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Disturbance suppresses the aboveground carbon sink in North American boreal forests

Author

Listed:
  • Jonathan A. Wang

    (University of California
    Boston University)

  • Alessandro Baccini

    (Boston University
    The Woodwell Climate Research Center)

  • Mary Farina

    (The Woodwell Climate Research Center
    Montana State University)

  • James T. Randerson

    (University of California)

  • Mark A. Friedl

    (Boston University)

Abstract

Climate change is altering vegetation and disturbance dynamics in boreal ecosystems. However, the aggregate impact of these changes on boreal carbon budgets is not well understood. Here we combined multiple satellite datasets to estimate annual stocks and changes in aboveground biomass (AGB) across boreal northwestern North America. From 1984 to 2014, the 2.82 × 106 km2 study region gained 434 ± 176 Tg of AGB. Fires resulted in losses of 789 ± 48 Tg, which were mostly compensated by post-fire recovery of 642 ± 86 Tg. Timber harvests contributed to losses of 74 ± 5 Tg, which were partly offset by post-harvest recovery of 32 ± 9 Tg. Earth system models overestimated AGB accumulation by a factor of 3 (+1,519 ± 171 Tg), which suggests that these models overestimate the terrestrial carbon sink in boreal ecosystems and highlights the need to improve representation of fire and other disturbance processes in these models.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan A. Wang & Alessandro Baccini & Mary Farina & James T. Randerson & Mark A. Friedl, 2021. "Disturbance suppresses the aboveground carbon sink in North American boreal forests," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 11(5), pages 435-441, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:11:y:2021:i:5:d:10.1038_s41558-021-01027-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41558-021-01027-4
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    Cited by:

    1. Abhijeet Mishra & Florian Humpenöder & Galina Churkina & Christopher P. O. Reyer & Felicitas Beier & Benjamin Leon Bodirsky & Hans Joachim Schellnhuber & Hermann Lotze-Campen & Alexander Popp, 2022. "Land use change and carbon emissions of a transformation to timber cities," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.

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