NASA Terrestrial Ecology Program

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NASA Terrestrial Ecology Program

• Goal To improve understanding of the structure
  and function of global terrestrial ecosystems,
  their interactions with the atmosphere and
  hydrosphere, and their role in the cycling of the
  major biogeochemical elements and water
• Science Questions
• How are global ecosystems changing?
• How do ecosystems, land cover and biogeochemical
  cycles respond to and affect global environmental
  change?
• What are the consequences of land cover and land
  use change for human societies and the
  sustainability of ecosystems?
• How will ecosystems change in the future?

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NASAs Unique Role in Ecological Research

• NASAs carbon cycle and ecosystems research
  programs lead in providing remote sensing data,
  remote sensing data analysis, and modeling.
  Also
• we are a champion for the global, synoptic
  perspective,
• we are committed to understanding and
  documenting the biophysical basis for remote
  sensing observations,
• we are a major player in ecosystem, carbon
  cycle, and biogeochemical cycle model
  development, both diagnostic and prognostic, and
• we are able to organize and support focused
  field campaigns and other large, coordinated
  projects

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Carbon Cycle Research

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NASA Carbon Cycle Research

• To improve understanding of the global carbon
  cycle and to quantify changes in atmospheric CO2
  and CH4 concentrations as well as terrestrial and

aquatic carbon storage in response to fossil fuel
combustion, land use and land cover change, and
other human activities and natural events.
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NASA Carbon Cycle Research

• NASAs approach to investigating the global
  carbon cycle is broad-based and balanced, but
  emphasizes NASAs unique capabilities and
  strengths. NASA research
• Focuses on utilizing existing satellite data and
  developing new capabilities for space-based
  global observations of greenhouse gases, carbon
  stocks, and primary productivity (i.e., carbon
  fixation by photosynthetic organisms)
• Addresses/quantifies atmospheric, terrestrial,
  and aquatic carbon reservoirs
• Uses spatial information from remote sensing data
  to scale up site-based measurements of carbon
  storage and carbon fluxes to the atmosphere
• Conducts calibration/validation of satellite
  data algorithm development airborne field
  campaigns process investigations and data
  analysis/integration/assimilation
• Develops advanced, quantitative carbon models,
  carbon data assimilation models, and coupled
  carbon-climate models
• Develops and demonstrates technologies that
  enable improved future capability for the
  nation
• ? NASAs annual investment in carbon cycle
  science and satellite missions is 170M

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Satellite Measurements of Carbon (1)

• Land Cover and Terrestrial Ecosystem Properties
  (systematic global time series)
• Maps of land cover and vegetation type
  quantification of land cover change, disturbance,
  and regrowth
• Estimates of vegetation greenness and
  productivity
• Detection of active fires, burned area, and fire
  emissions
• Ocean Color and Ecosystem Properties (systematic
  global time series)
• Estimates of chlorophyll concentration and
  productivity to infer carbon uptake/export to the
  deep ocean
• Estimates of phytoplankton carbon for improved
  estimates of carbon stocks
• Estimates of pCO2 for air-sea CO2 fluxes
• Other Earth Surface Properties
• Land surface freeze-thaw status (from microwave
  sensors) to estimate growing season length (a key
  control on annual carbon uptake/release) at high
  latitudes
• Land surface inundation duration and extent (from
  microwave sensors) to estimate methane (CH4)
  fluxes from wetlands

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NASA Observations for Forest Carbon

• Landsat (NASA/USGS)
• Seasonal imagery _at_ 30m resolution gives
• Area of forest cover change
• Forest canopy degradation
• Detection of disturbance/regrowth
• LDCM to launch 2012
• Landsat data are now free from US archive

Figure courtesy of J. Masek and C. Tucker, NASA
GSFC
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Satellite Measurements of Carbon (2)

• Vegetation Canopy Volume, Height , and Vertical
  Profile
• Regional/global measurements of vegetation volume
  scattering to estimate aboveground carbon storage
  in low biomass vegetation types (Radar)
• Globally distributed sampling measurements of
  canopy height and vertical profile to accurately
  estimate aboveground carbon storage (Lidar)
• Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Concentration
• Coarse resolution estimates of CO2 high in the
  atmosphere to improve/constrain atmospheric
  models
• Accurate and precise estimates of CO2 in the
  total atmospheric column, with good sensitivity
  to CO2 low in the atmosphere, to locate and
  quantify surface sources and sinks of carbon

