Midyear Issue Summer 2013 Canopy - Woods Hole Research …whrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/WHRC-2013Summer.pdf · Opposite page: Dr. Josef Kellndorfer explains cloud penetrating

Greening of the Arctic: What climate change is doingAmazon Freshwater Ecosystems: Vulnerable to degradationLos Carbonautos: Training indigenous trainersScience and Our Scientists: In the field and around the globe

By attaching a value to carbon stored in forests, financial incentives can be offered to developing countries with the dual objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from forested lands and investing in low-carbon sustainable development.

Mexico’s vision for

Sustainability

this issue

CanopyThe Magazine of the Woods Hole Research Center

Midyear Issue Summer 2013

Also in

featured4 Mexico’s Vision for Sustainability6 The Greening of the Arctic8 Los Carbonautos12 Amazon Freshwater Ecosystems14 People & Projects19 The Warmest Year on Record20 Lawrence S. Huntington Prize

about us From the President 1

Board of Directors 2Staff Listing 3

Support Us 11

Canopy mAGAzInE summer 2013

A Letter from the President

Canopy mAGAzInE summer 2013 1

PRESiDEnT & SEnioR SCiEnTiSTDr. Eric A. Davidson

CoMMUniCATionS Director of Communications: ian Vorster

Director of External Affairs:Eunice YoumansPhone: 508-444-1509 Email: [email protected]

DEVELoPMEnT Acting Director of Development: Kristin McLaughlinPhone: 508-444-1512 Email: [email protected]

EDiTinG & DESiGn ian VorsterDenise Kergo

ConTRiBUToRS Beth BagleyEric DavidsonDenise KergoAllison B. White

PHoToGRAPHY Chris Linder WHRC Staff WooDS HoLE RESEARCH CEnTER 149 Woods Hole RoadFalmouth, MA 02540Email: [email protected] Website: www.whrc.org

nEWSLETTER Subscribe online at www.whrc.org

CoPYRiGHTAll material appearing in Canopy is copyrighted unless otherwise stated or it may rest with the provider of the supplied material. Canopy takes care to ensure information is correct at time of printing. The publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for the accuracy of any information contained herein.

CoVER PHoToAgricultural landscape in the high altitude forests of central Mexico’s Valle de Brava-Amanaico. Credit: Wayne Walker

CanopyCANOPY

Midyear Issue

Punching above our weight: WHRC receives world-class recognition

i am proud to announce that the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) has received recognition as the world’s third most influential climate change think tank by the international Center for Climate Governance (iCCG). The iCCG rankings are based on the integrity of the climate research of each climate institution and on how effectively it was used in addressing climate change policy in 2012.

in this first-ever ranking, the intent of the iCCG was “to highlight the most efficient [think tank] in terms of per capita productivity.” The methodology was based on a set of five indicators:• eventstargetedtospecializedandgeneralaudiences• co-authorsofIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChangeReports• submissionstotheUNFrameworkConventiononClimateChange• articlesinpeer-reviewedjournalsandthefrequencythattheyhavebeencited• otherpublicationssuchaspolicybriefings

Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and international Affairs and the Princeton Environmental institute were ranked first and second, respectively. not only did we rank third in the world based on per capita productivity of our scientists, but we also ranked third in overall institutional influence, well ahead of several larger organizations. We have always known that we punch well above our weight, and now the iCCG has substantiated our claim through its careful, objective analysis. Perhaps the only real surprise about this new independent analysis is that we are being characterized as a “think tank.” While we certainly do a lot of thoughtful analysis, we also consider of ourselves a “do tank.”

in this issue of Canopy you will find many examples of why WHRC is one of the most influential “think and do” organizations in the climate change arena. i hope you enjoy reading about how WHRC’s research and training efforts are making a difference all over the world, particularly in regions where climate change and land use change are profoundly affecting people and ecosystems.

our ranking was not the result of any single splashy report or one superstar scientist, but rather the long-term hard work of all our world-class scientists and the tremendous support staff who make our successes possible. our work exemplifies a high standard of excellence in scientific research and effective communication of our science in policy arenas. i heartily congratulate all of our staff, who share in this great honor!

Finally, we thank you—our generous supporters—for your conviction in the value of our work. This new ranking demonstrates that your investments are paying dividends both for WHRC and for the planet.

The full report is available for download at: http://go.whrc.org/ThinkTank.

Eric A. Davidson President & Senior Scientist

Board of DirectorsCanopy mAGAzInE summer 20132

Chair Wilhelm MerckManaging Member Essex Timber CompanyTreasurer, Merck Family Fund

Vice ChairThomas E. LovejoyBiodiversity ChairH. John Heinz iii Center for Science, Economics and the Environment

TreasurerJoseph R. RobinsonManaging DirectorMidMark Capital

membersJohn H. AdamsFounding Director natural Resources Defense Council

Stephen T. CurwoodHost, Living on EarthWorld Media Foundation

Eric A. DavidsonPresident Woods Hole Research Center

iris FangerDance and Theater Historian and Critic

Scott J. GoetzDeputy Director, Senior ScientistWoods Hole Research Center

Joshua R. GoldbergGeneral Counsel and Managing DirectorFinanco, inc.

Stuart GoodePrivate investor

David HawkinsDirector, Climate Centernatural Resources Defense Council

This list reflects Directors on the Board between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013.

Robert Max HolmesSenior ScientistWoods Hole Research Center

Lily Rice HsiaConsultant Mather & Hsia

Lawrence S. HuntingtonChairman EmeritusFiduciary Trust international

Karen C. LambertEnvironmentalist, Political Activist

Victoria LowellCommunity Leader, Conservationist

Merloyd LudingtonPublisher and EditorMerloyd Lawrence Books

William MoomawProgram Director and Professor of international Environmental PolicyFletcher School of Law and Diplomacy Tufts University

Jeremy oppenheimDirector, Sustainability and Resource ProductivityMcKinsey & Company

Amy ReganPresident Harbourton Foundation

Constance R. RooseveltConservationist

Tedd SaundersPresident Eco-Logical SolutionsChief Sustainability officer, The Saunders Hotel Group

ClerkR.J. LymanPresident General Compression, inc.

