Forest Carbon Calculator Forest Carbon Reporting Initiative of USAID’s Global Climate Change Program

Forest Carbon Calculator: Purpose and Scope  Allows USAID to calculate and report the annual climate impacts of its forestry projects worldwide (in tons of CO 2 e yr -1 )  Quantitative indicator of how USAID’s forestry projects are helping to mitigate climate change  Simple, web-based, easy-to-use tool  Does NOT generate estimates of marketable carbon credits!

Which activities are currently included?  Forest Protection Deforestation Illegal logging Fire  Forest Management Reduced Impact Logging Stop logging  Afforestation / Reforestation Plant native species Plantations  Agroforestry

Two-Level Approach:  Level A: minimal data input required Area of project Management effectiveness (0-100%)  Level B: user can enter project-specific information if known Baseline deforestation rate Forest carbon or biomass stock Volume of timber extracted Carbon or biomass accumulation rate Etc.

What have we changed?  User Management After logging in, users are directed to a dashboard where all information is summarized in one convenient location

What have we changed?  User Management After logging in, users are directed to a dashboard where all information is summarized in one convenient location

Group Administration

Edit Group Information

Create and Manage Projects

What have we changed?  Forest Protection Tool Added soil pool Added community logging Added peat swamps Added ‘notes’ field

What have we changed?  Forest Management Tool Area of Project vs. Total Harvest Area Annual Harvest Area & Rotation Length Wood Products Non-CO 2 emissions from burning slash Incidental Damage vs.

What have we changed?  Summary Tables Summary of annual benefits by project type and admin unit Summary of projected benefits through time

Upcoming Additions  Separation of benefits in reporting table by carbon pool (soil vs. biomass)  Improvements to A/R tool + documentation  New tools: Agricultural land management Grazing land management Bioenergy and Land Use  Inclusion of uncertainty estimates  Stand-alone / planning tool

What have we changed?  Title? Forest Carbon Calculator AFOLU Carbon Calculator Addition of agricultural land management, grazing land management, bioenergy and land use calculators

Planning Tool  Allows Mission staff to evaluate which project types are most beneficial from a carbon perspective over short- and long-term  Identify regions where project activities can generate multiple environmental benefits in addition to carbon

Planning Tool: Key Questions  Architecture of User Interface?  Output Format?  Duration of Projected Benefits?  How to Quantify Biodiversity Co- Benefits?  Key Data Sources for Quantifying Biodiversity Co-Benefits?

Option 1: Tweak Existing Tool  Keep 4-step process Select Admin Unit(s) Select Calculators Enter Calculator Data View Results  Keep Level A vs. Level B structure  Extend 1-yr to multi-year benefits  No user login, no results saved

Option 2: Slightly new interface? Build A Scenario Scenario1 Choose a project location: (user navigates to an admin unit) Choose Activities for this Admin Unit: Forest Protection Enter the Proposed Area for this Activity: ______ ha Add another activity within the same admin unit to Scenario1 Add another admin unit to Scenario 1 Done with Scenario1 Admin Unit X: (Pop-up box asks user to name scenario)

Option 2: Scenario-based Scenario NameAdmin Unit(s)Activity(ies)Area (ha) Scenario1Chiapas, MexicoForest Protection5,000 Scenario1Chiapas, MexicoForest Management3,000 Scenario1Chihuahua, MexicoForest Protection5,000 Scenario2Chiapas, MexicoForest Protection5,000 Scenario2Chihuahua, MexicoForest Protection5,000 Scenario3Chiapas, MexicoA/R5,000 Build Another Scenario Modify Existing Scenario Generate Results / Compare Scenarios Which Scenario would you like to modify? Scenario1

Option 2: Scenario-based Below, alter any of the assumptions used in the calculations to generate an updated result for this scenario. Scanrio1, Admin Unit X, Forest Protection: Update Calculation Modify Scenarios Again Save or Print These Results RESULTS Carbon Benefits through time (t CO2): Co-Benefits through time: Biodiversity Impact (1-100) Water Impact (1- 100) Total Ecosystem Services (1-100) Scenario Scenario Scenario Click on any scenario to change default assumptions. (POP-UP BOX) Edit next admin unit/activity in Scenario1 Start Over

Other options for planning tool?  Architecture of User Interface?  Output Format?  Duration of Projected Benefits?  How to Quantify Biodiversity Co- Benefits?  Key Data Sources for Quantifying Biodiversity Co-Benefits?

How to quantify biodiversity co- benefits?  Option 1: check-box approach Build underlying default database to assign ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to biodiversity benefit per admin unit  Option 2: relative scale approach Develop qualitative map to show biodiversity benefits  Per region?  Per country?  Other options?

Spatial Datasets for Quantifying Biodiversity Last of the Wild – WCS/CIESIN CI Biodiversity Hotspots IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (where threatened species occur) Species Number  Vascular Plants  Amphibians  Mammals Species Richness: Total, Rare, Threatened Other Datasets?