Climatic Change

, Volume 21, Issue 4, pp 367–384 | Cite as

Sensitivity of terrestrial carbon storage to CO2-induced climate change: Comparison of four scenarios based on general circulation models

  • Thomas M. Smith
  • Rik Leemans
  • Herman H. Shugart
Article
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Abstract

The potential impacts of CO2-induced climate change on terrestrial carbon storage was estimated using the Holdridge Life-Zone Classification and four climate change scenarios derived from general circulation models. Carbon values were assigned to life-zones and their associated soils from published studies. All four scenarios suggest an increase in area occupied by forests although details of predicted patterns vary among the scenarios. There is a poleward shift of the forested zones, with an increase in the areal extent of tropical forests and a shift of the boreal forest zone into the region currently occupied by tundra. Terrestrial carbon storage increased from 0.4% (8.5 Gt) to 9.5% (180.5 Gt) above estimates for present conditions. These changes represent a potential reduction of 4 to 85 ppm on elevated atmospheric CO2 levels.

Keywords

Present Condition Tropical Forest General Circulation Model Potential Reduction Boreal Forest 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Kluwer Academic Publishers 1992

Authors and Affiliations

  • Thomas M. Smith
    • 1
  • Rik Leemans
    • 2
  • Herman H. Shugart
  1. 1.Department of Environmental SciencesUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleUSA
  2. 2.Biosphere Project, International Institute for Applied Systems AnalysisLaxenburgAustria

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