Honorary DirectorsAnita W. Brewer-Siljeholmneal A. BrownJohn CantlonJoel HornJames MacneillMary Louise MontgomeryGilman ordwayGordon RussellRoss SandlerHelen B. SpauldingJ.G. SpethRobert G. StantonM.S. Swaminathanola Ullsten

new Board memberR.J. Lyman is President of General Compression, inc., a company that has developed the world’s only commercial-scale, carbon-free compressed air energy storage system. He also serves as Chairman of new England Hydropower Company LLC, the northeastern United States’ exclusive developer of small-scale hydropower installations using the Archimedes Screw Generator. Mr. Lyman previously served as Massachusetts Assistant Environmental Secretary and MEPA Director under Governor Bill Weld. He received his J.D. magna cum laude from Vermont Law School and his B.A. cum laude in history from Harvard College.

FounderGeorge M. Woodwell


StaffPresidentEric A. Davidson, Ph.D.

Deputy Director Scott J. Goetz, Ph.D.

Science Staff Alessandro Baccini, Ph.D.Pieter Beck, Ph.D.Logan T. Berner, M.S. Jesse Bishop, M.S.i. Foster Brown, Ph.D.Ekaterina Bulygina, M.S.Glenn K. Bush, Ph.D.oliver Cartus, Ph.D.Leandro Castello, Ph.D.Michael T. Coe, Ph.D.Tina A. Cormier, M.S.Jill Derwin, M.E.M.Gregory J. Fiske, M.S.Carol Franco, Ph.D.Kevin Guay, B.S.

Robert Max Holmes, Ph.D.Richard A. Houghton, Ph.D.Holly Hughes, B.S.Patrick Jantz, Ph.D.Josef M. Kellndorfer, Ph.D.Melaine Kermarc, B.Sc.Wendy Kingerlee, B.S.nadine T. Laporte, Ph.D.Paul A. Lefebvre, M.A.Marcia n. Macedo, Ph.D.David G. McGrath, Ph.D.Susan M. natali, Ph.D.Prajjwal Panday, Ph.D.Amanda E.W. Poston, B.A.Kilaparti Ramakrishna, Ph.D. , On LeaveKathleen Savage, M.Sc.Robert G.M. Spencer, Ph.D. Thomas A. Stone, M.A.Emma Suddick, Ph.D.Wayne S. Walker, Ph.D.Scott Zolkos, B.A.

Woods Hole Research Center Campus. Credit: Ian Vorster

Administrative StaffElizabeth H. Bagley, B.A.TracyA.Barquinero,M.S.Florence Carlowicz, B.A.Annalisa EisenMichael Ernst, M.F.A.Stanley HammondL. Lisa Hong, M.B.A, C.P.A.Denise KergoDuane H. MartinJoyce McAuliffe, B.S.Kristin P. McLaughlin, M.S.Lisa Strock o’Connell, B.S.Fred PalmerMelanie B. Powers, M.S.M.Camille M. Romano, M.S., C.P.A.ian Vorster, M.S.Allison B. WhiteEunice Youmans, M.A.

Mexico’s Vision for Sustainability


Mexico! in terms of biodiversity it ranks fifth in the world. it is first in numbers of reptiles, cacti,

and pines, and more than 1,000 bird species, 640 reptiles, 450 mammals, 330 amphibians and countless insects call it home. This biodiversity is determined by its location between north and South America—a transition area between tropical and temperate continents. Mexico also has one of the world’s highest rates of deforestation—a loss of 1.2 million acres per year. As a consequence, 242species are in danger of extinction, 435 are considered threatened, 244 are rare and 84 are subject to special protection.

Because of Mexico’s diversity and because of the threats to it, the success of the Mexico REDD+ project (MREDD+) is crucial. REDD+, or Reducing Emissions from

Deforestation and Forest Degradation, is a United nations program, which was first conceived as an initiative to mitigate carbon emissions. Several years ago Mexico signed on to a REDD strategy, but it is also interested in forest monitoring for the benefit of its biodiversity. The Woods Hole Research Center is leading efforts to develop this important component of MREDD+. The “plus” represents an effort to address issues beyond deforestation and degradation and include the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests, and forest carbon stocks.

For the past year, WHRC Senior Scientist Josef Kellndorfer and a team of WHRC researchers have been working with other groups on the MREDD+ project, a five-year, USAiD-supported initiative aimed at improving Mexico’s ability to monitor and

manage its forest, for both climate change mitigation and biodiversity objectives. The timing is critical as Mexico recently enacted climate legislation requiringsignificant national emissions reductions, an action that could serve as a model from which the U.S. and other countries can learn. Forest conservation will improve Mexico’s opportunity to meet its own goals of reducing carbon emissions while also preserving its rich diversity of plants and animals.

The MREDD+ MRV (measurement, reporting and verification) team is comprised of Senior Scientist Josef Kellndorfer, Assistant Scientists Wayne Walker and Alessandro Baccini, Postdoctoral Fellow oliver Cartus, and Research Associate Carol Franco. They recentlytraveledtotheheadquartersoftheComisiÓn nacional Forestal (ConAFoR) in Guadalajara, Mexico, for a meeting with government officials from ConAFoR, norway Mexican Project, and ComisiÓn nacional de Biodiversidad (ConABio) to discuss REDD+ activities and future endeavors.


