Abstract

Cost-Effective GIS-based Measurement of Land-Based Carbon Credits
Track: Environmental Management
Author(s): Steven De Gryze, Michael Cullen, Emilio Laca, Susan Ustin, Leslie Durschinger

We present a GIS-based model that improves precision and reduces costs of assessing and monitoring plant biomass for accurate estimation of carbon sequestration credits for the global carbon markets. Our method streamlines costly field data collection by integrating new field technologies (e.g., PDAs, wireless communications) and widely available digital datasets (e.g., topography, soils, land use), with high and intermediate resolution remote sensing data into a GIS model. The model uses allometric equations to estimate spatially resolved carbon stocks and to predict future accumulation. While the component methods are not unique, the adaptive integration of ground data, remote sensing and GIS-based modeling reduces time and cost, and produces more accurate and verifiable biomass predictions. Because our method is designed to utilize various data sources, resolutions, and models, it is robust and flexible to be applicable to a wide range of sites.

Steven De Gryze
Terra Global Capital
456 Montgomery Street, 8th floor
San Francisco , California 94104
United States
Phone: 530-574-5386
E-mail: steven.degryze@terraglobalcapital.com

Michael Cullen
Terra Global Capital
456 Montgomery Street 8th Floor
San Francisco , California 94104
United States
Phone: 510-693-6256
E-mail: michael.cullen@terraglobalcapital.com

Emilio Laca
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis , California 95616
United States
Phone: 530 754 4083
E-mail: ealaca@ucdavis.edu

Susan Ustin
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis , California 95616
United States
Phone: 530 752 0621
E-mail: slustin@ucdavis.edu

Leslie Durschinger
Terra Global Capital
456 Montgomery Street 8th Floor
San Francisco , California 94104
United States
Phone: 415.215.5941
E-mail: leslie.durschinger@terraglobalcapital.com