The Climate Science Alliance is excited to announce the Valuing Carbon Sequestration in Natural Landscapes Project, a new collaboration with the Institute for Ecological Monitoring and Management at San Diego State University, funded by the San Diego Foundation, to advance our understanding of nature-based solutions targeting carbon sequestration in chaparral ecosystems.
The Climate Science Alliance is excited to announce the Valuing Carbon Sequestration in Natural Landscapes Project, a new collaboration led by Dr. Megan Jennings from the Institute for Ecological Monitoring and Management (IEMM) at San Diego State University. Through this collaborative partnership, we are working to assess carbon storage dynamics in chaparral ecosystems with a goal of enhancing our understanding of the ecosystem services chaparral systems provide through carbon storage and sequestration.
Although nature-based solutions targeting carbon sequestration in forested systems have received substantial attention, California’s chaparral ecosystems which dominate the southern California landscape, have largely been excluded from evaluations and planning. Due to a lack of understanding about carbon dynamics in these systems, the potential for above- and below-ground carbon storage in chaparral has yet to be adequately quantified in regional carbon inventories. This has resulted in gaps in the strategies to reach carbon neutrality through actions in natural lands.
Ongoing Efforts: EXPANDING OUR SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF CHAPARRAL CARBON DYNAMICS
As a part of our ongoing efforts, researchers from the Connecting Wildlands and Communities project team are building off the work of team members and collaborators at UC Davis and the US Forest Service to take steps towards better evaluating the carbon sequestration potential of natural lands in southern California, and laying the groundwork for an assessment of carbon storage dynamics in chaparral ecosystems.
Future Opportunities: INTEGRATING CHAPARRAL CARBON SEQUESTRATION INTO PLANNING
This collaborative assessment is only the first step in integrating chaparral carbon sequestration into California’s climate change implementation plan and GHG mitigation efforts in southern California. Once our initial effort is completed, there are several steps remaining to integrate this information into land-use planning or consideration of carbon offsets. We are working with partners across San Diego County to establish a framework for how carbon storage in natural landscapes can be integrated into GHG mitigation planning and efforts to achieve carbon neutrality. Understanding sequestration opportunities in natural lands have the potential to help us better achieve climate adaptation and mitigation goals that build resilience in human and natural communities.
We look forward to kicking off the Valuing Carbon Sequestration in Natural Landscapes Project alongside researchers, community leaders, partners, and other stakeholders. To learn more about this effort, please visit: www.climatesciencealliance.org/carbon-sequestration. Stay connected to the Valuing Carbon Sequestration in Natural Landscapes Project by signing up for our newsletter and following us on social media (Facebook/ Instagram: @climatesciencealliance; Twitter: CSAinAction).
The Valuing Carbon Sequestration in Natural Landscapes Project is
supported by the San Diego Foundation.