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dc.contributor.authorHubau, W
dc.contributor.authorLewis, SL
dc.contributor.authorPhillips, OL
dc.contributor.authorAffum-Baffoe, K
dc.contributor.authorBeeckman, H
dc.contributor.authorCuní-Sanchez, A
dc.contributor.authorDaniels, AK
dc.contributor.authorEwango, CEN
dc.contributor.authorFauset, S
dc.contributor.authorMukinzi, JM
dc.contributor.authorSheil, D
dc.contributor.authorSonké, B
dc.contributor.authorSullivan, MJP
dc.contributor.authorSunderland, TCH
dc.contributor.authorTaedoumg, H
dc.contributor.authorThomas, SC
dc.contributor.authorWhite, LJT
dc.contributor.authorAbernethy, KA
dc.contributor.authorAdu-Bredu, S
dc.contributor.authorAmani, CA
dc.contributor.authorBaker, TR
dc.contributor.authorBanin, LF
dc.contributor.authorBaya, F
dc.contributor.authorBegne, SK
dc.contributor.authorBennett, AC
dc.contributor.authorBenedet, F
dc.contributor.authorBitariho, R
dc.contributor.authorBocko, YE
dc.contributor.authorBoeckx, P
dc.contributor.authorBoundja, P
dc.contributor.authorBrienen, RJW
dc.contributor.authorBrncic, T
dc.contributor.authorChezeaux, E
dc.contributor.authorChuyong, GB
dc.contributor.authorClark, CJ
dc.contributor.authorCollins, M
dc.contributor.authorComiskey, JA
dc.contributor.authorCoomes, DA
dc.contributor.authorDargie, GC
dc.contributor.authorde Haulleville, T
dc.contributor.authorKamdem, MND
dc.contributor.authorDoucet, J-L
dc.contributor.authorEsquivel-Muelbert, A
dc.contributor.authorFeldpausch, TR
dc.contributor.authorFofanah, A
dc.contributor.authorFoli, EG
dc.contributor.authorGilpin, M
dc.contributor.authorGloor, E
dc.contributor.authorGonmadje, C
dc.contributor.authorGourlet-Fleury, S
dc.contributor.authorHall, JS
dc.contributor.authorHamilton, AC
dc.contributor.authorHarris, DJ
dc.contributor.authorHart, TB
dc.contributor.authorHockemba, MBN
dc.contributor.authorHladik, A
dc.contributor.authorIfo, SA
dc.contributor.authorJeffery, KJ
dc.contributor.authorJucker, T
dc.contributor.authorYakusu, EK
dc.contributor.authorKearsley, E
dc.contributor.authorKenfack, D
dc.contributor.authorKoch, A
dc.contributor.authorLeal, ME
dc.contributor.authorLevesley, A
dc.contributor.authorLindsell, JA
dc.contributor.authorLisingo, J
dc.contributor.authorLopez-Gonzalez, G
dc.contributor.authorLovett, JC
dc.contributor.authorMakana, J-R
dc.contributor.authorMalhi, Y
dc.contributor.authorMarshall, AR
dc.contributor.authorMartin, J
dc.contributor.authorMartin, EH
dc.contributor.authorMbayu, FM
dc.contributor.authorMedjibe, VP
dc.contributor.authorMihindou, V
dc.contributor.authorMitchard, ETA
dc.contributor.authorMoore, S
dc.contributor.authorMunishi, PKT
dc.contributor.authorBengone, NN
dc.contributor.authorOjo, L
dc.contributor.authorOndo, FE
dc.contributor.authorPeh, KS-H
dc.contributor.authorPickavance, GC
dc.contributor.authorPoulsen, AD
dc.contributor.authorPoulsen, JR
dc.contributor.authorQie, L
dc.contributor.authorReitsma, J
dc.contributor.authorRovero, F
dc.contributor.authorSwaine, MD
dc.contributor.authorTalbot, J
dc.contributor.authorTaplin, J
dc.contributor.authorTaylor, DM
dc.contributor.authorThomas, DW
dc.contributor.authorToirambe, B
dc.contributor.authorMukendi, JT
dc.contributor.authorTuagben, D
dc.contributor.authorUmunay, PM
dc.contributor.authorvan der Heijden, GMF
dc.contributor.authorVerbeeck, H
dc.contributor.authorVleminckx, J
dc.contributor.authorWillcock, S
dc.contributor.authorWöll, H
dc.contributor.authorWoods, JT
dc.contributor.authorZemagho, L
dc.date.accessioned2020-03-05T09:36:06Z
dc.date.available2020-03-05T09:36:06Z
dc.date.issued2020-03
dc.identifier.issn0028-0836
dc.identifier.issn1476-4687
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/15431
dc.description6 months embargo required
dc.description.abstract

