Impacts of the forest definitions adopted by African countries on carbon conservation

Mermoz, Stéphane; Bouvet, Alexandre; Toan, Thuy Le; Herold, Martin

doi:10.1088/1748-9326/aae3b1

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…The discrepancy can be explained in terms of the different definitions of forest used in CCI when generating land cover maps and in the FRA when using national data of different quality to generate the country estimates. However, the estimate of forest area obtained 635 in this study is likely to be an underestimate, since it excluded land cover classes with a sparse tree and vegetation component that could be attributed to forest under less restrictive definitions of percentage tree cover (Mermoz et al, 2018).…”

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confidence: 88%

The global forest above-ground biomass pool for 2010 estimated from high-resolution satellite observations

Santoro¹,

Cartus²,

Rozendaal³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Abstract. The terrestrial forest carbon pool is poorly quantified, in particular in regions with low forest inventory capacity. By combining multiple satellite observations of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) backscatter around the year 2010, we generated a global, spatially explicit dataset of above-ground forest biomass (dry mass, AGB) with a spatial resolution of 1 ha. Using an extensive database of 110,897 AGB measurements from field inventory plots, we show that the spatial patterns and magnitude of AGB are well captured in our map with the exception of regional uncertainties in high carbon stock forests with AGB > 250 Mg ha−1 where the retrieval was effectively based on a single radar observation. With a total global AGB of 522 Pg, our estimate of the terrestrial biomass pool in forests is lower than most estimates published in literature (426–571 Pg). Nonetheless, our dataset increases knowledge on the spatial distribution of AGB compared to the global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and highlights the impact of a country’s national inventory capacity on the accuracy of the biomass statistics reported to the FRA. We also reassessed previous remote sensing AGB maps, and identify major biases compared to inventory data, up to 120 % of the inventory value in dry tropical forests, in the sub-tropics and temperate zone. Because of the high level of detail and the overall reliability of the AGB spatial patterns, our global dataset of AGB is likely to have significant impacts on climate, carbon and socio-economic modelling schemes, and provides a crucial baseline in future carbon stock changes estimates. The dataset is available at: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.894711 (Santoro, 2018).

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confidence: 88%

The global forest above-ground biomass pool for 2010 estimated from high-resolution satellite observations

Santoro¹,

Cartus²,

Rozendaal³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…Indeed, in terms of species richness, forbs dominate grasslands worldwide, and are often the most species-rich functional group, for example in North American prairie, African savannah, Mongolian steppes, and South American pampas, campos and cerrados 21 . According to some definitions, grasslands can also have a relatively high tree cover before they become classed as forest 22 . Natural grasslands are often grazed by wild herbivores, including many large mammals, but large areas are also used for domestic livestock.…”

Section: Defining Grasslandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combatting global grassland degradation

