Tropical Rainforests, Wetlands and Peats

• Tropical rainforests are one of world's largest organic stores of carbon
• Amazon rainforest alone = 5.3 mn km² = sequesters 17% of all terrestrial carbon (more than any other land based biome)
• Some species e.g Brazil nut trees dominate the process of sequestration in rainforests
• 1% of 16,000 Amazon tree species store 50% of rainforests carbon so have been removing CO2 from the atmosphere for centuries
• Wetlands containing organic sediment of peat = important carbon stores
• Many peatlands formed during the Holocene have been a store for 1000s of years
• Due to climate change and overuse, wetlands and peatlands are becoming net carbon stores (negative impact)