Objective
The GHG-Europe project aims to improve our understanding and capacity for predicting the European terrestrial carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) budget by applying a systematic, comprehensive and integrative approach. GHG-Europe quantifies the annual to decadal variability of the carbon and GHG budgets of terrestrial ecosystems in EU27 plus Switzerland and in six data-rich European regions via data-model integration, diagnostic and predictive modelling. Models are calibrated by multi-site observations. Research includes CO2, CH4 and N2O in forests, croplands, grasslands, shrublands, peatlands and soils. Via an integrated approach, GHG Europe scales up consistently from local to regional and continental scale via scale dependent error propagation and systematic quantification of uncertainties, model validation at different scales and top-down verification by atmospheric inversion models. At regional and European scale lateral C transport by land use, trade and rivers are included. Variability in C and GHG budgets is attributed to natural (climate) and anthropogenic drivers (N deposition, land use, past and present management) by synthesis of past and emerging experiments, targeted observations in hot spots and hot moments and model sensitivity analyses. For this purpose, observations are extended to under-sampled regions and ecosystems with likely high importance for the European C budget: forests and land use change in Eastern Europe and Mediterranen shrublands. The future vulnerability of carbon pools and risks of positive feedbacks in the climate-carbon system are assessed by scenario analyses with biophysical models and by integrating feedbacks with socio-economic changes and EU climate and land use policies. GHG-Europe uses a bidirectional interaction with stakeholders to provide regular and timely scientific advice targeted to the emerging needs of the UNFCCC process and for implementing post-2012 climate commitments in Europe.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
FP7-ENV-2009-1
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Funding Scheme
CP-IP - Large-scale integrating projectCoordinator
38116 Braunschweig
Germany
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Participants (42)
75015 PARIS 15
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2361 Laxenburg
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80539 Munchen
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AB24 3FX ABERDEEN
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01100 Viterbo
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1081 HV Amsterdam
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SN2 1EU SWINDON WILTSHIRE
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8092 Zuerich
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077190 VOLUNTARI
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75007 Paris
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60 637 Poznan
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Participation ended
80333 Muenchen
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2000 Antwerpen
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46980 PATERNA VALENCIA
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00014 Helsingin Yliopisto
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1131 Wien
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38098 San Michele All'Adige
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2800 Kongens Lyngby
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1755 LE Petten
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80100 Joensuu
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00560 Helsinki
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8010 Graz
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39100 Bolzano
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9712CP Groningen
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750 07 Uppsala
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00790 Helsinki
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4 Dublin
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1165 Kobenhavn
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6020 Innsbruck
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40126 Bologna
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18071 Granada
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6708 PB Wageningen
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33100 Udine
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69117 Heidelberg
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00185 Roma
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25280 Solsona
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13071 Ciudad Real
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94165 Saint Mande Cedex
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14473 Potsdam
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6708 PB Wageningen
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85354 Freising
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1081 HV Amsterdam
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