Quantifying the Effects of Historical Land Cover Conversion Uncertainty on Global Carbon and Climate Estimates
Abstract
Previous studies have examined land use change as a driver of global change, but the translation of land use change into land cover conversion has been largely unconstrained. Here we quantify the effects of land cover conversion uncertainty on the global carbon and climate system using the integrated Earth System Model. Our experiments use identical land use change data and vary land cover conversions to quantify associated uncertainty in carbon and climate estimates. Land cover conversion uncertainty is large, constitutes a 5 ppmv range in estimated atmospheric CO2 in 2004, and generates carbon uncertainty that is equivalent to 80% of the net effects of CO2 and climate and 124% of the effects of nitrogen deposition during 1850–2004. Additionally, land cover uncertainty generates differences in local surface temperature of over 1°C. We conclude that future studies addressing land use, carbon, and climate need to constrain and reduce land cover conversion uncertainties.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[2];
[3];
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Environmental Sciences Division. Climate Change Science Inst.
- Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States). Dept. of Geographical Sciences
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- National Science Foundation (NSF); Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Earth and Environmental Systems Science Division
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1422597
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1476616
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725; AC02-05CH11231
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 45; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; land cover; land use; uncertainty; carbon; climate; Earth system
Citation Formats
Di Vittorio, A. V., Mao, J., Shi, X., Chini, L., Hurtt, G., and Collins, W. D. Quantifying the Effects of Historical Land Cover Conversion Uncertainty on Global Carbon and Climate Estimates. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1002/2017GL075124.
Di Vittorio, A. V., Mao, J., Shi, X., Chini, L., Hurtt, G., & Collins, W. D. Quantifying the Effects of Historical Land Cover Conversion Uncertainty on Global Carbon and Climate Estimates. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL075124
Di Vittorio, A. V., Mao, J., Shi, X., Chini, L., Hurtt, G., and Collins, W. D. Wed .
"Quantifying the Effects of Historical Land Cover Conversion Uncertainty on Global Carbon and Climate Estimates". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL075124. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1422597.
@article{osti_1422597,
title = {Quantifying the Effects of Historical Land Cover Conversion Uncertainty on Global Carbon and Climate Estimates},
author = {Di Vittorio, A. V. and Mao, J. and Shi, X. and Chini, L. and Hurtt, G. and Collins, W. D.},
abstractNote = {Previous studies have examined land use change as a driver of global change, but the translation of land use change into land cover conversion has been largely unconstrained. Here we quantify the effects of land cover conversion uncertainty on the global carbon and climate system using the integrated Earth System Model. Our experiments use identical land use change data and vary land cover conversions to quantify associated uncertainty in carbon and climate estimates. Land cover conversion uncertainty is large, constitutes a 5 ppmv range in estimated atmospheric CO2 in 2004, and generates carbon uncertainty that is equivalent to 80% of the net effects of CO2 and climate and 124% of the effects of nitrogen deposition during 1850–2004. Additionally, land cover uncertainty generates differences in local surface temperature of over 1°C. We conclude that future studies addressing land use, carbon, and climate need to constrain and reduce land cover conversion uncertainties.},
doi = {10.1002/2017GL075124},
journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
number = 2,
volume = 45,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 03 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Wed Jan 03 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}
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Figures / Tables:
Table 1: Eight Half-Degree Land Model Simulations and Four Corresponding 1° Earth System Model (Denoted by Asterisk) Simulations (1850–2004)
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