Page 81 - GIS for Science, Volume 3 Preview

FOREST CARBON MONITORING AND ACCOUNTING
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Carbon is 1 emitted through the combustion of fossil fuels and through the decay and combustion
of organic material such as wood. In contrast, carbon can be sequestered from the atmosphere through the growth of trees.
2
Monitoring forest carbon focuses on improving estimation of forest carbon pools
beyond standing trees, such as litter, downed deadwood, and soil, and extending 3 inventory data to all lands using remote sensing. The FIA program continues
to develop and improve upon methods of characterizing, monitoring, and communicating forest carbon pools. This science contributes to and refines the estimates for UNFCCC reporting.
Many landowners do not have the resources to establish forest inventory networks to provide accurate and precise estimates of forest carbon pools on their lands needed for a variety of applications, including participating in carbon markets. Forest carbon estimates based on the integration of FIA and remotely sensed data can provide a rigorous and accessible way for people to access forest carbon data.
National mapping efforts provide estimates of forest carbon pools—1) live tree, 2) deadwood and litter carbon, and 3) soil carbon, which are synthsized and summarized for the public through maps.
Recognizing the need to monitor the emission and sequestration of carbon on Earth, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) called for annual monitoring of carbon among signatory nations. This annual monitoring effort is known as the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory (NGHGI). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) leads this effort in the United States with input from other federal agencies.
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