Albedo

The proportions of solar radiation reflected by a surface or object, expressed in percentage. Snow-covered surfaces have high albedo level; ground (soil) albedo can be high or low; vegetation-covered surfaces and oceans have low albedo level. The Earth’s albedo varies mainly due to the different levels of clouds, snow, ice, vegetation, and changes in the earth’s surface.

Veja também

See also

Climate change

Climate change

Changes that are directly or indirectly attributed to human activity and alter the composition of the world's atmosphere and that is added to that caused by the natural climatic variability observed over comparable periods.

Carbon pools

Carbon pools

A component of the climate system in which the so-called greenhouse gases –or a precursor of greenhouse gas – are stored.

Environmental services

Environmental services

A set of functions performed by nature, essential to human beings, such as water and gas regulation, climatic and of physical disturbances, water supply, erosion control and sediment retention, soil formation, nutrient cycling, pollination, and many others.