2020
|
Lu, Jiaqi; Nemet, Gregory F: Evidence map: topics, trends, and policy in the energy transitions literature. In: Environmental Research Letters, vol. 15, no. 12, pp. 123003, 2020. @article{Lu_2020,
title = {Evidence map: topics, trends, and policy in the energy transitions literature},
author = {Jiaqi Lu and Gregory F Nemet},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abc195},
doi = {10.1088/1748-9326/abc195},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-11-01},
journal = {Environmental Research Letters},
volume = {15},
number = {12},
pages = {123003},
publisher = {IOP Publishing},
abstract = {We develop an evidence map of the academic research on energy transitions (ETs) with a focus on what that literature says about public policy for addressing climate change. In this article, the questions we ask are: What trends do we see in the topics that occur in journal articles on the energy transition? And to what extent has public policy been a focus? Where do we need or see energy transitions happening? Our approach involves: (1) using two literature databases to identify 4875 relevant ET articles over the period 1970–2018; (2) identifying important topics within ET using topic modeling via latent Dirichlet allocation on the abstracts of the articles; and (3) conducting a robustness check on the topics and analysis on the policy-relevant topics. This study contributes to the ETs research by providing the first systematic overview of peer-reviewed articles on ETs. We find that the number of academic articles covering ETs has increased by nearly a factor of 50 since 2008, 67% of them are policy related. Research on governance is pervasive in the literature and contains multiple topics differentiated by substantive foci. Some topics on the social-technical, social-behavioral, and political aspects of transition governance are becoming increasingly popular. Network analysis shows transition governance, energy economics and climate implications, and energy technologies comprise the three largest clusters of topics, but we observe a lack of connectedness between governance topics and technology topics. In the policy-relevant literature, we see a growing number of articles on technological and institutional innovation, and examples from leader countries, especially in Europe. We find only a quarter of articles discussed ETs in developing countries, which is not aligned with a recurring theme, their importance to the global ET.},
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pubstate = {published},
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}
We develop an evidence map of the academic research on energy transitions (ETs) with a focus on what that literature says about public policy for addressing climate change. In this article, the questions we ask are: What trends do we see in the topics that occur in journal articles on the energy transition? And to what extent has public policy been a focus? Where do we need or see energy transitions happening? Our approach involves: (1) using two literature databases to identify 4875 relevant ET articles over the period 1970–2018; (2) identifying important topics within ET using topic modeling via latent Dirichlet allocation on the abstracts of the articles; and (3) conducting a robustness check on the topics and analysis on the policy-relevant topics. This study contributes to the ETs research by providing the first systematic overview of peer-reviewed articles on ETs. We find that the number of academic articles covering ETs has increased by nearly a factor of 50 since 2008, 67% of them are policy related. Research on governance is pervasive in the literature and contains multiple topics differentiated by substantive foci. Some topics on the social-technical, social-behavioral, and political aspects of transition governance are becoming increasingly popular. Network analysis shows transition governance, energy economics and climate implications, and energy technologies comprise the three largest clusters of topics, but we observe a lack of connectedness between governance topics and technology topics. In the policy-relevant literature, we see a growing number of articles on technological and institutional innovation, and examples from leader countries, especially in Europe. We find only a quarter of articles discussed ETs in developing countries, which is not aligned with a recurring theme, their importance to the global ET. |
Sagar, H. S. Sathya Chandra; Mrunmayee,: A Highway to Hell: A proposed, inessential, 6-lane highway (NH173) that threatens the forest and wildlife corridors of the western ghats, India.. In: Journal of Threatened Taxa, vol. 12, no. 14, pp. 16944-16953, 2020. @article{Sagar2020,
title = {A Highway to Hell: A proposed, inessential, 6-lane highway (NH173) that threatens the forest and wildlife corridors of the western ghats, India.},
author = {H.S. Sathya Chandra Sagar and Mrunmayee},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5957.12.14.16944-16953},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-10-26},
journal = {Journal of Threatened Taxa},
volume = {12},
number = {14},
pages = {16944-16953},
abstract = {A globally, extensive road network combined with increasing vehicular traffic poses a significant threat to local wildlife, environment, economy, and socio-politics. India, with nearly 5.9 million kilometers of road, has the second-highest road network in the world; and has plans to exponentially increase its national highways. In this study, we use a combination of collation of official documents, literature review, and GIS mapping to outline the possible environmental and socio-economic impacts caused by a proposed 6-lane national highway (NH 173). This highway is set to cut through the low elevation evergreen forests of the central Western Ghats between Mudigere and Nelliyadi towns of Chikkamagaluru and Dakshina Kannada districts, of Karnataka State, respectively. We further outline the insignificance of the project and recommend workable alternatives that could be considered in the wider public’s interest. },
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
A globally, extensive road network combined with increasing vehicular traffic poses a significant threat to local wildlife, environment, economy, and socio-politics. India, with nearly 5.9 million kilometers of road, has the second-highest road network in the world; and has plans to exponentially increase its national highways. In this study, we use a combination of collation of official documents, literature review, and GIS mapping to outline the possible environmental and socio-economic impacts caused by a proposed 6-lane national highway (NH 173). This highway is set to cut through the low elevation evergreen forests of the central Western Ghats between Mudigere and Nelliyadi towns of Chikkamagaluru and Dakshina Kannada districts, of Karnataka State, respectively. We further outline the insignificance of the project and recommend workable alternatives that could be considered in the wider public’s interest. |
