Understanding the carbon (C) balance in global forest is key for climate-change mitigation. However, land use and environmental drivers affecting global forest C fluxes remain poorly quantified. Here we show, following a counterfactual modelling approach based on global Forest Resource Assessments, that in 1990-2020 deforestation is the main driver of forest C emissions, partly counteracted by increased forest growth rates under altered conditions: In the hypothetical absence of changes in forest (i) area, (ii) harvest or (iii) burnt area, global forest biomass would reverse from an actual cumulative net C source of c. 0.74 GtC to a net C sink of 26.9, 4.9 and 0.63 GtC, respectively. In contrast, (iv) without growth rate changes, cumulative emissions would be 7.4 GtC, i.e., 10 times higher. Because this sink function may be discontinued in the future due to climate-change, ending deforestation and lowering wood harvest emerge here as key climate-change mitigation strategies.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26398-2 | DOI Listing |
Environ Manage
December 2024
Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida - UD Ecología, Edificio de Ciencias, Universidad de Alcalá, E-28805, Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
Deforestation and forest degradation are key drivers of biodiversity loss and global environmental change. Ecosystem restoration is recognized as a global priority to counter these processes. Forest restoration efforts have commonly adopted a predominantly ecological approach, without including broader socioeconomic variables and the characteristics of the rural context.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
December 2024
School of Ecology, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China.
Climate change and human activities are the primary drivers influencing changes in runoff dynamics. However, current understanding of future hydrological processes under scenarios of gradual climate change and escalating human activities remains uncertain, particularly in tropical regions affected by deforestation. Based on this, we employed the SWAT model coupled with the near future (2021-2040) and middle future (2041-2060) global climate models (GCMs) under four shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP1-2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Nano
December 2024
Department of Biomaterials, Faculty of Dental Science, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
Repairing cartilage tissue is a serious global challenge. Herein, we focus on wood skeletal structures that are highly porous for cell penetration yet have load-bearing strength, and aim to synthesize wood-derived hydrogels with the ability to regenerate cartilage tissues. The hydrogels were synthesized by wood delignification and the subsequent intercalation of citric acid (CA), which is involved in tricarboxylic acid cycles and essential for energy production, and -acetylglucosamine (NAG), which is a cartilage glycosaminoglycan, among cellulose microfibrils.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
December 2024
Institute of Genetics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.
Diplodia sapinea (Fr.) Fuckel is a widespread fungal pathogen affecting conifers worldwide. Infections can lead to severe symptoms, such as shoot blight, canker, tree death, or blue stain in harvested wood, especially in Pinus species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVet Sci
December 2024
Departments of Psychology, Global Health, and Anthropology, Center for Global Field Study, and Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
Microplastic pollution is a global concern arising from the extensive production and use of plastics. The prevalence of microplastics (MPs) in the environment is escalating due in large part to the excessive use of plastics in various human-related activities. Consequently, animals are being exposed to MPs through dietary intake, which poses significant health risks to the wild populations.
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