GOFC-GOLD working group on biomass

Background

Vegetation biomass is a crucial ecological variable for understanding the status, condition, and potential future changes to the climate system. Vegetation biomass is a large global store of carbon. Changes in the amount of vegetation biomass have been identified as having an effect on the C02 content of the global atmosphere. Forest utilization and management activities, through harvesting, deforestation (conversion to non-forest land use), or reforestation impact and add complexity the nature of the flow of carbon between forests and the atmosphere.

The complex interaction between elements such as forest growth, decay, productivity, and disturbances result in forests acting as a source or sink of carbon to the atmosphere and having the potential either to sequester additional carbon in the future or to become a net source. Overcoming observation and measurement inconsistencies and uncertainties are critical to better understand the role of forests in the global carbon exchange. Therefore, a global assessment of biomass and related dynamics are essential inputs to climate change forecasting models and mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Role for GOFC-GOLD

During the 3rd GOFC-GOLD Land Cover Symposium (October 2008, in Jena) and during recent Executive Committee communications initial discussions have begun on the development of a Biomass working group within GOFC-GOLD. There are a number of needs for such a working group and for GOFC-GOLD to lead such an effort:

• Need for international coordination and communication platform to enhance biomass monitoring using a combination of remote sensing and in-situ observations for biomass estimation.
• Bridging needs and requirements from the international user community with remote sensing observation progress developed in the research domain by specifying suitable products towards operational implementation,
• Support and integrate evolving international projects and programmes to improve the global monitoring of biomass as Essential Climate Variable,
• Investigate and communicate opportunities for the harmonization of the different methodologies for data collection, analysis, and validation,
• Foster cooperation and exchange of data and information among different communities and agencies involved in biomass and carbon assessments,
• Integrate activities with a number of other relevant ECV observation products, in particular of land cover and fire.

Working Group objectives

There are a number of precursor activities to the working group that have been ongoing within GOFC-GOLD. They will provide the starting point for a more coordinated group effort, including e.g.: support the development of the standard ECV report for biomass, co-lead of relevant GEO tasks (i.e. global forest and land cover monitoring and Forest Community of Practice), and support of space agencies and their efforts for improved biomass monitoring including the development of dedicated space-borne missions.

Working Group Output

The presentations of the participants are now online an can be downloaded below. The report of the First GOFC-GOLD biomass working group meeting will be updated soon.

Link to the presentations

For further information please contact: Martin Herold.