Baseline Map of Carbon Emissions from Deforestation in Tropical Regions

Abstract

Tropical Carbon Loss: Accurate and precise measures of tropical deforestation and the resulting carbon emissions are needed in order to formulate climate policy. Harris et al. (p. 1573 ; see the Perspective by Zarin ) used satellite observations of deforestation within the tropics of three continents to estimate that gross annual carbon emissions were approximately 0.8 Pg Cyr ⁻² (Pg = 10 ¹⁵ g) for the years 2000 to 2005, from the loss of 43 million hectares of forest. This result, which is about one-third of some previous estimates, should serve as a baseline for future assessments of changes in the rate of loss of tropical forests.