Estimating and Monitoring Carbon Stocks and Greenhouse Gas Fluxes

Forests of the United States absorb about 10% of the carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels for energy. This function of forests is an important part of the solution to reducing the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which is linked to climate change. Scientists at the Northern Research Station conduct research and prepare annual reports on the contribution of U.S. forests to the nation’s greenhouse gas inventory. Our estimates are adopted by the U.S. Government and many states as the official forest greenhouse gas statistics. The Northern Research Station also leads the development of the accounting rules and guidelines for the private sector to voluntarily take action to reduce greenhouse emissions or increase carbon sequestration in forests. These guidelines are used by states in their greenhouse gas action plans, and by the newly revised national greenhouse gas registry, maintained by the Energy Information Administration of DOE.

Selected Research Studies

Chequamegon Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (CHEAS)
As part of the cooperative Chequamegon Ecosystem Atmosphere Study (ChEAS), NRS scientists have been studying the energy, water vapor and CO₂ exchange between forest ecosystems and the atmosphere to understand the dynamics of forest productivity.

Tools for Carbon Inventory, Management and Reporting
Much of our science is used to provide information for policymakers and planning.  We have developed tools so that others may apply this information, or work with our tools to further the science.

Effects of Insect Defoliation on Regional Carbon Dynamics of Forests
On an annual basis, insects severely defoliate more than 20 million acres of forested land in the conterminous United States, affecting a larger area and incurring higher economic costs than any other disturbance.  However, the long-term costs and ecosystem consequences of insect outbreaks on forest health and productivity are difficult to quantify at the regional scale because of the variety of pests involved, differences in forest types affected, and varying spatial scale and intensity of the impacts.  In particular, the effect of insect activity on carbon cycling and sequestration at the annual and decadal scale is poorly characterized.  

Global Change Research
The goal of global change research is to establish a sound scientific basis for making regional, national, and international resource management and policy decisions in the context of global change issues. The Northern Global Change Research Program currently emphasizes scientific inquiry into the effects of multiple air pollutants and climate changes on forest ecosystems. As the program matures, the impacts of prospective changes on interactions between forest ecosystems and social and economic processes will be evaluated, as will policy options for mitigating or adapting to predicted changes.

Aspen FACE Experiment
The Aspen FACE (Free-Air Carbon Enrichment) Experiment is a multi-disciplinary study to assess the effects of increasing tropospheric ozone and carbon dioxide levels on the structure and function of northern forest ecosystems.