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DESDynI Radar and Lidar Capabilities for Biomass
and Aboveground Carbon Storage
Multi-beam Lidar accurate biomass and canopy
profiles (along-track) at 25 m resolution, extend
spatially with radar
L-band Radar high resolution mapping of low
forest biomass and disturbance, extend
sensitivity with lidar
Terrestrial Carbon Storage and Changes
Figure courtesy of J. Masek and C. Tucker, NASA
GSFC
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Orbiting Carbon Observatory Mission

• OCO will measure CO2 O2 globally from space.

Validation establishes accuracy and characterizes
bias.
OCO CO2 data will be used in atmospheric
transport models to locate and quantify surface
carbon sources and sinks.
Sophisticated retrieval algorithms will estimate
averaged atmospheric column CO2 content with
accuracies of 0.3 on regional scales.
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What Can NASA Do for Carbon Monitoring /
Verification of Compliance with Carbon Policies?

• Scientific Carbon Monitoring Analysis for Full
  Carbon Accounting
• Quantification of the carbon impacts of
  disturbance/recovery (global with MODIS, GLAS,
  and/or Japans PALSAR U.S. with Landsat/LDCM,
  Land Surface Imaging Constellation, and forest
  inventory data)
• Proof-of-concept on utility of GOSAT ( OCO-2)
  observations for identifying and quantifying
  regional-local carbon sources and sinks first
  comparison with traditional methods could be done
  and future requirements established
• Proof-of-concept on utility of a combined lidar
  and radar data product to quantify aboveground
  carbon storage in forests with DESDynI mission
  if successful end-of-mission product could be
  compared with traditional reporting and serve to
  establish a baseline for assessing future changes
• Carbon Monitoring in Support of Verification /
  Carbon Markets
• Scientific carbon monitoring results/products can
  be used as a check on the consistency, validity,
  and/or reliability of official carbon
  emissions/sequestration reporting
• As remote sensing products improve and confidence
  in their applicability/utility grows, operational
  systems could evolve to include or wholly rely on
  them

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NASA Carbon Monitoring System Pilot Initiative

• The Fiscal Year 2010 Congressional Appropriation
  requires NASA to initiate work towards a Carbon
  Monitoring System (CMS), and provides some
  specific direction, including that NASA replicate
  state and national carbon and biomass inventory
  processes as well as carry out pre-phase A and
  pilot initiatives for the development of a CMS.
  The required funding level in FY2010 is 6M.
• Current planning is considering pilot products
  and scoping activities, for example
• Biomass Pilot Product focused on quantifying
  terrestrial vegetation carbon stocks
• Integrated Emission/Uptake (Flux) Product
  focused on developing a global product for
  integrated emission/uptake of atmospheric carbon
  dioxide
• Scoping Study focused on mapping NASAs evolving
  observational and modeling capability and the
  ability of the research community to use this
  capability to enhance information products to
  meet policy and decision-making requirements.

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Ecosystems Research

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Ecosystems Major Objectives

• How ecosystems respond to changes in climate in
  combination with other contemporary environmental
  changes such as changes in land use and
  management, invasions of exotic species and the
  direct effects of CO2 is unclear.
• Resolution of these uncertainties is needed
  because of the profound implications for future
  climate, food production, biodiversity,
  sustainable resource management, and the
  maintenance of a healthy, productive
  environment.

