A data-based re-appraisal of the terrestrial carbon budget at the last glacial maximum

An estimate of the glacial-interglacial change in terrestrial carbon storage was calculated from CLIMAP reconstructions of the earth's surface at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). It implies an increase of ≈ 715 Pg C (430–930 Pg C) from the LGM to present, mainly due to the buildup of boreal and temperate forests. This new attempt to reconstruct the LGM ecosystems and carbon content offers an alternative to a previous data-interpretation-based estimate of ≈ 1350 Pg C change. Our estimate is half-way between that 1350 Pg C value and the previous model-based estimate of no change. Furthermore it is consistent with the mean δ¹³C shift of the ocean. The greatest biomass and soil carbon increaes occurred around 60°N. Our results show that the interpretation of the data is crucial to the estimation of such a budget. It further demonstrates the need for a more complete knowledge of the complexity of the biogeophysical interactions.