Hultman, Nathan E.; Clarke, Leon; Frisch, Carla; Kennedy, Kevin; McJeon, Haewon; Cyrs, Tom; Hansel, Pete; Bodnar, Paul; Manion, Michelle; Edwards, Morgan R.; Cui, Ryna; Bowman, Christina; Lund, Jessie; Westphal, Michael I.; Clapper, Andrew; Jaeger, Joel; Sen, Arijit; Lou, Jiehong; Saha, Devashree; Jaglom, Wendy; Calhoun, Koben; Igusky, Kristin; deWeese, James; Hammoud, Kareem; Altimirano, J. C.; Dennis, Margaret; Henderson, Chris; Zwicker, Gill; O'Neill, John: Fusing subnational with national climate action is central to decarbonization: the case of the United States. In: Nature Communications, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 5255, 2020, ISSN: 2041-1723. @article{Hultman2020,
title = {Fusing subnational with national climate action is central to decarbonization: the case of the United States},
author = {Nathan E. Hultman and Leon Clarke and Carla Frisch and Kevin Kennedy and Haewon McJeon and Tom Cyrs and Pete Hansel and Paul Bodnar and Michelle Manion and Morgan R. Edwards and Ryna Cui and Christina Bowman and Jessie Lund and Michael I. Westphal and Andrew Clapper and Joel Jaeger and Arijit Sen and Jiehong Lou and Devashree Saha and Wendy Jaglom and Koben Calhoun and Kristin Igusky and James deWeese and Kareem Hammoud and J. C. Altimirano and Margaret Dennis and Chris Henderson and Gill Zwicker and John O'Neill},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18903-w},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-020-18903-w},
issn = {2041-1723},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-10-16},
journal = {Nature Communications},
volume = {11},
number = {1},
pages = {5255},
abstract = {Approaches that root national climate strategies in local actions will be essential for all countries as they develop new nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement. The potential impact of climate action from non-national actors in delivering higher global ambition is significant. Sub-national action in the United States provides a test for how such actions can accelerate emissions reductions. We aggregated U.S. state, city, and business commitments within an integrated assessment model to assess how a national climate strategy can be built upon non-state actions. We find that existing commitments alone could reduce emissions 25% below 2005 levels by 2030, and that enhancing actions by these actors could reduce emissions up to 37%. We show how these actions can provide a stepped-up basis for additional federal action to reduce emissions by 49%---consistent with 1.5thinspacetextdegreeC. Our analysis demonstrates sub-national actions can lead to substantial reductions and support increased national action.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Approaches that root national climate strategies in local actions will be essential for all countries as they develop new nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement. The potential impact of climate action from non-national actors in delivering higher global ambition is significant. Sub-national action in the United States provides a test for how such actions can accelerate emissions reductions. We aggregated U.S. state, city, and business commitments within an integrated assessment model to assess how a national climate strategy can be built upon non-state actions. We find that existing commitments alone could reduce emissions 25% below 2005 levels by 2030, and that enhancing actions by these actors could reduce emissions up to 37%. We show how these actions can provide a stepped-up basis for additional federal action to reduce emissions by 49%---consistent with 1.5thinspacetextdegreeC. Our analysis demonstrates sub-national actions can lead to substantial reductions and support increased national action. |
Dröge, Saskia; Martin, Dominic Andreas; Andriafanomezantsoa, Rouvah; Burivalova, Zuzana; Fulgence, Thio Rosin; Osen, Kristina; Rakotomalala, Eric; Schwab, Dominik; Wurz, Annemarie; Richter, Torsten; Kreft, Holger: Listening to a changing landscape: Acoustic indices reflect bird species richness and plot-scale vegetation structure across different land-use types in north-eastern Madagascar. In: Ecological Indicators, vol. 120, pp. 106929, 2020, ISSN: 1470-160X. @article{DROGE2021106929,
title = {Listening to a changing landscape: Acoustic indices reflect bird species richness and plot-scale vegetation structure across different land-use types in north-eastern Madagascar},
author = {Saskia Dröge and Dominic Andreas Martin and Rouvah Andriafanomezantsoa and Zuzana Burivalova and Thio Rosin Fulgence and Kristina Osen and Eric Rakotomalala and Dominik Schwab and Annemarie Wurz and Torsten Richter and Holger Kreft},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X20308682},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106929},
issn = {1470-160X},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-09-15},
journal = {Ecological Indicators},
volume = {120},
pages = {106929},
abstract = {New technologies like ecoacoustic surveys promise time and cost efficiency for biodiversity assessments, serve as a basis for effective conservation policies, and are particularly appealing for remote and highly diverse tropical areas. Acoustic indices facilitate the analysis of large acoustic datasets but no consensus on their performance has been reached yet. We evaluated the efficacy of four acoustic indices (Acoustic Complexity Index, Acoustic Diversity Index, Acoustic Evenness Index, Acoustic Entropy) for sound data analysis and biodiversity assessments inside a national park and the agricultural mosaic landscape of north-eastern Madagascar, a global biodiversity hotspot. We used self-built sound recorders to continuously record soundscapes on 80plots across seven land-use types (old-growth forest, forest fragment, forest–derived and fallow-derived vanilla agroforest, herbaceous and woody fallow, rice paddy) and compared index values between land–use types, assessed the correlation with bird species richness as measured by point counts, and related the acoustic indices to plot- and landscape-scale parameters. The Acoustic Diversity Index, Acoustic Evenness Index (inverse) and Acoustic Entropy were highest in old-growth forest and lowest for rice paddies and fallow land. Index values for structurally similar land-use types did not differ significantly from each other. The correlation of the three acoustic indices with bird species richness was strongest during daytime (R2≥0.30). Differences in the index values were best explained by land-use type and vegetation density. Our results showed that all investigated indices except the Acoustic Complexity Index were suitable biodiversity indicators for a tropical, agricultural landscape. Soundscape diversity was positively affected by plot-scale vegetation structure, emphasizing the importance of forests and particularly old-growth forest for conservation. We demonstrated that acoustic indices and sound recordings are a useful tool for assessing biodiversity in tropical agricultural mosaic landscapes. To realize the full potential of ecoacoustics in conservation, sampling guidelines and user-friendly analysis packages will be key to facilitate a wider implementation.},
