Terrestrial Carbon Observations

TCO Previous Strategy1- better identify the potential end users, and their requirements

2- organize and coordinate reliable data and information on carbon

3- promote international efforts for standardization of data and models

4- link the science community with the conventions and potential users

Data considered (from local to regional and global scale):

- in situ data- remote sensing- terrestrial ecosystems

TTCO

“Quantification, understanding and prediction, by a multi-disciplinary integrated approach, of GHG emissions and its associated spatial and temporal variability in Sub-Saharan Africa”

CarboAfrica is an international project funded by the European Commission under the 6th Framework Programme.

The overarching goal of CARBOAFRICA is to expand and coordinate a Carbon and greenhouse gases (GHGs) terrestrial monitoring network of Sub-Saharan Africa.

CarboAfrica

TCO supports the CarboAfrica Project

The CarboAfricaObjectives

To expand and coordinate a first Carbon and GHGs terrestrial monitoring network of Sub-Saharan Africa, in order to:

- better quantify GHGs emissions in Sub-Saharan Africa (considering also fires and deforestation)

- better understand the role of fire emissions on the African GHGs balance and its global implications

- better understand the Africa's role in the global climate system

- improve the assessment of the land use change and evaluate the potential for carbon sequestration (CDM) and the reduced emissions by avoiding deforestation (REDD)

- promote the integration of the environmental dimension in the African socio-economic context.

- Capacity building + training workshops

Eddy covariance sites alreadyavailable in Africa

Eddy covariance sites that willbe established by CARBOAFRICA

stations for atmospheric measurements

Carbon Flux network:16 stations (covering the main covering all main African ecosystem types) of which2 new (including the 1st in an African tropical forest, in Ghana)

+2 Atmospheric CO2 stations

+Airborne campaigns(CARE experiment)

The CarboAfrica NetWork

The CarboAfrica NetWork

1st Flux Tower in a African Tropical Forest(Ghana, Ankasa Conservation Area)

Height: 65 m

CarboAfrica, jointly with GCP, has coordinated the publicationof a special issue on:

"Carbon cycling in Sub-Saharan Africa"Eds. R. Valentini, J. Canadell, and A. Bombelli

BioGeoScience14 papers published, including “An outlook on the Sub-Saharan Africa carbon balance”

TTCOCarboAfrica Publications

FLUXNET is a global network of micrometeorological tower sites that use eddy covariance methods to measure the exchanges of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and energy between terrestrial ecosystem and atmosphere. At present, over 500 sites are operating on a long-term and continuous basis, even for more than 10 years. Researchers also collect data on site vegetation, soil, hydrologic, and meteorological characteristics at the tower sites.

TCO endorse FLUXNET, a global network for carbon fluxes

CARBOEUROPE109 sites from Spain to Siberia!

Main FluxNet networks

AMERIFLUX132 sites from South Americato Alaska!

ASIA FLUX21 sitesCARBOAFRICA

16 sites, from grasslands to tropical forest

TCO supported the FLUXNET Synthesis Workshop(18-22 Feb 2007, LaThuile, Italy)

The main results included: 1. the production of a standardized database of carbon, water and

energy fluxes (consisting of about 620 years of data from 180 eddy covariance sites);

2. the definition of a common policy for data distribution3. the foundations for the harmonization of the different eddy covariance

networks.

TCO Terrestrial Carbon Observations

TCO and ECVs

Essential climate variables (ECVs)

UNFCCC-SBSTA called GTOS to assess the status of the development of standards for each of the essential climate variables in the terrestrial domain.

TCO has contributed to the development of the standard reports for the ECVs, in particular has coordinated the report on the ECV-12 Biomass.

Biomass is a key variable to understand the global carbon cycle and climate change issues.

ECV importance

Understanding and managing GHGs emissions and sinks is a fundamental step for avoiding dangerous climate change.

The proposal has been submitted to the GCOS (Global Climate Observing System) programme, responsible for the whole ECV process.

TCO supports the proposal of a new ECV: TERRESTRIAL CARBON FLUXES

TCO Terrestrial Carbon Observations

TCO is actively involved in the revision of the new GEO 2009-11 WorkPlan and contributes to the following GEO tasks:

• AR-09-03a Global Terrestrial Observations

• CL-09-03a Integrated Global Carbon Observation (IGCO)

• US-09-03b Forest Mapping and Change Monitoring

• CL-09-03b Forest Carbon Tracking

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GTOS-TCO contributed to the GEO Carbon Community of Practice (CCoP) since its beginning (May 2009, Canberra).

The need for a CCoP come from the recognized importance of an improved understanding of the global C-cycle and its components.

The first product is the GEO C-report for an Integrated Global Carbon Strategy, released as first draft during the GEO VI plenary (Washington, 17-18/11/09) and that will be distributed as summary at COP 15 (Copenhagen, Dec09).

GEO Carbon Community of Practice (CCoP)CL-09-03a Integrated Global Carbon Observation (IGCO)

TCO – Publications

Last TCO publication is:

Terrestrial Carbon Observations:Protocols for Forest Samplingand Data Submission

Law et al., 2008.

GTOS-55

available at: http://www.fao.org/gtos/doc/pub55.pdf

TCO – New Panel Chair

Proposal of a new panel chair

Beverly LawOregon State University

Welcome Bev!