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NASA Ecosystems Research

• NASAs approach to investigating the global
  ecosystems emphasizes NASAs unique capabilities
  and strengths. NASA research
• Focuses on utilizing existing satellite data and
  developing new capabilities for space-based
  global observations of ecosystem structure and
  function (including vegetation composition,
  physiology, phenology, successional processes,
  biodiversity, and the biophysics of remote
  sensing)
• Uses spatial information from remote sensing data
  to scale up site-based measurements to regional
  and global scales
• Conducts calibration/validation of satellite
  data algorithm development airborne field
  campaigns process investigations and data
  analysis/integration/assimilation
• Develops advanced, quantitative ecosystem models,
  dynamic global vegetation models (DGVM),
  soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer models
  (SVAT), and coupled ecosystem-climate models
• Develops and demonstrates technologies that
  enable improved future capability for the
  nation
• ? NASAs annual investment in carbon cycle
  science and satellite missions is 95M

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NASA TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY (TE) PROGRAM NEXT FIELD
CAMPAIGN

• To date, no national or international program has
  proposed/developed an idea for a next major TE
  field campaign nor has the NASA TE community
• In ROSES-2009, TE solicited for scoping studies
  for a major field campaign or related large
  project and 2 studies were selected and funded
  for 12 month scoping studies
• Challenges and Opportunities in Remote Sensing of
  Global Savannas A Scoping Study for a New TE
  Field Campaign  (Hanan)
• Vulnerability and Resiliency of Arctic and
  Sub-Arctic Landscapes (VuRSAL) - The Role of
  Interactions between Climate, Permafrost,
  Hydrology, and Disturbance in Driving Ecosystem
  Processes  (Kasischke)
• Other ideas will be entertained there is no
  commitment to conduct one or the other or both.

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Our Terrestrial Ecology Program Science
Investigators Meeting

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TE Meeting Planning Committee
Laura Bourgeau-Chavez, Michigan Tech Research
Institute G. James Collatz, NASA GSFC Carla
Evans, NASA GSFC/Sigma Space Corp. Peter
Griffith, NASA GSFC/Sigma Space Corp. Simon J.
Hook, JPL Ralph Keeling, UCSD   (Local
Host) Josef Kellndorfer, Woods Hole Research
Center John S. Kimball, University of Montana
Jeffrey Masek, NASA GSFC Christopher Potter,
NASA ARC K. Jon Ranson, NASA GSFC Crystal Schaaf,
Boston University Philip Townsend, University of
Wisconsin Diane E. Wickland, NASA HQ Darrel
Williams, Global Science Technology, Inc.      
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TE Meeting Planning Committee
Laura Bourgeau-Chavez, Michigan Tech Research
Institute G. James Collatz, NASA GSFC Carla
Evans, NASA GSFC/Sigma Space Corp. Peter
Griffith, NASA GSFC/Sigma Space Corp. Simon J.
Hook, JPL Ralph Keeling, UCSD   (Local
Host) Josef Kellndorfer, Woods Hole Research
Center John S. Kimball, University of Montana
Jeffrey Masek, NASA GSFC Christopher Potter,
NASA ARC K. Jon Ranson, NASA GSFC Crystal Schaaf,
Boston University Philip Townsend, University of
Wisconsin Diane E. Wickland, NASA HQ Darrel
Williams, Global Science Technology, Inc.      
Thank You!
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Our Aspirations for this Meeting

• You will use this meeting to advance your
  contribution toward achieving the goals of the
  NASA Terrestrial Ecology Program
• You will share your scientific knowledge and
  experience with each other
• You will identify problems / deficiencies and
  recommend solutions (for the most part, with a
  focus on problems/solutions that we/I have the
  capacity to act upon)
• You will identify opportunities to advance our
  science and/or conduct it more efficiently, and
  recommend options for doing so
• We are looking for help and new ideas to improve
  the content and management of the TE Program
• ? This meeting is for you, too, and we encourage
  you to take full advantage!

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My Aspirations for this Meeting

• I would like to receive some inputs on
  scientific directions / next challenges for the
  program
• I would like to hear from the TE community
  regarding priorities for data products and their
  stewardship
• I would like to hear from the TE community about
  more effective use of airborne instruments/platfor
  ms and thoughts about a next major field campaign
• I would like some help in managing/implementing
  the program
• ideas on best ways to seek and receive TE
  community inputs
• ideas on how to more routinely and
  systematically develop research highlights for
  NASA reporting/metrics
• feedback on how often to meet as the NASA TE
  community and a new committee to plan the next
  meeting/workshop

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NASA Terrestrial Ecology Meeting Structure

