Long-term carbon sink in Borneo’s forests halted by drought and vulnerable to edge effects

Lan Qie (), Simon L. Lewis, Martin J. P. Sullivan, Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez, Georgia C. Pickavance, Terry Sunderland, Peter Ashton, Wannes Hubau, Kamariah Abu Salim, Shin-Ichiro Aiba, Lindsay F. Banin, Nicholas Berry, Francis Q. Brearley, David F. R. P. Burslem, Martin Dančák, Stuart J. Davies, Gabriella Fredriksson, Keith C. Hamer, Radim Hédl, Lip Khoon Kho, Kanehiro Kitayama, Haruni Krisnawati, Stanislav Lhota, Yadvinder Malhi, Colin Maycock, Faizah Metali, Edi Mirmanto, Laszlo Nagy, Reuben Nilus, Robert Ong, Colin A. Pendry, Axel Dalberg Poulsen, Richard B. Primack, Ervan Rutishauser, Ismayadi Samsoedin, Bernaulus Saragih, Plinio Sist, J. W. Ferry Slik, Rahayu Sukmaria Sukri, Martin Svátek, Sylvester Tan, Aiyen Tjoa, Mark van Nieuwstadt, Ronald R. E. Vernimmen, Ishak Yassir, Petra Susan Kidd, Muhammad Fitriadi, Nur Khalish Hafizhah Ideris, Rafizah Mat Serudin, Layla Syaznie Abdullah Lim, Muhammad Shahruney Saparudin and Oliver L. Phillips
Additional contact information
Lan Qie: University of Leeds
Simon L. Lewis: University of Leeds
Martin J. P. Sullivan: University of Leeds
Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez: University of Leeds
Georgia C. Pickavance: University of Leeds
Terry Sunderland: Jl. CIFOR, Situ Gede
Peter Ashton: Harvard University
Wannes Hubau: University of Leeds
Kamariah Abu Salim: Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link
Shin-Ichiro Aiba: Kagoshima University
Lindsay F. Banin: University of Leeds
Nicholas Berry: University of Leeds
Francis Q. Brearley: Manchester Metropolitan University
David F. R. P. Burslem: University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building
Martin Dančák: Faculty of Science, Palacký University in Olomouc
Stuart J. Davies: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Gabriella Fredriksson: University of Amsterdam
Keith C. Hamer: University of Leeds
Radim Hédl: Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences
Lip Khoon Kho: Biological Research Division, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Bandar Baru Bangi
Kanehiro Kitayama: Kyoto University
Haruni Krisnawati: Research, Development and Innovation Agency, Ministry of Environment and Forestry
Stanislav Lhota: Faculty of Tropical Agrisciences, Czech University of Life Sciences
Yadvinder Malhi: School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford
Colin Maycock: Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jl. UMS
Faizah Metali: Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link
Edi Mirmanto: Indonesian Institute of Sciences
Laszlo Nagy: Universidade Estadual de Campinas
Reuben Nilus: Sabah Forestry Department Forest Research Centre
Robert Ong: Sabah Forestry Department Forest Research Centre
Colin A. Pendry: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Axel Dalberg Poulsen: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Richard B. Primack: Boston University
Ervan Rutishauser: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Ismayadi Samsoedin: Research, Development and Innovation Agency, Ministry of Environment and Forestry
Bernaulus Saragih: Mulawarman University
Plinio Sist: CIRAD-Univ. Montpellier, Campus International de Baillarguet
J. W. Ferry Slik: Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link
Rahayu Sukmaria Sukri: Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link
Martin Svátek: Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno
Sylvester Tan: CTFS-ForestGEO Program
Aiyen Tjoa: Agriculture Faculty of Tadulako University
Mark van Nieuwstadt: Utrecht University
Ronald R. E. Vernimmen: Deltares
Ishak Yassir: Development and Innovation Agency, Ministry of Environment and Forestry
Petra Susan Kidd: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Muhammad Fitriadi: Sungai Wain Protected Forest Management Unit, KM. 23, Kel. Karang Joang
Nur Khalish Hafizhah Ideris: Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link
Rafizah Mat Serudin: Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link
Layla Syaznie Abdullah Lim: Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link
Muhammad Shahruney Saparudin: Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link
Oliver L. Phillips: University of Leeds

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Less than half of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions remain in the atmosphere. While carbon balance models imply large carbon uptake in tropical forests, direct on-the-ground observations are still lacking in Southeast Asia. Here, using long-term plot monitoring records of up to half a century, we find that intact forests in Borneo gained 0.43 Mg C ha−1 per year (95% CI 0.14–0.72, mean period 1988–2010) in above-ground live biomass carbon. These results closely match those from African and Amazonian plot networks, suggesting that the world’s remaining intact tropical forests are now en masse out-of-equilibrium. Although both pan-tropical and long-term, the sink in remaining intact forests appears vulnerable to climate and land use changes. Across Borneo the 1997–1998 El Niño drought temporarily halted the carbon sink by increasing tree mortality, while fragmentation persistently offset the sink and turned many edge-affected forests into a carbon source to the atmosphere.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01997-0

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