Above: Map of Mexico showing the distribution of carbon in the aboveground woody biomass of forests and woodlands. The estimates were produced through the integration of field inventory and satellite image data. Mapping was performed by the Woods Hole Research Center under the MREDD+ project funded by USAID.

Opposite page: Dr. Josef Kellndorfer explains cloud penetrating radar imaging technology to the REDD+ team and forest community managers during a field visit.

The execution of MRV includes determining timeframes, necessary products (such as the comprehensive carbon stock map shown below of Mexico, created by the WHRC MREDD+ team), measurements, coordination of baseline reporting, financial mechanisms and government structures, plus many other details to make the grand vision become a reality. in a recent Forestry observer interview, Dr. Kellndorfer commented on the progress of the project so far, emphasizing that Mexico is doing an outstanding job in the development of the MRV system. “They have huge challenges—like the great biodiversity of the country,” he said, “but

it’s exciting to see all these different needs coming to fruition as people coalesce in their expertise.” The MRV project depends on integration of different research and development needs to build the system. Dr. Kellndorfer sees the greatest challenge in the integration of the national Forest and Soil inventory with various components, such as the remote sensing data, so that theyfitMexico’sbiodiversityrequirementsand community safeguards. “Bringing all this together is the next task we face,” he continued. “We have learned that we can improve some of the measurement protocols, and we are learning to understandthecountryasauniqueentity.”

The project is progressing well and WHRC will hold capacity building efforts on the improvements of field estimation of carbon biomass and carbon mapping. if MREDD+ is to be successful, it will need to evolve into a manageable and verifiable process that relies on the MRV system of accurate measurement—the hopeful outcome of orchestrating and documenting this large scale, public-private, multinational conservation program. This is a valuable opportunity to help Mexico conserve its forests, protect its biodiversity, and reduce its emissions of heat-trapping gases.

The Greening of the Arctic


For those who live in northern climes, there can be an understandable ache for a shorter winter. Two recent articles

published in the journal Nature Climate Change by Senior Scientist Scott Goetz and colleagues remind us, however, to “be careful what you wish for.” The two papers discuss different aspects of environmental change taking place in the Arctic as a result of a warming climate.

As part of an international, collaborative scientific effort funded by nASA, Dr. Goetz, Research Associate Pieter Beck and their colleagues analyzed historical vegetation data derived from 30 years of satellite observations.1They found that sustained global warming has not only meant a longer growing season, but it has also narrowed the difference between summer and winter temperatures, rendering the region’s climate less “arctic” and more “temperate.” The result is a shift southward in vegetation characteristics of seven degrees of latitude, or a distance of approximately 480 miles. imagine finding patterns of vegetation and climate like those of Memphis in Chicago, or those of Washington, D.C., in Boston. What might these landscapes look like in 100 years? The work demonstrates the rapid and profound changes currently underway in arctic ecosystems.

A separate but related study supported by a national Science Foundation collaborative grant to WHRC and the American Museum of natural History projects that arctic areas with woody vegetation i.e., shrubs and trees, could increase by as much as 50 percent.2 This increase in woody vegetation would further accelerate climate warming at a rate greater than previously expected. Models that accurately describe current distributions of vegetation were used to predict the types of plants that could grow under expected

temperatures and precipitation by the 2050s. Depending on the climate change scenario modeled, about half of all vegetation types in a given area would switch to a different class, with a massive increase in tree and shrub cover. The implications of these changes would extend far beyond local effects, given that many animal species in the Arctic, such as caribou and geese, migrate southward in winter.

By also incorporating observed relationships between plants and surface reflectivity (albedo), the results show that the increase in trees and shrubs will result in an overall positive feedback to climate that will accelerate local warming. For example, when the sun hits snow, most of the radiation is reflected back to space. But when the sun hits an area that is “dark,” i.e., covered in trees or shrubs, more sunlight is absorbed locally by the vegetation and the soil, and the temperature increases. in effect, warming feeds more warming.

The results of these two studies show how climate change is affecting vegetation and that changes in vegetation are influencing the climate. This serves as a reminder that so many aspects of ecosystems and climate are inextricably linked. Understanding and maintaining the intricate balance between land surface and climate are critical if we are to achieve climate stabilization and a sustainable future.

1 The Xu et al. paper was highlighted on nASA’s website (http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/growth-shift.html).

2 The Pearson et al. paper was highlighted on nSF’s website (http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=127445), and both papers were also highlighted on the Nature Climate Change website.


Tundra on the North Slope of Alaska. Credit: Scott Goetz

Arctic tree line in Siberia. Credit: Scott Goetz

Understanding and maintaining the intricate balance between land surface and climate are critical if we are to achieve climate stabilization and a sustainable future.

Los Carbonautos


The team learns how to measure tree circumferences and take GPS coordinates. Credit: Wayne Walker

Wildfire in Colorado that burned over 46,000 acres

it comes as no surprise that indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin have a special stake in the conservation of their forests. As forests are cleared for timber, cattle ranching, and industrial agriculture,

forest dwellers risk losing their homes, livelihoods, and their cultural identity. Thus, the incentives to manage their forests are high, as are the rewards.

Having recently published a paper in the journal Nature Climate Change that presents a new state-of-the-art map and dataset of the global distribution of carbon contained in tropical forests, WHRC Assistant Scientists Wayne Walker and Alessandro Baccini are committed to putting their pan-tropical forest biomass map to work. Theirnewemphasisisatthelocallevel,equippingthepeoplewhoselives are interwoven with the forest with the skills needed to measure and monitor those forests.

During the past year, Drs. Walker and Baccini have been in the field in the Amazon Basin regions of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru to instruct indigenous peoples in the role that information on forest carbon can play in the management of their forests. They have been working with Los Carbonautos, a self-named group of eight indigenous technicians, teaching them to instruct others how to navigate to specific locations, establish forest plots, and take measurements of treesaccordingtointernationalstandards.Equippedwithmeasuringtapes, GPS units and compasses, the carbonautos are given instruction inthefundamentaltoolsandtechniquesusedtomapandmonitorforests and estimate the amount of carbon they contain.

