Carbon Dynamics of Amazonian Forests

Health Checkup for the World’s Lungs: Measuring the Carbon Stocks in the Amazon Forests

Principal Investigator

- Dr.
  ISHIZUKA Moriyoshi
  Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI)

ODA Recipient Country

Federative Republic of Brazil

Research Institutions in Japan

Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI) / Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo (IIS) / Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan (RESTEC)

Research Institutions in Counterpart Country

National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) / National Institute for Space Research (INPE)

Adoption fiscal year

FY 2009

Research Period

4 Years

Overview of the Research Project

Incorporating forest protection into international climate change standards
CO₂ emissions resulting from the deforestation and degradation of tropical forests in the Amazon and other regions are estimated to account for nearly 20% of global emissions from human activities. There are moves to internationally recognize prevention of deforestation as a part of climate change schemes. To achieve this, however, it will be necessary to establish technologies for assessing the degree to which emissions can be reduced by preventing deforestation. This project focuses on the forests of the central Amazon region in an effort to develop technologies for measuring carbon stocks and their changes (emissions/uptakes) in forests over a large area.

Carbon stock measurements using satellite data help to clarify the dynamics of the Amazon forest
Research on the forest structure, carbon stock, etc. was conducted at approximately 1,200 locations in the central Amazon. Remote-sensing techniques were used to reveal the connection between the forest carbon stocks and the unique Amazon environment ─ such as a seasonal flooded forest which is inundated when the water level rises during the rainy season. The project aims to map carbon stock in the Amazon forests.

Photo gallery

Measuring biomass of a tree trunks, branches, leaves, and roots

Forest Management Site of National Institute for Amazon Research (INPA) in Brazil. Working with the graduate students at INPA, researchers are studying topics such as soil water content along topographic gradients and fine root dynamics.