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Long‐term, high‐spatial resolution carbon balance monitoring of the Amazonian frontier: Predisturbance and postdisturbance carbon emissions and uptake
Author(s) -
Toomey Michael,
Roberts Dar A.,
CavigliaHarris Jill,
Cochrane Mark A.,
Dewes Candida F.,
Harris Daniel,
Numata Izaya,
Sales Marcio H.,
Sills Erin,
Souza Carlos M.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: biogeosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-8961
pISSN - 2169-8953
DOI - 10.1002/jgrg.20033
Subject(s) - deforestation (computer science) , greenhouse gas , environmental science , land cover , carbon fibers , carbon sequestration , climate change , land use , forestry , geography , ecology , carbon dioxide , materials science , composite number , computer science , composite material , biology , programming language
We performed high‐spatial and high‐temporal resolution modeling of carbon stocks and fluxes in the state of Rondônia, Brazil for the period 1985–2009, using annual Landsat‐derived land cover classifications and a modified bookkeeping modeling approach. According to these results, Rondônia contributed 3.5–4% of pantropical humid forest deforestation emissions over this period. Similar to well‐known figures reported by the Brazilian Space Agency, we found a decline in deforestation rates since 2006. However, we estimate a lesser decrease, with deforestation rates continuing at levels similar to the early 2000s. Forest carbon stocks declined at an annual rate of 1.51%; emissions from postdisturbance land use nearly equaled those of the initial deforestation events. Carbon uptake by secondary forest was negligible due to limited spatial extent and high turnover rates. Net carbon emissions represented 93% of initial forest carbon stocks, due in part to repeated slash and pasture burnings and secondary forest clearing. We analyzed potential error incurred when spatially aggregating land cover by comparing results based on coarser‐resolution (250 m) and full‐resolution land cover products. At the coarser resolution, more than 90% of deforestation and secondary forest would be unresolvable, assuming that a 50% change threshold is necessary for detection. Therefore, we strongly suggest the use of Landsat‐scale (~30m) resolution carbon monitoring in tropical regions dominated by nonmechanized, smallholder land use change.