TROPICAL FORESTS
Tropical forests hold the largest terrestrial carbon store and are active carbon sinks. Re-
ducing emissions from deforestation and degradation is a vital component of tackling
dangerous climate change. In addition, tackling illegal and ill-managed logging will be
an important part of reducing emissions from forestry.
Tropical forests occupy large areas of central and northern in the vegetation, with biomass estimates of 170–250 t C
South America, western Africa, South-East Asia and north- per ha (Malhi et al. 2006; Chave et al. 2008; Lewis et al.
eastern Australia. Most tropical forests are moist forests, 2009). Tropical moist forests can vary considerably in their
found in areas where annual rainfall normally exceeds 2000 carbon stocks depending on the abundance of the large,
mm per year and is relatively evenly distributed. Such forests densely wooded species that store the most carbon (Baker
have extremely high levels of plant, mammal, insect, and bird et al. 2004). On average, they are estimated to store around
diversity and are considered to host the greatest biodiversity of 160 tonnes per hectare in the above-ground vegetation
all the Earth’s biomes. and around 40 tonnes per hectare in the roots. Soil carbon
stocks are estimated by Amundson (2001) at around 90-
The warm and wet climate of tropical moist forests results 200 tonnes per hectare, and are thus somewhat lower than
in rapid plant growth and most of the carbon can be found biomass stocks.
Tundra
Boreal forest
Temperate forest
Temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands
Desert and dry shrublands
Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas and shrublands
Tropical and subtropical forests
Source: adapted from Olson et al., 2001.
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