• Plenary Sessions
• To provide information on current scientific
  activities, programs, plans
• To focus on TE research activities and
  accomplishments
• To provide background on data, missions,
  networks, etc.
• To get us all on the same page more or less
  regarding the TE program and related national and
  international activities!
• Talks to stimulate thinking and motivate future
  research
• Poster Sessions
• For researchers to share with each other their
  latest results and research project plans,
  activities, etc.
• For the leaders of related activities to provide
  technical information of interest to the TE
  community
• ? To exchange the latest scientific and technical
  results
• Break-out Discussions
• To discuss research progress and needs
• To identify problems / gaps / deficiencies in
  the TE Program
• To identify opportunities to pursue new science
  or implement the programs activities more
  efficiently
• ? To identify solutions/options and make
  recommendations

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Break-Out Discussions

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What is Wanted from the Break-Outs?

• An informed discussion of the issues and
  opportunities related to the topic
• A discussion that has interest and value for you
• A few recommendations / ideas / options
  regarding directions for the program and/or ways
  we could improve the program (1-2 per break-out
  discussion would be plenty!)

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Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Cycle Research
Research Questions to Address (new ideas
below) Gaps / Inefficiencies / Problems Opportunit
ies

• Decadal Survey Science Themes for Understanding
  and Managing Ecosystems
• Disruption of the carbon, water and nitrogen
  cycles
• Changing land and marine resource use
• Changes in disturbance cycles

CCE MOWG Draft Questions Theme 1 How do
Earths ecosystems work, and how are they
changing? Theme 2 What are the roles of
Earths ecosystems within the larger earth
system? Theme 3 What are the human
relationships to the biosphere, and how can these
be sustainably managed into the future?
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Modeling
Where should we place our efforts? What new
developments are needed? What is our role in
ecological forecasting (and in relation to NASA
Applied Sciences program element)? Gaps /
Inefficiencies / Problems Opportunities
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Scientific Applications of New Satellite Data
Products
Which new satellite data products are of greatest
interest to the TE community? What questions
should we prepare to address with these new
satellite data products? Is other data or
infrastructure needed to make optimal use of
these new data products? Gaps / Inefficiencies /
Problems Opportunities
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Support for Scientific Assessments

• Which assessments should we be supporting?
• What remote sensing data products and analyses
  have the most potential to inform the next
  assessment?
• What do we need to do have our products and
  findings influence the next assessment?
• Gaps / Inefficiencies / Problems
• Opportunities

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Another U.S. National Assessment (USGCRP) A new
Biodiversity Assessment Etc. . . .
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TE Science for Future Missions TE Field
Campaigns (Large and Small)

• Airborne campaign science
• Instruments for space flights of opportunity
• Satellite missions (Venture, Decadal Survey,
  Systematic)
• The two scoping studies
• Mission-focused airborne acquisitions
• Multi-sensor Airborne Campaigns
• Address future opportunities for Venture Class
  there is nothing we can say about the current
  competition

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Effective Use of Airborne Remote Sensing

• What are our primary airborne sensors and
  platforms?
• Are we using them effectively?
• to address important science questions
• to maximize our return on the NASA/TE investment
  in infrastructure, operations, flight hour
  subsidies
• Are we prepared to make effective use of the new
  or refurbished instruments now in development?
• What options might TE or NASA Earth Science
  consider to improve research use of airborne
  sensors and platforms?
• What capabilities do we need that we do not
  have?
• Gaps / Inefficiencies / Problems
• Opportunities

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Data Needs, Products, Distribution, and
Stewardship

• Are the data (especially satellite data) we need
  available and easy to use?
• Are we prepared to make effective use of the new
  data products now in development?
• Are there other data products that should be
  developed?
• Do the data products that NASA has selected for
  development reflect the priorities of the TE
  community?
• Does the TE Program need to establish a process
  for prioritizing data sets and the level of
  support that NASA provides?
• Gaps / Inefficiencies / Problems
• Opportunities

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Observation Networks and Collaboration
Opportunities

• What are the most important in situ networks for
  TE?
• Do we have effective relationships with those
  networks?
• Are there other networks we should engage and/or
  support?
• Gaps / Inefficiencies / Problems
• Opportunities