Last Updated:
February 28, 2007

GCRIO Program Overview

Library 
Our extensive collection of documents.

Privacy Policy

Archives of the
Global Climate Change Digest
A Guide to Information on Greenhouse Gases and Ozone Depletion
Published July 1988 through June 1999

FROM VOLUME 6, NUMBER 9, SEPTEMBER 1993

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS...
CARBON STORAGE IN BIOMASS: TROPICS

Item #d93sep40

"Current Land Cover in the Tropics and Its Potential for Sequestering Carbon," R.A. Houghton (Woods Hole Res. Ctr., POB 296, Woods Hole MA 02543), J.D. Unruh, P.A. Lefebvre, Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 7(2), 305-320, June 1993.

Reports an approach for evaluating the potential for carbon storage based on the premise that human use of tropical land has generally reduced woody biomass, and that such lands would accumulate carbon if properly managed. Evaluation of several management options shows the potential for storing an amount of carbon equivalent to about 25 years of current fossil-fuel emissions.

Item #d93sep41

"Carbon Storage and Land-Use in Extractive Reserves, Acre, Brazil," I.F. Brown (addr. immed. above), D.C. Nepstad et al., Environ. Conserv., 19(4), 307-314, Winter 1992-93.

Evaluates the carbon-storage implications of land use in extractive reserves by studying a former rubber estate. Rubber tappers there effectively maintain about 60,000 tons of carbon per household in forest biomass, and deforestation is less than 0.6% per year. However, diversification and improvement of income from non-timber forest products are needed to maintain rubber tappers in extractive reserves; this is a challenge for the global society since most beneficiaries of such reserves live outside of Brazil.

Item #d93sep42

"Biomass Estimates for Tropical Forests," S. Brown (Dept. For., Univ. Illinois, Urbana IL 61801), L.R. Iverson, World Resour. Rev., 4(3), 366-384, 1992.

Reviews the efforts (primarily within the authors' group) to refine the process of estimating forest biomass, particularly with geographic information systems. Uses examples from a region with very good inventories and maps (Peninsula Malaysia), and one with very sparse information (continental South/Southeast Asia).

Item #d93sep43

"The Potential of Forestry and Agroforestry Practices to Store Carbon in the Tropics," P. Schroeder (ERL, U.S. EPA, Corvallis OR 97333), ibid., 4(1), 23-41, 1992.

Examines the carbon storage potential of short-rotation tree plantations. Estimates long-term carbon storage of 8-17 t c/ha in arid regions, and as much as 78 t c/ha in humid regions. Rotation length is a key factor in long-term storage.