The African Regional Greenhouse Gases Budget (2010–2019)
(2024) In Global Biogeochemical Cycles 38(4).- Abstract
As part of the REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes Phase 2 (RECCAP2) project, we developed a comprehensive African Greenhouse gases (GHG) budget covering 2000 to 2019 (RECCAP1 and RECCAP2 time periods), and assessed uncertainties and trends over time. We compared bottom-up process-based models, data-driven remotely sensed products, and national GHG inventories with top-down atmospheric inversions, accounting also for lateral fluxes. We incorporated emission estimates derived from novel methodologies for termites, herbivores, and fire, which are particularly important in Africa. We further constrained global woody biomass change products with high-quality regional observations. During the RECCAP2 period, Africa's carbon sink... (More)
As part of the REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes Phase 2 (RECCAP2) project, we developed a comprehensive African Greenhouse gases (GHG) budget covering 2000 to 2019 (RECCAP1 and RECCAP2 time periods), and assessed uncertainties and trends over time. We compared bottom-up process-based models, data-driven remotely sensed products, and national GHG inventories with top-down atmospheric inversions, accounting also for lateral fluxes. We incorporated emission estimates derived from novel methodologies for termites, herbivores, and fire, which are particularly important in Africa. We further constrained global woody biomass change products with high-quality regional observations. During the RECCAP2 period, Africa's carbon sink capacity is decreasing, with net ecosystem exchange switching from a small sink of −0.61 ± 0.58 PgC yr−1 in RECCAP1 to a small source in RECCAP2 at 0.16 (−0.52/1.36) PgC yr−1. Net CO2 emissions estimated from bottom-up approaches were 1.6 (−0.9/5.8) PgCO2 yr−1, net CH4 were 77 (56.4/93.9) TgCH4 yr−1 and net N2O were 2.9 (1.4/4.9) TgN2O yr−1. Top-down atmospheric inversions showed similar trends. Land Use Change emissions increased, representing one of the largest contributions at 1.7 (0.8/2.7) PgCO2eq yr−1 to the African GHG budget and almost similar to emissions from fossil fuels at 1.74 (1.53/1.96) PgCO2eq yr−1, which also increased from RECCAP1. Additionally, wildfire emissions decreased, while fuelwood burning increased. For most component fluxes, uncertainty is large, highlighting the need for increased efforts to address Africa-specific data gaps. However, for RECCAP2, we improved our overall understanding of many of the important components of the African GHG budget that will assist to inform climate policy and action.
(Less)
- author
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- African regional GHG budget, atmospheric inversions, bottom-up GHG component estimates, RECCAP2, sink capacity decreasing, terrestrial fluxes
- in
- Global Biogeochemical Cycles
- volume
- 38
- issue
- 4
- article number
- e2023GB008016
- publisher
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85189627369
- ISSN
- 0886-6236
- DOI
- 10.1029/2023GB008016
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- c91540a1-ef33-48e6-b8b4-d7b748e0c504
- date added to LUP
- 2024-04-24 14:24:08
- date last changed
- 2024-04-24 14:24:22
@article{c91540a1-ef33-48e6-b8b4-d7b748e0c504,
abstract = {{<p>As part of the REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes Phase 2 (RECCAP2) project, we developed a comprehensive African Greenhouse gases (GHG) budget covering 2000 to 2019 (RECCAP1 and RECCAP2 time periods), and assessed uncertainties and trends over time. We compared bottom-up process-based models, data-driven remotely sensed products, and national GHG inventories with top-down atmospheric inversions, accounting also for lateral fluxes. We incorporated emission estimates derived from novel methodologies for termites, herbivores, and fire, which are particularly important in Africa. We further constrained global woody biomass change products with high-quality regional observations. During the RECCAP2 period, Africa's carbon sink capacity is decreasing, with net ecosystem exchange switching from a small sink of −0.61 ± 0.58 PgC yr<sup>−1</sup> in RECCAP1 to a small source in RECCAP2 at 0.16 (−0.52/1.36) PgC yr<sup>−1</sup>. Net CO<sub>2</sub> emissions estimated from bottom-up approaches were 1.6 (−0.9/5.8) PgCO<sub>2</sub> yr<sup>−1</sup>, net CH<sub>4</sub> were 77 (56.4/93.9) TgCH<sub>4</sub> yr<sup>−1</sup> and net N<sub>2</sub>O were 2.9 (1.4/4.9) TgN<sub>2</sub>O yr<sup>−1</sup>. Top-down atmospheric inversions showed similar trends. Land Use Change emissions increased, representing one of the largest contributions at 1.7 (0.8/2.7) PgCO<sub>2</sub>eq yr<sup>−1</sup> to the African GHG budget and almost similar to emissions from fossil fuels at 1.74 (1.53/1.96) PgCO<sub>2</sub>eq yr<sup>−1</sup>, which also increased from RECCAP1. Additionally, wildfire emissions decreased, while fuelwood burning increased. For most component fluxes, uncertainty is large, highlighting the need for increased efforts to address Africa-specific data gaps. However, for RECCAP2, we improved our overall understanding of many of the important components of the African GHG budget that will assist to inform climate policy and action.</p>}},
author = {{Ernst, Yolandi and Archibald, Sally and Balzter, Heiko and Chevallier, Frederic and Ciais, Philippe and Fischer, Carlos Gonzalez and Gaubert, Benjamin and Higginbottom, Thomas and Higgins, Steven and Lawal, Shakirudeen and Lacroix, Fabrice and Lauerwald, Ronny and Lourenco, Mauro and Martens, Carola and Mengistu, Anteneh G. and Merbold, Lutz and Mitchard, Edward and Moyo, Mthokozisi and Nguyen, Hannah and O’Sullivan, Michael and Rodríguez-Veiga, Pedro and Rosan, Thais and Rosentreter, Judith and Ryan, Casey and Scheiter, Simon and Sitch, Stephen and Stevens, Nicola and Tagesson, Torbern and Tian, Hanqin and Wang, Mengjia and Woon, Joel S. and Zheng, Bo and Zhou, Yong and Scholes, Robert J.}},
issn = {{0886-6236}},
keywords = {{African regional GHG budget; atmospheric inversions; bottom-up GHG component estimates; RECCAP2; sink capacity decreasing; terrestrial fluxes}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
publisher = {{American Geophysical Union (AGU)}},
series = {{Global Biogeochemical Cycles}},
title = {{The African Regional Greenhouse Gases Budget (2010–2019)}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2023GB008016}},
doi = {{10.1029/2023GB008016}},
volume = {{38}},
year = {{2024}},
}