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A recently completed research program (TREES) employing the global imaging capabilities of Earth-observing satellites provides updated information on the status of the world's humid tropical forest cover. Between 1990 and 1997, 5.8 ± 1.4 million hectares of humid tropical forest were lost each year, with a further 2.3 ± 0.7 million hectares of forest visibly degraded. These figures indicate that the global net rate of change in forest cover for the humid tropics is 23% lower than the generally accepted rate. This result affects the calculation of carbon fluxes in the global budget and means that the terrestrial sink is smaller than previously inferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on Persistent collapse of biomass in Amazonian forest edges following deforestation leads to unaccounted carbon losses. It mentions the magnitude of carbon losses at these forest edges is still poorly quantified at large scales due to the scarcity of quantitative datasets for tropical forests, Efforts to accurately incorporate this source to regional and global carbon budgets.

Reports on the development of Kyoto Protocol of the Framework Convention on Climate Change for greenhouse gas reduction. Steps to be followed by industrialized countries to decrease greenhouse gas; Reference to the Carbon Sink project initiated in 1999 at São Nicolau in Mato Grosso.