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Carbon losses from deforestation and widespread degradation offset by extensive growth in African woodlands

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  • Iain M. McNicol

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Casey M. Ryan

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Edward T. A. Mitchard

    (University of Edinburgh)

Abstract

Land use carbon fluxes are major uncertainties in the global carbon cycle. This is because carbon stocks, and the extent of deforestation, degradation and biomass growth remain poorly resolved, particularly in the densely populated savannas which dominate the tropics. Here we quantify changes in aboveground woody carbon stocks from 2007–2010 in the world’s largest savanna—the southern African woodlands. Degradation is widespread, affecting 17.0% of the wooded area, and is the source of 55% of biomass loss (−0.075 PgC yr−1). Deforestation losses are lower (−0.038 PgC yr−1), despite deforestation rates being 5× greater than existing estimates. Gross carbon losses are therefore 3–6x higher than previously thought. Biomass gains occurred in 48% of the region and totalled +0.12 PgC yr−1. Region-wide stocks are therefore stable at ~5.5 PgC. We show that land cover in African woodlands is highly dynamic with globally high rates of degradation and deforestation, but also extensive regrowth.

Suggested Citation

  • Iain M. McNicol & Casey M. Ryan & Edward T. A. Mitchard, 2018. "Carbon losses from deforestation and widespread degradation offset by extensive growth in African woodlands," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-05386-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05386-z
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    Cited by:

    1. Meyer, Maximilian & Klingelhoeffer, Ekkehard & Naidoo, Robin & Wingate, Vladimir & Börner, Jan, 2021. "Tourism opportunities drive woodland and wildlife conservation outcomes of community-based conservation in Namibia's Zambezi region," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    2. Kazungu, Moses & Ferrer Velasco, Rubén & Zhunusova, Eliza & Lippe, Melvin & Kabwe, Gillian & Gumbo, Davison J. & Günter, Sven, 2021. "Effects of household-level attributes and agricultural land-use on deforestation patterns along a forest transition gradient in the Miombo landscapes, Zambia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    3. Eric L. Bullock & Sean P. Healey & Zhiqiang Yang & Phoebe Oduor & Noel Gorelick & Steve Omondi & Edward Ouko & Warren B. Cohen, 2021. "Three Decades of Land Cover Change in East Africa," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-15, February.
    4. 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.
    5. Moses Kazungu & Eliza Zhunusova & Gillian Kabwe & Sven Günter, 2021. "Household-Level Determinants of Participation in Forest Support Programmes in the Miombo Landscapes, Zambia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-20, March.
    6. Edward Amara & Hari Adhikari & Janne Heiskanen & Mika Siljander & Martha Munyao & Patrick Omondi & Petri Pellikka, 2020. "Aboveground Biomass Distribution in a Multi-Use Savannah Landscape in Southeastern Kenya: Impact of Land Use and Fences," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-24, October.
    7. Julia Brewer & Ashley Larsen & Frederik Noack, 2024. "The land use consequences of rural to urban migration," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 106(1), pages 177-205, January.
    8. Lippe, Melvin & Rummel, Lisa & Günter, Sven, 2022. "Simulating land use and land cover change under contrasting levels of policy enforcement and its spatially-explicit impact on tropical forest landscapes in Ecuador," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).

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