GEO Overview & GOFC-GOLD · in GEO work plan tasks by 8 communities of users. 7 main forest tasks 1. AG-06-04 Forest Mapping and Change Monitoring 2. DA-07-02 Global Land Cover ...

GEO Overview & GOFC-GOLDOverview of Forest Observations in the GEOSS Work Plan

Michael BradyGOFC-GOLD Land Cover MeetingJena, 15 October 2008

Vision of the Group on Earth Observations

• Sustainable growth and development requires coordinated, comprehensive and sustained global Earth observations, as the foundation for sound scientific understanding.

• The Members and Participating Organizations of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) established a framework for a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).

• GEOSS will enable all countries to access Earth observations in order to address the urgent challenges that are faced by an increasingly vulnerable global society.

GEOSS societal benefits and land cover and forest observations

ClimateLand change & GHG emis.Water+energy exchanges

ClimateLand change & GHG emis.Water+energy exchanges

WeatherLand–surface climate int.Vegetation characteristics

WeatherLand–surface climate int.Vegetation characteristics

HealthLand change / disease

vectors / boundary cond.

HealthLand change / disease

vectors / boundary cond.

DisastersFire monitoring

Land degradation assess.

DisastersFire monitoring

Land degradation assess.

AgricultureCultivation pattern+forestry

Land degradations

AgricultureCultivation pattern+forestry

Land degradations

EcosystemsChange environment cond.

Services + accounting

EcosystemsChange environment cond.

Services + accounting

EnergyBio-energy/biomass

Wind/hydro power assess.

EnergyBio-energy/biomass

Wind/hydro power assess.

WaterWater resources / qualityLand+water use pattern

WaterWater resources / qualityLand+water use pattern

BiodiversityEcosystem characteristics Habitats + fragmentation

BiodiversityEcosystem characteristics Habitats + fragmentation

GEO history & GOFC-GOLD

• Reference Document & 10 Year WP, 2005• GEO Secretariat & Director• 2006 Workplan v1,2,3……• 2007-09 Workplan v1,2,3……• 2009-11 Workplan v1,2,3……• User Interface Committee• National GEO Secretariats• New 15-yr targets for T3• GEO Forest Symposium, Brazil Nov 08

24 tasks identified with need for forest observationsTasks in all SBAsTasks linked to all user communities:

Global Change Science – 10 tasksTimber, Fuel and Fiber – 4 tasksWatershed Protection - 2 tasksBiodiversity and Conservation - 8 tasksFCCC and other Environmental Agreements - 5 tasksRecreation and Tourism - 1 taskSustainable Forest Management - 3 tasksForest Perturbations and Protection (fire, insects, disease) - 10 tasks

24 GEOSS tasks require forest observations

Direct requirements for forest observations in GEO work plan tasks by 8 communities of users

7 main forest tasks

1. AG-06-04 Forest Mapping and Change Monitoring2. DA-07-02 Global Land Cover3. DA-07-03 Virtual Constellations-Land Surface Imaging sub task4. DI-06-13 Implementation of a Fire Warning System at Global Level5. CL-06-03 Key Terrestrial Observations for Climate6. EC-06-07 Regional Networks for Ecosystems7. US-06-02 Pilot Communities of Practice

New task proposed: Forest Carbon TrackingSub task under Integrated Global Carbon Observation (IGCO)

7 main forest tasks


New task proposed: Forest Carbon TrackingSub task under EC-06-01 Integrated Global Carbon Observation (IGCO), Support the IGCO development of a global carbon-observing system, in particular improved global networks of in-situ CO2 observations.

Global Land Cover TaskProvide a suite of global land cover datasets, initially

based on improved and validated moderate resolution land cover maps and eventually including land-cover

change at high resolution

Martin Herold & Tom LovelandGOFC-GOLD project office / USGS (task leads)

With contributions from C. Woodcock (UBoston), J. Townshend (UMaryland), M. Brady (Canadian Forest Service), C. Steenmans (European

Env. Agency), O. Arino (ESA) & C. Schmullius (UJena)

www.fao.org/gtos/gofc-goldwww.gofc-gold.uni-jena.de Global Observations of Forest Cover and Land Dynamics

DA-07-02 key activities2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Global level

National level

Strategies (IGOS): Integrated Global Observations for land (IGOL)

Standards: LCCS land cover classifiers and validation proceduresHarmonization: “best” available map

New global products: GLOBCOVER (link to regional level)

Continuity of observations: Mid-decadal global Landsat survey (MDGLS) Global Land Survey 2010

Specifications for fine-scale global land cover change dataset (incl. validation framework)

Technical guidance for UNFCCCC/REDD (GOFC-GOLD sourcebook)

Integration of IGOL into GEO

Capacity building and support of global assessments:GLCN + GOFC-GOLD networks / FAO-FRA global remote sensing survey

GLOBCOVER

Beta version in review by GEO task teamDataset release: September 2008

Land cover classification maps of Canada have been registered as a GEOSS component

7 main forest tasks



Virtual constellations task

• To advocate rapid development of the “CEOS Constellations Concept”.

• Observations from a virtual constellation would provide better temporal, spatial, and spectral resolution and related data management and dissemination.

• A series of virtual constellations are in definition by space agencies, in consultation with user communities within the CEOS framework,

• A Land-Surface Imaging Constellation, designed to ensure the relevant synergy with High Resolution Multispectral Imager Continuity

LSI issues

• A Global 2010 mid-resolution data set is essential.• Many assets will be available (though likely not Landsat).• Hence key role of a Virtual Constellation.• VC also needed to increase frequency of imaging.

