Kennedy, Robert: Oregon State University (Project Lead)
Kane, Van: University of Washington (Co-Investigator)
Powell, Scott: Montana State University (Co-Investigator)
Project Funding:
2012 - 2014
NRA: 2011 NASA: Carbon Monitoring System
Funded by NASA
Abstract:
A key challenge in a carbon monitoring system is scaling thematically rich but highly localized information to the broad spatial scales needed for carbon accounting and management. This is particularly true for wooded ecosystems, where carbon storage potential is high, but actual carbon status is highly determined by local-scale environmental and forest management conditions.
Through a USDA-NIFA funded project entitled Integrated, observation-based carbon monitoring for wooded lands of Washington, Oregon and California , our team is developing a system to integrate Landsat satellite imagery, maps of environmental characteristics, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plot data, small-footprint lidar data, and aerial photos to characterize key carbon dynamics in forested ecosystems across all ownerships in the states of Washington, Oregon, and California from 1985 to 2010.
Key characteristics of our system include:
' Operational scaling of local-scale dynamics to all forests in Washington, Oregon, and California
' Yearly mapping of forest biomass and change in biomass from 1990 to 2010
' Explicit characterization of cause of change
' Integration of USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plot data
' Linkage of small-footprint lidar data with regional scale biomass maps
' Explicit quantification of methodological uncertainties for all estimates
Because our approach addresses key challenges faced by the current NASA Carbon Monitoring System (CMS), we believe it has the potential to complement and aid NASA s mandate for operational carbon monitoring. To help reach that potential, we propose three activities.
-- 1. We will utilize the products from our own carbon monitoring program in forests of Washington, Oregon, and California to evaluate, understand, and improve performance of the NASA CMS products, and compare a variety of national-scale products both to each other and to FIA plot estimates.
-- 2. We will work with collaborators within the USDA FIA to extend our approaches to a different forest system, linking explicitly with the local-scale NASA CMS efforts in eastern forests.
-- 3. Finally, we will bring our data, methods, and lessons-learned to NASA CMS Science Definition Team, and work closely with other SDT members to link our approaches into those analytical and modeling frameworks to further the overarching goals of the CMS.
The following characteristics of our project are relevant to NASA s need to evaluate and improve its CMS:
- Evaluating the utility and characterizing uncertainties in CMS products
- Understanding scaling issues needed to link local to national scale products
- Developing and demonstrating feasibility of alternative approaches to monitoring
- Illustrating capabilities of satellite-based monitoring for science and management
Publications:
Bell, D. M., Gregory, M. J., Kane, V., Kane, J., Kennedy, R. E., Roberts, H. M., Yang, Z. 2018. Multiscale divergence between Landsat- and lidar-based biomass mapping is related to regional variation in canopy cover and composition. Carbon Balance and Management. 13(1). DOI: 10.1186/s13021-018-0104-6
Kennedy, R. E., Ohmann, J., Gregory, M., Roberts, H., Yang, Z., Bell, D. M., Kane, V., Hughes, M. J., Cohen, W. B., Powell, S., Neeti, N., Larrue, T., Hooper, S., Kane, J., Miller, D. L., Perkins, J., Braaten, J., Seidl, R. 2018. An empirical, integrated forest biomass monitoring system. Environmental Research Letters. 13(2), 025004. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/aa9d9e
Neeti, N., Kennedy, R. 2016. Comparison of national level biomass maps for conterminous US: understanding pattern and causes of differences. Carbon Balance and Management. 11(1). DOI: 10.1186/s13021-016-0060-y
2015 NASA Carbon Cycle & Ecosystems Joint Science Workshop Poster(s)
- An integrated, observation-based system to monitor aboveground forest carbon dynamics in Washington, Oregon, and California
-- (Robert E Kennedy, Matthew Gregory, Janet L. Ohmann, Heather Roberts, Neeti Neeti, David Miller, Zhiqiang Yang, Warren B. Cohen, Van Kane, Jonathan Kane, Scott L. Powell)
[abstract]
More details may be found in the following project profile(s):
