High-Resolution Carbon Monitoring and Modeling: Continuing Prototype Development and Deployment

George Hurtt, University of Maryland, gchurtt@umd.edu
Richard Birdsey, USDA Forest Service, rbirdsey@fs.fed.us
Molly Elizabeth Brown, University of Maryland, mbrown52@umd.edu
Philip DeCola, Sigma Space Corp., pdecola@sigmaspace.com
Katelyn Dolan, University of Maryland, kdolan@umd.edu (Presenter)
Ralph Dubayah, University of Maryland, dubayah@umd.edu
Vanessa Marie Escobar, NASA GSFC / SSAI, vanessa.escobar@nasa.gov
Andrew Finley, Michigan State University, finleya@msu.edu
Chang Huang, University of maryland, chhuang@umd.edu
Kristofer Johnson, USDA Forest Service, kristoferdjohnson@fs.fed.us
Jarlath O'Neil-Dunne, University of Vermont, joneildu@uvm.edu
Maosheng Zhao, University of Maryland, zhaoms@umd.edu

Local, national and international programs have an increasing need for precise and accurate estimates of forest carbon and structure to support greenhouse gas reduction plans, climate initiatives, and other international climate treaty frameworks such as REDD+. Central to these activities is the need for efficient MRV (measurement, reporting and verification) systems that provide an accounting of forest carbon emission and sequestration at different scales and spatial resolutions with appropriate temporal frequencies. This project is continuing the development of a framework for estimating high-resolution carbon stocks and dynamics and future carbon sequestration potential using remote sensing and ecosystem modeling linked with existing field observation systems such as the USFS Forest Inventory. In particular, this project seeks to demonstrate an approach that provides the basis for the rapid expansion from Maryland to the nearby states, and additionally enables the monitoring of annualized changes in stocks through time at fine spatial resolution. Specifically we will address the following objectives: (1) Improve existing methodology for carbon stock estimation and uncertainty based on lessons learned from our Phase 2 study; (2) Provide wall-to-wall, high-resolution estimates of carbon stocks and their uncertainties for the 3-state region of Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland; (3) Initialize and run a prognostic ecosystem model for carbon at high-spatial resolution over multiple eastern states; (4) Validate national biomass maps using Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data and high-resolution biomass maps over an expanded domain; (5) Develop and test methods for monitoring changes in carbon stocks through time using repeat lidar data, satellite imagery, forest inventory data, and remote sensing driven mechanistic modeling; (6) Demonstrate MRV efficacy to meet stakeholder needs in our 3-state region, and a vision for future national-scale deployment.

Presentation Type:  Poster

Session:  Carbon Monitoring System (CMS) Posters   (Mon 1:30 PM)

Associated Project(s): 

• Hurtt, George: High-Resolution Carbon Monitoring and Modeling: Continuing Prototype Development and Deployment ...details

Poster Location ID: 135