Structurally intact tropical forests sequestered about half of the global terrestrial carbon uptake over the 1990s and early 2000s, removing about 15 per cent of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions1-3. Climate-driven vegetation models typically predict that this tropical forest 'carbon sink' will continue for decades4,5. Here we assess trends in the carbon sink using 244 structurally intact African tropical forests spanning 11 countries, compare them with 321 published plots from Amazonia and investigate the underlying drivers of the trends. The carbon sink in live aboveground biomass in intact African tropical forests has been stable for the three decades to 2015, at 0.66 tonnes of carbon per hectare per year (95 per cent confidence interval 0.53-0.79), in contrast to the long-term decline in Amazonian forests6. Therefore the carbon sink responses of Earth's two largest expanses of tropical forest have diverged. The difference is largely driven by carbon losses from tree mortality, with no detectable multi-decadal trend in Africa and a long-term increase in Amazonia. Both continents show increasing tree growth, consistent with the expected net effect of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide and air temperature7-9. Despite the past stability of the African carbon sink, our most intensively monitored plots suggest a post-2010 increase in carbon losses, delayed compared to Amazonia, indicating asynchronous carbon sink saturation on the two continents. A statistical model including carbon dioxide, temperature, drought and forest dynamics accounts for the observed trends and indicates a long-term future decline in the African sink, whereas the Amazonian sink continues to weaken rapidly. Overall, the uptake of carbon into Earth's intact tropical forests peaked in the 1990s. Given that the global terrestrial carbon sink is increasing in size, independent observations indicating greater recent carbon uptake into the Northern Hemisphere landmass10 reinforce our conclusion that the intact tropical forest carbon sink has already peaked. This saturation and ongoing decline of the tropical forest carbon sink has consequences for policies intended to stabilize Earth's climate.

dc.format.extent80-87
dc.format.mediumPrint-Electronic
dc.languageen
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC
dc.subjectAfrica
dc.subjectAtmosphere
dc.subjectBiomass
dc.subjectBrazil
dc.subjectCarbon Dioxide
dc.subjectCarbon Sequestration
dc.subjectDroughts
dc.subjectForests
dc.subjectHistory, 20th Century
dc.subjectHistory, 21st Century
dc.subjectModels, Theoretical
dc.subjectTemperature
dc.subjectTrees
dc.subjectTropical Climate
dc.titleAsynchronous carbon sink saturation in African and Amazonian tropical forests
dc.typejournal-article
dc.typeHistorical Article
dc.typeJournal Article
dc.typeResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
plymouth.author-urlhttps://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000543777700002&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=11bb513d99f797142bcfeffcc58ea008
plymouth.issue7797
plymouth.volume579
plymouth.publication-statusPublished
plymouth.journalNature
dc.identifier.doi10.1038/s41586-020-2035-0
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Faculty of Science and Engineering
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Faculty of Science and Engineering/School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/REF 2021 Researchers by UoA
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/REF 2021 Researchers by UoA/UoA06 Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Users by role
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Users by role/Academics
dc.publisher.placeEngland
dcterms.dateAccepted2019-12-19
dc.rights.embargodate2020-9-4
dc.identifier.eissn1476-4687
dc.rights.embargoperiodNot known
rioxxterms.versionofrecord10.1038/s41586-020-2035-0
rioxxterms.licenseref.urihttp://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate2020-03
rioxxterms.typeJournal Article/Review


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