 |
| Titel |
An outlook on the Sub-Saharan Africa carbon balance |
| VerfasserIn |
A. Bombelli, M. Henry, S. Castaldi, S. Adu-Bredu, A. Arneth, A. Grandcourt, E. Grieco, W. L. Kutsch, V. Lehsten, A. Rasile, M. Reichstein, K. Tansey, U. Weber, R. Valentini |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
|
| Sprache |
Englisch
|
| ISSN |
1726-4170
|
| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Biogeosciences ; 6, no. 10 ; Nr. 6, no. 10 (2009-10-15), S.2193-2205 |
| Datensatznummer |
250004039
|
| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/bg-6-2193-2009.pdf |
|
|
|
|
|
| Zusammenfassung |
| This study gives an outlook on the carbon balance of Sub-Saharan Africa
(SSA) by presenting a summary of currently available results from the
project CarboAfrica (namely net ecosystem productivity and emissions from
fires, deforestation and forest degradation, by field and model estimates)
supplemented by bibliographic data and compared with a new synthesis of the
data from national communications to UNFCCC. According to these preliminary
estimates the biogenic carbon balance of SSA varies from 0.16 Pg C y−1
to a much higher sink of 1.00 Pg C y−1 (depending on the source data).
Models estimates would give an unrealistic sink of 3.23 Pg C y−1,
confirming their current inadequacy when applied to Africa. The carbon
uptake by forests and savannas (0.34 and 1.89 Pg C y−1, respectively,)
are the main contributors to the resulting sink. Fires (0.72 Pg C y−1)
and deforestation (0.25 Pg C y−1) are the main contributors to the SSA
carbon emissions, while the agricultural sector and forest degradation
contributes only with 0.12 and 0.08 Pg C y−1, respectively. Savannas
play a major role in shaping the SSA carbon balance, due to their large
extension, their fire regime, and their strong interannual NEP variability,
but they are also a major uncertainty in the overall budget. Even if fossil
fuel emissions from SSA are relative low, they can be crucial in defining
the sign of the overall SSA carbon balance by reducing the natural sink
potential, especially in the future. This paper shows that Africa plays a
key role in the global carbon cycle system and probably could have a
potential for carbon sequestration higher than expected, even if still
highly uncertain. Further investigations are needed, particularly to better
address the role of savannas and tropical forests and to improve
biogeochemical models. The CarboAfrica network of carbon measurements could
provide future unique data sets for better estimating the African carbon
balance. |
| |
|
| Teil von |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|