Large carbon sink potential of secondary forests in the Brazilian Amazon to mitigate climate change

Background:

With the Brazilian Amazon being a region of global significance for its carbon storage potential, there is a growing need to understand the dynamics of secondary forest regrowth and its implications for carbon sequestration. Previous studies have laid the groundwork for understanding the broad-scale patterns of secondary forest regrowth, but there is a need for a more detailed and spatially explicit analysis that considers both environmental and anthropogenic drivers of regrowth. The urgency to address this knowledge gap is further underscored by the commitment to national and international climate targets.

Goals and METHODS:

The goals of this article are multi-faceted and include: 1. Assessing the spatial variation of secondary forest regrowth in the Brazilian Amazon, 2. Quantifying the carbon sequestration potential of secondary forests, 3. Informing climate change mitigation strategies and policies, and 4. Supporting the implementation of legal mechanisms to protect and expand secondary forests.  Overall, the article seeks to advance the understanding of secondary forest dynamics in the Brazilian Amazon and to provide actionable insights for leveraging the climate mitigation potential of these forests within the context of national and international climate targets and policies.

Conclusions and Takeaways:

The study finds that the carbon accumulation in secondary forests varies across regions within the Amazon, influenced by both large-scale environmental drivers and local-scale disturbances. The research highlights the importance of protecting and expanding secondary forests as a nature-based climate solution, while also emphasizing the need to sustainably manage these forests to maximize their carbon sequestration potential. The study provides valuable insights for informing climate change mitigation strategies and policies, including the potential contribution of secondary forests to national and international climate targets.