20 years of Tropical Forest Research at the University of Leicester

1. 20 years of Tropical Forest Research at the University of Leicester Sue Page, Kevin Tansey, Heiko Balzter, Agata Hoscilo, Matthew Waldram, Milton Romero-Ruiz, Pedro Rodriguez-Veiga, Bashar Dahdal, James Wheeler, Sarah Owen, Narissara Nuthammachot, Outi Lahteenoja, Wayne Murphy et al.

2. Focus of NCEO collaboration • Tropical forest degradation – implications for C cycle • Use & applications of remote sensing – optical & radar (ALOS-PALSAR – Matt Waldram) • Focus on tropical peatlands – especially peat swamp forest in SE Asia • Scale of GHG emissions • Implications for REDD, land-use planning, biofuel policies etc.

3. Tropical peat carbon pool 11% 3% 8% 10% 65% Best estimate 89 Gt Range 82 - 92 Gt 69 Gt (77%) in Southeast Asia Equivalent to: 3.5% global vegetation & soil carbon pool 15-19% global peatland carbon store Page et al. 2011 Global Change Biology (Page et al. 2011. Global Change Biology )

4. SE Asia Amazonia Congo Basin ~ 10,000 km2 with depths up to 60 m? Africa?

5. Peatland typology & extent – Pastasza Fan, Peruvian Amazonia Lahteenoja & Page 2011 Journal of Geophysical Research

6. Impacts of disturbance

7. Modeling carbon emissions from drainage of tropical peatlands(peat oxidation emissions) Near-current (2005): 355-874 Mt CO2 yr-1 (100–240 Mt C yr-1) Projected (2015-2035): 557-981 Mt CO2 yr-1 (150-270 Mt C yr-1 ) Current tropical peat drainage emissions equivalent to 1.4 – 3.5 % of global emissions from fossil fuels (25,000 Mt CO2yr-1)(excluding initial biomass loss & fire) [based on 91 t ha-1 y-1 CO2 at 1 m & 46 t ha-1 y-1 at 0.5 m drainage] (Hooijer, Page et al. 2010, Biogeosciences)

8. Modeling carbon emissions from drainage of tropical peatlands • Constraints • Scale of unit heterotrophic CO2 emissions • Usefulness of published data limited by • low data amount in individual studies i.e. data sets too small to describe the phenomenon both spatially & temporally • CO2 emissions from heterotrophic (decomposition) processes and autotrophic (root) respiration not separated • poor method description and data collection procedures • Extent of drained peatlands • Lack of objective up-to-date information on the extent of drained peatlands – in particular industrial plantations

9. Confirming scale of unit CO2 emissions: Study in plantation on peatland in Sumatra, Indonesia • Study sets a standard for greenhouse gas flux studies from tropical peatlands under agricultural management. • First to purposefully quantify heterotrophic CO2 emissions. • Provides most scientifically- and statistically-rigorous study to date of CO2 emissions. • Mean heterotrophicCO2 emission (±SE) 1053±88 mg m-2 h-1 at 0.78 m average water table depth = 92 t ha-1 y-1 • After correction for diurnal temp fluctuation  ~80 t ha-1 y-1 • Carbon loss still considerable even at highest water levels theoretically possible in plantations; loss of forest canopy, higher peat surface temperature, fertilisation all enhance CO2 emissions (Jauhiainen, Hooijer & Page (2012) Biogeosciences

10. (From: Hooijer, Miettinen, Tollenaar, Page, Malins, Vernimmen, Chenghua Shi, Soo Chin Liew (2012) ICCT White Paper No. 16) Mietinnen ….. & Page (accepted) Global Change Biology-Bioenergy

11. Policy impact • Two white papers for International Council on Clean Transportation • White Paper 15 – Review of GHG emissions from oil palm plantations on peat • White Paper 16 – Historical, current and projected future extent of oil palm plantations on peat •  EU, EPA & CARB biofuel policies

12. 1992- Peat swamp forest disturbance • Paper published in Nature • First estimates of carbon losses as a result of El Nino fires in 1997 • Multi-sensor approaches

13. 2006-2009 Forest fire severity • EC funded • Mapped land cover change and forest disturbance • Fire severity indicators established • Consultancy projects

14. Other consequences of peat oxidation & fire • Change in organic geochemistry + formation of black carbon • Change in surface water-repellency • Increased fluvial C losses (esp. DOC) • Surface subsidence (~5 cm/yr)*  flooding 28 yrs *(Hooijer, Page, Jauhiainen et al, Biogeosciences, in press) *Hooijer, Page & Jauhiainen (2012-in press) Biogeosciences

15. 2007-2011 InSAR observations of peat swamp forest • Surface subsidence following disturbance mapped • Implications for C loss estimates

16. GIONET: A European Centre of Excellence in Earth Observation research training Research themes: • Forest monitoring • Land cover and change • Coastal zone and freshwater monitoring • Geohazardsand emergency response • Climate adaptation and emergency response

17. 2011-2014 Forest Monitoring of the Congo Basin • EC funded • Mapping forest loss using spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and optical sensors Central Congo Basin Data Comparison ALOS-PALSAR 10-m dual polarised RGB composite Source JAXA-METI, 2009 Landsat 5 mosaic (1984, 1986) RGB composite (bands 4, 5, 7 ) Source CARPE-UMD, 2006 Forest /non forest land cover map (derived from SAR data) Source JAXA-METI, 2009

18. The next ideas ... • Pollution mapping using hyperspectral data – e.g. in Ecuadorean rainforest • Forest biomass mapping across Thailand using multi-sensor EO data sets for REDD+ MRV • Global peat swamp forest mapping & degradation analysis • Biofuels on peat – current & future trends & drivers • Impacts of peatland subsidence on flood risk in SE Asia • Extend C & GHG emission studies (DOC, CH4, N20) • Develop landscape-scale C models (hydrology+fire+vegetation+peat oxidation etc)  REDD • Peat swamp forest ecosystem rehabilitation

19. Centre for Landscape and Climate Research Director: Prof. HeikoBalzter, hb91@le.ac.uk Aims: • Established in 2012, the new Centre for Landscape and Climate Research has the mission to advance research excellence by providing a forum for postgraduate research students, post-doctoral researchers and academic staff to undertake cutting edge research projects. • The research in the centre is investigating how and at which scales change in the water cycle affect ecosystem services such as drinking water supply, carbon uptake and food security. • The centre director, Professor HeikoBalzter, is also Coordinator of the European Centre of Excellence in Earth Observation Research Training GIONET (www.gionet.eu). • The concentration of research activity through the close links between the Department of Geography, the Centre for Landscape and Climate Research, GIONET and SPLINT provides a truly outstanding research environment. • Whether you are thinking of a PhD degree, a Masters by Research (MRes) or a taught MSc/MA course, we provide an intellectually creative and innovative home for your postgraduate degree.

20. To develop successful partnership • The science underpinning the applications • Interested in high-frequency observations • Interested in large area coverage • Validating observations with field measurement • Accurate monitoring and reporting of deforestation and degradation • Compiling biomass information systems