Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 14, 2025

Monitoring Pedogenic Inorganic Carbon Accumulation Due to Weathering of Amended Silicate Minerals in Agricultural Soils.
Published on: June 4, 2021
Human influence on Amazon's aboveground carbon dynamics intensified over the last decade
Arthur Fendrich1,2, Yu Feng3,4, Jean-Pierre Wigneron5
1Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, UMR 1572 CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Gif-sur-Yvette, France. arthur.fendrich@lsce.ipsl.fr.
Abstract:
The Amazon rainforest is crucial for the global carbon cycle, yet annual changes in its aboveground biomass carbon (AGC) stock remain highly uncertain. Natural and local anthropogenic drivers such as deforestation, forest degradation, and regrowth following deforestation interact with large-scale climate variability to determine AGC dynamics. Here, we propose an approach to disaggregate low-frequency passive L-band microwave data over 2010-2020 and reconstruct maps of annual change. We show that the Amazon lost -0.37 ± 0.17 PgC, with gains by undisturbed (0.33 ± 0.13 PgC) and secondary forest growth (0.33 ± 0.05 PgC) outweighed by losses by deforestation (-0.55 ± 0.04 PgC), degradation (-0.42 ± 0.08 PgC), and agricultural areas (-0.06 ± 0.03 PgC). Losses in human-influenced land intensified over time and amounted to 60% of all gross losses in El Niño years. Our study reinforces the need for stronger implementation of policies and effective actions to control forest degradation.
More Related Videos
09:38Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures
Published on: January 7, 2019
10:19A CO2 Concentration Gradient Facility for Testing CO2 Enrichment and Soil Effects on Grassland Ecosystem Function
Published on: November 21, 2015
Related Concept Videos
The Carbon Cycle
Global Climate Change
Threats to Biodiversity
Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
Carbon-dioxide Fixation
What is Climate?