Major world ecosystem complexes ranked by carbon in live vegetation: a database

Technical Report · Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:6944260

Olson, J S; Watts, J A; Allison, L J

Estimation of the inventory of carbon in major world ecosystems and of the exchanges with the atmosphere and other major reservoirs has thus been approached in two ways. In the major reservoirs has thus been approached in two ways. In the first approach, development of broad global patterns uses potential vegetation maps, or associates vegetation types with climatic or other environmental factors independent of local disturbance. In the second approach, development of modern regional or stand-type estimates is based on analyses of current vegetation and land-use practices. This method uses updated resource maps of natural vegetation, forestry surveys, agricultural yields, and human and economic as well as geopolitical considerations. Both approaches were applied in the development of the ecosystem map. The personal judgment of experts about ecosystem types, their locations and extent, and likely biomass or carbon in landscape complexes representative of different parts of the world is crucial in either approach.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6944260
• Report Number(s): NDP-017
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510200 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510500 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AGRICULTURE
CARBON CYCLE
CARBON SINKS
CLIMATES
DATA ACQUISITION
ECOSYSTEMS
FORESTRY
GLOBAL ASPECTS
INDUSTRY
LAND USE
MAPPING
PLANTS
SINKS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS