1. Tro p ic a l De fo re sta tio n a nd C lim a te C ha ng e
Be tw e e n
8 m illio n
a nd
16 m illio n he c ta re s
o f tro p ic a l fo re st w a s d e stro ye d ye a rly in the 1980s a nd 1990s, se nd ing fro m
0.8 b illio n to 2.4 b illio n to ns o f c a rb o n
1
into the a tm o sp he re . De fo re sta tio n c a use s a b o ut
20
o f g lo b a l w a rm ing , a b o ut a s m uc h a s the Unite d Sta te s, the w o rld ’ s le a d ing e m itte r. The re a re m a ny d rive rs o f
d e fo re sta tio n, a nd the y va ry a g re a t d e a l b y re g io n. Ma jo r c a use s o f d e fo re sta tio n inc lud e c a ttle p a sture , ind ustria l a g ric ulture so y, o il p a lm , a nd
lo g g ing o f tro p ic a l tim b e rs fo r e xp o rt, la rg e ly in So uth Am e ric a , SE Asia a nd C e ntra l Afric a . G lo b a l g re e nho use g a s e m issio ns fro m d e ve lo p e d a nd
d e ve lo p ing c o untry fo ssil fue ls a nd tro p ic a l d e fo re sta tio n m ust sta rt to c o m e d o w n in the ne xt d e c a d e if w a rming is to re m a in b e lo w 2
°
C b y 2050.
G lo b a l w a rm ing will ha ve m a jo r e ffe c ts o n the w o rld ’ s fo re sts, a nd w ill ve ry like ly a c c e le ra te the d e struc tio n o f tro p ic a l fo re sts. Fo re st fire s a nd d ying tre e s c a n
d o ub le c a rb o n e m issio ns in El Niño a nd o the r d ry ye a rs. In the 1998 El Niño e ve nt, p e a t a nd fo re st fire s in Ind o ne sia re le a se d
0.8 – 2.6 b illio n e xtra to ns o f c a rb o n
into the a tm o sp he re
2
. Ma ny c lim a te m o d e ls p re d ic t a wa rm e r, d rye r c lima te in tro p ic a l re g io ns und e r b usine ss-a s-usua l sc e na rio s, a nd so m e p ro je c t tha t la rg e
p a rt o f the Am a zo n fo re st c o uld b e c o m e sa va nna . Unc he c ke d , c lima te c ha ng e w ill d e va sta te the fo re sts’ im m e nse sp e c ie s d ive rsity a nd the re so urc e
b a se o n w hic h ind ig e no us a nd fo re st p e o p le s d e p e nd . This d o c um e nt fo c use s o n fo re sts in the tro p ic s, the re g io n fro m whic h ne a rly a ll e m issio ns fro m
d e fo re sta tio n c urre ntly c o m e .
2. Me a suring De fo re sta tio n, De g ra d a tio n a nd Fo re st C a rb o n
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