Randolph
H.
Wynne, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, wynne@vt.edu
(Presenting)
Chrisopher
S.
Potter, NASA Ames, cpotter@mail.arc.nasa.gov
John
R.
Seiler, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, jseiler@vt.edu
Thomas
R.
Fox, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, trfox@vt.edu
Ralph
L.
Amateis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, ralph@vt.edu
David
A.
Sampson, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, dasampso@vt.edu
The goal of this Integrated System Solutions project is to evaluate, verify and validate, and benchmark solutions that integrate Earth science observations (MODIS, ASTER, Landsat) and predictions (NASA-CASA) resulting from NASA research into existing forest management decision support tools. This will enable landowners to make informed decisions about forest management with full understanding of the resulting implications for carbon sequestration and productivity. The target applications of national priority are carbon management and agricultural productivity. Two extant and internationally-used DSTs are being supported. The first enables forest landowners to understand the effects of silvicultural prescriptions, particularly thinning and fertilization, on growth and yield - but currently has no output that would allow carbon to be managed concomitantly. It was developed by forest industry under the aegis of the Forest Nutrition Cooperative and Loblolly Pine Growth and Yield Research Cooperative, and is owned by the companies and organizations that comprise these two cooperatives. The second, the NASA-developed Carbon Query and Evaluation Support Tools (CQUEST), is a complete set of internet-based carbon management DSTs that deliver the results of both Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach (CASA) model simulations and other products generated from the fusion of carbon inventory data sets with new NASA remote sensing data (primarily from MODIS). Even though both models and data show the pine plantations of the southeastern United States to be important carbon sink, forest landowners currently have no ability within the framework of the existing DSTs to manage for carbon. Once robust DSTs allowing carbon management are available, however, the public relations value of carbon sequestration, coupled with the existence of functioning carbon markets (EU Emissions Trading Scheme and Chicago Climate Exchange Carbon Market), will lead many landowners to manage their forests for increased carbon sequestration.