keywords = {},
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New technologies like ecoacoustic surveys promise time and cost efficiency for biodiversity assessments, serve as a basis for effective conservation policies, and are particularly appealing for remote and highly diverse tropical areas. Acoustic indices facilitate the analysis of large acoustic datasets but no consensus on their performance has been reached yet. We evaluated the efficacy of four acoustic indices (Acoustic Complexity Index, Acoustic Diversity Index, Acoustic Evenness Index, Acoustic Entropy) for sound data analysis and biodiversity assessments inside a national park and the agricultural mosaic landscape of north-eastern Madagascar, a global biodiversity hotspot. We used self-built sound recorders to continuously record soundscapes on 80plots across seven land-use types (old-growth forest, forest fragment, forest–derived and fallow-derived vanilla agroforest, herbaceous and woody fallow, rice paddy) and compared index values between land–use types, assessed the correlation with bird species richness as measured by point counts, and related the acoustic indices to plot- and landscape-scale parameters. The Acoustic Diversity Index, Acoustic Evenness Index (inverse) and Acoustic Entropy were highest in old-growth forest and lowest for rice paddies and fallow land. Index values for structurally similar land-use types did not differ significantly from each other. The correlation of the three acoustic indices with bird species richness was strongest during daytime (R2≥0.30). Differences in the index values were best explained by land-use type and vegetation density. Our results showed that all investigated indices except the Acoustic Complexity Index were suitable biodiversity indicators for a tropical, agricultural landscape. Soundscape diversity was positively affected by plot-scale vegetation structure, emphasizing the importance of forests and particularly old-growth forest for conservation. We demonstrated that acoustic indices and sound recordings are a useful tool for assessing biodiversity in tropical agricultural mosaic landscapes. To realize the full potential of ecoacoustics in conservation, sampling guidelines and user-friendly analysis packages will be key to facilitate a wider implementation. |
Lark, Tyler J.; Spawn, Seth A.; Bougie, Matthew; Gibbs, Holly K.: Cropland expansion in the United States produces marginal yields at high costs to wildlife. In: Nature Communications, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 4295, 2020, ISSN: 2041-1723. @article{Lark2020,
title = {Cropland expansion in the United States produces marginal yields at high costs to wildlife},
author = {Tyler J. Lark and Seth A. Spawn and Matthew Bougie and Holly K. Gibbs},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18045-z},
doi = {https://10.1038/s41467-020-18045-z},
issn = {2041-1723},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-09-09},
journal = {Nature Communications},
volume = {11},
number = {1},
pages = {4295},
abstract = {Recent expansion of croplands in the United States has caused widespread conversion of grasslands and other ecosystems with largely unknown consequences for agricultural production and the environment. Here we assess annual land use change 2008-16 and its impacts on crop yields and wildlife habitat. We find that croplands have expanded at a rate of over one million acres per year, and that 69.5 percent of new cropland areas produced yields below the national average, with a mean yield deficit of 6.5 percent. Observed conversion infringed upon high-quality habitat that, relative to unconverted land, had provided over three times higher milkweed stem densities in the Monarch butterfly Midwest summer breeding range and 37 percent more nesting opportunities per acre for waterfowl in the Prairie Pothole Region of the Northern Great Plains. Our findings demonstrate a pervasive pattern of encroachment into areas that are increasingly marginal for production, but highly significant for wildlife, and suggest that such tradeoffs may be further amplified by future cropland expansion.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Recent expansion of croplands in the United States has caused widespread conversion of grasslands and other ecosystems with largely unknown consequences for agricultural production and the environment. Here we assess annual land use change 2008-16 and its impacts on crop yields and wildlife habitat. We find that croplands have expanded at a rate of over one million acres per year, and that 69.5 percent of new cropland areas produced yields below the national average, with a mean yield deficit of 6.5 percent. Observed conversion infringed upon high-quality habitat that, relative to unconverted land, had provided over three times higher milkweed stem densities in the Monarch butterfly Midwest summer breeding range and 37 percent more nesting opportunities per acre for waterfowl in the Prairie Pothole Region of the Northern Great Plains. Our findings demonstrate a pervasive pattern of encroachment into areas that are increasingly marginal for production, but highly significant for wildlife, and suggest that such tradeoffs may be further amplified by future cropland expansion. |
Plowright, Raina; Reaser, Jamie; Locke, Harvey; Woodley, Stephen J.; Patz, Jonathan Alan; Becker, Daniel; Oppler, Gabriel; Hudson, Peter; Tabor, Gary M.: A call to action - Understanding land use-induced zoonotic spillover to protect environmental, animal, and human health. In: EcoEvoRxiv, 2020. @article{Plowright2020,
title = {A call to action - Understanding land use-induced zoonotic spillover to protect environmental, animal, and human health},
author = {Raina Plowright and Jamie Reaser and Harvey Locke and Stephen J. Woodley and Jonathan Alan Patz and Daniel Becker and Gabriel Oppler and Peter Hudson and Gary M. Tabor},
url = {https://ecoevorxiv.org/cru9w},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-09-01},
journal = {EcoEvoRxiv},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
|
Pereira, Ritaumaria; Rausch, Lisa L; Carrara, Aline; Gibbs, Holly K: Extensive Production Practices and Incomplete Implementation Hinder Brazil’s Zero-Deforestation Cattle Agreements in Pará. In: Tropical Conservation Science, vol. 13, pp. 1940082920942014, 2020. @article{doi:10.1177/1940082920942014,
title = {Extensive Production Practices and Incomplete Implementation Hinder Brazil’s Zero-Deforestation Cattle Agreements in Pará},
