1 NASA Terrestrial Ecology Program Goal: To improve understanding of the structure and function of global terrestrial ecosystems, their interactions with the atmosphere and hydrosphere, and their role in the cycling of the major biogeochemical elements and water Science Questions: How are global ecosystems changing? How do ecosystems, land cover and biogeochemical cycles respond to and affect global environmental change? What are the consequences of land cover and land use change for human societies and the sustainability of ecosystems? How will ecosystems change in the future?

2 NASA’s carbon cycle and ecosystems research programs lead in providing remote sensing data, remote sensing data analysis, and modeling. Also: we are a champion for the global, synoptic perspective, we are committed to understanding and documenting the biophysical basis for remote sensing observations, we are a major player in ecosystem, carbon cycle, and biogeochemical cycle model development, both diagnostic and prognostic, and we are able to organize and support focused field campaigns and other large, coordinated projects NASA’s Unique Role in Ecological Research

Carbon Cycle Research

4 NASA Carbon Cycle Research To improve understanding of the global carbon cycle and to quantify changes in atmospheric CO 2 and CH 4 concentrations as well as terrestrial and aquatic carbon storage in response to fossil fuel combustion, land use and land cover change, and other human activities and natural events.

5 NASA Carbon Cycle Research NASA’s approach to investigating the global carbon cycle is broad-based and balanced, but emphasizes NASA’s unique capabilities and strengths. NASA research: Focuses on utilizing existing satellite data and developing new capabilities for space-based global observations of greenhouse gases, carbon stocks, and primary productivity (i.e., carbon fixation by photosynthetic organisms) Addresses/quantifies atmospheric, terrestrial, and aquatic carbon reservoirs Uses spatial information from remote sensing data to scale up site-based measurements of carbon storage and carbon fluxes to the atmosphere Conducts calibration/validation of satellite data; algorithm development; airborne field campaigns; process investigations; and data analysis/integration/assimilation Develops advanced, quantitative carbon models, carbon data assimilation models, and coupled carbon-climate models Develops and demonstrates technologies that enable improved future capability for the nation  NASA’s annual investment in carbon cycle science and satellite missions is ~$170M

6 Satellite Measurements of Carbon (1) Land Cover and Terrestrial Ecosystem Properties (systematic global time series) Maps of land cover and vegetation type; quantification of land cover change, disturbance, and regrowth Estimates of vegetation greenness and productivity Detection of active fires, burned area, and fire emissions Ocean Color and Ecosystem Properties (systematic global time series) Estimates of chlorophyll concentration and productivity to infer carbon uptake/export to the deep ocean Estimates of phytoplankton carbon for improved estimates of carbon stocks Estimates of pCO 2 for air-sea CO 2 fluxes Other Earth Surface Properties Land surface freeze-thaw status (from microwave sensors) to estimate growing season length (a key control on annual carbon uptake/release) at high latitudes Land surface inundation duration and extent (from microwave sensors) to estimate methane (CH 4 ) fluxes from wetlands

7 NASA Observations for Forest Carbon Washington D.C. Landsat (NASA/USGS) Seasonal 30m resolution gives Area of forest cover change Forest canopy degradation Detection of disturbance/regrowth LDCM to launch 2012 Landsat data are now free from US archive MODIS Daily 250m – 1km for Vegetation greenness and productivity Global land cover Active fires and burned area VIIRS to launch 2011 Figure courtesy of J. Masek and C. Tucker, NASA GSFC

8 Satellite Measurements of Carbon (2) Vegetation Canopy Volume, Height, and Vertical Profile Regional/global measurements of vegetation volume scattering to estimate aboveground carbon storage in low biomass vegetation types (Radar) Globally distributed sampling measurements of canopy height and vertical profile to accurately estimate aboveground carbon storage (Lidar) Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) Concentration Coarse resolution estimates of CO 2 high in the atmosphere to improve/constrain atmospheric models Accurate and precise estimates of CO 2 in the total atmospheric column, with good sensitivity to CO 2 low in the atmosphere, to locate and quantify surface sources and sinks of carbon

9 DESDynI Radar and Lidar Capabilities for Biomass and Aboveground Carbon Storage 9 Upland conifer Lowland conifer Northern hardwoods Aspen/lowland deciduous Grassland Agriculture Wetlands Open water Urban/barren Vegetation Type Multi-beam Lidar – accurate biomass and canopy profiles (along-track) at 25 m resolution, extend spatially with radar Vegetation 3D Structure & Biomass: Radar and Lidar L-band Radar – high resolution mapping of low forest biomass and disturbance, extend sensitivity with lidar High: 30 kg/m 2 Biomass Low: 0 kg/m 2 Terrestrial Carbon Storage and Changes Figure courtesy of J. Masek and C. Tucker, NASA GSFC

10 Orbiting Carbon Observatory Mission OCO will measure CO 2 & O 2 globally from space. Sophisticated retrieval algorithms will estimate averaged atmospheric column CO 2 content with accuracies of 0.3% on regional scales. OCO CO 2 data will be used in atmospheric transport models to locate and quantify surface carbon sources and sinks. Validation establishes accuracy and characterizes bias. Flux Towers Aircraft FTIR Flask Samples

