RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Rethinking global carbon storage potential of trees. A comment on Bastin et. al 2019
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 730325
DO 10.1101/730325
A1 Shawn D. Taylor
A1 Sergio Marconi
YR 2019
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/08/13/730325.abstract
AB In calculating the potential carbon storage potential stemming from global tree restoration Bastin et al. 2019 use two flawed assumptions: 1) that a hectare of additional canopy is equivalent to gaining the full potential of a hectare in carbon stock, and 2) that soil organic carbon (SOC) from increased canopy cover will accumulate quickly enough to mitigate anthropogenic carbon emissions. We use global datasets of tree cover, soil organic carbon, and above ground biomass to estimate the empirical relationships of tree cover and carbon stock storage. A more realistic range is between 71.7 and 75.7 GtC globally, with a large uncertainty associated with SOC. This is less than half of the original 205 GtC estimate, and just around twice the annual anthropogenic emissions globally. While we agree on the value of assessing global reforestation potential, we suggest caution in considering it the most effective strategy to mitigate anthropogenic emissions.