Tropical forests that are recovering from having trees removed were thought to be carbon absorbers, as the new trees grow quickly.
Tropical forests that are recovering from having trees removed were thought to be carbon absorbers, as the new trees grow quickly.
A new study, led by Imperial College London researchers, turns this on its head, showing that the carbon released by soil and rotting wood outpaces the carbon absorbed by new growth.
The researchers say the result highlights the need for logging practices that minimise collateral damage to improve the sustainability of the industry.
The study, which monitored carbon in forests in Malaysian Borneo as part of the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystem (SAFE) Project, is published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Read more at: University of Exeter
A digger in a logging gap in the Bornean rainforest. (Photo Credit: Zoe G Davies)
