The world’s forests have absorbed more than 100 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide over the past three decades, but they need more protection, according to a new study.
Professors Oliver Phillips and Simon Lewis from the School of Geography contributed to the tropical component of the global study, which assessed how the most carbon-rich, species-rich forests have responded to climate change and other threats since 1990.
The study, entitled “The enduring world forest carbon sink,” is published in Nature.
It combined long-term ground measurements with remote sensing data to measure the volume of carbon dioxide absorbed by forests across the world.
The results showed that forests have absorbed more than 100 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide over the past 30 years, nearly half of the carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels over the same period.
Forests remain an essential part of climate change mitigation. However, they are facing threats from deforestation and wildfires. This study makes recommendations for their protection and restoration.