Danilo Mollicone

Vertical profiles, boundary layer budgets, and regional flux estimates for CO2 and its 13C/12C ratio and for water vapor above a forest/bog mosaic in central Siberia

On July 15 and 16, 1996, profiles of temperature, water vapor, carbon dioxide concentration, and its carbon isotopic composition were made within and above the convective boundary layer (CBL), near the village of Zotino in central Siberia (60°N, 89°E). On both days the CBL grew to a height of around 1000 m at midday after which little further growth was observed. This was despite high rates of sensible heat flux into the CBL from the predominantly coniferous vegetation below and was attributable to a high subsidence velocity. For all flights, marked discontinuities across the top of the CBL were observed for water vapor and CO2 concentrations with differences between the CBL and the free troposphere above being as high as 10 mmol mol−1 and 13 μmol mol−1, respectively. Associated with the lower CO2 concentrations within the CBL was an enrichment of the δ 13C in CO2 of up to 0.7‰. Although for any one flight, fluctuations in CO2 and δ13C within the CBL were small (less than 3 μmol mol−1 and 0.1 ‰); they were well correlated and suggested a photosynthetic discrimination, Δ, by the vegetation below of ∼17‰. Estimates of regional Δ based on CBL budgeting techniques suggested values ranging from 14.8 to 20.4 ‰. CBL budgeting techniques were also used to estimate regional ecosystem carbon fluxes (−3 to −9 μmol m−2 s−1) and evaporation rates (1−3 mmol m−2 s−1). Agreement with ground-based tower measurements was reasonable, but a bootstrap error analysis suggested that errors associated with the integral CBL technique were sometimes unacceptably large, especially for estimates of regional photosynthetic 13C discrimination and regional evaporation rates. Conditions under which CBL techniques should result in reasonably accurate estimations of regional fluxes and isotopic fractionations are evaluated.

The Effect of Climate Anomalies and Human Ignition Factor on Wildfires in Russian Boreal Forests

Over the last few years anomalies in temperature and precipitation in northern Russia have been regarded as manifestations of climate change. During the same period exceptional forest fire seasons have been reported, prompting many authors to suggest that these in turn are due to climate change. In this paper, we examine the number and areal extent of forest fires across boreal Russia for the period 2002–2005 within two forest categories: ‘intact forests’ and ‘non-intact forests’. Results show a far lower density of fire events in intact forests (5–14 times less) and that those events tend to be in the first 10 km buffer zone inside intact forest areas. Results also show that, during exceptional climatic years (2002 and 2003), fire event density is twice that found during normal years (2004 and 2005) and average areal extent of fire events (burned area) in intact forests is 2.5 times larger than normal. These results suggest that a majority of the fire events in boreal Russia are of human origin and a maximum of one-third of their impact (areal extension) can be attributed to climate anomalies alone, the rest being due to the combined effect of human disturbances and climate anomalies.

Elements for the expected mechanisms on 'reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation, REDD' under UNFCCC

Carbon emissions from deforestation and degradation account for about 20% of global anthropogenic emissions. Strategies and incentives for reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) have emerged as one of the most active areas in the international climate change negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). While the current negotiations focus on a REDD mechanism in developing countries, it should be recognized that risks of carbon losses from forests occur in all climate zones and also in industrialized countries. A future climate change agreement would be more effective if it included all carbon losses and gains from land use in all countries and climate zones. The REDD mechanism will be an important step towards reducing emissions from land use change in developing countries, but needs to be followed by steps in other land use systems and regions. A national approach to REDD and significant coverage globally are needed to deal with the risk that deforestation and degradation activities are displaced rather than avoided. Favourable institutional and governance conditions need to be established that guarantee in the long-term a stable incentive and control system for maintaining forest carbon stocks. Ambitious emission reductions from deforestation and forest degradation need sustained financial incentives, which go beyond positive incentives for reduced emissions but also give incentives for sustainable forest management. Current data limitations need—and can be—overcome in the coming years to allow accurate accounting of reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation. A proper application of the conservativeness approach in the REDD context could allow a simplified reporting of emissions from deforestation in a first phase, consistent with the already agreed UNFCCC reporting principles.

DARWIN: a cheap four-channels remote-sensing instrument

The paper describes the development of a remote sensing instrument manufactured utilizing CCD sensors. The main peculiarity of the DARWIN (digital aircraft resources and wildlife imaging) is that it is assembled with commercial electronic components. Consequently it is low cost to produce and easy to maintain and to find the spare parts. The first prototype is presented, named QSM (quick sensing machine), it was developed in the period 1987/90, then a later prototype named DARWIN is presented and the foreseen up grading of the instrument consequent to the managing of the first two prototypes and to the availability on the market of new and more up-dated electronic components. The instrument has four channels and the spectral band of each channel can be selected changing the optical filter mounted in front of each sensor. For its lightweight and its low power consumption it can also be installed on an ultralight platform (ULM). Also a simple, economic and flexible system is described composed by the DARWIN, an ULM with GPS and a software able to manage the images, based on a PC. Finally, a market survey and the possible users are indicated.