] Physics/Physics/Geophysics, rates, ecosystem productivity, History, 18th Century, Trees, Disasters, [ SDU.STU.GP ] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Geophysics [physics.geo-ph], forest, [SDU.STU.CL] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Climatology, will, litter, [SDU.OCEAN] Sciences of the Universe/Ocean, Atmosphere, carbon sink, [ CHIM.OTHE ] Chemical Sciences/Other, SDG 13 - Climate Action, Human Activities, Biomass, History, Ancient, History, 15th Century, [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean, Atmosphere, estimates, History, 19th Century, [ SDE.MCG ] Environmental Sciences/Global Changes, old growth forests, [SDU.STU.CL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Climatology, [CHIM.OTHE] Chemical Sciences/Other, Organic Matter, History, 16th Century, [SDU.STU.GP] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Geophysics [physics.geo-ph], [ SDU.STU.CL ] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Climatology, Primary, productivity, [SDU.STU.GP]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Geophysics [physics.geo-ph], Nitrogen, [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes, [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-GEO-PH]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Geophysics [physics.geo-ph], History, 21st Century, 333, soil, History, 17th Century, [ PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-GEO-PH ] Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Geophysics [physics.geo-ph], primary forest, Animals, sink, General, Biology, climate, Ecosystem, ecosystem, forests, [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean, [SDU.OCEAN] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean, Atmosphere, Atmosphere, carbon, Carbon Dioxide, History, 20th Century, Carbon, History, Medieval, [SDE.MCG] Environmental Sciences/Global Changes, [SDU.STU.CL] Sciences of the Universe/Earth Sciences/Climatology, age, ageing, atmosphere, Soils, [CHIM.OTHE]Chemical Sciences/Other, Analysis

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