Climate change: Accounting for carbon

The terrestrial carbon sink is an important factor that currently limits the effect of CO₂ emissions on climate change. A new synthesis of recent information on continental and global patterns of terrestrial ecosystem carbon exchange confirms that the terrestrial biosphere was a carbon sink in the 1990s — having been largely 'neutral' in the 1980s. A broad spectrum of influences is at work, including gains from regrowth on abandoned agricultural land, longer growing seasons and losses from natural fires and insect outbreaks. And in tropical areas there seems to be a carbon sink offsetting the effects of deforestation.

Recent patterns and mechanisms of carbon exchange by terrestrial ecosystems
D. S. SCHIMEL, J. I. HOUSE, K. A. HIBBARD, P. BOUSQUET, P. CIAIS, P. PEYLIN, B. H. BRASWELL, M. J. APPS, D. BAKER, A. BONDEAU, J. CANADELL, G. CHURKINA, W. CRAMER, A. S. DENNING, C. B. FIELD, P. FRIEDLINGSTEIN, C. GOODALE, M. HEIMANN, R. A. HOUGHTON, J. M. MELILLO, B. MOORE, III D. MURDIYARSO, I. NOBLE, S. W. PACALA, I. C. PRENTICE, M. R. RAUPACH, P. J. RAYNER, R. J. SCHOLES, W. L. STEFFEN & C. WIRTH
Nature 414, 169-172 (8 November 2001)
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8 November 2001 table of contents