Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

CANADA #41: Using Laser Altimetry and Ground Penetrating Radar ) to Scale Up Carbon Budget Estimates in the Boreal Forest  (Using Laser Altimetry and Ground Penetrating Radar ) to Scale Up Carbon Budget Estimates in the Boreal Forest)

Outline
IPCC has been instrumental in stimulating governmental policy and regulation, while other groups have been effective in gathering scientific data on which the policies are based. Canada, Russia, and Japan have now signed Article 3 of the Kyoto Accord and so there is increasing pressure to develop carbon sequestering models and to reconcile model and field data. Laser altimetry is one of the important remote sensing and change-detection techniques that is well developed in Canada. Laser altimeter data collection systems now integrate a dual frequency GPS receiver, a high-accuracy Inertial Measurement Unit, a nadir positioned high density profiling laser, a digital colour video camera, and a data logging operator interface. The data from this system has height and spatial resolutions of centimetres and so is the most accurate forest data available. The Canadian-Japanese research project was initiated in 1997 with a 600km transect from Edmonton to Cliff Lake, across the boreal forest. In 2000, a transect was established in the boreal zone in Siberia. In 2002, the 1997 transect was re-measured and additional transects were established along the North Saskatchewan River Valley in Alberta and from Dawson, YT to Inuvik, NT (600km). Field data have been collected on all transects since 1997 to link the laser data to biomass inventories. Results provide evidence that the technique shows promise to develop carbon budgets and changes in those budgets over time. In addition to the tree biomass data, there is a need to document soil surface organic matter, which is more difficult to measure (the present generation of Ground Penetrating Radar equipment is ground based). We continue to work on this problem. The proposal for the IPY is to add six additional boreal forest transects across Canada (see attached map) using laser altimetry, with more local GPR sampling. This will be conducted by graduate students in cooperation with the provinces because of their need to report forest carbon inventories. The data collected in this study will be extrapolated to larger areas through other spatial data (satellite based). A most important feature of this work is the repeatability of the accurate data collection system so that detailed landscape change-detection studies are possible. These changes, which include insect attack, forest harvesting, fires (and harvesting after fires), and road/pipeline development can cover a significant proportion of the landscape that the carbon budget is influenced. There are major scaling issues in the boreal forest; modelling and field measurement approaches need to be reconciled.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The current state of the polar environment applies because forests will be documented with the laser profiling across the boreal forest along about 10 transects. The change in the polar regions will be accomplished along benchmark transects already established in 1997 and 2002. The Polar-global linkages and interaction occurs through the human impacts of northern petroleum, mineral, and hydro-electrical power development that are driven from the south. Investigating new frontiers is related to the application of laser technology to establish additional boreal forest benchmarks over vast areas of unstudied landscapes. Human societies in polar regions will relate to better understanding of the changes that are occurring under climate changes and how these changes will be influencing northern communities. In this theme we will be bringing together about 100 individuals involved in northern studies in the 1960-1980 period to synthesise their views of changes in the north over that period.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
This project was initiated in Canada with the 1997 summer laser scans and field documentation led by Dr. Tatsuo Sweda, of Ehime University, Japan and was followed by similar research in Siberia and Japan in 2000. In 2002 the Canadian transect was re-measured and additional transects were established from Dawson to Inuvik and on the North Saskatchewan River Valley at Edmonton.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Laser re-measuring before IPY– Edmonton, AB to Cluff Lake, SK, Dawson to Inuvik, North Saskatchewan River Valley, Edmonton, AB Summer 2007 – Laser profiling – Powell River, BC to Coppermine, NT, Saskatoon, SK to Queen Maud Gulf, NT, Winnipeg, MN to Churchill, MN, Huntsville, ON to James Bay, ON, Quebec City, PQ to Salliut, PQ, Fredericton, NB to Salluit, PQ. See attached map.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: July/97 – Sept/97            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
We have a long standing relationship with Services International Inc. of Calgary, Alberta but there are other possible operators of the laser research. The GPR data will be collected with shared equipment from the laboratory of Dr. Doug Schmitt, Physics, UofA. There will also be a need to visit remote sites on the transects that are only accessible in the winter.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
In terms of equipment, the legacy will be the software and hardware that adds to the spatial analysis capacity of university laboratories. The main legacy is in terms of data! The value of this work is the data-rich permanent transects over extensive areas of the boreal forest. These are essentially permanent plots against which future rates-of-change can be compared.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

