IPCC Good Practice Guidance LULUCF

1. IPCC Good Practice GuidanceLULUCF Chapter 2 – Land Area Representation Ronnie Milne (UK), Bubu Pateh (Gambia) + 16 Lead and Contributing authors Purpose>

2. Purpose • Little or no advice on area identification in 96GL • Advice on how to make best use of information existing or newly gathered on areas associated with LU/LUC activities vi land categories>>

3. Broad Land Categories i) Forest land ii) Cropland iii) Grassland iv) Wetland v) Settlements vi) Other These broad categories set a framework, to be sub-divided by ecosystem type and management regime as required by guidance in Ch 3 and 4 taking account of national circumstances. 3 Approaches>>

4. Ch 2 Approaches to land area identification • Approach 1 – harmonised existing data sources, area cross checks – no LUC matrix • Approach 2 - Direct survey of LUC, harmonised data, area cross checks, LUC matrix, not spatially explicit • Approach 3– Complete enumeration or statistical identification of areas, area cross checks, LUC matrix, spatially explicit Uncertainties>>

5. Associated Uncertainties • Approach 1…few % to 10% on area by activity; greater % uncertainty on changes in area • Approach 2…few % to 10% on area or changes in area by activity • Approach 3 …as Approach 2 but spatial data available Stats/enumeration>

6. Complete Enumeration / Statistical Identification • Sampling inevitable, even with remote sensing to deal with potential misclassification • Balance depends on national circumstances (resources, history of data collection, accessibility) Personal view>

7. Personal view of Ch 2 • Supplies key missing element from 96GL • Systematic approach will minimise errors • Rationalisation via land classification will help association of above and below ground pools, especially important during LUC.