Classroom and field training focuses on developing knowledge and skills in a range of methods developed by WHRC to monitor forest cover and associated carbon stocks across the tropics of South

Training the trainers: WHrC scientists work with indigenous technicians who will in turn train forest dwellers to measure and monitor forest carbon.


WHRC's "training of the trainers" has produced an inspired group of specialized

indigenous technicians who call themselves Los Carbonautos.

America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. now an inspired group of specialized technicians, the carbonautos, have proceeded to work with local communities throughout the Amazon Basin as multipliers, building capacity in basic skills that are necessary to inform decision-making and policy concerning the future of Amazon forests.

The carbonautos are also collecting valuable field data to be used in Drs. Walker and Baccini’s maps of forest carbon for indigenous reserves and territories. The maps will be incorporated into future indigenous-led forest management planning efforts while at the same time advancing active and effective indigenous participation in ongoing REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) policy discussions.

As part of a multi-year project led by the Coordinating Body for the indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basin (CoiCA), and funded by the inter-American Development Bank, Drs. Walker and Baccini are working together with partners at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to advance community-based training in REDD readiness.

This effort to “train the trainers” is part of the WHRC commitment to build technical expertise and give local communities the tools they need for sustainable resource management. ¡Viva los carbonautos!

Los Carbonautos. Credit: Wayne Walker


FRoM GEnERATion To GEnERATion We must work to be good stewards of the Earth.


Begin your stewardship today by supporting the Woods Hole Research Center

The climate is changing at an unprecedented rate in human history. Tropical forests are being cut, freshwater resources are at risk, and biological diversity is declining. Sustaining the Earth for future generations is the great challenge of our time. We cannot afford to be shortsighted and leaveourheirswiththeburdenofenvironmentalconsequencestheyhadnoroleincreating.

We know how to reverse these trends, and sound science is the key to finding real solutions to our growing environmental and economic challenges. That is why your support is so critical to our mission. Together we can make future generations proud of the world they live in. Your gift will help fund the research necessary for pathways leading to a stable climate, a prosperous economy, and a healthy environment.

The Woods Hole Research Center thanks all of you who help make possible the scientific research that is needed to solve the world’s environmental and economic challenges. our shared vision for a world in which the insights of science guide the management of the Earth’s natural resources is echoed in the pages of this magazine, and our story would not be possible without your continued support.

Three Easy Ways You Can Support WHRC

1. ContributionsMake a tax-deductible contribution to WHRC in the form of cash, check, credit card, stocks, or donor-advised funds. Gifts may be

mailed to: Woods Hole Research Center149 Woods Hole RoadFalmouth, MA 02540

For fast and easy convenience, donate online at www.whrc.org/support

2. Employer Matching GiftMany companies will match a percentage of your donation and allow you to double the impact of support. Send your company’s

matching gift form to WHRC along with your donation.

3. Estate Planning Considerthelegacyofyoursupportforyearstocome.Bequestsprovidecriticalresourcestohelpensurethatthestandardof

excellence set by WHRC will be met for future generations.

FormoreinformationonWHRCprojectsorquestionsregardingyourgift,pleasecontactKristinMcLaughlin,ActingDirectorofDevelopment, at 508.444.1521

Woods Hole Research Centeroffice of Development and Communications

149 Woods Hole RoadFalmouth, MA 02540

www.whrc.org

The Amazon Basin is a vast area that is both highly distinct and varied in its biodiversity and habitat. Consider that:

• the Basin encompasses nearly 2.7 million square miles, roughly the sizeof the land mass of the 48 contiguous United States;

• its territories belong to nine nations and are home to approximately 20 million people, including 400 different indigenous groups;

• the area is home to 2.5 million insect species and 2,000 bird and mammal species;

• more than 50 percent of the world’s remaining rainforest is located in this area;

• 20 percent of all fish species in the world live in the Amazon;

• more water flows out of the Amazon Basin than the next seven largest rivers combined.

While tropical rainforests are most often associated with the Amazon, WHRC Research Associate Leandro Castello has been studying the role of Amazon freshwater ecosystems.

Despite conservation policies that are strong by global standards, his work has demonstrated that key gaps exist in protection of the region’s freshwater systems and species. Three decades of conservation efforts have established a network of protected areas, largely designed to preserve forests and their biodiversity. But little attention has been paid to freshwater ecosystems, which are highly sensitive to a broad array of human impacts. oil exploration, deforestation and dams, for example, threaten the basin of the Madeira River (the largest tributary of the Amazon), even though 26 percent of the catchment area is protected.

The principal threat to most Amazon freshwater ecosystems is large-scale alteration of the basin’s natural hydrology. “There are 154 hydroelectric dams in operation, 21 in construction, and plans to construct 277 additional dams,” notes WHRC Postdoctoral Fellow Marcia Macedo. And, she adds, “there are also thousands of smaller dams located in streams to provide water for cattle. These infrastructure projects, together with deforestation-induced changes to regional rainfall, could fundamentally change the hydrology of Amazon freshwater systems.” if uncontrolled, such alterations could disrupt

Amazon Freshwater Ecosystems Vulnerable to Degradation


fish migrations and associated fishery yields, threatening riverine livelihoods and food security. Damage to these ecosystems greatly impacts communities that have historically been dependent on fish for their diets. Current fish consumption in the Brazilian Amazon averages over 200 pounds per person, per year, almost six times the world average. However, increased fishing pressure has reduced the size of harvested species, partly due to the progressive depletion of high-value, large-bodied species. A century ago, the mean maximum body length of the Colossoma, the main species harvested in the basin, was approximately 82 inches; today the average length of these large-bodied fish is just 31 inches, over 60 percent smaller.

