Between degradation and conservation: The carbon balance of the Chinese karst ecosystem

Projektinformationen

CabaKarst

ID Finanzhilfevereinbarung: 795970

DOI 10.3030/795970

Projekt abgeschlossen

EK-Unterschriftsdatum 4 April 2018

Startdatum 1 November 2018

Enddatum 10 Januar 2022

Finanziert unter

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Gesamtkosten € 200 194,80

EU-Beitrag € 200 194,80

Koordiniert durch

KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET
Denmark

Ziel

Recent studies have shown a globally increasing vegetation cover, also known as the greening Earth. Elevated atmospheric CO2 has been identified as the main driver of this greening. On the contrary, human management is usually reported to cause land degradation and deforestation, especially in humid areas where population pressure is high. This project aims at challenging this simplistic view by introducing the Chinese karst regions as a study area known as one of the world’s most fragile and degraded ecosystems, but also a hot-spot of global greening hosting mega-engineering conservation projects which are the largest in human history. Here my research hypothesis is that conservation efforts in China’s karst regions offset degradation and lead to an increased carbon sequestration with global impact. I aim to (1) develop methods to assess aboveground biomass carbon (ABC) losses and gains with newest satellite data, (2) attribute ABC dynamics to conservation and degradation using inventory data, (3) test the sensitivity of ABC to climate extremes and explain how conservation efforts affect these, and (4) assess the regional and global impact of observed ABC changes as a climate change mitigation measure. Whereas the host institution is world leading in satellite based assessments of climate induced greening of global drylands, me and my project will add a new dimension to the host’s portfolio: the human induced greening of a humid zone. Moreover, the host is world leading in the application of newest satellite data for vegetation cover and ABC assessments and has direct contacts to data developers (e.g. vegetation optical depth based on low frequency passive microwave data). The combination of (a) my regional knowledge, my access to inventory data and contacts to Chinese stake-holders with (b) the host’s experience in data processing and scientific publishing will generate novel knowledge on human induced carbon sequestration as a climate change mitigation measure.

Wissenschaftliches Gebiet

• engineering and technology › mechanical engineering › vehicle engineering › aerospace engineering › satellite technology
• natural sciences › biological sciences › ecology › ecosystems
• natural sciences › earth and related environmental sciences › atmospheric sciences › climatology › climatic changes
• natural sciences › computer and information sciences › data science › data processing
• agricultural sciences › agricultural biotechnology › biomass

Programm/Programme

• H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme
• H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility

Thema/Themen

• MSCA-IF-2017 - Individual Fellowships

Aufforderung zur Vorschlagseinreichung

H2020-MSCA-IF-2017

Finanzierungsplan

MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF

Koordinator

KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET

• Netto-EU-Beitrag: € 200 194,80
• Adresse: NORREGADE 10 ; 1165 Kobenhavn ; Dänemark
• Region: Danmark › Hovedstaden › Byen København
• Aktivitätstyp: Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
• Gesamtkosten: € 200 194,80