Research conducted by Dr. Simon L. Lewis, a Royal Society Research Fellow at the Leeds University Earth & Biosphere Institute, has found that trees in undisturbed tropical forests are absorbing 4.8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, or close to one-fifth of the CO2 that is released into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels.

Results of the analysis of 40 years of tree records from tropical forests in the Central African country of Gabon show that trees have been getting bigger and are mopping up extra carbon. Based on estimates provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the research suggests that tropical forests throughout the world are responsible for around half of all land based carbon absorption.

“Tropical forest trees are absorbing about 18% of the CO₂ added to the atmosphere each year from burning fossil fuels, substantially buffering the rate of climate change” said Dr Lewis.

Assuming a carbon price of $20 Australian dollars per tonne, the value of intact tropical forest as a carbon sink would be just under $100 billion.

Scientific research suggests that the White Lemuroid Possum native to Queensland’s Daintree rainforest may have become the first mammal to become extinct due to man-made global warming. The cute white furred possum (Hemibelideus lemuroids) has not been seen by researchers since 2005.

Professor Steve Williams, director of the Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change at James Cook University, said that the white lemuroid possum was identified as highly vulnerable five years ago. Read the rest of this entry »