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Primary Production

Primary Production

The total amount of energy acquired by primary producers in an ecosystem is called gross primary production (GPP). However, of this energy, producers use some for metabolic processes, and some is lost as heat, decreasing the amount of energy available to the next trophic level. The remaining usable amount of energy is called the net primary productivity (NPP). In terrestrial ecosystems, NPP is driven by climate, while light penetration and nutrient availability drive NPP in aquatic ecosystems.

Trophic Efficiency

Trophic Efficiency

Trophic level transfer efficiency (TLTE) is a measure of the total energy transfer from one trophic level to the next. Due to extensive energy loss as metabolic heat, an average of only 10% of the original energy obtained is passed on to the next level. This pattern of energy loss severely limits the possible number of trophic levels in a food chain.

The Carbon Cycle

The Carbon Cycle

Carbon is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and is recycled through the ecosystem in two primary processes: one in which carbon is exchanged among living organisms, and one in which carbon is cycled over long periods of time through fossilized organic remains, weathering of rocks, and volcanic activity. Human activities, including increased agricultural practices and the burning of fossil fuels, has greatly affected the balance of the natural carbon cycle.

Global Climate Change

Global Climate Change

Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.

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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 1 forest biomass estimates from Earth Observation.

Neha Hunka¹, Laura Duncanson², John Armston²

¹Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, 4600 River Road, Riverdale, 20737, Maryland, USA. nhunka@umd.edu.

Scientific Data

|October 14, 2024

Summary

Earth Observation (EO) provides consistent Aboveground Biomass Density (AGBD) estimates for natural forests. These data support United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reporting and global forest monitoring.

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Area of Science:

Earth Observation
Forestry Science
Climate Change Science

Background:

Accurate Aboveground Biomass Density (AGBD) estimation is crucial for global carbon accounting and climate change mitigation efforts.
Existing methods for AGBD estimation often lack standardized reporting formats required by international bodies like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Earth Observation (EO) data offer a scalable solution for consistent AGBD monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

To deliver standardized Aboveground Biomass Density (AGBD) estimates for natural forests.
To provide geospatial layers classifying global forests by ecozones, continents, and age status (primary, young, old secondary).
To support the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Emission Factors Database and UNFCCC reporting processes.

Main Methods:

Utilized data from NASA's Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) and ICESat-2, and ESA's Climate Change Initiative (CCI).
Integrated various EO-derived datasets within an open-science framework using the Multi-mission Algorithm and Analysis Platform (MAAP).
Applied IPCC Tier 1 methodologies for AGBD estimation and developed forest classification layers.

Main Results:

Generated IPCC Tier 1 AGBD estimates for global natural forests.
Produced geospatial layers delineating forest types, locations, and age classes.
Established a flexible, open-science framework for incorporating future EO datasets.

Conclusions:

EO-based AGBD estimates and forest classifications provide valuable, independent contributions to climate change reporting.
The developed framework enhances transparency and adaptability for future global forest monitoring.
These datasets will aid policy-relevant analyses and track shifts in global forests due to climate change.