A question about carbon sequestration

NatCap Software Support
1

Hi InVEST Carbon community!

I really read the user guide a lot.
I wonder if the carbon sequestration calculated by the carbon model has deducted the amount of carbon emitted by the ecosystem?

Many Thanks.

2

Hi @muzili, and welcome to the forum!

If you’re referring to the Carbon Storage and Sequestration model, then no, it does not calculate carbon emissions. The model is very simple, and only adds up the total amount of carbon stored. If you have both baseline and scenario landscapes, you can calculate the difference between them, which would show a reduction in carbon storage due to deforestation, land conversion, etc.

Our Blue Carbon model does include information on emissions (again, simplified, like all of our models). While it’s intended to be used in a coastal/marine context, it can also be used for terrestrial modeling if you have all of the relevant data, such as information on the types of disturbances that are causing the emissions.

~ Stacie

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3

Thank you for timely answering my doubts.
I think I should learn about the Blue Carbon Model.

4

Hi @swolny

I really haven’t found a case of Blue Carbon Model for terrestrial modeling. If you know where to find such cases, I would be very grateful!

~ muzi

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Hi @muzili -

Honestly, I don’t really know of related case studies either. But when I’ve used the model in my work, it has always included mangroves, which are on that border between marine and terrestrial, and I feel like there’s nothing about the model itself that would make it unfit for terrestrial use. I’ll try to get input on this from the model’s scientist…

~ Stacie

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I’m not a carbon scientist, but I have spent a lot of time working on the source code of the model.

The basic idea of the model is:

  • When a pixel is in a state of accumulation, carbon accumulates at a linear rate.
  • When a pixel is in a state of emissions, carbon emissions follow a function of exponential decay, with a half-life that depends on the severity of disturbance
  • During a transition event, landcover classes may transition from one class to another, which may change the state from accumulation to emissions or the other way around.

So if you think the carbon stocks on your landscape can be effectively modeled by the above, then I’d say go for it!

James

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