11 What Can NASA Do for Carbon Monitoring / Verification of Compliance with Carbon Policies? Scientific Carbon Monitoring & Analysis for Full Carbon Accounting Quantification of the carbon impacts of disturbance/recovery (global with MODIS, GLAS, and/or Japan’s PALSAR; U.S. with Landsat/LDCM, Land Surface Imaging Constellation, and forest inventory data) Proof-of-concept on utility of GOSAT (& OCO-2) observations for identifying and quantifying regional-local carbon sources and sinks; first comparison with traditional methods could be done and future requirements established Proof-of-concept on utility of a combined lidar and radar data product to quantify aboveground carbon storage in forests with DESDynI mission; if successful end-of-mission product could be compared with traditional reporting and serve to establish a baseline for assessing future changes Carbon Monitoring in Support of Verification / Carbon Markets Scientific carbon monitoring results/products can be used as a check on the consistency, validity, and/or reliability of official carbon emissions/sequestration reporting As remote sensing products improve and confidence in their applicability/utility grows, operational systems could evolve to include or wholly rely on them

12 NASA Carbon Monitoring System Pilot Initiative The Fiscal Year 2010 Congressional Appropriation requires NASA to initiate work towards a Carbon Monitoring System (CMS), and provides some specific direction, including that NASA replicate state and national carbon and biomass inventory processes as well as carry out pre-phase A and pilot initiatives for the development of a CMS. The required funding level in FY2010 is $6M. Current planning is considering pilot products and scoping activities, for example: Biomass Pilot Product: focused on quantifying terrestrial vegetation carbon stocks Integrated Emission/Uptake (“Flux”) Product: focused on developing a global product for integrated emission/uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide Scoping Study: focused on mapping NASA’s evolving observational and modeling capability and the ability of the research community to use this capability to enhance information products to meet policy and decision-making requirements.

Ecosystems Research

14 Ecosystems: Major Objectives How ecosystems respond to changes in climate in combination with other contemporary environmental changes such as changes in land use and management, invasions of exotic species and the direct effects of CO 2 is unclear. Resolution of these uncertainties is needed because of the profound implications for future climate, food production, biodiversity, sustainable resource management, and the maintenance of a healthy, productive environment.

15 NASA Ecosystems Research NASA’s approach to investigating the global ecosystems emphasizes NASA’s unique capabilities and strengths. NASA research: Focuses on utilizing existing satellite data and developing new capabilities for space-based global observations of ecosystem structure and function (including vegetation composition, physiology, phenology, successional processes, biodiversity, and the biophysics of remote sensing) Uses spatial information from remote sensing data to scale up site-based measurements to regional and global scales Conducts calibration/validation of satellite data; algorithm development; airborne field campaigns; process investigations; and data analysis/integration/assimilation Develops advanced, quantitative ecosystem models, dynamic global vegetation models (DGVM), soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer models (SVAT), and coupled ecosystem-climate models Develops and demonstrates technologies that enable improved future capability for the nation  NASA’s annual investment in carbon cycle science and satellite missions is ~$95M

16 NASA TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY (TE) PROGRAM NEXT FIELD CAMPAIGN To date, no national or international program has proposed/developed an idea for a next major TE field campaign – nor has the NASA TE community In ROSES-2009, TE solicited for scoping studies for a major field campaign or related large project and 2 studies were selected and funded for 12 month scoping studies: Challenges and Opportunities in Remote Sensing of Global Savannas: A Scoping Study for a New TE Field Campaign (Hanan) Vulnerability and Resiliency of Arctic and Sub-Arctic Landscapes (VuRSAL) - The Role of Interactions between Climate, Permafrost, Hydrology, and Disturbance in Driving Ecosystem Processes (Kasischke) Other ideas will be entertained; there is no commitment to conduct one or the other or both.

Our Terrestrial Ecology Program Science Investigators Meeting

18 Laura Bourgeau-Chavez, Michigan Tech Research Institute G. James Collatz, NASA GSFC Carla Evans, NASA GSFC/Sigma Space Corp. Peter Griffith, NASA GSFC/Sigma Space Corp. Simon J. Hook, JPL Ralph Keeling, UCSD (Local Host) Josef Kellndorfer, Woods Hole Research Center John S. Kimball, University of Montana Jeffrey Masek, NASA GSFC Christopher Potter, NASA ARC K. Jon Ranson, NASA GSFC Crystal Schaaf, Boston University Philip Townsend, University of Wisconsin Diane E. Wickland, NASA HQ Darrel Williams, Global Science & Technology, Inc. TE Meeting Planning Committee

19 Laura Bourgeau-Chavez, Michigan Tech Research Institute G. James Collatz, NASA GSFC Carla Evans, NASA GSFC/Sigma Space Corp. Peter Griffith, NASA GSFC/Sigma Space Corp. Simon J. Hook, JPL Ralph Keeling, UCSD (Local Host) Josef Kellndorfer, Woods Hole Research Center John S. Kimball, University of Montana Jeffrey Masek, NASA GSFC Christopher Potter, NASA ARC K. Jon Ranson, NASA GSFC Crystal Schaaf, Boston University Philip Townsend, University of Wisconsin Diane E. Wickland, NASA HQ Darrel Williams, Global Science & Technology, Inc. TE Meeting Planning Committee Thank You!

