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Africa and the global carbon cycle
Christopher A Williams1, Niall P Hanan, Jason C Neff
1Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. caw@nrel.colostate.edu
Carbon Balance and Management
|March 9, 2007
Summary
Africa
Area of Science:
- Earth science
- Climate science
- Ecology
Background:
- Africa's role in the global carbon cycle is significant but poorly understood due to limited observations.
- Understanding Africa's carbon dynamics is crucial for global climate change assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess Africa's continental-scale carbon dynamics.
- To identify key drivers of carbon release and variability on the continent.
Main Methods:
- Combined regional/global inventories with forward and inverse model analyses.
- Appraised land conversion, fossil emissions, and ecosystem productivity.
Main Results:
- Land conversion, primarily forest burning, is Africa's main net carbon release.
- Savanna fires are a short-term source offset by regrowth.
- Climate variability, especially drought, causes significant interannual CO2 fluctuations.
Conclusions:
- Africa's decadal carbon balance is near zero but highly variable annually.
- Africa is a major contributor to global atmospheric CO2 interannual variability.
- Future climate and land use changes will likely increase Africa's carbon emissions and variability.
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