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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 1 forest biomass estimates from Earth Observation
  • +24
  • Neha Hunka,
  • Laura Duncanson,
  • John Armston,
  • Ralph Dubayah,
  • Sean P Healey,
  • Maurizio Santoro,
  • Paul May,
  • Arnan Araza,
  • Clement Bourgoin,
  • Paul Montesano,
  • Christopher S R Neigh,
  • Hedley Grantham,
  • Peter Potapov,
  • Svetlana Turubanova,
  • Alexandra Tyukavina,
  • Jessica Richter,
  • Nancy Harris,
  • Mikhail Urbazaev,
  • Adrian Pascual,
  • Daniela Requena Suarez,
  • Martin Herold,
  • Benjamin Poulter,
  • Sylvia N Wilson,
  • Giacomo Grassi,
  • Sandro Federici,
  • Maria J Sanz Sanchez,
  • Joana Melo
Neha Hunka
Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland

Corresponding Author:nhunka@umd.edu

Author Profile
Laura Duncanson
Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland
John Armston
Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland
Ralph Dubayah
Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland
Sean P Healey
US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station
Maurizio Santoro
GAMMA Remote Sensing Research and Consulting AG
Paul May
South Dakota Mines
Arnan Araza
Laboratory of Geo-Information and Remote Sensing, Wageningen University and Research
Clement Bourgoin
Joint Research Centre, European Commission
Paul Montesano
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, ADNET Systems, Inc
Christopher S R Neigh
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Hedley Grantham
Bush Heritage Australia, Centre for Ecosystem Science, University of New South Wales
Peter Potapov
Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland
Svetlana Turubanova
Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland
Alexandra Tyukavina
Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland
Jessica Richter
World Resources Institute
Nancy Harris
World Resources Institute
Mikhail Urbazaev
Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland
Adrian Pascual
Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland
Daniela Requena Suarez
Helmholtz Center Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics
Martin Herold
Laboratory of Geo-Information and Remote Sensing, Wageningen University and Research, Helmholtz Center Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics
Benjamin Poulter
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Sylvia N Wilson
United States Geological Survey
Giacomo Grassi
Joint Research Centre, European Commission
Sandro Federici
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, IGES
Maria J Sanz Sanchez
Joana Melo
Joint Research Centre, European Commission

Abstract

Aboveground biomass density (AGBD) estimates from Earth Observation (EO) can be presented with the consistency standards mandated by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This article delivers AGBD estimates, in the format of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 1 values for natural forests, sourced from National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) and Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat-2), and European Space Agency's (ESA's) Climate Change Initiative (CCI). It also provides the underlying classification of forests by ecozones, continents and status (primary, young (≤20 years) and old secondary (>20 years)) as geospatial layers. The approaches leverage strengths of various EO-derived datasets, compiled in an open-science framework through the Multi-mission Algorithm and Analysis Platform (MAAP), enabling flexibility to adopt new datasets. EO-based AGBD estimates are expected to contribute to the IPCC Emission Factors Database in support of UNFCCC processes, and the forest classification expected to support the generation of other policy-relevant datasets while reflecting ongoing shifts in global forests with climate change.