Calculating how many acres of Amazon forest are cleared each year is relatively easy thanks to satellite imaging. Determining how much carbon is stored in that forest is another matter.
Unlike forest cover, carbon cannot be seen from satellites in space. Scientists have to physically measure tree trunks in order to calculate how much of the greenhouse gas is stored in their woody limbs and green leaves.
Measuring every tree on the planet is clearly impractical, and this has posed a challenge for those seeking to establish financial incentives to reduce emissions from deforestation, such as the United Nations’ Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) program. The carbon released when trees are cut down is estimated to contribute 10 to 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Keep reading full story at The New York Times.
Photo Credit: Laura Petersen