Climate Change and Forest Sinks: Factors Affecting the Costs of Carbon Sequestration

Newell, Richard G.; Stavins, Robert N.

doi:10.2139/ssrn.253814

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The power of forest carbon monetization policies (such as REDD+) to mitigate climate change-through increased forest conservation and restoration-ultimately relies on our ability to precisely estimate carbon flux. Reduced uncertainty should lead to lower carbon market volatility and higher economic benefits for countries and landowners (Newell andStavins 2000, Köhl et al 2009).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Branchfall dominates annual carbon flux across lowland Amazonian forests

Marvin

Asner

2016

Environ. Res. Lett.

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Tropical forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle, but knowledge of interannual variation in the total tropical carbon flux and constituent carbon pools is highly uncertain. One such pool, branchfall, is an ecologically important dynamic with links to nutrient cycling, forest productivity, and drought. Identifying and quantifying branchfall over large areas would reveal the role of branchfall in carbon and nutrient cycling. Using data from repeat airborne light detection and ranging campaigns across a wide array of lowland Amazonian forest landscapes totaling nearly 100 000 ha, we find that upper canopy gaps-driven by branchfall-are pervasive features of every landscape studied, and are seven times more frequent than full tree mortality. Moreover, branchfall comprises a major carbon source on a landscape basis, exceeding that of tree mortality by 21%. On a per hectare basis, branchfall and tree mortality result in 0.65 and 0.72 Mg C ha −1 yr −1 gross source of carbon to the atmosphere, respectively. Reducing uncertainties in annual gross rates of tropical forest carbon flux, for example by incorporating large-scale branchfall dynamics, is crucial for effective policies that foster conservation and restoration of tropical forests. Additionally, large-scale branchfall mapping offers ecologists a new dimension of disturbance monitoring and potential new insights into ecosystem structure and function.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Branchfall dominates annual carbon flux across lowland Amazonian forests

Marvin

Asner

2016

Environ. Res. Lett.

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“…The economic returns of carbon plantings are highly variable and depend primarily on carbon yield and price and opportunity costs (Newell & Stavins 2000;Richards & Stokes 2004;Torres et al 2010). In this context, opportunity cost is usually expressed as the profit from agricultural production.…”

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confidence: 99%

Carbon Payments and Low-Cost Conservation

Crossman¹,

Bryan²,

Summers³

2011

Conservation Biology

110

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“…On the other hand, carbon sequestration by forests is considered more economically efficient than other technological options for climate change mitigation in both developed and developing countries (de Jong et al, 2000;Richards and Stokes, 2004;Sedjo, 1989). Yet the cost of carbon sequestration options depends on a variety of factors, including the type of management activities implemented, project contracting and land opportunity costs, and other institutional or organizational aspects (Newell and Stavins, 2000). Consequently, some forestry management options may become more costly than other technological options in emerging carbon markets (Smith and Sherr, 2003).…”

Section: Equity and Legitimacy In Markets For Ecosystem Services The mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Equity and Legitimacy of Markets for Ecosystem Services

Corbera

Brown

Adger³

2007

Development and Change

316

192

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Markets for ecosystem services are being promoted across the developing world, amidst claims that the provision of economic incentives is vital to bring about resource conservation. This article argues that equity and legitimacy are also critical dimensions in the design and implementation of such markets, if social development goals beyond economic gains are to be achieved. The article examines this issue by focusing on two communities involved in a project for carbon sequestration services of forests in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. The perceived legitimacy of the activities and the distribution of economic outcomes and project‐related information are found to be mediated by organizational allegiances and the history of social relations regarding access to property and forest resources. Political affiliation determines the project's legitimacy, while the poorest farmers and women have been excluded from project design and implementation. The authors argue that pitfalls such as these contribute to reinforcing existing power structures, inequities and vulnerabilities, and suggest that this is a product of the nature of emerging markets. Markets for ecosystem services are, in effect, limited in promoting more legitimate forms of decision making and a more equitable distribution of their outcomes.

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Climate Change and Forest Sinks: Factors Affecting the Costs of Carbon Sequestration

Cited by 9 publications

References 28 publications

Branchfall dominates annual carbon flux across lowland Amazonian forests

Branchfall dominates annual carbon flux across lowland Amazonian forests

Carbon Payments and Low-Cost Conservation

The Equity and Legitimacy of Markets for Ecosystem Services

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