Bardgett

Bullock

Lavorel

et al. 2021

Nat Rev Earth Environ

682

278

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The World's grasslands are under severe threat from on-going degradation, yet they are largely ignored in sustainable development agendas. This degradation is undermining the capacity of grasslands to support biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human wellbeing. In this Perspective, we examine the current state of grasslands worldwide and explore the extent and dominant drivers of global grassland degradation. We identify actions that are critical to the development of socio-ecological solutions to combat degradation and promote restoration of global grasslands. Specifically, we argue that progress can be made by: increasing recognition of grasslands in global policy, developing standardised indicators of grassland degradation, using scientific innovation for effective restoration at regional and landscape scales, and enhancing knowledge transfer and data sharing on restoration experiences. The integration of these strategies into sustainability policy should help to halt grassland degradation and enhance restoration success, and protect the socio-economic, cultural and ecological benefits that grasslands provide.Grasslands, comprising open grassland, grassy shrublands and savannah, cover about 40% of the Earth's surface and some 69% of the world's agricultural land area 1-3 . Not only do they serve as an important global reservoir of biodiversity, including many iconic and endemic species, but also, they provide a wide range of material and non-material benefits to humans and our quality of life. These benefits include a wide range of ecosystem services, such as food production, water supply and regulation, carbon storage and climate mitigation, pollination, and a host of cultural services 1-3 . Despite its importance, grassland degradation is widespread and accelerating in many parts of the world 4-6 with as much as 49% of grassland area worldwide having been degraded to some extent 5,7,8 .Grassland degradation poses an enormous threat to the hundreds of millions of people who rely on grasslands worldwide for food, fuel, fibre and medicinal products, as well as their multiple cultural values 9,10 . In terms of livestock production, the global cost of grassland degradation has been estimated at $6.8 billion 11 , with the impact on human welfare being particularly severe in regions where most the population is below the poverty line Grassland degradation also creates major environmental problems, given that grasslands play a critical role in biodiversity conservation, climate and water regulation, and global biogeochemical cycles 2,4 . For example, the conversion of tropical grassy biomes to arable cropland poses a significant threat to biodiversity given that they have a vertebrate species richness comparable to forests 12 , while the recent expansion of croplands in United States has caused widespread conversion of prairie grasslands, with considerable cost to wildlife 6 . Moreover, the conversion of grasslands to arable cropland and disturbance through overgrazing, fire and invasive species can lead to signif...

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“…Our analysis has also shown that the extent of HCVF, HCSF and tropical peatland forests is contingent on the choice of forest map, resulting in a range from 11 to 40 million km 2 according to the criteria specified in figure 2. This finding adds to a growing body of literature showing that the definition of forest significantly impacts estimates of forest cover and forest cover change (Chazdon et al 2016, Sexton et al 2016, Mermoz et al 2018. The lack of a well-agreed forest definition led nine environmental and social NGOs to launch the Accountability Framework initiative in 2016; a framework that has been developed to provide companies with detailed guidance to implement their commitments and standardize definitions of forest, deforestation, and related terms (Weber and Partzsch 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Which forests could be protected by corporate zero deforestation commitments? A spatial assessment

Leijten

Sim

King

et al. 2020

Environ. Res. Lett.

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The production of palm oil, soy, beef and timber are key drivers of global forest loss. For this reason, over 470 companies involved in the production, processing or distribution of these commodities have issued commitments to eliminate or reduce deforestation from their supply chains. However, the effectiveness of these commitments is uncertain since there is considerable variation in ambition and scope and there are no globally agreed definitions of what constitutes a forest. Many commitments identify high conservation value forests (HCVFs), high carbon stock forests (HCSFs) and forests on tropical peatland as priority areas for conservation. This allows for mapping of the global extent of forest areas classified as such, to achieve an assessment of the area that may be at reduced risk of development if companies comply with their zero deforestation commitments. Depending on the criteria used, the results indicate that between 34% and 74% of global forests qualify as either HCVF, HCSF or forests on tropical peatland. However, we found that the total extent of these forest areas varies widely depending on the choice of forest map. Within forests which were not designated as HCVF, HCSF or forests on tropical peatland, there is substantial overlap with areas that are highly suitable for agricultural development. Since these areas are unlikely to be protected by zero-deforestation commitments, they may be subject to increased pressure resulting from leakage of areas designated as HCVF, HCSF and tropical peatland forests. Considerable uncertainties around future outcomes remain, since only a proportion of the global market is currently covered by corporate commitments. Further work is needed to map the synergies between corporate commitments and government policies on land use. In addition, standardized criteria for delineating forests covered by the commitments are recommended.

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Impacts of the forest definitions adopted by African countries on carbon conservation

Cited by 7 publications

References 25 publications

The global forest above-ground biomass pool for 2010 estimated from high-resolution satellite observations

The global forest above-ground biomass pool for 2010 estimated from high-resolution satellite observations

Combatting global grassland degradation

Which forests could be protected by corporate zero deforestation commitments? A spatial assessment

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