Biomass of Tropical Forests: A New Estimate Based on Forest Volumes
- 23 March 1984
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 223 (4642) , 1290-1293
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.223.4642.1290
Abstract
Recent assessments of areas of different tropical forest types and their corresponding stand volumes were used to calculate the biomass densities and total biomass of tropical forests. Total biomass was estimated at 205 × 10 9 tons, and weighted biomass densities for undisturbed closed and open broadleaf forests were 176 and 61 tons per hectare, respectively. These values are considerably lower than those previously reported and raise questions about the role of the terrestrial biota in the global carbon budget.This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit:
- Changes in the Carbon Content of Terrestrial Biota and Soils between 1860 and 1980: A Net Release of CO"2 to the AtmosphereEcological Monographs, 1983
- The ratio of total to merchantable forest biomass and its application to the global carbon budgetCanadian Journal of Forest Research, 1983
- The Storage and Production of Organic Matter in Tropical Forests and Their Role in the Global Carbon CycleBiotropica, 1982
- Studies of Mineral Cycling in a Montane Rain Forest in New Guinea: I. The Distribution of Organic Matter in the Vegetation and SoilJournal of Ecology, 1977