AFRICA – GHG – The role of African tropical forests on the Greenhouse Gases balance of the atmosphere

The African tropical rainforests, their carbon source/sink strength and the analyses of GHG fluxes variability. An international research project to study their role on the greenhouse gases balance of the atmosphere.

Duration
4 years from 01/04/2010 to 31/12/2014
Funded by
  • European Commission - FP7

Coordinating organization
  • CMCC - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change

CMCC Scientific Leader
CMCC Project manager
CMCC Institutes

CMCC Divisions

General aims
  • Understand the role of the African tropical rainforest on the GHG balance of the atmosphere and revise their role on the global methane and N2O emissions;
  • Determine the carbon source/sink strength of African tropical rainforest in the pre-industrial versus the XX century by temporal reconstruction of biomass growth with biogeochemical markers;
  • Understand and quantify carbon and GHG fluxes variability across African tropical forests (west-east equatorial belt);
  • Analyse the impact of the forest degradation and deforestation on carbon and other GHG emissions.

 


CMCC Role

CMCC will contribute to the project making available to the AFRICA-GHG research team its infrastructure with scientific databases and specialised software and modelling tools. Another key resource of CMCC will be the direct link with its research networks and training activities, that will provide a fruitful environment for the research team of the AFRICA-GHG project. In addition the PI team will provide the following research infrastructures:

  • Flux tower in Ankasa National Park with full operational carbon fluxes technology (AFRICA-GHG will upgrade non CO2 fluxes);
  • Aircraft SKY ARROW certified for carbon flux measurements (AFRICA-GHG will upgrade non CO2 fluxes);
  • Analytical facilities for geochemical signals.


Activity
  • Flux measurements;
  • Use of a system that realize Eddy Accumulation flux measurements;
  • Independent estimates of carbon balance;
  • Airborne fluxes measurements;
  • Airborne LIDAR measurements of biomass stocks, forest structure and logging impacts.

 


Partners
  • UNITUS - Università degli Studi della Tuscia

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