Curbing climate warming and mitigating the accompanying impacts of increasing climate variability require a reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) in our atmosphere, particularly carbon. Achieving carbon neutrality will require both the reduction of GHG emissions and storage in natural ecosystems; however, the primary focus of planning has been on the human environment.

 

Although nature-based solutions targeting carbon sequestration in forested systems have received substantial attention, California’s chaparral ecosystems have been largely excluded from evaluations and planning due to lack of understanding about carbon dynamics in these systems. However, chaparral is the most extensive vegetation type in the state with potential for above- and below-ground carbon storage.