scholarly journals Assessing Carbon Pools in Dipterocarp Forests of Peninsular Malaysia

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 214-221
Author(s):  
Hamdan Omar ◽  
Norsheilla Mohd Johan Chuah ◽  
Ismail Parlan ◽  
Abdul Khalim Abu Samah
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Carbon Pools ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Flux Dynamics ◽  
Ground Biomass ◽  
Dipterocarp Forests

Modification and loss of forests due to natural and anthropogenic disturbances contribute an estimated 20% of annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide. Accounting GHG emissions associated with forestry, specifically, and land use generally is crucial in recent days because forests play major roles in balancing terrestrial carbon and contribute to the mitigation of global warming and climate change. Consequent to the awareness of climate change, reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation, and conservation (REDD+) programmed was introduced at the international level to promote forest conservation and enhance forest governances. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) came out with protocols on how to account the carbonstored and released from the forests. Principally there are five primary carbon pools in a forest, which are above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass, deadwood, litter, and soils that accumulate and in some conditions release carbon. However, about 98% of carbon stored in a forest comprises trees components (aboveground and belowground living biomass, deadwood and litters) and the remaining is stored in soils. Many factors interact to affect the flux dynamics of these carbon pools, including the type of forest ecosystem, the age of the forest, and if harvested, the length of stand rotation cycles and the forestry practices used. Logging these forests, in a sense, represents an opportunity cost, as the time necessary for a harvested forest to regain its carbon sink capacity can take many decades, and if left undisturbed, would have gone on to expand its carbon pool or at least remain in constant over time. In this study, the lowland dipterocarp forest, where logging often takes place, is profiled in terms of biomass carbon. Pahang, which has the largest forest cover and biggest timber production in Peninsular Malaysia, was selected as the study area. The dipterocarp forests comprise both protection and production functions were categorized into strata based on year elapsed after logging (i.e. logged 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, and > 30 years). Measurements have been conducted on the ground and all the carbon pools in these strata were assessed. The study found significant differences between each stratum in terms of carbon and the results are presented in this paper. The effects of harvesting practices on carbon pools are also discussed.

Opportunities for Reaping the Benefits of REDD+ in Sikkim Himalaya for Conservation and Enhancement of Carbon Stock

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-215
Author(s):  
Mohommad Shahid ◽  
◽  
L.K. Rai ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Forest Cover Change ◽  
Change Analysis ◽  
Carbon Sequestration Potential ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Article 5

Paris Agreement recognized the role of forests as carbon sink for mitigation of climate change, under Article 5 as REDD+, i.e., reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. Forest cover change analysis was done between two time periods 2005 and 2015 to assess the forest degradation. Carbon sequestration potential of the forests of Sikkim for mitigating climate change is also estimated. Benefits of implementing of REDD+ in Sikkim involving local communities as stakeholder to conserve and sustainably manage the forest is assessed. Gaps and challenges faced by the stakeholder in implementing REDD+ at project level are also highlighted.

The case for long-term studies of greenhouse gas emissions

1999 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 166-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
TIM NEWCOMB
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Industrialized Countries ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Long Term Studies

Many nations have recognized the need to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The scientific assessments of climate change of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) support the need to reduce GHG emissions. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol to the 1992 Convention on Climate Change (UNTS 30822) has now been signed by more than 65 countries, although that Protocol has not yet entered into force. Some 14 of the industrialized countries listed in the Protocol face reductions in carbon dioxide emissions of more than 10% compared to projected 1997 carbon dioxide emissions (Najam & Page 1998).

scholarly journals All change for climate change

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony R Walker
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
New York ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Ipcc Report ◽  
Single Use

Governments, corporations and individuals all need to take immediate action to help change the global economy toward a circular economy. A circular economy which uses fewer resources and based on renewable clean technologies to help limit global warming to 1.5 °C. The 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report warned that limiting global warming to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels would require current greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions to be cut in half by 2030. Yet actions by governments, corporations and individuals are lagging behind. Many countries are failing their obligations made under the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Even the International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency set a 50% reduction target of GHG emissions for global shipping by 2050, but this falls short of the IPCC target by 20 years. The United Nations climate summit in New York this week (September 2019) needs to send a strong wake up call to the entire world for us all to change. Change makers like Greta Thunberg has already done that. Individual actions to change consumer behaviour can play a major role to help reduce GHG emissions. Even reducing use of single-use plastics (a petroleum derivative) and incineration can help reduce GHG emissions. GHG emissions from plastics could reach 15% of the global carbon budget by 2050 if not curbed. In Europe, plastic production and incineration emits an estimated ~400 million tonnes of CO2 per year. Therefore, reducing single-use plastic use could curb GHG emissions.

scholarly journals Growing our future: Assessing the outcome of afforestation programs in Ontario, Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 97 (02) ◽  
pp. 179-190
Author(s):  
Georgina K. Magnus ◽  
Elizabeth Celanowicz ◽  
Mihai Voicu ◽  
Mark Hafer ◽  
Juha M. Metsaranta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Auxiliary Data ◽  
Carbon Budget Model ◽  
Change Mitigation

