15-18 October 2002Greenville, North Carolina

Global Terrestrial Observing SystemGTOS

Jeff TschirleyProgramme director

OutlineOutline

GTOS programme: Terrestrial climate observations Terrestrial carbon observations Forest and land cover dynamics Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring Sites

Challenges

GTOS programmeGTOS programme

Facilitates access to information on terrestrial ecosystems

Seeks to detect, understand and manage change Collaborates with researchers and policy makers Works with countries toward development of

global and continental / regional products

Mission

GTOS programmeGTOS programme

Produce validated data and information products with known accuracies

Stimulate advances in the assembly, use, management and exchange of large terrestrial datasets

Promote common data processing standards and interpretation methods

Support systems that provide both research and operational information on a regular and sustained basis

Strengthen links between satellite and in situ data; in particular the international conventions

Identify gaps and overlaps in current and planned earth observation programs; find ways to resolve them

Characteristics of activities

GTOS programmeGTOS programme

Structure

How is the global climate system changing?

What are the primary factors forcing the climate

system?

Terrestrial climate observationsTerrestrial climate observations

TOPC science questions

Technical trainingTechnical training

Defining terrestrial observations and methods to: Characterize current climate Determine rate and causes of change Forcing and feedbacks from changing GHG concentrations

Predictive, use in assimilation models: What to observe, when, where and at what accuracy Generating products to understand and predict climate

processes Reporting to UNFCCC on adequacy of global observing

systems (terrestrial component)

Observations and modelling

Terrestrial climate observationsTerrestrial climate observations

Terrestrial carbon observationsTerrestrial carbon observations

An IGOS initiative with the following objectives 2005: estimate annual net land-atmosphere fluxes

at a sub-continental scale with a 30% accuracy globally and spatial resolution (106 km2 regionally)

2008: improve accuracy (20%) and spatial resolution (106 km2 globally)

Produce sink/source maps with the highest spatial resolution enabled by the available satellite-derived and other input products (~ 1 km2 or less)

Terrestrial carbon observationsTerrestrial carbon observations

Principles Hierarchy of spatial scales

Dual-constraint approach

Predictions are compared to

estimates made from observations

Estimate regional fluxes and

uncertainties

Terrestrial carbon observationsTerrestrial carbon observations

Key observation requirements Satellite: land cover and use, biomass, leaf area,

fires, solar radiation, atmospheric column (CO2, CH4)

Atmospheric: near surface GHG concentration, surface fluxes

In Situ: Carbon pools and changes

Forest and land cover dynamicsForest and land cover dynamics

Forest and land cover

characteristics and change

Fire monitoring and

mapping

Biophysical processes

GOFC-GOLD teams

Forest and land cover dynamicsForest and land cover dynamics

Operational forest and land cover

monitoring system

Improved satellite and in situ validation

Strengthening regional networks Central and southern Africa

Southeast Asia

Boreal zones

Next steps

Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring SitesTerrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring Sites

Who, what, where

Web directory of 1,600 sites and 55 networks in 110 countries that carry out long-term terrestrial ecosystem monitoring of 110 variables

http://www.fao.org/gtos/tems

ChallengesChallenges

Build strong, effective groups to secure support for operational terrestrial monitoring (satellite and in situ) systems as already exist for oceans and the atmosphere

Enhance the collection and use of data, moving from supply to demand-driven systems

Define the terrestrial observational requirements jointly with the user community

Design and implement observation and information systems with measurements of known accuracy and quality to demonstrate what is needed and why it is worth doing

Terrestrial science community

Questions and answers Questions and answers

GTOS Secretariat

www.fao.org/gtos

gtos@fao.org

tel: +39 06 5705-2565

fax: +39 06 5705-3369