China is the world's largest producer of harmful carbon dioxide of anthropogenic origin.
Over the past decade, billions of trees have been planted across the country to combat desertification and soil loss, and to create a vibrant wood and paper industry.
Researchers found two previously underestimatedareas where trees actively absorb carbon: southwest China, Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi provinces, and northeast, especially Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces.
We've pulled together a range of ground-based and satellite data to form a coherent and reliable story about China's carbon cycle.
Research text
The terrestrial biosphere in southwestern China, which isToday it is the largest absorption region, representing a sink of about –0.35 petagrams (billion tonnes) per year, accounting for 31.5% of the carbon sink of China's land.
As stated by Richard Black, DirectorEnergy and Climate Information Unit (ECIU), China's forests are absorbing more than expected. However, this does not mean that carbon neutrality can be achieved this way. It is necessary to compensate not only CO2, but also current emissions of all greenhouse gases.
On the other hand, the carbon balance of China's forests may be jeopardized by the effects of various climate changes, as we are seeing in California, Australia and Russia.
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