Adequate protection of Amazon freshwaterecosystems requires broadening the forest-centered focus of prevailing environmental management and conservation strategies to encompass aquatic ecosystems. By buildingupon existing protected areas, it is possible to develop a river conservation framework that protectsbothaquaticandterrestrialecosystems,effectively protecting the Amazon river-forest system. With the health and prosperity of 20 million people and millions of animals at risk,

Under-sized Colossoma harvested in a lake of the Amazon river floodplain. Credit: Leandro Castello

Typical small wooden canoe of the Amazon, carrying a fishing harpoon. Credit: Leandro Castello


safeguarding this vast freshwater ecosystem is urgently needed.

“There are environmental issues everywhere, but the case with Amazon freshwater ecosystems is different because no one talks about it. This problem has been concealed,” says Dr. Castello. Emphasizing the need for a shift, he adds, “Significant strides in Amazon conservation have been achieved on deforestation because deforestation has been studied and monitored year after year. We now need to do the same for thesefreshwateraquaticecosystems.”

The study can be found at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/conl.12008/abstractCastello, L., D.G. McGrath, L.L. Hess, M.T. Coe, P.A. Lefebvre, P. Petry, M.n. Macedo, V.F. Renó, and C.C. Arantes. 2013. The vulnerability of Amazon freshwater ecosystems. Conservation Letters. doi:10.1111/conl.12008

Twenty years ago a 4-foot Colossoma would have been common. Today, these high-value fish are increasingly scarce, having suffered from overfishing. Credit: Leandro Castello

Deforested riverbank. Credit: Leandro Castello

UnFCCC Conference of the Parties in Doha, Qatar Last fall Research Associate Carol Franco participated in the United nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UnFCCC) 18th Conference of the Parties (CoP 18) held in Doha, Qatar. Dr. Franco was part of the Dominican Republic delegation and took part in the REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degredation) negotiations


People & Projects

Our Science & Scientists in Brief

People & Projects

on the Monitoring of national Forests and MRV (Measurement, Reporting and Verification), and LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry).

During the 37th Session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), the Parties discussed protocols for national forest monitoring systems and MRV. The topic of monitoring was not very controversial; however, the text on MRV protocols presented some major challenges. The biggest point of contention was the issue of long-term financing.

non-Annex 1 countries (mostly developing and vulnerable nations) demanded that financing appear explicitly in the text, not only for MRV, but also for forest monitoring. G77 + China (a group of 77 nations and China) met on several occasions during the negotiations to develop a common front to ensure that the text explicitly included funding and payments for results.

Earlier this year WHRC Senior Scientist Dr. I. Foster Brown was awarded the national/international Chico Mendes Forest Citizenry Prize. Declaring the prize a synthesis of responsibility for the future, Governor Viana of the Brazilian State of Acre said that it symbolizes the need “to respect and preserve life in the broadest possible terms, of all living beings in the ecosystem for future generations.”

Throughout his career, Dr. Brown has been a passionate advocate of training young scientists. Many of his protė́gė́s now hold positions of influence in government agencies, universities, and nGos in Brazil.

Chico Mendes was a rubber tapper, environmentalist and champion of human rights for Brazilian peasants and indigenous peoples. He was assassinated in 1988.

Dr. Brown reinforced the fact that society has to evolve to the point where protection

Dr. Carol Franco (left) representing the Dominican Republic at COP 18.

of natural treasures is the norm. He noted that every year the planet suffers more from degradation, a fact that is reflected in climate change and how it interferes directly with the lives of every living being. “Unfortunately at this time on Planet Earth we are on a path to unsustainability. one simple indication of this is the change in composition of the atmosphere. We have to adopt a sustainable path to life on Earth,” said Dr. Brown.

Several countries also cited the importance of co-benefits, such as biodiversity and water resources, and the consideration of non-market-based mechanisms. As a result, it was decided that SBSTA would continue to work on the methodological guidelines for the protocols for forest monitoring and MRV. As we go to press, Dr. Franco is attending a follow-up meeting in Bonn, Germany.

The Chico Mendes Forest Citizenry Prize

Top: Dr. I. Foster BrownLeft: The Chico Mendes Forest Citizenry Prize. Credit: Gleilson Miranda/Secom

Leadership in ScienceWHRC Deputy Director and Senior Scientist Scott Goetz has been selected to serve on a national Research Council/national Academy of Sciences committee on opportunities to Use Remote Sensing in Understanding Permafrost Ecosystems. He and six other committee members will organize a workshop on the topic and write a report for the broader community on the potential for remote sensing to advance research mapping of permafrost and its vulnerability to climate change.

in addition, Dr. Goetz was selected to serve on nASA’s Science Definition Team (SDT) of the Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE), an effort he was also involved in scoping and developing to this point. The ABoVE effort was initiated in 2009 and, once the SDT has developed an experiment plan, will commence in 2015 for up to a decade and involve hundreds of scientists.

Dr. Goetz is also a member of the SDT of the north American Carbon Program, which advises the Carbon Cycle interagency Working Group. The group, which designs programs and announcements for research proposals, is comprised of program managers from eleven US government agencies and departments.

Sustainability in the CongoWHRC’s Equateur Project recently beganfield activities in Equateur Province,Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The WHRC Equateur Project team, led byAssociate Scientist nadine Laporte and Assistant Scientist Glenn Bush, is assisted by Project Administrator Amanda Poston and DRC Project Manager Melaine Kermarc.The Equateur Project is funded by theCongo Basin Forest Fund, an initiative of the governments of norway and the United Kingdom. The project brings civil society, plus national and local government organizations together to work on REDD+ (Reducing

Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). The project will investigate how carbon financing can mitigate global climate change. it will aim at halting tropical forest loss while enhancing carbon stock and improving forest management through new approaches that stimulate sustainable development. A local pastor dubbed the project “Zamba Malamu,” which in Lingala means “the forest is good.”

