--- chapter: description: ~ doi: 10.7930/J0C8276J identifier: mitigation number: 27 report_identifier: nca3 sort_key: 270 title: Mitigation url: http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/response-strategies/mitigation chapter_identifier: mitigation cited_by: [] confidence: 'High. Evidence of past trends is based primarily on government data sources, but these also have to be augmented by other data and models in order to incorporate additional land-use types. Projecting future carbon content is consistent with published models, but these have intrinsic uncertainties associated with them.' contributors: [] description: 'Carbon storage in land ecosystems, especially forests, has offset around 17% of annual U.S. fossil fuel emissions of greenhouse gases over the past several decades, but this carbon “sink” may not be sustainable.' display_name: NCA3 Finding 27.4 evidence: 'Underlying data come primarily from U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots, supplemented by additional ecological data collection efforts. Modeling conclusions come from peer-reviewed literature. All references are in Section 2 of the Mitigation Chapter. Studies have shown that there is a large land-use carbon sink in the United States.8e71f863-8c83-4786-900c-ad8c8c252b30,385bda86-7b42-4264-9673-280ac0091528,4c53dfcf-e3e2-47e0-a356-369324e49cd5 Many publications attribute this sink to forest re-growth, and the sink is projected to decline as a result of forest aginge7804fe4-5cd0-4540-afde-621db767df51,0489f172-b2e0-4b90-aa40-7ba9993bd287,2f38407f-72d7-4ab2-a166-fac9069cec6c,1c5fc609-7a42-4983-ad95-92e3900eed41 and factors like drought, fire, and insect infestations0489f172-b2e0-4b90-aa40-7ba9993bd287 reducing the carbon sink of these regions.' files: [] href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/report/nca3/chapter/mitigation/finding/carbon-sink-may-not-be-sustainable.yaml identifier: carbon-sink-may-not-be-sustainable ordinal: 4 parents: [] process: ' Evaluation of literature by Coordinating Lead Authors' references: - href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/reference/0489f172-b2e0-4b90-aa40-7ba9993bd287.yaml uri: /reference/0489f172-b2e0-4b90-aa40-7ba9993bd287 - href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/reference/1c5fc609-7a42-4983-ad95-92e3900eed41.yaml uri: /reference/1c5fc609-7a42-4983-ad95-92e3900eed41 - href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/reference/2f38407f-72d7-4ab2-a166-fac9069cec6c.yaml uri: /reference/2f38407f-72d7-4ab2-a166-fac9069cec6c - href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/reference/385bda86-7b42-4264-9673-280ac0091528.yaml uri: /reference/385bda86-7b42-4264-9673-280ac0091528 - href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/reference/4c53dfcf-e3e2-47e0-a356-369324e49cd5.yaml uri: /reference/4c53dfcf-e3e2-47e0-a356-369324e49cd5 - href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/reference/8e71f863-8c83-4786-900c-ad8c8c252b30.yaml uri: /reference/8e71f863-8c83-4786-900c-ad8c8c252b30 - href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/reference/e7804fe4-5cd0-4540-afde-621db767df51.yaml uri: /reference/e7804fe4-5cd0-4540-afde-621db767df51 report_identifier: nca3 statement: 'Carbon storage in land ecosystems, especially forests, has offset around 17% of annual U.S. fossil fuel emissions of greenhouse gases over the past several decades, but this carbon “sink” may not be sustainable.' type: finding uncertainties: 'FIA plots are measured extremely carefully over long time periods, but do not cover all U.S. forested land. Other U.S. land types must have carbon content estimated from other sources. Modeling relationships between growth and carbon content, and taking CO2 and climate change into account have large scientific uncertainties associated with them.' uri: /report/nca3/chapter/mitigation/finding/carbon-sink-may-not-be-sustainable url: ~