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) requires its signatories, including Canada, to estimate and report their annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals. Forests are an important natural resource as they slow the accumulation of atmospheric carbon through the process of carbon sequestration. Due to the role of forests as carbon sinks, governments consider afforestation projects as feasible climate change mitigation strategies. This article outlines a spatially-explicit approach to validating afforestation data in Ontario, Canada. Validation is a user-supervised process that uses satellite imagery, remote sensing tools, and other auxiliary data to confirm the presence of seedlings planted through Forests Ontario’s 50 Million Tree program. Of the 12 466 hectares assessed, 83% is identified as afforested, 6% is not afforested and 10% is not determined. The area classified as successful afforestation is used as input for the Generic Carbon Budget Model (GCBM), to simulate afforestation effects on carbon stocks. Our findings show the afforestation activities will create a small carbon sink by 2060. From this project, it is evident that spatial validation of afforestation data is feasible, although the collection of additional standardized auxiliary data is recommended for future afforestation projects, if carbon benefits are to be reported.

scholarly journals INTEGRATES ASSESSMENT MODELS (IAMS) APPLIED TO CLIMATRE CHANGE AND ENERGY TRANSITION

10.6036/9922 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-321
Author(s):  
IGNACIO DE BLAS ◽  
LUIS JAVIER MIGUEL GONZALEZ ◽  
CARLOS DE CASTRO CARRANZA
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Complex Simulation ◽  
Energy Economy ◽  
Mitigate Climate Change ◽  
Complex Relationships

The climate change that is currently occurring is due to the increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere as a result of human activity. The large number of factors and variables that directly or indirectly affect GHG emissions, as well as the multiple and complex relationships between them, makes it difficult to make decisions on the best measures to be adopted to slow down or mitigate climate change and to analyze the consequences that each decision entails. This has led to the development of complex simulation models called Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) or Energy-Economy-Environment Models (E3 models), with a particular focus on climate change. The development and use of these models to guide policy decisions on climate change has grown very significantly in recent years, as evidenced by the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This paper is a panoramic review of the main existing IAMs and analyzes their main characteristics. The paper focuses especially on the analysis of the limitations of the current IAMs, which should mark the future developments of these tools.

scholarly journals Detection of large above-ground biomass variability in lowland forest ecosystems by airborne LiDAR

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 3917-3930 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Jubanski ◽  
U. Ballhorn ◽  
K. Kronseder ◽  
F. Siegert ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Airborne Lidar ◽  
Above Ground Biomass ◽  
Inventory Data ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Lowland Forest ◽  
Change Models ◽  
Ground Biomass

Abstract. Quantification of tropical forest above-ground biomass (AGB) over large areas as input for Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) projects and climate change models is challenging. This is the first study which attempts to estimate AGB and its variability across large areas of tropical lowland forests in Central Kalimantan (Indonesia) through correlating airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) to forest inventory data. Two LiDAR height metrics were analysed, and regression models could be improved through the use of LiDAR point densities as input (R2 = 0.88; n = 52). Surveying with a LiDAR point density per square metre of about 4 resulted in the best cost / benefit ratio. We estimated AGB for 600 km of LiDAR tracks and showed that there exists a considerable variability of up to 140% within the same forest type due to varying environmental conditions. Impact from logging operations and the associated AGB losses dating back more than 10 yr could be assessed by LiDAR but not by multispectral satellite imagery. Comparison with a Landsat classification for a 1 million ha study area where AGB values were based on site-specific field inventory data, regional literature estimates, and default values by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) showed an overestimation of 43%, 102%, and 137%, respectively. The results show that AGB overestimation may lead to wrong greenhouse gas (GHG) emission estimates due to deforestation in climate models. For REDD+ projects this leads to inaccurate carbon stock estimates and consequently to significantly wrong REDD+ based compensation payments.

scholarly journals Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agriculture, with Particular Emphasis on Emissions from Energy Used

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3784
Author(s):  
Piotr Gołasa ◽  
Marcin Wysokiński ◽  
Wioletta Bieńkowska-Gołasa ◽  
Piotr Gradziuk ◽  
Magdalena Golonko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Minor Importance ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Emission Volume

The relationship between agriculture and climate change is two-sided. Agriculture is the branch of the economy most affected by the ongoing processes. It is also a large emitter of greenhouse gases and there are more and more voices about the need to reduce emissions. The purpose of the study was, based on FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network) data, to determine the structure of greenhouse gas emissions in farms and to identify types of farms where it is possible to reduce GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions through better energy use. The emission volume was determined on the basis of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) methodology modified for the FADN data. The emissions related to the production of energy were found to be of minor importance compared to other emission sources. Only in the horticultural crop type is the emission from the Energy section the dominant stream of GHG emission. The greatest emissions come from livestock production. Therefore, the emphasis on reducing emissions should not be placed on the Energy sector because, except for the type of horticultural farm, there is not much potential for reduction. The introduction of taxes for GHG emissions at the level of 27.31 EUR/t would reduce farm income from 21% for the type of field crops to 40% for the type of herbivorous animals. The exception is low-emission permanent crops, where the decrease in income would be only 3.85%.

