Forest Carbon Calculator

1. Forest Carbon Calculator Forest Carbon Reporting Initiative of USAID’s Global Climate Change Program

2. Purpose and Scope • Allows USAID to calculate and report the annual climate impacts of its forestry projects worldwide (in tons of CO2e) • Quantitative indicator of how USAID’s forestry projects are helping to mitigate climate change • Simple, web-based, easy-to-use tool • Does NOT generate estimates of marketable carbon credits!

3. Which activities are included? • Forest Protection • Reduced Deforestation • Illegal logging • Fire • Forest Management • Reduced Impact Logging • Stop logging • Afforestation / Reforestation • Plant native species • Plantations • Agroforestry • Not directly included: Forest Policy

4. Understanding ‘Admin Units’ • Calculators were designed to function at a sub-national scale (state, province, district, etc.) • Each admin unit has a unique profile: default values in the calculator are based on local ecosystem properties • If a project spans across a large region, user can select multiple administrative units • Default values do NOT represent values for a given point on the landscape; averaged across the administrative unit

5. Selecting your project’s administrative unit is easy as 1-2-3: 1. Select Region 2. Select Country 3. Select Admin Unit(s)

6. Two-Level Approach: • Level A: minimal data input required • Area of project • Management effectiveness (0-100%) • Level B: user can enter project-specific information if known • Baseline deforestation rate • Forest carbon or biomass stock • Volume of timber extracted • Carbon or biomass accumulation rate • Etc.

7. Level A: Area of project • Break project area down by activity type • Within each activity, break down area by administrative unit • Example of Community Forest Mgmt: Natural Forest Protection:A/R: 10,000 ha in Admin 1 2,000 ha in Admin 1 4,243 ha in Admin 2

8. Level A: % Effectiveness Rating • Included to reflect project maturity • Early phase projects may not be 100% effective yet • Scale from 0% to 100% - user must choose rating • Guidance is given in the calculators for selecting a value

9. Calculator has four easy steps: • Step 1: Enter project location • Step 2: Select calculators • Step 3: Enter data • Step 4: View Results

11. Enter project information Shopping cart Select project location

12. Select by lat/long

13. Admin unit is added automatically, lat/long box resets

14. Admin unit added when clicked Select by drop down menus

15. Admin units are added automatically, dropdown box resets

16. Select by map

17. What is “up one level?”

18. Pan to other regions within Africa Click again

19. World map displayed: can select different region

20. After all project locations have been identified, move to Step 2

21. Not sure which calculator to use? Project information remains displayed Option to remove project locations

25. After all calculators are selected, move on to Step 3

26. Input validation

27. Project information remains displayed User enters project area in preferred units

28. Click to expand or collapse Default values given for all parameters

29. Rate the project’s “management effectiveness”

31. After all data input is complete, move on to Step 4

34. Enter new project

35. Modify existing data entry

36. How are Benefits Calculated?

37. Forest Protection: Deforestation Rate • Landsat data used where available (6 countries) • Otherwise, MODIS data 2001-2004

38. Forest Protection: Carbon stocks • Compilation of several data sources

39. Forest Protection: Carbon stocks

40. Enter rates on an area or percentage basis Converts between carbon and biomass, acres and hectares

41. Forest Management -Roads -Skid trails -Landing decks Timber extraction decreases C stocks in live biomass and increases C stocks in dead wood and wood products.

43. Afforestation/Reforestation: • IPCC Tier 1 biomass accumulation based on ecological zone • Weighted average per administrative unit

44. Afforestation/Reforestation • Species selection: • Native species • Teak • Eucalyptus • Pine • Bamboo • Mangrove • Other Broadleaf • Other Conifer

45. Agroforestry • Reviewed the literature to create database with >200 entries • Range of ages (2-30 yrs) and carbon values (2-105 t C/ha) included • Data from all continents • Growth models fit to data • Dry and wet climates • High, medium and low carbon potential

46. Agroforestry

47. Agroforestry • Dry vs. wet determined by project’s geographic location • Carbon potential curve determined by three factors: (0.33*GH)+(0.33*SD)+(0.33*SQ)

48. Next Steps • Improve user interface • Refine default databases • User testing! • Possible scenario planning and target setting component Go to: http://winrock.stage.datarg.net

49. Group Exercise Try it out! Go to: http://winrock.stage.datarg.net

50. Discussion List out the specific forest sector activities your mission currently supports. Are those activities currently resulting in on-the-ground impacts of reduced emissions or increased sequestration? What are the indicators being collected now? How would they need to change to be useable in this calculator? What capacity building will be required with your partners and clients to enable them to set carbon targets and use this calculator? What type of field support or training is needed to roll out carbon indicators in your programs? Taking all this in mind, what additional functions and improvements should we add to the calculator? How should we promote it and train on its use?