Abstract
In the long term, the strategy for sequestering carbon on land must be to increase the carbon density of all lands through management. But in the short term, the fastest way to reduce carbon emissions and increase carbon sinks on land is to stop deforestation and expand the area of forests. Such activities reverse historic trends, but “the forest transition” (Area 24:367–379, 1992) observed in many countries suggests the reversal may be under way. In the end, the choice is not between forests and agriculture (or energy or fiber) because a habitable Earth and a stable climate require both.
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Houghton, R.A. (2014). Land Management Options for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change. In: Freedman, B. (eds) Global Environmental Change. Handbook of Global Environmental Pollution, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5784-4_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5784-4_9
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