SilvaCarbon leverages state-of-the-art science and technology to advance the generation and use of information in managing forest and terrestrial carbon.
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Highlights
Since 1989, the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) has submitted annual reports to Congress called Our Changing Planet. The reports describe the status of USGCRP research activities, provide progress updates, and document recent accomplishments
In particular, Our Changing Planet highlights progress and accomplishments in interagency activities. These highlights represent the broad spectrum of USGCRP activities that extend from Earth system observations, modeling, and fundamental research through synthesis and assessment, decision support, education, and public engagement. Highlights describe the state of science at the time of publication of each yearly report, and may not reflect more recent advances in understanding. The date of publication of the source report is noted on each highlight page.
A new research network aims to accelerate discoveries in the science of these important natural carbon sources and sinks.
Coastal wetlands provide protection from wind and waves, support habitats and fisheries, and store large amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide for centuries to millennia. These ecosystems can also be sources of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere; wetlands that do not have the capacity to keep pace with sea-level rise, for example, can erode and release soil carbon rapidly to the atmosphere. Freshwater and brackish wetlands also emit methane, a...
Citizen science—or the engagement of volunteers in scientific investigations—is a fast-growing field. By collecting data on natural phenomena such as the timing of bird migrations and plant flowering—sometimes from their own backyard—citizen scientists provide essential baseline information about key environmental indicators, in addition to strengthening their own awareness of and connection to their local environment. Citizen science has long been an important component of scientific endeavors and public engagement at USGCRP agencies such as DOI (particularly NPS and
...The Washington, DC metropolitan region holds a unique concentration of Federal buildings, irreplaceable cultural and historic resources, nationally significant monuments and landscapes, and diverse communities. This region is already experiencing the effects of climate change, including more frequent extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and recurring flooding. As these impacts intensify, they will affect residents and workers, real estate assets, businesses, government, and natural resources.
Federal, regional, and local organizations have an
Overview
A number of USGCRP agencies such as NSF, DOE, NOAA, NASA, USGS, and SI are investing in understanding the history of Earth’s climate, known as “paleoclimate.” Paleoclimate data extend records of climate