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July 8, 2002
NASA-FUNDED SCIENTISTS JOIN OTHERS TO EXPLORE TROPICAL
RAINFORESTS
NASA-funded scientists and others from
around the world are gathering in Brazil
at an international conference to
discuss research and discoveries of how
the Amazon ecosystem works.
The 2nd International Large Scale
Biosphere Atmosphere Experiment in
Amazonia (LBA) Scientific Conference,
is being held in Manaus, Amazonas,
Brazil from July 7 th through the 10th.
The LBA experiment is an international
research initiative led by Brazil.
Scientists from around the world have been studying how changes in land use
and climate in the tropical rainforests and other areas of the Amazon will affect the
biological, chemical and physical functioning of the region, including its
sustainability and its influence over the global climate.
?The LBA project is studying
rainforests and their surrounding
ecosystems such as those in Brazil
because they have long been
considered important to the world?s
carbon balance,? said Michael Keller
of the University of New Hampshire,
the LBA project lead.
There are a number of field
campaigns occurring in the Amazon
this summer and beyond. Below are
some examples:
1. STUDYING THE CARBON BALANCE IN THE AMAZON REGION
Current measurements give scientists
hints about the carbon balance in the
Amazon, and how different areas and
types of land cover act as carbon
sinks or sources, but they lack a
regional view. Pending agreement
with Brazil, in April 2003 (a wet, high
water period) and October 2003 (a
dry, low water period), the LBA-ECO group plans to fly a University of North
Dakota research aircraft across the Brazilian Amazon region. The plane will be
fitted with sophisticated chemical sensors from Harvard University to measure
concentrations of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.
Combining in-flight chemistry results with models of atmospheric transport,
contributed by collaborators at the University of Sao Paolo (USP), the combined
group will gain two snapshots of carbon flux from local to regional scales.
LBA-ECO contacts on this project:
Steve Wofsy, Harvard University,
Maria Assuncao Silva Dias, USP
2. USING SATELLITES TO DETERMINE EXTENT AND DAMAGE OF LOGGING
Logging is a growing land practice in Brazil?s Amazon, but the area of forest
annually affected by selective logging is hotly contested by scientists. Selective
logging, where only some of the trees in the forest are harvested, has been
difficult to quantify across the region. Brazilian investigators from EMBRAPA, the
Fundacao Floresta Tropical (a Brazilian NGO) and US investigators from Stanford
University and the USDA Forest Service are teaming up to interpret Landsat
satellite images to measure both the extent of logging and the canopy damage
caused. These studies are closely tied to studies of the carbon balance of
logging.
In a related experiment, researchers from the University of California, Irvine, USP
and Harvard are comparing the carbon balance from eddy flux towers in logged
and intact forests outside of Santarem, Para, Brazil.
LBA-ECO contacts on this project:
Greg Asner, Stanford University
Natalino Silva, EMBRAPA
Michael Keller, USDA Forest Service
Johan Zweede, Fundacao Floresta Tropical
3. ASSESSING THE COSTS AND EFFECTS OF FIRES ACROSS THE
BRAZILIAN AMAZON, BY SATELLITE AND ON THE GROUND
Fire is a major force shaping the Amazonian landscapes. For land managers with
moderate means, fire is the only affordable way to clear land and maintain
agro-pastoral systems. However, intentional fires often escape from prescribed
burn areas, damaging tree crops, fences, forests and even homes. Fire damage
and fire prevention are a growing concern on the Amazon frontier. In addition, the
use of fire brings adverse health effects to the local populace, closes airports and
even affects local weather. Fires are also important sources of atmospheric trace
gases and aerosols. LBA-ECO investigators will continue their research to assess
the effects of fires across the Brazilian Amazon. In addition, they will continue
measurement of fire extent from satellites and comparing the satellite retrievals to
ground based observations.
LBA-ECO contacts on this project:
Daniel Nepstad, Woods Hole Research Center
Carlos Klink, University of Brasilia
Foster Brown, Woods Hole Research Center
4. STUDYING NUTRIENTS AND THEIR AFFECTS ON SECONDARY FOREST
RECOVERY
Secondary forests may be an important sink for carbon. But, do nutrients limit the
rate of secondary forest recovery? Experience with agriculture and silviculture in
the Amazon region suggests that soil nutrients are extremely limited in the highly
weathered soils of the region. Researchers from Woods Hole Research Center
and the Museo Paraense Emilio Goeldi (MPEG) have been fertilizing second
growth forests to learn how severely nutrients can limit recovery.
They are also measuring the re-growth of secondary forests using Landsat and
IKONOS satellite imagery to analyze patterns of succession and ultimately to
measure secondary re-growth across the Amazon region.
LBA-ECO contacts on this project:
Eric Davidson, Woods Hole Research Center
Ima Vieira, MPEG
For reporters interested in attending the conference, it will take place in Centro
de ConvenÁ_es Studio 5, Distrito Industrial – Manaus, Avenida Rodrigo
Ot·vio, 3555, Brazil.The press room is # 7.
Journalists should register for the conference on line at:
On the registration form, any media attending should indicate they are journalists
and no fees will be charged. Registration is needed for a badge and
comprehensive material.
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Contacts:
Robert Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
(Phone: 301-286-4044)
Amy Seif
University of New Hampshire
(Phone: 603-862-5369)
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