Scott Ollinger, Jana Albrechtova, Bobby Braswell, Lara Gengarelly, Mary Martin, Rita Freuder, Sarah Silverberg and Sandra Henderson GLOBE-Carbon: Integrating NASA Carbon Cycle Science with GLOBE education

T he C arbon C ycle S cience T eam Scott Ollinger Annette Schloss Bobby Braswell Mary Martin Sarah Silverberg Rita Freuder Jana Albrechtova Lara Gengarelly This talk: (1) Why Carbon? (2) The current state of Carbon Cycle Science (3) Carbon Science in the Classroom (our vision)

Carbon: A building block of life What is C Why is C important How is C measured How YOU can measure C The most abundant element in living thingsThe most abundant element in living things Accounts for 45-50% of the total mass of the biosphere.Accounts for 45-50% of the total mass of the biosphere. Also present in the Earth’s land, atmosphere and oceansAlso present in the Earth’s land, atmosphere and oceans

The Global Carbon Cycle What is C Why is C important How is C measured How YOU can measure C Soil Pool 1500 Geological Reservoir Soil Respiration (Decay)

Mauna Loa Atmospheric CO 2 Record Keeling & Whorf Dramatic Changes in the Earth’s Atmosphere What is C? Why is C important ? How is C measured? How YOU can measure C?

The Greenhouse Effect Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas

Winter 1998 The Pulse of the Planet: Estimated Chlorophyll Concentration SeaWiFS Satellite Data

Summer 1998 The Pulse of the Planet: Estimated Chlorophyll Concentration SeaWiFS Satellite Data

CO 2 : Past, Present and Future What is CWhy is C important How is C measuredFuture scenarios Understanding the future of atmospheric CO 2 is Critical

To examining sources and sinks of carbon across North America and to understand the mechanisms driving them.To examining sources and sinks of carbon across North America and to understand the mechanisms driving them. Studies conducted at 4 levels of resolution or tiersStudies conducted at 4 levels of resolution or tiers Tier 4: Fine scale, extremely high resolution, flux towers Tier 4: Fine scale, extremely high resolution, flux towers Tier 3: Landscape-scale, biometrics, remote sensing and modeling Tier 3: Landscape-scale, biometrics, remote sensing and modeling Tier 2: Broader scale, decadal, basic biometrics Tier 2: Broader scale, decadal, basic biometrics Tier 1: Continental mapping and remote sensing Tier 1: Continental mapping and remote sensing Our Role(s): Our Role(s): Landscape-scale measurement campaign at a research site in NH. Landscape-scale measurement campaign at a research site in NH. Cross-site synthesis scaling from towers to satellites. Cross-site synthesis scaling from towers to satellites.

NACP Simple Field Measurements What is C? Why is C important ? How is C measured? How YOU can measure C?

Global network of flux towers used to measure CO 2 exchange between ecosystems and the atmosphereGlobal network of flux towers used to measure CO 2 exchange between ecosystems and the atmosphere Sites also include measurements on vegetation, soils, hydrology and meteorology.Sites also include measurements on vegetation, soils, hydrology and meteorology. Information available to researchers, students and educators.Information available to researchers, students and educators. F LUXNET

Phenology of Flux Tower Carbon Exchange

VEGETATION AVIRIS EO-1Hyperion What is C? Why is C important ? How is C measured? How YOU can measure C? NACP R EMOTE S ENSING

Models help us synthesize knowledge ad identify gaps. Models help us synthesize knowledge ad identify gaps. Conduct experiments that are not possible in real-world settings. Conduct experiments that are not possible in real-world settings. Examine ecosystem processes under predicted future conditions Examine ecosystem processes under predicted future conditions Computer Modeling in NACP Carbon Cycle Analysis What is C? Why is C important ? How is C measured? How YOU can measure C?

Remotely-Sensed Canopy N Data Greatly Improves Growth Predictions Predicted NPP, Bartlett Experimental Forest, NH < >1300 NPP (g m -2 yr -1 ) Kilometers 0 1 Ollinger and Smith, AVIRIS N R 2 = 0.73 SEE = 48.2 Mean N by Cover Type R 2 = 0.20 SEE = Measured Wood Growth (g m -2 yr -1 ) Predicted Wood Growth

A Cross-Site Canopy Nitrogen-Carbon Flux Synthesis

Learning Activities for Students What is C? Why is C important ? How is C measured? How YOU can measure C? Ecological measurements related to plant biomass, nutrient status and growth rate. Observation of different vegetation and land cover in the schoolyard and local neighborhood. Use of simple computer models to generate C cycle predictions and learn about the behavior of systems. A remote sensing toolkit for scaling to local or regional levels Biometry measurements Leaf collection

An On-Line Computer Model of the Global Carbon Cycle

Predicted Global Carbon Pools

PnET-GLOBE: A student-friendly ecosystem computer model What is C? Why is C important ? How is C measured? How YOU can measure C? A simple ecosystem computer model designed to allow students to use their own measurements to estimate a C budget for their field site.A simple ecosystem computer model designed to allow students to use their own measurements to estimate a C budget for their field site. Leaf collections Tree measurements Live foliage chemistry Green up & Green down

Existing and New Measurement Protocols What is C? Why is C important ? How is C measured? How YOU can measure C? Hand held device that uses reflectance bands similar to remote sensing to measure leaf chlorophyll content Remote sensing and computer modeling

Carbo-GLOBE Remote sensing toolkit What is C? Why is C important ? How is C measured? How YOU can measure C? A remote sensing toolkit that allows students to use GLOBE data to estimate C budgets at local and continental spatial scales.A remote sensing toolkit that allows students to use GLOBE data to estimate C budgets at local and continental spatial scales. Our group has an existing website that takes large quantities of data and images and makes them accessible and easy to use for the publicOur group has an existing website that takes large quantities of data and images and makes them accessible and easy to use for the publichttp://eos-webster.sr.unh.edu

Questions GLOBE-Carbon Students will try to Answer Is my school, town or country a source or a sink for carbon? Why? How long is this likely to continue? How many acres of trees are needed to offset my own carbon emissions? What will happen to the ecosystems in my area over the next 100 years? What factors are most likely to cause them to change? Why is C exchange higher in Spain than South Africa? How do C estimates at my school site compare to those measured across the globe? How can I help balance the global carbon budget?