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Degradation in carbon stocks near tropical forest edges

Author

Listed:
  • Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer

    (Natural Capital Project, Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University)

  • Ivan Ramler

    (Computer Science and Statistics, St Lawrence University)

  • Richard Sharp

    (Natural Capital Project, Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University)

  • Nick M. Haddad

    (David Clark Labs, North Carolina State University)

  • James S. Gerber

    (Institute on the Environment (IonE), University of Minnesota)

  • Paul C. West

    (Institute on the Environment (IonE), University of Minnesota)

  • Lisa Mandle

    (Natural Capital Project, Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University)

  • Peder Engstrom

    (Institute on the Environment (IonE), University of Minnesota)

  • Alessandro Baccini

    (Woods Hole Research Center)

  • Sarah Sim

    (Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre, Unilever R&D)

  • Carina Mueller

    (Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre, Unilever R&D)

  • Henry King

    (Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre, Unilever R&D)

Abstract

Carbon stock estimates based on land cover type are critical for informing climate change assessment and landscape management, but field and theoretical evidence indicates that forest fragmentation reduces the amount of carbon stored at forest edges. Here, using remotely sensed pantropical biomass and land cover data sets, we estimate that biomass within the first 500 m of the forest edge is on average 25% lower than in forest interiors and that reductions of 10% extend to 1.5 km from the forest edge. These findings suggest that IPCC Tier 1 methods overestimate carbon stocks in tropical forests by nearly 10%. Proper accounting for degradation at forest edges will inform better landscape and forest management and policies, as well as the assessment of carbon stocks at landscape and national levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer & Ivan Ramler & Richard Sharp & Nick M. Haddad & James S. Gerber & Paul C. West & Lisa Mandle & Peder Engstrom & Alessandro Baccini & Sarah Sim & Carina Mueller & Henry King, 2015. "Degradation in carbon stocks near tropical forest edges," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-6, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms10158
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10158
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    Cited by:

    1. Dietz, Julia & Treydte, Anna Christina & Lippe, Melvin, 2023. "Exploring the future of Kafue National Park, Zambia: Scenario-based land use and land cover modelling to understand drivers and impacts of deforestation," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    2. Lamthai Asanok & Rungrawee Taweesuk & Torlarp Kamyo, 2021. "Plant Functional Diversity Is Linked to Carbon Storage in Deciduous Dipterocarp Forest Edges in Northern Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-12, October.
    3. Luca L. Morreale & Jonathan R. Thompson & Xiaojing Tang & Andrew B. Reinmann & Lucy R. Hutyra, 2021. "Elevated growth and biomass along temperate forest edges," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
    4. Jun Ma & Jiawei Li & Wanben Wu & Jiajia Liu, 2023. "Global forest fragmentation change from 2000 to 2020," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.

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