New research reveals that vast forests in southern Africa store far more carbon dioxide than previously estimated – potentially twice as much.
This finding, published in a study on Wednesday, highlights the critical importance of protecting these woodlands.
The miombo woodlands, named after a dominant tree species, stretch across a huge swathe of Africa, from Mozambique in the east to Angola in the west.
Researchers, utilizing data collected by drones, land sensors, and helicopters, determined that these forests function as much more effective carbon sinks than previously thought.
This significantly increases their potential value in carbon offset programs and debt-for-nature swaps. Conversely, it also means their destruction releases considerably more carbon into the atmosphere.
The study, led by researchers from Sylvera Ltd., a London-based carbon data provider, and funded by the World Bank, employed laser-scanning technology to analyze a massive area in northern Mozambique – eight times the size of Manhattan.
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This data allowed the team to estimate tree weight and subsequently the amount of carbon stored above ground. Their findings revealed that these forests hold up to 2.2 times more carbon than previously calculated using traditional methods like trunk diameter measurement.
Extrapolating this data across the entire miombo woodland region, the researchers concluded that these forests store nearly as much additional carbon as the world adds to the atmosphere each year through net CO2 emissions.
The study, published in the respected journal Communications Earth & Environment, involved collaboration from researchers at University College London and the University of Maryland.
According to Andrew Burt, research lead at Sylvera, older methods underestimated the carbon storage capacity of these forests because they primarily focused on measuring smaller trees.
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Unfortunately, the miombo woodlands have shrunk by roughly 30% over the past four decades, from 2.7 million square kilometers to 1.9 million square kilometers.
This region is home to tens of millions of people, many lacking access to electricity and relying on the woodlands for cooking fuel. Additionally, deforestation for logging poses a serious threat.
Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reveals that Mozambique ranked among the top 10 countries with the highest annual net loss of forest area between 2010 and 2020. Three other countries within the miombo woodland region were also included in this unenviable list.
