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Post-drought decline of the Amazon carbon sink

Author

Listed:
  • Yan Yang

    (University of California
    Boston University
    California Institute of Technology)

  • Sassan S. Saatchi

    (University of California
    California Institute of Technology)

  • Liang Xu

    (University of California
    California Institute of Technology)

  • Yifan Yu

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • Sungho Choi

    (Boston University)

  • Nathan Phillips

    (Boston University)

  • Robert Kennedy

    (Oregon State University)

  • Michael Keller

    (California Institute of Technology
    USDA Forest Service)

  • Yuri Knyazikhin

    (Boston University)

  • Ranga B. Myneni

    (Boston University)

Abstract

Amazon forests have experienced frequent and severe droughts in the past two decades. However, little is known about the large-scale legacy of droughts on carbon stocks and dynamics of forests. Using systematic sampling of forest structure measured by LiDAR waveforms from 2003 to 2008, here we show a significant loss of carbon over the entire Amazon basin at a rate of 0.3 ± 0.2 (95% CI) PgC yr−1 after the 2005 mega-drought, which continued persistently over the next 3 years (2005–2008). The changes in forest structure, captured by average LiDAR forest height and converted to above ground biomass carbon density, show an average loss of 2.35 ± 1.80 MgC ha−1 a year after (2006) in the epicenter of the drought. With more frequent droughts expected in future, forests of Amazon may lose their role as a robust sink of carbon, leading to a significant positive climate feedback and exacerbating warming trends.

Suggested Citation

  • Yan Yang & Sassan S. Saatchi & Liang Xu & Yifan Yu & Sungho Choi & Nathan Phillips & Robert Kennedy & Michael Keller & Yuri Knyazikhin & Ranga B. Myneni, 2018. "Post-drought decline of the Amazon carbon sink," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-9, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-05668-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05668-6
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    Cited by:

    1. David B Clark & Antonio Ferraz & Deborah A Clark & James R Kellner & Susan G Letcher & Sassan Saatchi, 2019. "Diversity, distribution and dynamics of large trees across an old-growth lowland tropical rain forest landscape," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(11), pages 1-23, November.

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