scholarly journals Detection of large above ground biomass variability in lowland forest ecosystems by airborne LiDAR

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 11815-11842 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Jubanski ◽  
U. Ballhorn ◽  
K. Kronseder ◽  
J. Franke ◽  
F. Siegert
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Airborne Lidar ◽  
Above Ground Biomass ◽  
Inventory Data ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Lowland Forest ◽  
Change Models ◽  
Ground Biomass

Abstract. Quantification of tropical forest Above Ground Biomass (AGB) over large areas as input for Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) projects and climate change models is challenging. This is the first study which attempts to estimate AGB and its variability across large areas of tropical lowland forests in Central Kalimantan (Indonesia) through correlating airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) to forest inventory data. Two LiDAR height metrics were analysed and regression models could be improved through the use of LiDAR point densities as input (R2 = 0.88; n = 52). Surveying with a LiDAR point density per square meter of 2–4 resulted in the best cost-benefit ratio. We estimated AGB for 600 km of LiDAR tracks and showed that there exists a considerable variability of up to 140% within the same forest type due to varying environmental conditions. Impact from logging operations and the associated AGB losses dating back more than 10 yr could be assessed by LiDAR but not by multispectral satellite imagery. Comparison with a Landsat classification for a 1 million ha study area where AGB values were based on site specific field inventory data, regional literature estimates, and default values by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) showed an overestimation of 46%, 102%, and 137%, respectively. The results show that AGB overestimation may lead to wrong GHG emission estimates due to deforestation in climate models. For REDD+ projects this leads to inaccurate carbon stock estimates and consequently to significantly wrong REDD+ based compensation payments.

scholarly journals The role of temperate treed swamps as a carbon sink in southwestern Nova Scotia

2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-88
Author(s):  
Rachel A. Kendall ◽  
Karen A. Harper ◽  
David Burton ◽  
Kevin Hamdan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Forested Wetlands ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C Cycle

Forested wetlands may represent important ecosystems for mitigating climate change effects through carbon (C) sequestration because of their slow decomposition and C storage by trees. Despite this potential importance, few studies have acknowledged the role of temperate treed swamps in the C cycle. In southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada, we examined the role of treed swamps in the soil C cycle by determining C inputs through litterfall, assessing decomposition rates and soil C pools, and quantifying C outputs through soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The treed swamps were found to represent large supplies of C inputs through litterfall to the forest floor. The swamp soils had substantially greater C stores than the swamp–upland edge or upland soils. We found growing season C inputs via litterfall to exceed C outputs via GHG emissions in the swamps by a factor of about 2.5. Our findings indicate that temperate treed swamps can remain a C sink even if soil GHG emissions were to double, supporting conservation efforts to preserve temperate treed swamps as a measure to mitigate climate change.

scholarly journals THE CONTRIBUTION OF ROMANIA TO CLIMATE CHANGE – THE EFFECTS OF ACCOUNTING THE GHG EMISSIONS FROM LAND USE, LAND-USE CHANGE AND FORESTRY (LULUCF)

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-20
Author(s):  
Ramona Ionela Zgavarogea ◽  
Mihaela Iordache ◽  
Andreea Maria Iordache ◽  
Marius Constantinescu ◽  
Felicia Bucura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
National Level ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Mk Test ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
The Eu

This study aimed to analyze Romanian (RO) involvement in the LULUCF sector by considering the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) good practice guidance (GPG). Trends were assessed using the Mann-Kendall (MK) test for trend estimation to determine the total greenhouse gas (GHG) (GHGCO₂-eq.) emissions/ removals. The results emphasized the increasing average annual levels of emissions/removals in both the EU-28 and RO when the subperiods from 1990-2005 and 2005-2017 were analyzed. Kendall’s analysis of GHG removal showed a positive trend in Romanian GHG removals, and no trend was observed for the EU-28. In comparison, the emissions indicated an increasing trend for RO and a decreasing trend for the EU-28. The GHGCO₂-eq. generated by the LULUCF sector decreased to an average annual rate of 0.5% per year in the EU-28. In Romania, these emissions increased by approximately 0.2% per year on average. Between 1990 and 2017, the CO2 total absorption increased to 0.9% per year. The methane absorption also increased by 11.7% per year, and no significant increasing trend was observed for methane. The dynamics of GHGCO₂-eq. emissions/removals in RO and LULUCF sectors showed that settlement had decreased in wetlands, and settlement of other land areas had increased. Assessing GHG gas emissions is essential for allowing each sector to promote specific strategies, policies and action plans. This will improve the national-level monitoring of the LULUCF sector and make this information more accessible to decision makers by raising awareness of the Romanian position within the EU-28

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