In examining issues relating to land use, land-use change, and
forestry, several critical scientific and technical questions present
themselves. What are the implications of using different
definitions or sets of definitions? Do the definitions need to be
flexible enough to accommodate our present understanding of
carbon dynamics while allowing for future innovations and
advances? How do we distinguish among direct humaninduced
activities, indirect human-induced activities, and natural
environmental variability that affects carbon uptake and
release? How do we differentiate between pre- and post-1990
direct human activities? How do we measure changes in carbon
stocks and flows in a transparent and verifiable manner over
time? How permanent are carbon stocks? To what extent do we
trade simplicity for accuracy in accounting?