The science team of Drs. Laporte and Bush recently spent several weeks in the Congo to officially launch the project with government authorities, local non-governmental organizations, and universities, and to open the WHRC Equateur Project officein Mbandaka, Equateur Province, DRC.The launch with local partners included a week-long planning workshop at the BotanicalGarden (JardinBotanique d’Elea)in Mbandaka, as well as a conference on REDD+ awareness within the framework of forest management and green development in Mbandaka and Gemena. These activities included local and national participants to lay the foundation for a successful forest conservation program. initial actions in pilot communities consist of gathering socio-economic and forest inventory baseline data on which to assess measures of success, as well as to form a basis for community engagement and participation in project planning and monitoring— activities that will help make a difference in people’s lives and conserve their forests. A key aspect of the work at the local level is aimed at Congolese education, training and

Canopy mAGAzInE summer 2013 15People & Projects

research establishments to develop applied research opportunities for scientists, as well as educational materials for schools and adults. The project is scheduled to last for three years and will pave the way for broader and longer term engagement by WHRC to provide science, policy, training and capacity building at both local and national levels.

Permafrost Dynamics

Nadine Laporte and colleagues in the DRC.

Larch forests in Siberia are underlain by permafrost. Credit: Sue Natali

Across the Arctic the climate is warming, and perennially frozen ground (permafrost) is thawing. To better understand interactions among ecological and geophysical components of permafrost ecosystems, WHRC Assistant Scientist Susan natali and other WHRC scientists are establishing a monitoring network in the Siberian Arctic to link vegetation and landscape properties with temperatures measured in the permafrost. Permafrost thaw has profound impacts on regional ecosystems, including vegetation, animal habitat, hydrology, and greenhouse gas emissions. Human communities are also affected. Buildings can collapse as the frozen ground under them thaws, and in some cases entire towns are moved.Changes in the plant community that result from warming or disturbance, such as fire, affect the vulnerability and resilience of permafrost to thaw. Funded by a new national Geographic grant, this research will provide baseline data on the current state of the Arctic and allow WHRC scientists to predict how the arctic landscape will change under future climate scenarios.

Canopy mAGAzInE summer 201316 People & Projects

IntroducingDr. Carol Franco

Right: Dr. Carol Franco in Doha, Qatar.

Bottom: Outlook over the Yukantan Dry Tropical Forest at an Ecolodge near Ticul, Mexico. Credit: Josef Kellndorfer

Dr. Carol Franco joined WHRC last year as Research Associate and Mexico-REDD+ Project

Administrator. She is responsible for the performance, monitoring and evaluation of the Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) component of the Mexico REDD+ project, and she provides technical support on climate change policy, manages projects and operational plans, and continues her research in ecological economics and policy.

Dr. Franco has experience in natural resources management, protected areas, environmental and social policy, and ecological economics. Her research interests include alternative measures of well-being, effects of development policies in Latin America, sustainable food production and self-sufficiency, ecosystem services, and the policy of climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Prior to joining WHRC she served as the Carbon Finance officer of the United nations Development Program in the Dominican Republic. There she was responsible for increasing Clean Development Mechanism capacities in the country through the provision of training and technical support to the Designated national Authority and key private sector market participants. Dr. Franco previously worked for the national Council of Climate Change (nCCC) in the Dominican Republic, and she continues in her role as part of the Dominican Delegation at the United nations Framework Convention on Climate Change where she serves as Technical Advisor for REDD+: Forest Monitoring and MRV (see page 14).

Prior to joining WHRC, Dr. Franco was a postdoctoral fellow/Research Associate at the Rubenstein School of Environment and natural Resources and the Gund institute of Ecological Economics at the University of Vermont. Her postdoctoral research

focused on energy and food security and self-sufficiency in the Dominican Republic. At the Rubenstein School she was also an instructor in ecological economics and ecosystem management.

Dr. Franco holds a B.S. in Biology from the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo. She earned both her Ph.D. in Environmental Policy and Ecological Economics and her M.S. in natural Resources Management from SUnY - College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

WHRC Senior Scientist michael T. Coe has been awarded a Fulbright Distinguished

Chair on the Fulbright-Brazil Scientific Mobility Program. in 2014 he will spend four months in residence at the Federal University of Goiás in Goiania, Brazil, to work with local collaborators on a project entitled Agricultural Expansion in the Brazilian Cerrado and Consequences for the Water Cycle.

The Cerrado, or savanna of the Amazon, accounts for 21 percent of Brazil’s land area and has been subjected to massive deforestation. Until now, the effects of this deforestation on the hydrology and ecology of the region have been understudied. Dr. Coe’s new project will examine changes in the water balance that have occurred throughout the Cerrado as a result of land cover change over the last 40 years and the scale of future changes that may occur under various governance scenarios. These findings are crucial because the large changes in the water cycle that occur with deforestation lead to significant alteration of soil moisture and stream flow and can

ultimately reduce rainfall not only in the Cerrado, but also in the Amazon forest downwind.

Theresearchwillhelpquantifytheimpactsof individual landowner decisions on the hydrology of the Cerrado and develop strategies for reduction or mitigation of the impacts of future changes.

Dr. Coe joined the Woods Hole Research Center in 2005 after several years as a scientist at the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, University of Wisconsin-Madison. He holds a B.A. from Miami University and a Master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. He has previously been a visiting scientist at Lund University, Sweden, and the Max Planck institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany.