author = {Ritaumaria Pereira and Lisa L Rausch and Aline Carrara and Holly K Gibbs},
url = {https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1940082920942014},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1177/1940082920942014},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-08-30},
journal = {Tropical Conservation Science},
volume = {13},
pages = {1940082920942014},
abstract = {Global attention to the role of cattle production in Amazon deforestation led to the development of new public and private-sector supply chain policies designed to control deforestation in Brazil. These zero-deforestation Cattle Agreements (hereafter, CA) are between meatpacking companies and Greenpeace and other nongovernmental organizations, as well as with Brazil’s public prosecutors. However, after over a decade of concerted efforts to reduce deforestation linked to the cattle sector, the problem persists. Here, we use field surveys of ranchers, slaughterhouse managers, and key industry personnel to characterize cattle supply chain actors in southeastern Pará and their responses to the CA. We show that loopholes weaken the CA and enable ranchers to evade full compliance, and we highlight strategies and challenges for ranchers seeking to intensify production. We conclude by discussing how the findings presented in this study suggest that ongoing efforts to reduce Amazon deforestation may require both support for improved efficiency in the cattle sector and the tightening of several loopholes currently utilized by ranchers to avoid detection of ongoing deforestation.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
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}
Global attention to the role of cattle production in Amazon deforestation led to the development of new public and private-sector supply chain policies designed to control deforestation in Brazil. These zero-deforestation Cattle Agreements (hereafter, CA) are between meatpacking companies and Greenpeace and other nongovernmental organizations, as well as with Brazil’s public prosecutors. However, after over a decade of concerted efforts to reduce deforestation linked to the cattle sector, the problem persists. Here, we use field surveys of ranchers, slaughterhouse managers, and key industry personnel to characterize cattle supply chain actors in southeastern Pará and their responses to the CA. We show that loopholes weaken the CA and enable ranchers to evade full compliance, and we highlight strategies and challenges for ranchers seeking to intensify production. We conclude by discussing how the findings presented in this study suggest that ongoing efforts to reduce Amazon deforestation may require both support for improved efficiency in the cattle sector and the tightening of several loopholes currently utilized by ranchers to avoid detection of ongoing deforestation. |
Rajão, Raoni; Soares-Filho, Britaldo; Nunes, Felipe; Börner, Jan; Machado, Lilian; Assis, Débora; Oliveira, Amanda; Pinto, Luis; Ribeiro, Vivian; Rausch, Lisa; Gibbs, Holly; Figueira, Danilo: The rotten apples of Brazil's agribusiness. In: Science, vol. 369, no. 6501, pp. 246-248, 2020, ISSN: 0036-8075. @article{Rajao2020,
title = {The rotten apples of Brazil's agribusiness},
author = {Raoni Rajão and Britaldo Soares-Filho and Felipe Nunes and Jan Börner and Lilian Machado and Débora Assis and Amanda Oliveira and Luis Pinto and Vivian Ribeiro and Lisa Rausch and Holly Gibbs and Danilo Figueira},
url = {https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6501/246/},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba6646},
issn = {0036-8075},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-07-17},
journal = {Science},
volume = {369},
number = {6501},
pages = {246-248},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
|
Skidmore, Marin; Moffette, Fanny; Rausch, Lisa; Gibbs, Holly K.: Characterizing compliance in cattle supply chains: What factors encourage deforestation-free production in the Brazilian Amazon?. In: Report for the Meridian Institute, Supply Chain Sustainability Research Fund, 2020. @article{Skidmore2020,
title = {Characterizing compliance in cattle supply chains: What factors encourage deforestation-free production in the Brazilian Amazon?},
author = {Marin Skidmore and Fanny Moffette and Lisa Rausch and Holly K. Gibbs},
url = {https://743a3c3a-9890-45b8-a645-7c0b50c92edb.filesusr.com/ugd/5e1a0d_d0736c11c9c949c39c802c6f9da0d1a5.pdf},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-06-01},
journal = {Report for the Meridian Institute, Supply Chain Sustainability Research Fund},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
|
Rausch, Lisa L; Bennet, Aoife; Sullivan, Clare; Gibbs, Holly K.: Pathways to zero deforestation oil palm in Peru. In: Gibbs Land Use and Environment Report Series, 2020. @article{Rausch2020,
title = {Pathways to zero deforestation oil palm in Peru},
author = {Lisa L Rausch and Aoife Bennet and Clare Sullivan and Holly K. Gibbs},
url = {http://www.gibbs-lab.com/wp-content/uploads/Peru_Report_2020-4-19.pdf},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-04-19},
urldate = {2020-04-19},
journal = {Gibbs Land Use and Environment Report Series},
organization = {Gibbs Land Use and Environment Lab},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
|
Spawn, Seth A.; Sullivan, Clare; Lark, Tyler J; Gibbs, Holly K: Harmonized global maps of above and belowground biomass carbon density in the year 2010. In: Nature Scientific Data, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 112, 2020, ISSN: 2052-4463. @article{Spawn2020,
title = {Harmonized global maps of above and belowground biomass carbon density in the year 2010},
author = {Seth A. Spawn and Clare Sullivan and Tyler J Lark and Holly K Gibbs},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-020-0444-4},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-020-0444-4},
issn = {2052-4463},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-04-06},
journal = {Nature Scientific Data},
volume = {7},
number = {1},
pages = {112},
