Abstract
We agree that the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model analyses by Tianet al.1 of carbon fluxes of Amazonian ecosystems represent a methodological improvement compared with extrapolation from site-specific estimates2, especially with regard to spatial resolution. However, the resolution of a model cannot be finer than that of the input data, and Tian et al. disregard one important group of ecosystems: peatlands. This is understandable, as the literature grossly underestimates the extent of peatlands in Amazonia. Our estimate is 150,000 km2, ten times more than previously reported.
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Schulman, L., Ruokolainen, K. & Tuomisto, H. Parameters for global ecosystem models. Nature 399, 535–536 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/21100
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/21100
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