Andean forests as globally important carbon sinks and future carbon refuges

DUQUE, ÁLVARO; PEÑA, MIGUEL; CUESTA C., FRANCISCO; GONZALEZ-CARO, MIGUEL; KENNEDY, PETER; PHILLIPS, OLIVER; CALDERON-LOOR, MARCOS; BLUNDO, CECILIA; CARILLA, JULIETA

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS

Nature Publishing Group

Año: 2021

2041-1723

How South America?s Andean forests affect the global carbon cycle, and thus regulate climate change, is largely unknown. Here, we measured aboveground carbon dynamics over the past two decades in 119 monitoring plots spanning a range of >3000 m elevation across the subtropical and tropical Andes. Our results show that Andean forests act as strong sinks for aboveground carbon (0.67 ± 0.08 Mg C ha-1 y-1) and have a high potential to serve as future carbon refuges. Aboveground carbon dynamics of Andean forests were driven by abiotic and biotic factors, such as climate and size-dependent mortality of trees. The increasing aboveground carbon stocks offset the estimated C emissions due to deforestation between 2003 and 2014, resulting in a net total uptake of 0.036 Pg C y-1. Reducing deforestation will increase Andean aboveground carbon stocks, facilitate upward species migrations, and allow for recovery of biomass losses due to climate change.