abstract = {Remotely sensed biomass carbon density maps are widely used for myriad scientific and policy applications, but all remain limited in scope. They often only represent a single vegetation type and rarely account for carbon stocks in belowground biomass. To date, no global product integrates these disparate estimates into an all-encompassing map at a scale appropriate for many modelling or decision-making applications. We developed an approach for harmonizing vegetation-specific maps of both above and belowground biomass into a single, comprehensive representation of each. We overlaid input maps and allocated their estimates in proportion to the relative spatial extent of each vegetation type using ancillary maps of percent tree cover and landcover, and a rule-based decision schema. The resulting maps consistently and seamlessly report biomass carbon density estimates across a wide range of vegetation types in 2010 with quantified uncertainty. They do so for the globe at an unprecedented 300-meter spatial resolution and can be used to more holistically account for diverse vegetation carbon stocks in global analyses and greenhouse gas inventories.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Remotely sensed biomass carbon density maps are widely used for myriad scientific and policy applications, but all remain limited in scope. They often only represent a single vegetation type and rarely account for carbon stocks in belowground biomass. To date, no global product integrates these disparate estimates into an all-encompassing map at a scale appropriate for many modelling or decision-making applications. We developed an approach for harmonizing vegetation-specific maps of both above and belowground biomass into a single, comprehensive representation of each. We overlaid input maps and allocated their estimates in proportion to the relative spatial extent of each vegetation type using ancillary maps of percent tree cover and landcover, and a rule-based decision schema. The resulting maps consistently and seamlessly report biomass carbon density estimates across a wide range of vegetation types in 2010 with quantified uncertainty. They do so for the globe at an unprecedented 300-meter spatial resolution and can be used to more holistically account for diverse vegetation carbon stocks in global analyses and greenhouse gas inventories. |
Goldstein, Allie; Turner, Will R.; Spawn, Seth A.; Anderson-Teixeira, Kristina J.; Cook-Patton, Susan; Fargione, Joseph; Gibbs, Holly K.; Griscom, Bronson; Hewson, Jennifer H.; Howard, Jennifer F.; Ledezma, Juan Carlos; Page, Susan; Koh, Lian Pin; Rockström, Johan; Sanderman, Jonathan; Hole, David G.: Protecting irrecoverable carbon in Earth’s ecosystems. In: Nature Climate Change, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 287-295, 2020, ISSN: 1758-6798. @article{Goldstein2020,
title = {Protecting irrecoverable carbon in Earth’s ecosystems},
author = {Allie Goldstein and Will R. Turner and Seth A. Spawn and Kristina J. Anderson-Teixeira and Susan Cook-Patton and Joseph Fargione and Holly K. Gibbs and Bronson Griscom and Jennifer H. Hewson and Jennifer F. Howard and Juan Carlos Ledezma and Susan Page and Lian Pin Koh and Johan Rockström and Jonathan Sanderman and David G. Hole },
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-0738-8},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0738-8},
issn = {1758-6798},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-03-31},
journal = {Nature Climate Change},
volume = {10},
number = {4},
pages = {287-295},
abstract = {Avoiding catastrophic climate change requires rapid decarbonization and improved ecosystem stewardship. To achieve the latter, ecosystems should be prioritized by responsiveness to direct, localized action and the magnitude and recoverability of their carbon stores. Here, we show that a range of ecosystems contain ‘irrecoverable carbon’ that is vulnerable to release upon land use conversion and, once lost, is not recoverable on timescales relevant to avoiding dangerous climate impacts. Globally, ecosystems highly affected by human land-use decisions contain at least 260 Gt of irrecoverable carbon, with particularly high densities in peatlands, mangroves, old-growth forests and marshes. To achieve climate goals, we must safeguard these irrecoverable carbon pools through an expanded set of policy and finance strategies.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Avoiding catastrophic climate change requires rapid decarbonization and improved ecosystem stewardship. To achieve the latter, ecosystems should be prioritized by responsiveness to direct, localized action and the magnitude and recoverability of their carbon stores. Here, we show that a range of ecosystems contain ‘irrecoverable carbon’ that is vulnerable to release upon land use conversion and, once lost, is not recoverable on timescales relevant to avoiding dangerous climate impacts. Globally, ecosystems highly affected by human land-use decisions contain at least 260 Gt of irrecoverable carbon, with particularly high densities in peatlands, mangroves, old-growth forests and marshes. To achieve climate goals, we must safeguard these irrecoverable carbon pools through an expanded set of policy and finance strategies. |
Carvalho, Raquel; de Aguiar, Ana Paula Dutra; Amaral, Silvana: Diversity of cattle raising systems and its effects over forest regrowth in a core region of cattle production in the Brazilian Amazon. In: Regional Environmental Change, vol. 20, no. 2, 2020. @article{Carvalho2020,
title = {Diversity of cattle raising systems and its effects over forest regrowth in a core region of cattle production in the Brazilian Amazon},
author = {Raquel Carvalho and Ana Paula Dutra de Aguiar and Silvana Amaral },
url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10113-020-01626-5},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-020-01626-5},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-03-26},
journal = {Regional Environmental Change},
volume = {20},
number = {2},
abstract = {Roughly 60% of all deforested lands in the Brazilian Amazon are covered with pastures, putting cattle raising in evidence as a major driver of deforestation and also of forests’ regrowth. Still, the role of cattle raising diversity in the landscape dynamics of this region remains poorly understood. To contribute to this discussion, we combined data from semi-structured interviews and quantitative spatially explicit methods to characterize and spatialize cattle raising systems and explore the effects of this diversity over secondary vegetation between 2004 and 2014 in Pará, a hotspot of deforestation and core region of cattle production. We quantified the use of different pasture management strategies to classify small- and large-scale operations into systems with high or low impact against pastures’ degradation. High-impact systems were mapped in regions with consolidated infrastructure and high accumulated deforestation, where they expanded. On the contrary, low-impact systems were more widespread and found near forest frontiers, shrinking over time. High-impact systems had less secondary vegetation, while under low-impact systems, as a result of strategies with little or no effect against degradation, the historical pattern of concentration of this cover prevailed. Better infrastructure and access to markets as well as higher accumulated deforestation are underlying conditions related to the emergence of intensification and, as it is still unclear whether intensification is indeed capable of sparing land, the expansion of intensive cattle raising systems has the potential to configure landscapes with reduced forested areas, either primary or secondary.