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Commentary

Nature Geoscience 2, 737–738 (1 November 2009) | doi:10.1038/ngeo671

CO2 emissions from forest loss

G. R. van der Werf , D. C. Morton , R. S. DeFries , J. G. J. Olivier , P. S. Kasibhatla , R. B. Jackson , G. J. Collatz & J. T. Randerson

Programmes that aim to reduce the emissions from deforestation and forest degradation are being considered as a cost-effective way to mitigate anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions. Deforestation and forest degradation contribute to atmospheric greenhouse-gas emissions through combustion of forest biomass and decomposition of remaining plant material and soil carbon.