Trained in climatology and geology, Dr. Coe is an earth system scientist interested in how humans alter water resources and the causes and consequences of waterresource variability. He uses diverse field and satellite data and earth system

Canopy mAGAzInE summer 2013 17People & Projects

Dr. michael T. CoeAwarded Fulbright

Dr. Michael Coe. Credit: Chris Linder

computer models to study ways in which human land use and management practices cause changes in regional energy and water cycles. His work has focused on the agricultural frontier of Central Brazil. With collaborators from Brazil, the US, and Europe, he is part of a large field research campaign in Mato Grosso, Brazil, where he has been investigating the impacts of fire and deforestation on agriculture and the cycling of water from precipitation to soil, plants, and streams. Mato Grosso is undergoing rapid agricultural expansion and intensification, which this research has shown causes increased air and stream water temperatures, reduced recycling of water to the atmosphere, and increased stream runoff. Dr. Coe’s work has shown that these changes to the regional water balance lead to significant decreases in regional rainfall. Thus, the deforestation in Brazil, which was initially undertaken to increase agricultural productivity, can, perversely, lead to climate changes that significantly decrease crop yield on a large scale.

Vast areas of the Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado regions have been cleared for soybean production and other crops. Credit: Michael Coe

Canopy mAGAzInE summer 201318 People & Projects

Reversing the Trend: Recarbonization of the Earth

Ecology, Economy and management of an Agro-Industrial Amazon Frontier

A special issue of Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society – Biological Sciences published in May addresses a major challenge facing our society: feeding a growing global population that is increasing its per capita food consumption while preventing widespread ecological and social impoverishment.

The special issue contains 18 articles from researchers in Brazil, the United States, and Europe. The articles focus on the agricultural transformation of the southeastern Amazon and address three primary topics. The first is a trend in land-use change in Mato Grosso, Brazil, where development from 1990 to 2005 was largely based on economic activities that resulted in deforestation, forest degradation, and associated socio-ecological consequences.Duringthisperiod,approximately70,000km2(morethan27,000squaremiles) of forests were converted to pasturelands and crops (mostly soybeans). Policies enacted as early as 2004 began reversing those trends. The national standard for Brazil was to set policies to reduce Amazon deforestation by 80 percent by 2020; Mato Grosso formulated its own goals, achieving remarkable results by the late 2000s. According to WHRC Senior Scientist michael T. Coe, one of the issue’s co-editors, “one important findingpresentedinthepapersinthisissueisthatlandownersrespondquicklytosignalsfrom government and market forces to be better land stewards. important reductions in deforestation were achieved in a short period of time through compliance with laws and voluntary changes in management.”

Thesecondfocusoftheissueistheecologicalandsocialconsequenceoflandusechange.Ecological and social problems related to land management remain, including degradation of forests by the combination of human-induced fires and drought, impoverishment of aquatic ecosystems through thewidespread applicationof agricultural chemicals, andthe cutting down of streamside forests. indigenous peoples’ livelihood options have declined because of this ecological degradation. Lead editor Paulo Brando, a scientist at the Amazon Environmental Research institute (iPAM) and a WHRC Distinguished Visiting Scientist, notes, “The widespread reduction in Amazon deforestation is a great achievement, but forest fires, logging, pesticides, etc., still threaten the integrity of tropical ecosystems. Best agricultural management practices could minimize their impacts, being a key instrument to secure the health of forests and streams in the Amazon and in other tropical regions.”

Landscape management strategies that can reduce environmental degradation in agricultural frontiers is a third feature of the issue. A major challenge for sustainable management of tropical agricultural landscapes will be to transform low-yield, high-deforestation production systems into high-yield, low-deforestation ones. in the cattle raising frontier of Brazil, there are approximately 200 million hectares (nearly 500 million acres) of degraded pasture with notoriously low cattle densities. improving pasture management, increasing cattle productivity, and converting suitable lands to intensive crops could save large tracts of land for tropical forest conservation.

These papers may be found at:http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/368/1619.toc

A new paper entitled “Historic changes in terrestrial carbon storage,” by WHRC Senior Scientist Richard A. Houghton, explores the potential for a recarbonization of the Earth. The paper appears in the book, Recarbonization of the Biosphere: Ecosystems and the Global Carbon Cycle (Springer, 2012). in it Dr. Houghton discusses the decades-long decarbonization of the Earth and reasons why recarbonization is needed to reverse this trend.

Dr. Houghton notes a fortunate natural process whereby, beginning in the 1950s, annual net emissions of carbon from historic human land use appear to have been offset by an annual accumulation of carbon in the remaining forests—for example, an accumulation of carbon in tree growth. Reasons for this natural accumulation of carbon, over and above any direct management effects, include carbon dioxide fertilization, nitrogen deposition, changes in climate, and fire suppression.

nature has been helping to remove carbon from the atmosphere, reversing direct human activities of land mismanagement. nevertheless, the loss of carbon from direct management over the past century is greater than the loss attributable to human activity for all of time before 1850. The restoration of forests on cleared lands could, in theory, re-carbonize the biosphere with 100 - 200 million tons of carbon. Many of these cleared areas are on marginally productive agricultural land, and could be candidates for reforestation. Reforested lands accumulate carbon (are “recarbonized”) as the young forests grow and mature.


The Warmest Year on Record in the USA

The evidence keeps mounting, relentlessly. Humans are changing the Earth’s climate in a profound way. in the lower 48 states, 2012 was the warmest year on record, bringing with it

heat waves, drought, forest fires, and one of the worst storms to ever strike the Mid-Atlantic.

“Climate change has had a role in this,” said Jake Crouch, a climate scientist at noAA’s national Climatic Data Center in Asheville, nC. He noted that it is unlikely such a record would have occurred without the long-term warming trend caused in large part by emissions of greenhouse gases. in a few cases, the overnight low was so warm that it set the high temperature record. This is not only global warming; it’s global weirding.

