Carbon sequestration potential of second-growth forest regeneration in the Latin American tropics

Regrowth of tropical secondary forests following complete or nearly complete removal of forest vegetation actively stores carbon in aboveground biomass, partially counterbalancing carbon emissions from deforestation, forest degradation, burning of fossil fuels, and other anthropogenic sources. We estimate the age and spatial extent of lowland second-growth forests in the Latin American tropics and model their potential aboveground carbon accumulation over four decades. Our model shows that, in 2008, second-growth forests (1 to 60 years old) covered 2.4 million km² of land (28.1%of the total study area).Over 40 years, these lands can potentially accumulate a total aboveground carbon stock of 8.48 Pg C (petagrams of carbon) in aboveground biomass via low-cost natural regeneration or assisted regeneration, corresponding to a total CO2 sequestration of 31.09 Pg CO2. This total is equivalent to carbon emissions from fossil fuel use and industrial processes in all of Latin America and the Caribbean from1993 to 2014. Ten countries account for 95% of this carbon storage potential, led by Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. We model future land-use scenarios to guide national carbon mitigation policies. Permitting natural regeneration on 40% of lowland pastures potentially stores an additional 2.0 Pg C over 40 years. Our study provides information and maps to guide national-level forest-based carbon mitigation plans on the basis of estimated rates of natural regeneration and pasture abandonment. Coupled with avoided deforestation and sustainable forestmanagement, natural regeneration of second-growth forests provides a low-costmechanism that yields a high carbon sequestration potential with multiple benefits for biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Chazdon, Robin L. autor 12605, Broadbent, Eben N. autor, Rozendaal, Danaë M. A. autora, Bongers, Frans Doctor autor 22512, Almeyda Zambrano, Angélica M. autora 12603, Aide, T. Mitchell autor, Balvanera, Patricia autora 12604, Becknell, Justin M. autor, Boukili, Vanessa autora, Brancalion, Pedro H. S. autor, Craven, Dylan autor 12606, Almeida Cortez, Jarcilene Silva autora 12607, Cabral, George A. L. autor 12608, De Jong, Bernardus Hendricus Jozeph Doctor autor 2038, Denslow, Julie S. autor/a, Dent, Daisy H. autora 12609, DeWalt, Saara J. Doctora autora 22574, Dupuy, Juan M. autor, Durán, Sandra M. Doctora autora 22581, Espírito Santo, Mario M. autor, Fandino, María C. autora, César, Ricardo G. autor, Hall, Jefferson S. autor, Hernández Stefanoni, José Luis autor 12602, Jakovac, Catarina C. autora, Junqueira, André B. autor, Kennard, Deborah autora, Letcher, Susan G. autora, Lohbeck, Madelon autor, Martínez Ramos, Miguel Doctor autor 21149, Massoca, Paulo autor, Meave, Jorge A. autor 12600, Mesquita, Rita autora, Mora Ardila, Francisco Doctor autor 21285, Muñoz, Rodrigo autor, Muscarella, Robert autor, Ferreira Nunes, Yule Roberta autora, Ochoa Gaona, Susana Doctora autora 72, Orihuela Belmonte, Dolores Edith Doctora autora 12346, Peña Claros, Marielos autora, Pérez García, Eduardo A. autor, Piotto, Daniel autor, Powers, Jennifer S. autora, Rodríguez Velázquez, Jorge autor, Romero Pérez, Isabel Eunice Doctora autora 20638, Ruíz, Jorge autor, Saldarriaga, Juan G. autor, Sánchez Azofeifa, G. Arturo autor, Schwartz, Naomi B. autora, Steininger, Marc K. autor, Swenson, Nathan G. autor, Uriarte, María autora, van Breugel, Michiel autor 13510, Van Der Wal, Hans Doctor autor 2020, Veloso, María D. M. autora, Vester, Hans autor, Vieira, Ima Celia G. autora, Vizcarra Bentos, Tony autor, Williamson, G. Bruce autor, Poorter, Lourens autora
Format:	Texto biblioteca
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Captura de carbono, Regeneración forestal, Mitigación del cambio climático,
Online Access:	http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/5/e1501639
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