20 You will use this meeting to advance your contribution toward achieving the goals of the NASA Terrestrial Ecology Program You will share your scientific knowledge and experience with each other You will identify problems / deficiencies and recommend solutions (for the most part, with a focus on problems/solutions that we/I have the capacity to act upon) You will identify opportunities to advance our science and/or conduct it more efficiently, and recommend options for doing so  We are looking for help and new ideas to improve the content and management of the TE Program  This meeting is for you, too, and we encourage you to take full advantage! Our Aspirations for this Meeting

21 I would like to receive some inputs on scientific directions / next challenges for the program I would like to hear from the TE community regarding priorities for data products and their stewardship I would like to hear from the TE community about more effective use of airborne instruments/platforms and thoughts about a next major field campaign I would like some help in managing/implementing the program: ideas on best ways to seek and receive TE community inputs ideas on how to more routinely and systematically develop research highlights for NASA reporting/metrics feedback on how often to meet as the NASA TE community and a new committee to plan the next meeting/workshop My Aspirations for this Meeting

22 Plenary Sessions To provide information on current scientific activities, programs, plans To focus on TE research activities and accomplishments To provide background on data, missions, networks, etc.  To get us all on the same page – more or less – regarding the TE program and related national and international activities! Talks to stimulate thinking and motivate future research Poster Sessions For researchers to share with each other their latest results and research project plans, activities, etc. For the leaders of related activities to provide technical information of interest to the TE community  To exchange the latest scientific and technical results Break-out Discussions To discuss research progress and needs To identify problems / gaps / deficiencies in the TE Program To identify opportunities to pursue new science or implement the program’s activities more efficiently  To identify solutions/options and make recommendations NASA Terrestrial Ecology Meeting Structure

Break-Out Discussions

24 An informed discussion of the issues and opportunities related to the topic A discussion that has interest and value for you A few recommendations / ideas / options regarding directions for the program and/or ways we could improve the program (1-2 per break-out discussion would be plenty!) What is Wanted from the Break-Outs?

25 Research Questions to Address (new ideas below) Gaps / Inefficiencies / Problems Opportunities Terrestrial Ecosystem & Carbon Cycle Research CC&E MOWG Draft Questions Theme 1: How do Earth’s ecosystems work, and how are they changing? Theme 2: What are the roles of Earth’s ecosystems within the larger earth system? Theme 3: What are the human relationships to the biosphere, and how can these be sustainably managed into the future? Decadal Survey Science Themes for Understanding and Managing Ecosystems Disruption of the carbon, water and nitrogen cycles Changing land and marine resource use Changes in disturbance cycles

26 Where should we place our efforts? What new developments are needed? What is our role in ecological forecasting (and in relation to NASA Applied Sciences program element)? Gaps / Inefficiencies / Problems Opportunities Modeling

27 Which new satellite data products are of greatest interest to the TE community? What questions should we prepare to address with these new satellite data products? Is other data or infrastructure needed to make optimal use of these new data products? Gaps / Inefficiencies / Problems Opportunities Scientific Applications of New Satellite Data Products

28 Which assessments should we be supporting? What remote sensing data products and analyses have the most potential to inform the next assessment? What do we need to do have our products and findings influence the next assessment? Gaps / Inefficiencies / Problems Opportunities Support for Scientific Assessments Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Another U.S. National Assessment (USGCRP) A new Biodiversity Assessment Etc....

29 Airborne campaign science* Instruments for space flights of opportunity Satellite missions (Venture, Decadal Survey, Systematic) The two scoping studies Mission-focused airborne acquisitions Multi-sensor Airborne Campaigns * Address future opportunities for Venture Class – there is nothing we can say about the current competition TE Science for Future Missions & TE Field Campaigns (Large and Small)

30 What are our primary airborne sensors and platforms? Are we using them effectively? to address important science questions to maximize our return on the NASA/TE investment in infrastructure, operations, flight hour subsidies Are we prepared to make effective use of the new or refurbished instruments now in development? What options might TE or NASA Earth Science consider to improve research use of airborne sensors and platforms? What capabilities do we need that we do not have? Gaps / Inefficiencies / Problems Opportunities Effective Use of Airborne Remote Sensing

31 Are the data (especially satellite data) we need available and easy to use? Are we prepared to make effective use of the new data products now in development? Are there other data products that should be developed? Do the data products that NASA has selected for development reflect the priorities of the TE community? Does the TE Program need to establish a process for prioritizing data sets and the level of support that NASA provides? Gaps / Inefficiencies / Problems Opportunities Data Needs, Products, Distribution, and Stewardship

32 What are the most important in situ networks for TE? Do we have effective relationships with those networks? Are there other networks we should engage and/or support? Gaps / Inefficiencies / Problems Opportunities Observation Networks and Collaboration Opportunities