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Roughly 60% of all deforested lands in the Brazilian Amazon are covered with pastures, putting cattle raising in evidence as a major driver of deforestation and also of forests’ regrowth. Still, the role of cattle raising diversity in the landscape dynamics of this region remains poorly understood. To contribute to this discussion, we combined data from semi-structured interviews and quantitative spatially explicit methods to characterize and spatialize cattle raising systems and explore the effects of this diversity over secondary vegetation between 2004 and 2014 in Pará, a hotspot of deforestation and core region of cattle production. We quantified the use of different pasture management strategies to classify small- and large-scale operations into systems with high or low impact against pastures’ degradation. High-impact systems were mapped in regions with consolidated infrastructure and high accumulated deforestation, where they expanded. On the contrary, low-impact systems were more widespread and found near forest frontiers, shrinking over time. High-impact systems had less secondary vegetation, while under low-impact systems, as a result of strategies with little or no effect against degradation, the historical pattern of concentration of this cover prevailed. Better infrastructure and access to markets as well as higher accumulated deforestation are underlying conditions related to the emergence of intensification and, as it is still unclear whether intensification is indeed capable of sparing land, the expansion of intensive cattle raising systems has the potential to configure landscapes with reduced forested areas, either primary or secondary. |
Spawn, S A; Gibbs, H K: Global Aboveground and Belowground Biomass Carbon Density Maps for the Year 2010. 2020. @misc{https://doi.org/10.3334/ornldaac/1763,
title = {Global Aboveground and Belowground Biomass Carbon Density Maps for the Year 2010},
author = {S A Spawn and H K Gibbs},
url = {https://daac.ornl.gov/cgi-bin/dsviewer.pl?ds_id=1763},
doi = {10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1763},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-03-05},
publisher = {ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {misc}
}
|
Rausch, Lisa L; Munger, Jacob; Gibbs, Holly: Amazon deforestation linked to European imports via specially licensed ranches and their suppliers. In: Gibbs Land Use and Environment Report Series, 2020. @article{Rausch2020b,
title = {Amazon deforestation linked to European imports via specially licensed ranches and their suppliers},
author = {Lisa L Rausch and Jacob Munger and Holly Gibbs},
url = {http://www.gibbs-lab.com/wp-content/uploads/SISBOV_report_March_2020.pdf},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-03-02},
journal = {Gibbs Land Use and Environment Report Series},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
|
Penn, Elise; Holloway, Tracey: Evaluating current satellite capability to observe diurnal change in nitrogen oxides in preparation for geostationary satellite missions. In: Environmental Research Letters, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 034038, 2020. @article{Penn_2020,
title = {Evaluating current satellite capability to observe diurnal change in nitrogen oxides in preparation for geostationary satellite missions},
author = {Elise Penn and Tracey Holloway},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab6b36},
doi = {10.1088/1748-9326/ab6b36},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-03-01},
journal = {Environmental Research Letters},
volume = {15},
number = {3},
pages = {034038},
publisher = {IOP Publishing},
abstract = {This study characterizes the degree to which current polar-orbiting satellites can evaluate the daytime change in NO2 vertical column density (VCD) in urban, suburban, and rural areas. We examine these issues by considering the diurnal cycle of NO2 over the United States, using the large NO2 monitoring network supported by states, tribes, and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Through this analysis, we identify the potential opportunities and limitations of current space-based NO2 data in capturing diurnal change. Ground-based monitoring data from the US EPA are compared with satellite retrievals of NO2 from the KNMI Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring Internet Service (TEMIS) for two instruments: GOME-2 with a mid-morning overpass, and OMI with an early afternoon overpass. Satellite data show evidence of higher morning NO2 in the vicinity of large urban areas. Both satellites and ground monitors show ∼1.5–2x greater NO2 abundance between morning and afternoon in urban areas. Despite differences in horizontal resolution and overpass time, the two satellite retrievals show similar agreement with ground-based NO2 measurements. When analyzed on a pixel-by-pixel basis, we find evidence for spatial structure in the diurnal change in NO2 between city center and surrounding areas in Southern California. Wider analysis of urban-suburban structure in diurnal NO2 change is hindered by resolution differences in the two satellite instruments, which have the potential to create data artefacts. This study highlights the value of future geostationary instruments to provide comparable satellite retrievals for NO2 over the course of a day, and research needs related to the effective utilization of NO2 satellite data for air quality applications.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This study characterizes the degree to which current polar-orbiting satellites can evaluate the daytime change in NO2 vertical column density (VCD) in urban, suburban, and rural areas. We examine these issues by considering the diurnal cycle of NO2 over the United States, using the large NO2 monitoring network supported by states, tribes, and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Through this analysis, we identify the potential opportunities and limitations of current space-based NO2 data in capturing diurnal change. Ground-based monitoring data from the US EPA are compared with satellite retrievals of NO2 from the KNMI Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring Internet Service (TEMIS) for two instruments: GOME-2 with a mid-morning overpass, and OMI with an early afternoon overpass. Satellite data show evidence of higher morning NO2 in the vicinity of large urban areas. Both satellites and ground monitors show ∼1.5–2x greater NO2 abundance between morning and afternoon in urban areas. Despite differences in horizontal resolution and overpass time, the two satellite retrievals show similar agreement with ground-based NO2 measurements. When analyzed on a pixel-by-pixel basis, we find evidence for spatial structure in the diurnal change in NO2 between city center and surrounding areas in Southern California. Wider analysis of urban-suburban structure in diurnal NO2 change is hindered by resolution differences in the two satellite instruments, which have the potential to create data artefacts. This study highlights the value of future geostationary instruments to provide comparable satellite retrievals for NO2 over the course of a day, and research needs related to the effective utilization of NO2 satellite data for air quality applications. |
