Newly established forests dominated global carbon sequestration change induced by land cover conversions
Abstract Land cover conversions (LCC) have substantially reshaped terrestrial carbon dynamics, yet their net impact on carbon sequestration remains uncertain. Here, we use the remote sensing-driven BEPS model and high-resolution HILDA+ data to quantify LCC-induced changes in net ecosystem productivi...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61956-y |
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| author | Dailiang Peng Bing Zhang Shijun Zheng Weimin Ju Jing M. Chen Philippe Ciais Huadong Guo Yuhao Pan Le Yu Yidi Xu Bin Zhao Jón Atli Benediktsson Alfredo R. Huete Zhou Shi Yueming Hu Liangyun Liu Fang Chen Miaogen Shen Lei Huang Xiaoyang Zhang |
| author_facet | Dailiang Peng Bing Zhang Shijun Zheng Weimin Ju Jing M. Chen Philippe Ciais Huadong Guo Yuhao Pan Le Yu Yidi Xu Bin Zhao Jón Atli Benediktsson Alfredo R. Huete Zhou Shi Yueming Hu Liangyun Liu Fang Chen Miaogen Shen Lei Huang Xiaoyang Zhang |
| author_sort | Dailiang Peng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Land cover conversions (LCC) have substantially reshaped terrestrial carbon dynamics, yet their net impact on carbon sequestration remains uncertain. Here, we use the remote sensing-driven BEPS model and high-resolution HILDA+ data to quantify LCC-induced changes in net ecosystem productivity (NEP) from 1981 to 2019. Despite global forest loss and cropland/urban expansion, LCC led to a net carbon gain of 229 Tg C. Afforestation and reforestation increased NEP by 1559 Tg C, largely offsetting deforestation-driven losses (−1544 Tg C), with newly established forests in the Northern Hemisphere driving gains that counterbalanced emissions from tropical deforestation. Regional carbon gains were concentrated in East Asia, North America, and Europe, while losses occurred mainly in the Amazon and Southeast Asia. Although smaller in area, newly established forests exhibited higher sequestration efficiency than degraded older forests, emphasizing the role of forest age in shaping global carbon sink dynamics. These findings highlight the critical importance of afforestation, forest management, and spatially informed land-use strategies in strengthening carbon sinks and supporting global carbon neutrality goals. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-badf8020f3414f85a1df4f8ab6748f2e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-badf8020f3414f85a1df4f8ab6748f2e2025-08-20T03:05:10ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111110.1038/s41467-025-61956-yNewly established forests dominated global carbon sequestration change induced by land cover conversionsDailiang Peng0Bing Zhang1Shijun Zheng2Weimin Ju3Jing M. Chen4Philippe Ciais5Huadong Guo6Yuhao Pan7Le Yu8Yidi Xu9Bin Zhao10Jón Atli Benediktsson11Alfredo R. Huete12Zhou Shi13Yueming Hu14Liangyun Liu15Fang Chen16Miaogen Shen17Lei Huang18Xiaoyang Zhang19International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development GoalsInternational Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development GoalsDepartment of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua UniversityJiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science and Technology, International Institute for Earth System Science, Nanjing UniversityDepartment of Geography and Program in Planning, University of TorontoLaboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, CEA CNRS UVSQ Orme des MerisiersInternational Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development GoalsInternational Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development GoalsDepartment of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua UniversityLaboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, CEA CNRS UVSQ Orme des MerisiersSchool of Information Science and Engineering, Shangdong Agricultural UniversityFaculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of IcelandUniversity of Technology Sydney, Faculty of ScienceInstitute of Agricultural Remote Sensing and Information Technology Application, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang UniversityEcological Civilization Collaborative Innovation Center, Hainan UniversityInternational Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development GoalsInternational Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development GoalsState Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal UniversityInternational Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development GoalsGeospatial Sciences Center of Excellence (GSCE), Department of Geography, South Dakota State UniversityAbstract Land cover conversions (LCC) have substantially reshaped terrestrial carbon dynamics, yet their net impact on carbon sequestration remains uncertain. Here, we use the remote sensing-driven BEPS model and high-resolution HILDA+ data to quantify LCC-induced changes in net ecosystem productivity (NEP) from 1981 to 2019. Despite global forest loss and cropland/urban expansion, LCC led to a net carbon gain of 229 Tg C. Afforestation and reforestation increased NEP by 1559 Tg C, largely offsetting deforestation-driven losses (−1544 Tg C), with newly established forests in the Northern Hemisphere driving gains that counterbalanced emissions from tropical deforestation. Regional carbon gains were concentrated in East Asia, North America, and Europe, while losses occurred mainly in the Amazon and Southeast Asia. Although smaller in area, newly established forests exhibited higher sequestration efficiency than degraded older forests, emphasizing the role of forest age in shaping global carbon sink dynamics. These findings highlight the critical importance of afforestation, forest management, and spatially informed land-use strategies in strengthening carbon sinks and supporting global carbon neutrality goals.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61956-y |
| spellingShingle | Dailiang Peng Bing Zhang Shijun Zheng Weimin Ju Jing M. Chen Philippe Ciais Huadong Guo Yuhao Pan Le Yu Yidi Xu Bin Zhao Jón Atli Benediktsson Alfredo R. Huete Zhou Shi Yueming Hu Liangyun Liu Fang Chen Miaogen Shen Lei Huang Xiaoyang Zhang Newly established forests dominated global carbon sequestration change induced by land cover conversions Nature Communications |
| title | Newly established forests dominated global carbon sequestration change induced by land cover conversions |
| title_full | Newly established forests dominated global carbon sequestration change induced by land cover conversions |
| title_fullStr | Newly established forests dominated global carbon sequestration change induced by land cover conversions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Newly established forests dominated global carbon sequestration change induced by land cover conversions |
| title_short | Newly established forests dominated global carbon sequestration change induced by land cover conversions |
| title_sort | newly established forests dominated global carbon sequestration change induced by land cover conversions |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61956-y |
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