Thursday, January 22, 2026
Recent research has revealed a surprising new finding in the battle against deforestation: tiny forest clearings, often smaller than 0.1 hectares, account for more than 56% of tropical carbon loss. This contradicts the long-standing belief that large-scale deforestation events, such as clear-cutting and wildfires, are the primary drivers of carbon emissions in tropical forests.
The study, conducted by scientists from the Laboratory for Climate and Environmental Sciences (LSCE) in France, in collaboration with the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Climate Change Initiative, examined 30 years of satellite data. It provides the most detailed reconstruction of carbon changes across tropical forests from the Tropics of Cancer to Capricorn, offering unprecedented insights into the scale and nature of disturbances in these vital ecosystems.
Using a high-resolution bookkeeping approach, the researchers combined satellite observations with new biomass-recovery models, allowing them to map carbon losses and gains on a 30-metre scale. The study found that clearings smaller than two hectares account for over half of all net carbon losses, despite representing just 5% of the total disturbed area. This discovery sheds light on how small-scale human activities are quietly driving the majority of tropical carbon emissions.
The findings highlight that most of the small clearings responsible for carbon loss are not linked to large-scale logging operations or catastrophic wildfires. Instead, they are the result of gradual human activities such as the expansion of croplands, the creation of pastures, road construction, and the establishment of settlements. In tropical humid forests, many of these disturbances fail to regenerate, leading to long-term carbon emissions and amplifying the climate impact of every hectare lost.
Yidi Xu and Philippe Ciais, the study’s lead authors, emphasised the importance of the detailed data provided by ESA’s biomass maps. “Previous global models relied on simplified assumptions, often overlooking the varied impacts of disturbance type, size, and local climate conditions. Our approach provided unprecedented detail, enabling us to see how small human activities have a disproportionately large effect on carbon emissions in tropical forests.”
The research also found that disturbances in tropical humid forests are increasingly encroaching on denser, more carbon-rich areas. While undisturbed tropical forests continue to act as a carbon sink, their ability to offset carbon losses elsewhere is now barely sufficient to keep the overall tropical carbon balance close to neutral.
In tropical dry forests, on the other hand, the research showed a rough balance between carbon losses due to disturbances and natural regrowth. However, the balance in humid forests is becoming increasingly skewed, as smaller clearings lock in carbon losses that cannot be recovered.
As the findings suggest, the cumulative effect of small-scale disturbances is driving a significant loss of carbon, particularly in humid forests where recovery is less likely. This highlights the importance of addressing incremental land-use changes in these regions, where small disturbances dominate. The study suggests that reducing such activities could yield far greater climate benefits than previously recognised.
The study’s results carry significant implications for climate policy, especially in regions like Africa, where small-scale disturbances are more prevalent. The authors argue that preventing further agricultural expansion in tropical forests could deliver substantial climate benefits. In addition, protecting regenerating forests from repeated disturbances is crucial for maintaining their carbon-storage potential.
Clement Albergel, ESA’s Head of Actionable Climate Information, underscored the importance of long-term satellite monitoring in understanding the health of tropical forests. “As tropical forests face increasing threats from climate change, human encroachment, and wildfires, this study highlights a crucial fact: even the smallest clearings matter,” he said. “ESA’s biomass maps provide a unique, detailed view of how these forests lose and regain carbon, offering vital information to help protect them while there is still time.”
The study’s findings challenge previous assumptions about the scale of carbon loss in tropical forests and stress the need for more targeted climate action. The research suggests that focusing on small-scale disturbances, such as agricultural expansion and land-use change, could significantly reduce carbon emissions and help protect the world’s most important forests.
This new understanding of the drivers of carbon loss in tropical forests calls for a shift in climate policy. Greater emphasis must be placed on mitigating the impact of small-scale human activities, and efforts should be made to prevent the fragmentation of dense, carbon-rich forests. Regenerating forests must be protected from repeated disturbances to maintain their vital carbon-storage capabilities.
The study provides a vital new perspective on the impact of small-scale disturbances on tropical carbon loss. By offering unprecedented detail on the drivers of emissions in the world’s most important forests, the research calls for more focused and immediate action to reduce the environmental impact of human activities. Small clearings, once overlooked, are now recognised as a key factor in the global fight against climate change. Protecting tropical forests, from the smallest clearings to the largest expanses, is critical for mitigating future climate risks.
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Tags: biomass recovery, deforestation, forest clearings, small-scale disturbances, tropical forests, woodworking and manufacturing, woodworking industry, woodworking UK
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