Patz, Jonathan A; Stull, Valerie J; Limaye, Vijay S: A Low-Carbon Future Could Improve Global Health and Achieve Economic Benefits. In: JAMA, vol. 323, no. 13, pp. 1247-1248, 2020, ISSN: 0098-7484. @article{10.1001/jama.2020.1313,
title = {A Low-Carbon Future Could Improve Global Health and Achieve Economic Benefits},
author = {Jonathan A Patz and Valerie J Stull and Vijay S Limaye},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.1313},
doi = {10.1001/jama.2020.1313},
issn = {0098-7484},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-02-28},
journal = {JAMA},
volume = {323},
number = {13},
pages = {1247-1248},
abstract = {The 25th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Madrid ended in December 2019, with disappointingly little progress. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres lamented, “The international community lost an important opportunity to show increased ambition on mitigation, adaptation and finance to tackle the climate crisis.”This political gridlock has occurred despite scientific reports that have highlighted the urgency of actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuel burning and large-scale deforestation. The planet has warmed approximately 2 °F since preindustrial times, and 2019 was the second warmest year on record.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The 25th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Madrid ended in December 2019, with disappointingly little progress. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres lamented, “The international community lost an important opportunity to show increased ambition on mitigation, adaptation and finance to tackle the climate crisis.”This political gridlock has occurred despite scientific reports that have highlighted the urgency of actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuel burning and large-scale deforestation. The planet has warmed approximately 2 °F since preindustrial times, and 2019 was the second warmest year on record. |
Rausch, Lisa L; Munger, Jacob; Schelly, Ian; Gibbs, Holly: The role of Brazil’s cattle sector in the 2019 fire season. In: Gibbs Land Use and Environment Report Series, 2020. @article{Rausch2020bb,
title = {The role of Brazil’s cattle sector in the 2019 fire season},
author = {Lisa L Rausch and Jacob Munger and Ian Schelly and Holly Gibbs},
url = {http://www.gibbs-lab.com/wp-content/uploads/Cattle_sector_fire_report_2020.pdf},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-02-28},
journal = {Gibbs Land Use and Environment Report Series},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
|
Sun, Shanxia; Ordonez, Brayam Valqui; Webster, Mort D.; Liu, Jing; Kucharik, Christopher J.; Hertel, Thomas: Fine-Scale Analysis of the Energy--Land--Water Nexus: Nitrate Leaching Implications of Biomass Cofiring in the Midwestern United States. In: Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 54, no. 4, pp. 2122-2132, 2020, ISSN: 0013-936X. @article{Sun2020,
title = {Fine-Scale Analysis of the Energy--Land--Water Nexus: Nitrate Leaching Implications of Biomass Cofiring in the Midwestern United States},
author = {Shanxia Sun and Brayam Valqui Ordonez and Mort D. Webster and Jing Liu and Christopher J. Kucharik and Thomas Hertel},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b07458},
doi = {10.1021/acs.est.9b07458},
issn = {0013-936X},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-02-18},
journal = {Environmental Science & Technology},
volume = {54},
number = {4},
pages = {2122-2132},
publisher = {American Chemical Society},
abstract = {As scientists seek to better understand the linkages between energy, water, and land systems, they confront a critical question of scale for their analysis. Many studies exploring this nexus restrict themselves to a small area in order to capture fine-scale processes, whereas other studies focus on interactions between energy, water, and land over broader domains but apply coarse resolution methods. Detailed studies of a narrow domain can be misleading if the policy intervention considered is broad-based and has impacts on energy, land, and agricultural markets. Regional studies with aggregate low-resolution representations may miss critical feedbacks driven by the dynamic interactions between subsystems. This study applies a novel, gridded energy--land--water modeling system to analyze the local environmental impacts of biomass cofiring of coal power plants across the upper MISO region. We use this framework to examine the impacts of a hypothetical biomass cofiring technology mandate of coal-fired power plants using corn residues. We find that this scenario has a significant impact on land allocation, fertilizer applications, and nitrogen leaching. The effects also impact regions not involved in cofiring through agricultural markets. Further, some MISO coal-fired plants would cease generation because the competition for biomass increases the cost of this feedstock and because the higher operating costs of cofiring renders them uncompetitive with other generation sources. These factors are not captured by analyses undertaken at the level of an individual power plant. We also show that a region-wide analysis of this cofiring mandate would have registered only a modest increase in nitrate leaching (just +5% across the upper MISO region). Such aggregate analyses would have obscured the extremely large increases in leaching at particular locations, as much as +60%. Many of these locations are already pollution hotspots. Fine-scale analysis, nested within a broader framework, is necessary to capture these critical environmental interactions within the energy, land, and water nexus.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