– More cloud free images.

• 3 related sets of VC tasks:– How do we optimize the use of existing systems?– How can we impact future systems already in progress (LDCM,

Sentinel)?– What is the future mid-resolution system that can properly satisfy

user needs?

What is the LSI system we really want?

• Many alternative constellations now feasible:– More frequent observations needed and possible –

16day>8day>4day>2 day

• In the future many other possibilities– Non Sun-synchronous orbiters– Geostationaries with mid resolution resolution.

• To start designing the system Working Group on Regional Data Set Compilation set up under LSI –IGOL co-chairing

7 main forest tasks



7 main forest tasks



Key terrestrial observations for climate

1. A Framework for Terrestrial Climate-Related Observations: Implementation Options(Progress Report to the 26th Meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, May 2007)

2. Assessing the Status of the Development of Standards for the Essential Climate Variables (ECV) in the Terrestrial Domain(Progress Report to the 26th Meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, May 2007)

Task Lead: GTOS, Antonio Bombeli

7 main forest tasks



Providing the interface between global and national level data users and needs

GOFC-GOLDSTB and IT’s

GOFC-GOLD Regional Networks

National Needs and Users National Needs and

Users National Needs and Users National Needs and

Users Within the Region National Needs and Users Within the Region National Needs and

Users Within the Region



1. SEARRIN - South East Asia 2. OSFAC - Central Africa 3. Miombo - Southern Africa4. SAFNET – Southern Africa5. NEARIN – Northern Eurasia6. East Asia (initiated early 2005)7. Latin America8. West Africa

Develop a global network of organization-networks and coordinate activities to strengthen observing capacity in developing countries

7 main forest tasks



Societal Benefit Area: Agriculture (incl. forests and rangelands)

GEO Community of Practice for Forest Observations US-06-02

Göran Boberg and Hakan Olsson, SwedenErkki Tomppo, FinlandMichael Brady, CanadaZhiliang Zhu, USAMartin Herold and Christiane Schmullius, GOFC-GOLD

Objectives

1. Create a community of practice with broad representation of producers and users of forest data and information

2. Identify, gather, and seek agreement on user community requirements for forest observations, their present status and gaps to be filled

3. Advise the User Interface Committee, other CoPs and GEO on matters relating to forest observations and related societal benefits, and on cross-cutting issues of interest

4. Provide GEO with information about organisations and networks that could help carry out forest observation related GEO tasks

5. Support the forest observation community with information about activities and plans in the GEO process

Identify and contact key forest organizations for involvement:

UN Org, FAO Forestry Program, Forest Resource Assessment, UNFCCC, CBDRegional processes, MCPFE, Montreal processNational Forest Inventories, ENFIN, NAFC, COST E43Regional (EC/ESA GMES, i.e. GSE forest monitoring)National agencies, CFS, USFSNGOs

Work to date

Define initial focus of FCoP:• Better integration in-situ and space based forest

observations

User interface process has been initiated

• During the August 2007 meeting of the UIC a 2-year process was agreed to identify user priorities and gaps in EO.

• The process is to identify critical Earth observation priorities common to many GEOSS SBAs:– involving scientific and technical experts, – taking account of socio-economic factors, and – building on the results of existing systems’ requirements

development processes.

• Forest CoP is leading the Initiation of an Advisory Group for the forest portion of Agriculture SBA (working with Agriculture Monitoring CoP)

• Canadian Forest Service, as a contribution to the FCoP provided an analyst for an initial period of 4 months (January to April 2008)

Current & future states of critical forest observation priorities

Establish a GEO process for identifying critical Earth observation priorities common to many GEOSS societal benefit areas, involving scientific and technical experts, taking account of socio-economic factors, and building on the results of existing systems’ requirements development processes.

Current activities• Recruiting new members: USFS

• Populating GEO Registry: forest data and systems (CFS-Saforah land cover, CWFIS fire in process)

• Confirming forest related tasks in new work plan (resolve absence of forest tasks in AG)

• Planning for engagement with users to further the UIC Process:• GEOSS in the Americas symposium, Sep 08• GOFC-GOLD Land Cover Symposium, Oct 08• GEO Forest Symposium, Nov 08

• Developing generic UI process guide for upcoming events

7 main forest tasks


New task proposed: Forest Carbon TrackingBuild upon existing and planned efforts by GEO and its partners in forest monitoring, carbon observation and associated modeling tofoster the use of these tools for periodic evaluation of carbon storage in forests globally.

Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation

GOFC-GOLD working group

Key 15-year GEOSS Forest Observation Targets

• Provide a suite of annual global land cover datasets based on validated and interoperable data sources, including cover change at high resolution (DA-07-02). A program of regular monitoring and assessment of forests and forest changes is in place, using a combination of ground and satellite information and internationally agreed standards (AG-06-04).

• Wildland fire is an important and widespread agent of forest damage and loss. Global systems and networks are in place, providing early warning (DI-06-13) and rapid detection (DI-06-09 geostationary fire network) of fire, using commonly understood terminology and allowing for mutual assistance across boundaries.

• Periodically evaluate carbon storage in forests globally using established systems for forest monitoring, carbon observation and associatedmodeling, which make use of reference, coherent and validated databases.

GEO Overview & GOFC-GOLD · in GEO work plan tasks by 8 communities of users. 7 main forest tasks 1. AG-06-04 Forest Mapping and Change Monitoring 2. DA-07-02 Global Land Cover ...

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