Resource description:
Terrestrial ecosystems regulate climate by their exchange of greenhouse gases with the atmosphere. The "Greenhouse Gas Value"(GHGV) is a measure for the greenhouse gas benefit of preserving an ecosystem over a multi-year time frame, or the cost in terms of greenhouse gases when the ecosystem is cleared. GHGV is an adequate measure to assess the climate regulation service that ecosystems provide. The contribution of CO2 to GHGV was quantified in a global study using a dynamic vegetation model which outcomes are presented in an online application.It visualizes GHGV and its changes from pre-industrial time to future scenarios and shows the effect of the three environmental drivers climate, atmospheric CO2 concentration, and land use on GHGV.
Author/Contact:
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Tel. +49 8821 183 121
Anita Bayer: anita.bayer@kit.edu
Images
Requirements:
- Web browser
Advantages:
- Comprehensive perspective of greenhouse gas storage and flux and effect of ecosystem disturbance in one metric
- GHGV can be used as joint metric for multiple greenhouse gases (CO2, N2O, CH4), current study and application encompass CO2 only
- Useful for assessing ecosystem climate regulation for large-scale application, and appropriate basis for monetary valuation
Constraints:
- GHGV estimates are provided for the global scale and are not intended for small scale application
- Online application is for information and area-based queries. For data access see contacts below
DOI reference:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.03.004
Additional information:
The procedure of GHGV assessments using a dynamic vegetation model is detailed in Bayer et al. (2015). The online application shows selected layers of GHGV for different time steps and change maps and allows queries for pre- and user-defined areas.
Licence:
- Public/open source
Development stage:
- Early access - beta phase