As scientists seek to better understand the linkages between energy, water, and land systems, they confront a critical question of scale for their analysis. Many studies exploring this nexus restrict themselves to a small area in order to capture fine-scale processes, whereas other studies focus on interactions between energy, water, and land over broader domains but apply coarse resolution methods. Detailed studies of a narrow domain can be misleading if the policy intervention considered is broad-based and has impacts on energy, land, and agricultural markets. Regional studies with aggregate low-resolution representations may miss critical feedbacks driven by the dynamic interactions between subsystems. This study applies a novel, gridded energy--land--water modeling system to analyze the local environmental impacts of biomass cofiring of coal power plants across the upper MISO region. We use this framework to examine the impacts of a hypothetical biomass cofiring technology mandate of coal-fired power plants using corn residues. We find that this scenario has a significant impact on land allocation, fertilizer applications, and nitrogen leaching. The effects also impact regions not involved in cofiring through agricultural markets. Further, some MISO coal-fired plants would cease generation because the competition for biomass increases the cost of this feedstock and because the higher operating costs of cofiring renders them uncompetitive with other generation sources. These factors are not captured by analyses undertaken at the level of an individual power plant. We also show that a region-wide analysis of this cofiring mandate would have registered only a modest increase in nitrate leaching (just +5% across the upper MISO region). Such aggregate analyses would have obscured the extremely large increases in leaching at particular locations, as much as +60%. Many of these locations are already pollution hotspots. Fine-scale analysis, nested within a broader framework, is necessary to capture these critical environmental interactions within the energy, land, and water nexus. |
Soto-Navarro, C; Ravilious, C; Arnell, A; de Lamo, X; Harfoot, M; Hill, S L L; Wearn, O R; Santoro, M; Bouvet, A; Mermoz, S; Toan, T Le; Xia, J; Liu, S; Yuan, W; Spawn, S A; Gibbs, H K; Ferrier, S; Harwood, T; Alkemade, R; Schipper, A M; Schmidt-Traub, G; Strassburg, B; Miles, L; Burgess, N D; Kapos, V: Mapping co-benefits for carbon storage and biodiversity to inform conservation policy and action. In: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol. 375, no. 1794, pp. 20190128, 2020. @article{doi:10.1098/rstb.2019.0128,
title = {Mapping co-benefits for carbon storage and biodiversity to inform conservation policy and action},
author = {C Soto-Navarro and C Ravilious and A Arnell and X de Lamo and M Harfoot and S L L Hill and O R Wearn and M Santoro and A Bouvet and S Mermoz and T Le Toan and J Xia and S Liu and W Yuan and S A Spawn and H K Gibbs and S Ferrier and T Harwood and R Alkemade and A M Schipper and G Schmidt-Traub and B Strassburg and L Miles and N D Burgess and V Kapos},
url = {https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/abs/10.1098/rstb.2019.0128},
doi = {10.1098/rstb.2019.0128},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-27},
journal = {Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences},
volume = {375},
number = {1794},
pages = {20190128},
abstract = {Integrated high-resolution maps of carbon stocks and biodiversity that identify areas of potential co-benefits for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation can help facilitate the implementation of global climate and biodiversity commitments at local levels. However, the multi-dimensional nature of biodiversity presents a major challenge for understanding, mapping and communicating where and how biodiversity benefits coincide with climate benefits. A new integrated approach to biodiversity is therefore needed. Here, we (a) present a new high-resolution map of global above- and below-ground carbon stored in biomass and soil, (b) quantify biodiversity values using two complementary indices (BIp and BIr) representing proactive and reactive approaches to conservation, and (c) examine patterns of carbon–biodiversity overlap by identifying 'hotspots' (20% highest values for both aspects). Our indices integrate local diversity and ecosystem intactness, as well as regional ecosystem intactness across the broader area supporting a similar natural assemblage of species to the location of interest. The western Amazon Basin, Central Africa and Southeast Asia capture the last strongholds of highest local biodiversity and ecosystem intactness worldwide, while the last refuges for unique biological communities whose habitats have been greatly reduced are mostly found in the tropical Andes and central Sundaland. There is 38 and 5% overlap in carbon and biodiversity hotspots, for proactive and reactive conservation, respectively. Alarmingly, only around 12 and 21% of these proactive and reactive hotspot areas, respectively, are formally protected. This highlights that a coupled approach is urgently needed to help achieve both climate and biodiversity global targets. This would involve (1) restoring and conserving unprotected, degraded ecosystems, particularly in the Neotropics and Indomalaya, and (2) retaining the remaining strongholds of intactness. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Climate change and ecosystems: threats, opportunities and solutions’.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Integrated high-resolution maps of carbon stocks and biodiversity that identify areas of potential co-benefits for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation can help facilitate the implementation of global climate and biodiversity commitments at local levels. However, the multi-dimensional nature of biodiversity presents a major challenge for understanding, mapping and communicating where and how biodiversity benefits coincide with climate benefits. A new integrated approach to biodiversity is therefore needed. Here, we (a) present a new high-resolution map of global above- and below-ground carbon stored in biomass and soil, (b) quantify biodiversity values using two complementary indices (BIp and BIr) representing proactive and reactive approaches to conservation, and (c) examine patterns of carbon–biodiversity overlap by identifying 'hotspots' (20% highest values for both aspects). Our indices integrate local diversity and ecosystem intactness, as well as regional ecosystem intactness across the broader area supporting a similar natural assemblage of species to the location of interest. The western Amazon Basin, Central Africa and Southeast Asia capture the last strongholds of highest local biodiversity and ecosystem intactness worldwide, while the last refuges for unique biological communities whose habitats have been greatly reduced are mostly found in the tropical Andes and central Sundaland. There is 38 and 5% overlap in carbon and biodiversity hotspots, for proactive and reactive conservation, respectively. Alarmingly, only around 12 and 21% of these proactive and reactive hotspot areas, respectively, are formally protected. This highlights that a coupled approach is urgently needed to help achieve both climate and biodiversity global targets. This would involve (1) restoring and conserving unprotected, degraded ecosystems, particularly in the Neotropics and Indomalaya, and (2) retaining the remaining strongholds of intactness. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Climate change and ecosystems: threats, opportunities and solutions’. |