Tropical forests in Amazon, Africa closer to losing ability to store carbon than previously thought

Traditionally undisturbed tropical forests in Africa and the Amazon are losing their ability to stash away carbon — and it’s happening much faster than scientists anticipated, according to a new study in Nature.

“Intact tropical forests remain a vital carbon sink, but this research reveals that unless policies are put in place to stabilize Earth’s climate, it is only a matter of time until they are no longer able to sequester carbon,” study co-author Simon Lewis, from the School of Geography at University of Leeds, U.K., said in a statement.

https://news.mongabay.com/2020/03/tropical-forests-may-flip-into-carbon-sources-sooner-than-feared-study-finds/