Greenhouse gas emissions in Sub-Saharan Africa

Technical Report · Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6288175· OSTI ID:6288175

Graham, R L; Perlack, R D; Prasad, A M.G.; Ranney, J W; Waddle, D B

Current and future carbon emissions from land-use change and energy consumption were analyzed for Sub-Saharan Africa. The energy sector analysis was based on UN energy data tapes while the land-use analysis was based on a spatially-explicit land-use model developed specifically for this project. The impacts of different energy and land-use strategies on future carbon emissions were considered. (A review of anthropogenic emissions of methane, nitrous oxides, and chlorofluorocarbons in Sub-Saharan Africa indicated that they were probably minor in both a global and a regional context. The study therefore was focused on emissions of carbon dioxide.) The land-use model predicts carbon emissions from land use change and the amount of carbon stored in vegetation (carbon inventory) on a yearly basis between 1985 and 2001. Emissions and inventory are modeled at 9000 regularly-spaced point locations in Sub-Saharan Africa using location-specific information on vegetation type, soils, climate and deforestation. Vegetation, soils, and climate information were derived from continental-scale maps while relative deforestation rates(% of forest land lost each year) were developed from country-specific forest and deforestation statistics (FAO Tropical Forest Resources Assessment for Africa, 1980). The carbon emissions under different land use strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa were analyzed by modifying deforestation rates and altering the amount of carbon stored under different land uses. The considered strategies were: preservation of existing forests, implementation of agroforestry, and establishment of industrial tree plantations. 82 refs., 16 figs., 25 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USAID
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6288175
• Report Number(s): ORNL-6640; ON: DE91005629
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AFRICA
BASELINE ECOLOGY
CARBON DIOXIDE
EMISSION
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
AGRICULTURE
BIOSPHERE
CARBON CYCLE
CLIMATES
COMPILED DATA
DEFORESTATION
ENERGY CONSERVATION
FORESTS
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
LAND USE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PLANTS
REMOTE SENSING
SILVICULTURE
SOILS
WOOD FUELS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
DATA
ECOLOGY
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENT
FUELS
INDUSTRY
INFORMATION
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
540110*
540120 - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)