Poster template

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NERC Centre of Excellence in Terrestrial Carbon
Dynamics - CTCD SHEFFIELD Shaun Quegan Tony
OHagan EDINBURGH John Grace YORK Phil
Ineson Ian Woodward Clive Anderson UCL
Philip Lewis FOREST RESEARCH Sam
Evans

Biomass Estimation using Tandem Coherence
Facilities
Scientific Organisation of the Centre
ERS Tandem coherence can be used to map the age
of forest stands up to an age of 20-25 years.
This is important for carbon accounting, since
young plantation forests are initially a source
of atmospheric CO2, only becoming a carbon sink
10-15 years after planting.
Flux Tower, Harwood Forest, Northumberland (Univ.
Edinburgh)
Estimating the terrestrial component of the
carbon cycle requires observation and modelling
to be combined in an assimilation
process. Threaded throughout this diagram are
issues of uncertainty.
Figure 1. Coherence map of Kielder Forest,
predominantly low coherence for mature stands.
Younger stands within the forest are clearly
indicated in the coherence image.
Mobile isotropic soil respiration measurement
facility
0 No vegetation
Key People
Comparing model simulations of catchment stream
flow with observations
0-10 years
10-20 years
Figure 2. Coherence derived age structure map
with compartment GIS overlay (white).
Prof. S. Quegan Director s.quegan_at_shef.ac.uk Pro
f. F.I. Woodward Deputy Dir. f.i.woodward_at_shef.a
c.uk Dr P. Taylor Information
Manager paul.taylor_at_forestry.gsi.gov.uk Mrs M.
Bullock Administrator m.bullock_at_shef.ac.uk Dr
Steven Briggs Chairman, CTCD Steering
Committee stephen.briggs_at_esa.int CTCD website
http//www.shef.ac.uk/ctcd
0gt20 years
Future research plans
Primary questions being addressed by the Centre
are 1. How can Earth Observation (EO) data be
best exploited to reduce the uncertainty in
terrestrial carbon budget calculations, at
scales ranging from local to global? 2. How
can we assimilate EO data into numerical models
of C fluxes? 3. By testing models with EO
data, can we increase confidence in their
predictive power?
Funding Organisations
NERC Natural Environment Research Council ESA
European Space Agency EU European Union BNSC
British National Space Centre EPSRC Engineering
and Physical Sciences Research Council
Answering these questions will lead to
improved estimates of carbon fluxes
quantified uncertainty of these estimates
priorities for data and model development to
reduce uncertainty
Collaborators
The Sheffield Dynamic Global Vegetation Model is
one of the models used in the NERC Centre for
Terrestrial Carbon Dynamics for simulating past,
present and future carbon sequestration by
vegetation. The model also simulates
transpiration and evaporation from vegetation,
which allows simulations of water movement and
therefore water resources through catchments.
JRC - Joint Research Centre (Italy) CESBIO
Centre d'Etudes Spatiales de la Biosphère
(France) University of Maryland (U.S.A.)