Carbon Stocks and Sequestration
REDD’ing Forest Conservation: The Philippine PredicamentBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
The Social Life of Forest Carbon: Property and Politics in the Production of a New CommodityBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
Perceptions of local communities on mangrove forests, their services and management: implications for Eco-DRR and blue carbon management for Eastern Samar, PhilippinesBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Governing the Global Commons: Linking Carbon Sequestration and Biodiversity Conservation in Tropical ForestsBackgroundClimate change and biodiversity loss rank among the most urgent global environmental challenges, yet international frameworks often address them separately. Scientific evidence increasingly highlights the deep connections between these issues, particularly in tropical forests. Despite this overlap, carbon finance mechanisms—such as the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)—traditionally exclude efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation (REDD), instead prioritizing afforestation and reforestation. This article investigates how incentive-based mechanisms can better align carbon sequestration goals with biodiversity conservation, focusing especially on the role of tropical forests. Open access copy available |
Carbon Costs and Bushmeat Benefits of Hunting in Tropical ForestsBackgroundOverhunting in tropical forests depletes frugivorous animals that play a vital role in seed dispersal. This loss alters tree species composition and reduces forest carbon storage. While bushmeat hunting remains an important source of protein and income for local communities, its long-term impact on carbon stocks remains poorly understood. This study investigates the trade-offs between the economic benefits of bushmeat hunting and the potential carbon costs of defaunation-driven biomass loss. Understanding these dynamics is essential for integrating hunting management into climate mitigation strategies such as REDD+. Open access copy available |
Defaunation of Large-Bodied Frugivores Reduces Carbon Storage in a Tropical Forest of Southeast AsiaBackgroundTropical forests are vital for carbon storage, but recent studies suggest that defaunation—the loss of large-bodied seed dispersers due to hunting and habitat fragmentation—can significantly impact this function. While previous research has shown reductions in above-ground carbon storage due to defaunation in South America and Africa, its effects on Southeast Asian forests remain debated. Some scientists argue that the dominance of wind-dispersed Dipterocarpaceae trees in the region buffers against carbon losses from defaunation. This study examines the extent to which defaunation influences carbon storage in a tropical forest in Thailand, where large frugivores such as primates, hornbills, and terrestrial mammals still persist. Available with subscription or purchase |
Defaunation affects carbon storage in tropical forestsBackgroundTropical forests play a critical role in global carbon storage, holding approximately 40% of the Earth's terrestrial carbon. While deforestation, logging, and climate change are well-documented threats to these forests, the impact of defaunation (the loss of large frugivorous animals due to hunting and habitat loss) has been largely overlooked. Many large-seeded hardwood trees rely on large vertebrates for seed dispersal, and their decline could significantly affect forest composition and carbon storage. Open access copy available |
The social and ecological costs of reforestation. Territorialization and industrialization of land use accompany forest transitions in Southeast AsiaBackgroundOpen access copy available |
The Effect of Carbon Credits on Savanna Land Management and Priorities for Biodiversity ConservationBACKGROUND:Investing in habitat protection and sustainable management is crucial to curb the rapid decline in biodiversity. A carbon market offers financial incentives to modify land use or management practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the effects of such market-based conservation strategies in ecosystems like tropical savannas are still largely unexplored. The paper highlights the potential of emerging carbon markets as a means to fund improved land management practices that could benefit both biodiversity and carbon sequestration. Open access copy available |
Carbon sequestration in Africa: The land tenure problemBackgroundResearch on afforestation and reforestation projects highlights how tropical forests can store carbon on a large scale. Africa offers vast areas of suitable land for carbon sequestration through these initiatives. However, the author argues that land tenure issues in Africa create an obstacle to achieving this potential. Open access copy available |