The laser profiling to date has been conducted by LiDAR Services International Inc. in Canada. The laser profiling in Japan and Siberia has been conducted by companies in their countries and in cooperation with the Ehime University research team. We expect this to continue. The GPR research will be conducted on much more local areas. We will be requesting air support from provincial forestry and natural resource agencies as well as through cooperation with the Canadian Forest Service scientists.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
To date, the research has been endorsed by the Science Council of Japan, the IGBP Japan, and the GAIM, Japan. We hope that the Canadian IPY Steering Committee will endorse the project. This pre-proposal has been reviewed and is being submitted by the Canadian Steering Committee (CSC). Ongoing discussions will integrate this pre-proposal into a larger network of related national and international initiatives. The CSC has initially sorted this pre-proposal into: Ecosystems Terrestrial Processes

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
yes
This is an accelerated research program that has been under development since 1997. The IPY will provide the Canadian-wide focus to the project.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will have a Data Managing Committee and a Users Committee of researchers and land managers for each of the boreal transects. These answer to a Science Steering Committee (SSC) of senior advisors from Canadian Governments and Universities. The SSC will include international representation as well.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
The data bases and results reporting will be web-based and as transparent as possible. The education aspects for land managers, undergraduates, and graduate students will be web-based as well. The website will be used to share advances and attract other researchers. An important goal of this research is to train a new generation of internationalized graduate students in these research methods. To date, more than 10 Canadian and Japanese graduate students have been or are involved. The funds requested will support three Canadian partner co-supervised PhD students. A Canadian Masters and an undergraduate student will assist with field studies. The team of Japanese students will be supported though Japanese agencies.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
Data management is an important aspect of this project because of the sheer number of raw data that are collected on each transect. The data will be mounted on servers for ready access (password protected) by users who require the data for their specific analyses. A letter of agreement is being prepared between these partners and the Government of Alberta concerning the sharing of data; other provinces must be similarly consulted. The users of data will be researchers testing specific hypotheses and conducting field verification studies. Teams developing carbon budget credits and reporting to national and international agencies will need the data to verify model output and to produce carbon budget estimates that corroborate calculations by other remote sensing methods.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
The project has been funded to date at the level of about $1million Canadian largely by the Japanese government to date through Dr. Tatsuo Sweda in cooperation with R. W. Wein and others who have used their NSERC and other operating funds. We see the IPY program as a provider of additional data from a Canadian-wide program. Operation funds will be necessary for the synthesis of data over a number of years after the IPY program. Between now and the IPY our dream program will: - continue the field and lab research with technical staff (6@$50K) and graduate students (10@20K) to refine the usefulness of the techniques (Total - 35% - $500K) - development of the airborne GPR systems (technical staff and hardware – Total – 10% - $1000 – based on the development of the LA system) - measure ten transects with LA and GPR - 700km x 10 transects x $150/km (Total - 20% - $1050K) - local flights for specific studies (Total 5% - 1000km @$150/km – 150K) - mount the available data on dedicated servers (Total - 20% - $100K) - establish an effective communication system for stake holders (Total - 10% - $200K) During the IPY and the subsequent two years we will: - remote sensing equipment upgrade (Total - 5% - $375) - re-measure the ten transects and mount the data on the servers (Total - 30% - @$175/km - $1225K) - local flights for specific studies (Total - 5% - 1000km @$150/km - 150K) - utilization of the change detection data by technical staff (10@$50K) and graduate students (20@25K) to verify landscape changes (Total - 50% - $1000K) - Conferences/workshops (Total - 10% - $250K) The final four years of the program will: - remote sensing equipment upgrade (Total - 5% - $400) - re-measure the ten transects and mount the data on servers (Total - 25% - @$200 - $1400K) - utilization of the change detection data by technical staff (10@$50K) and graduate students (25@20K) to verify landscape changes (Total - 50% - 1000K) - Conferences/workshops (Total - 10% - 200K)

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
This proposal is to enable the Canadian universities to participate fully in the most extensive boreal forest study to date. There will be much cooperation with provinces. Please note that I am submitting this proposal as I am on sabbatical this year. The co-operators noted here will be heavily involved in the preparation of the full proposal and in the research program that teaches to the IPY and beyond.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Prof  Ross Wein
University of Alberta
751 Gen. Serv. Bldg.
Edmonton, Alberta
T6G 2A4
Canada

Tel: 780-492-2038
Mobile:
Fax: 780-492-3242
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation

Other Information