Download Implications of Changes in Albedo on the Benefits of Forests as carbon sinks – Parameters for assessing the importance of indirect effects

Land-cover change has both direct and indirect consequences for the net energy balance of the earth and through that for global warming. Increased carbon storage resulting from afforestatin of pasture lowers the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and thus cools the atmosphere. However, forests are usually darker than pastures which means that they absorb more incoming solar radiation. That increased radiation absorbtion warms thte atmosphere.