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The effectiveness of global protected areas for climate change mitigation

Author

Listed:
  • L. Duncanson

    (University of Maryland)

  • M. Liang

    (University of Maryland)

  • V. Leitold

    (University of Maryland)

  • J. Armston

    (University of Maryland)

  • S. M. Krishna Moorthy

    (University of Maryland)

  • R. Dubayah

    (University of Maryland)

  • S. Costedoat

    (Conservation International)

  • B. J. Enquist

    (University of Arizona
    The Santa Fe Institute)

  • L. Fatoyinbo

    (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

  • S. J. Goetz

    (Computing and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University)

  • M. Gonzalez-Roglich

    (WCS)

  • C. Merow

    (University of Connecticut)

  • P. R. Roehrdanz

    (Conservation International)

  • K. Tabor

    (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
    University of Maryland Baltimore County)

  • A. Zvoleff

    (Conservation International)

Abstract

Forests play a critical role in stabilizing Earth’s climate. Establishing protected areas (PAs) represents one approach to forest conservation, but PAs were rarely created to mitigate climate change. The global impact of PAs on the carbon cycle has not previously been quantified due to a lack of accurate global-scale carbon stock maps. Here we used ~412 million lidar samples from NASA’s GEDI mission to estimate a total PA aboveground carbon (C) stock of 61.43 Gt (+/− 0.31), 26% of all mapped terrestrial woody C. Of this total, 9.65 + /− 0.88 Gt of additional carbon was attributed to PA status. These higher C stocks are primarily from avoided emissions from deforestation and degradation in PAs compared to unprotected forests. This total is roughly equivalent to one year of annual global fossil fuel emissions. These results underscore the importance of conservation of high biomass forests for avoiding carbon emissions and preserving future sequestration.

Suggested Citation

  • L. Duncanson & M. Liang & V. Leitold & J. Armston & S. M. Krishna Moorthy & R. Dubayah & S. Costedoat & B. J. Enquist & L. Fatoyinbo & S. J. Goetz & M. Gonzalez-Roglich & C. Merow & P. R. Roehrdanz & , 2023. "The effectiveness of global protected areas for climate change mitigation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-38073-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38073-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Linghua Qiu & Junhao He & Chao Yue & Philippe Ciais & Chunmiao Zheng, 2024. "Substantial terrestrial carbon emissions from global expansion of impervious surface area," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Beacham, Austin, 2023. "Extraction, Contestation, and Conservation: Natural Resource Dependence and Protected Area Designation," Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, Working Paper Series qt0d40d2z8, Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, University of California.
    3. Thiago Fonseca Morello Ramalho da Silva & Paula Carvalho Pereda & Ana Carolina M. Pessoa & Liana O. Anderson, 2024. "Staggered protection: a study of the dynamic effects of protected areas," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2024_02, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP), revised 09 May 2024.
    4. Peng Qi & Jianlei Lang & Xiaoqi Wang & Ying Zhou & Haoyun Qi & Shuiyuan Cheng, 2024. "The Coordinated Effects of CO 2 and Air Pollutant Emission Changes Induced by Inter-Provincial Trade in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-18, February.

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