Tropical deforestation and greenhouse-gas emissions

Abstract

A recent (2002) analysis concluded that rates of tropical deforestation and atmospheric carbon emissions during the 1990-1997 interval were lower than previously suggested. We challenged this assertion with respect to tropical carbon emissions, but our conclusions were disputed by the authors of the original study. Here we provide further evidence to support our conclusion that the effect of tropical deforestation on greenhouse-gas emissions and global warming is substantial. At least for Brazilian Amazonia, the net impact of tropical deforestation on global warming may be more than double that estimated in the recent study.