Carbon budgets of tropical forest ecosystems in Southeast Asia: implications for climate change

摘要

Terrestrial ecosystems have an important role to play in the global carbon (C) cycle. Tropical forests in Southeast Asia are constantly changing as a result of harvesting and conversion to other land covers. In the last few years, research on the C budgets of forest ecosystems as a result of these changes has intensified in the region. Natural forests in SE Asia typically contain a high C density (up to 500 Mg ha~(-1)). Logging activities result in at least a 50 percent decline in C density of the forest. On the other hand, complete deforestation (conversion to grassland and annual crops) leads to C densities of generally less than 40 Mg ha~(-1). Conversion to tree plantations and other woody perennial crops also reduces C density to less than 50 percent of the original C in the forests. Finally, the implications of the above changes in C budgets to climate change and the CDM are discussed.