The African Regional Greenhouse Gases Budget (2010–2019)

Yolandi Ernst*, Sally Archibald, Heiko Balzter, Frederic Chevallier, Philippe Ciais, Carlos Gonzalez Fischer, Benjamin Gaubert, Thomas Higginbottom, Steven Higgins, Shakirudeen Lawal, Fabrice Lacroix, Ronny Lauerwald, Mauro Lourenco, Carola Martens, Anteneh G. Mengistu, Lutz Merbold, Edward Mitchard, Mthokozisi Moyo, Hannah Nguyen, Michael O’SullivanPedro Rodríguez-Veiga, Thais Rosan, Judith Rosentreter, Casey Ryan, Simon Scheiter, Stephen Sitch, Nicola Stevens, Torbern Tagesson, Hanqin Tian, Mengjia Wang, Joel S. Woon, Bo Zheng, Yong Zhou, Robert J. Scholes

*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

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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 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.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
Artikelnummere2023GB008016
TidsskriftGlobal Biogeochemical Cycles
Vol/bind38
Udgave nummer4
Antal sider32
ISSN0886-6236
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2024

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
YE and SA were funded by the Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation: the Future Ecosystems for Africa Program. TT was funded by the Swedish National Space Agency (Dnr: 2021-00144; 2021-00111), FORMAS (Dnr. 2021-00644) and the EU-Aid funded CASSECS Project (Dnr: FOOD/2019/410-169). RL acknowledges funding from French state aid, managed by ANR under the \u201CInvestissements d'avenir\u201D programme (ANR-16-CONV-0003). SL was funded by South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChl) (# 64796). CR was funded by the SECO project (Dnr: NE/T01279X/1). Nicola Stevens was funded by Trapnell Fund, Linacre College\u2014Oxford.

Funding Information:
YE and SA were funded by the Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation: the Future Ecosystems for Africa Program. TT was funded by the Swedish National Space Agency (Dnr: 2021\u201000144; 2021\u201000111), FORMAS (Dnr. 2021\u201000644) and the EU\u2010Aid funded CASSECS Project (Dnr: FOOD/2019/410\u2010169). RL acknowledges funding from French state aid, managed by ANR under the \u201CInvestissements d'avenir\u201D programme (ANR\u201016\u2010CONV\u20100003). SL was funded by South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChl) (# 64796). CR was funded by the SECO project (Dnr: NE/T01279X/1). Nicola Stevens was funded by Trapnell Fund, Linacre College\u2014Oxford.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024. The Authors.

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