The researchers studied how much carbon is taken in and released by Brazilian savanna ecosystems. They used two methods to estimate this: one that measures gas exchange and another that counts plants. Both methods showed similar results for how much carbon the ecosystems produce and store. They found that belowground plant growth is a big part of this, followed by dead plant material and wood. More water made the grassland store more carbon, while the forest released less carbon. The grassland was less efficient at using carbon compared to the forest. Overall, the estimates of carbon flow in these savanna ecosystems seem reliable.