BACKGROUND AND MISSION STATEMENT
The NERC Earth Observation Centre of Excellence for Terrestrial Carbon Dynamics began its five-year contract with NERC on 1 January, 2002. Its task is essentially to provide the scientific basis for understanding the role of terrestrial ecosystems in the carbon cycle, and for reducing the uncertainties in the terrestrial carbon budget. This major initiative combines the expertise of ecologists, mathematical modellers, forest specialists, Earth Observation scientists and statisticians, drawn from five institutions: the Universities of Edinburgh, Sheffield and York, University College London, and Forest Research. In addition, there are important collaborations with the Centre d'Etudes du Biosphere (CESBIO), Toulouse, the Joint Research Centre of the European Community, Ispra and the University of Maryland. Now fully staffed, it currently employs 5 Research scientists, an Administrator and Computer/Data Manager, working in a well integrated multi-disciplinary environment, in an ambitious, exciting and important research programme.
The context
of the Centre
Climate change is strongly driven by atmospheric changes, particularly
increases in greenhouse gases. The dominant greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide
(CO2), and understanding the temporal changes in atmospheric CO2 requires
us to consider the whole pattern of interchanges between the atmosphere,
ocean and land: we must consider the whole Earth system. Terrestrial ecosystems
form a critical part of this system (not least because of their role in
sustaining human life), and are the major source of uncertainty in the
carbon budget. In particular the causes, magnitude and permanence of the
land's sequestration of carbon (the land carbon sink) are all subjects
of fierce debate.
Forest ecosystems (by which we mean the whole complex of vegetation and soil processes) play a dominant role in the dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems. Their interaction with the atmosphere, both as a source and a sink of carbon, their environmental and economic value, and man's ability to modify them, makes them important policy instruments. However, uncertainties about the dynamics of carbon in forest ecosystems has a major impact on defining and verifying policies, as is evident from the difficulties in ratifying the Kyoto protocol. Quantifying and reducing this uncertainty requires the combination of mathematical models for ecological processes, and data, within a unifying statistical framework. Earth Observation data have a crucial, irreplaceable role to play in providing consistent, regular, large-scale measurements of biophysical processes, and in dealing with spatial variability.
The Centre's
mission
The mission of the Centre of Excellence in Terrestrial Carbon Dynamics
is to provide the science basis for understanding the role of terrestrial
systems in the carbon cycle, especially forest ecosystems. This will be
achieved by combining state-of-the-art ecosystem models, experiments to
elucidate key ecological processes, data from EO sensors and other relevant
sources and advanced statistical techniques. Through this integrated approach,
we aim to quantify carbon fluxes and their uncertainties at local, regional
and continental scales, and to devise methodological, data and instrument
advances to reduce these uncertainties.
We further intend:
- to provide a focus and driver for UK science in this area, with a central role in bringing together modellers, ecologists, EO scientists and statisticians;
- to ensure the Centre has significant impact on European and wider international programmes;
- to present our findings in ways accessible to policy makers and the wider public.