The drought of 2011-12 has been blamed for more than $35 billion in crop losses alone, according to the reinsurance company Aon Benfield. in that same period, 9.2 million acres (an area the size of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined) of forest burned in the West, the third greatest fire area on record. Damages from the drought may eclipse the total bill from Hurricane Sandy, which some estimates place at more than $100 billion. Deutsche Bank Securities estimates that the drought may decrease the US GDP by one full percentage point.

Lest one think that the fairly cold and seemingly normal winter of 2013 in the US is an omen of things turning around, consider that at the same time, Australia was experiencing its hottest summer ever recorded. According to government statistics, there have been only 21 days in 102 years where the average maximum temperature for the whole of Australia has exceeded 102.2 F, and eight of these happened this year.

DR. ERIC A. DAVIDSOn

Despite this overwhelming evidence, the new chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, Utah Congressman Chris Stewart, recently stated, “i’m not as convinced as a lot of people that man-made climate change is the threat they think it is.” Clearly, our work of convincing policy makers of the seriousness of the issue for us and for our children is not done.

on the positive side, new polls show that 61 percent of American voters say that the effects of climate change are already affecting them personally or will in their lifetime. Faith leaders have signed a unified declaration acknowledging the seriousness of climate change. A list of 33 large multinational companies including Starbucks, nike and intel recently drafted a statement urging policy action on climate change. Americans are seeing and living the evidence, even if some of their elected representatives choose to ignore it.

From the Arctic to the tropics, including in our own back yard on the Cape and islands, WHRC scientists are chronicling the impacts of climate change on people and ecosystems. We are identifying solutions, which include sustainable forestry, renewable energy, and smarter agriculture. We are providing the sound science, clearly articulated, that Americans need to convince their leaders to lead with meaningful action on preventing further climate change.

The atmospheric concentration of heat-trapping carbon dioxide has recently topped 400 parts per million, due primarily to burning gas, oil, and coal. it has been millions of years since carbon dioxide concentrations have been this high. The science is overwhelmingly clear: humans are changing the climate. now we need your help to bring the best science to bear on climate change action.

CO2 concentration reaches 400 parts per million


The Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) recently named the former Prime Minister of norway, Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, as the 2013 recipient of the Lawrence S. Huntington

Environmental Prize. The award celebration, held at the new York Yacht Club, recognized Dr. Brundtland and Mr. Huntington as two great leaders in science and conservation.

Dr. Brundtland was the leader of the World Commission on Environment and Development, the forum that published the 1987 groundbreaking report, Our Common Future, which led to the Rio Summit in 1992. She has been Director General of the World Health organization, is a member of the Board of the United nations Foundation, and a member of The Elders, a group of global leaders called together by nelson Mandela in 2007.

Addressing an audience of distinguished scientists, conservationists, business and community leaders, Dr. Brundtland emphasized that science must point the way to more informed and integrated decision-making, not only on climate change, but also on biodiversity, and water and food scarcities. She explained that the crux of the issue of unsustainable development “is our still too-limited ability for effective global governance.”

Dr. Eric Davidson, WHRC President, noted, “Dr. Brundtland’s vision of sustainability has inspired a generation of science. We are devoted to producing the scientific knowledge needed to help nourish people while maintaining wildlife habitat and stabilizing the climate in an increasingly crowded and resource-limited world. As visionaries, Brundtland and Huntington have demonstrated that we must merge natural science with economics to discover sustainable paths for human prosperity and stewardship of the Earth’s natural resources.”

The Huntington Prize recognizes eminent leaders in the public or private sector who advance and promote research and communication on climate, Earth sciences, and conservation. These pioneers

The Huntington Environmental Prize

understand the interrelationships of global systems and think on a planetary scale. The prize was established by the Board of Directors in 2012 in recognition of Mr. Huntington’s long tenure as Chairman of the Board of WHRC. Mr. Huntington was the first recipient of the prize.

Awarded to Former Prime Minister of norway

Above: The Lawrence S. Huntington Environmental Prize was created by artisan Elías Corrêa, a self taught woodworker and member of The Caboclo Workshops of the Tapajós (OCT) - a cooperative of approximately 45 woodworkers from six forest communities in Brazil. The OCT produces simple, handmade furniture and decorative pieces that are created from deadwood found in abandoned agricultural clearings and small sustainably managed forest reserves. The cooperative was created in 2006 through the Tapajós community forestry project led by WHRC and our Brazilian NGO partner, IPAM. The plaque was finished by WHRC Research Associate Paul Lefebvre.

Below: Lawrence S. Huntingon presents a silver brooch in the shape of WHRC's logo to Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland. Credit: Jesse Bishop

oUR MiSSion:

To advance scientific discovery and seek science-based solutions for the world’s environmental and economic challenges through research and education on forests, soils, air, and water.

oUR ViSion: A world in which the insights of science guide management of the Earth’s natural resources, so that we and future generations may sustain prosperous and fulfilling lives without degrading the ecosystems that support humanity and a diverse abundance of life.

WHAT WE Do:

The Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) is a private, non-profit research organization focusing on environmental sciences. our scientists combine analysis of satellite images of the Earth with field studies to measure, model, and map changes in the world’s ecosystems, from the thawing permafrost in the Arctic to the expanding agriculture regions of the tropics. We work locally and regionally, with in-depth expertise and collaborations in north and South America, Africa, and Asia; and we also work globally, focusing on how humans are changing global cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and water. We merge natural science with economics to discover sustainable paths for human prosperity and stewardship of the Earth’s natural resources.

this issue

Woods Hole Research Center149 Woods Hole Road Falmouth, MA 02540 www.whrc.org

Documents

Midyear Issue Summer 2013 Canopy - Woods Hole Research …whrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/WHRC-2013Summer.pdf · Opposite page: Dr. Josef Kellndorfer explains cloud penetrating