A large-scale field assessment of carbon stocks in human-modified tropical forests

The study finds that forest degradation—specifically the combination of selective logging and understorey fires—can reduce above-ground carbon stocks by 40% compared to undisturbed forests. The researchers estimate that carbon emissions from such degradation in the Amazon may represent up to 40% of the emissions caused by deforestation, suggesting that climate mitigation frameworks like REDD+ must address degradation to be successful.

• Forest areas subjected to both selective logging and understorey fires contain, on average, 40% less above-ground carbon than undisturbed forests and exhibit structural similarities to secondary forests.
• Carbon emissions resulting from forest degradation in the Amazon are estimated to be as high as 40% of the carbon loss attributed to deforestation in the region.
• The effectiveness of conservation programs like REDD+ in ensuring the long-term permanence of forest carbon stocks depends on their ability to address forest degradation in addition to deforestation.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2014). A large-scale field assessment of carbon stocks in human-modified tropical forests. https://www.sei.org/publications/a-large-scale-field-assessment-of-carbon-stocks-in-human-modified-tropical-forests/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. A large-scale field assessment of carbon stocks in human-modified tropical forests. 2014. https://www.sei.org/publications/a-large-scale-field-assessment-of-carbon-stocks-in-human-modified-tropical-forests/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=A large-scale field assessment of carbon stocks in human-modified tropical forests |date=28 May 2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/a-large-scale-field-assessment-of-carbon-stocks-in-human-modified-tropical-forests/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2014largescale, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{A large-scale field assessment of carbon stocks in human-modified tropical forests}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/a-large-scale-field-assessment-of-carbon-stocks-in-human-modified-tropical-forests/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }