Carbon Budget - Cumulative Photosynthesis Deficit

Cumulative Photosynthesis Deficit

Carbon pooled in photosynthesising biota is 560 GtC (Schlesinger, 1991). Carbon released by deforestation between 1850-2000 is 156 GtC (Haughton & Hackler, 2002), reducing the total photosynthesising biomass to 540 GtC in 2000.

Reduction in photosynthesis between 1850-2000: 156 / (540 + 156) = ~22%
120 = (100-22=78)% of 154 GtCpa - a difference of ~34 GtCpa in 2000

Given the increase of 0.5 GtCpa over the past eight years since 2000, this figure would be closer to 38GtCpa in 2008.

Read more about this topic:  Carbon Budget

Famous quotes containing the word cumulative:

    Raising children is an incredibly hard and risky business in which no cumulative wisdom is gained: each generation repeats the mistakes the previous one made.
    Bill Cosby (20th century)