Information on the potential, locations, and mechanisms of carbon sequestration is essential in order to formulate carbon management and sequestration policies and strategies. This project fulfills the requirements of section 712 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 by conducting a comprehensive assessment of the potential for carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions reductions from terrestrial ecosystems across the United States. Remote sensing information from satellites (e.g., Landsat and MODIS) has been used to quantify the spatial and temporal dynamics of land use and land cover change, disturbances (insects, hurricanes, fire etc.), and ecosystem performance (e.g., net primary productivity) that are essential for this assessment.
MODIS-derived estimate of above ground forest biomass mortality caused by Hurricane Katrina.