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DECAF - Research Outputs

We are studying the impacts of deforestation and forest degradation on local and regional climate.

Impacts of deforestation on local climate
Tropical forests cycle large quantities of water between the land and atmosphere, with important impacts on local climate. Deforestation reduces the amount of water pumped into the atmosphere, increasing dry season land-surface temperature in the Amazon by up to 1.5oC and decreasing dry season rainfall by up to 40%.

Forest Degradation in Asia
Natural forests in Asia are being rapidly degraded by logging. Logged forests in Vietnam only store half the above-ground carbon compared to un-logged (on lightly logged) forests. Illegal logging removes more than 3 tonnes of biomass per hectare each year and is an important source of income in local communities. This work is a partnership with the World Land Trust, VietNature, Hue University and the University of York. Read more about the work here.

Causes of deforestation in Tanzania
Efforts to reduce deforestation require detailed information of the main causes of forest loss. We use on the ground surveys and remote sensing to show that agriculture is the main cause of deforestation in Tanzania.