Science-based solutions for land management
The Center for Ecosystem Climate Solutions (CECS) is developing the science-based tools California needs to more effectively manage its natural lands for climate change.
CECS brings together researchers, managers, and practitioners from across the state, who are all working to improve the health and resilience of our communities and the ecosystems we depend on.
The CECS Carbon Vulnerability Tool is Live!
This new app shows projected changes to aboveground carbon stocks across California over this century based on both moderate and extreme climate scenarios. These projections, built by a team of CEC researchers, are based on random forest models, using four seasons of temperature and precipitation as input.
The tool also allows users to identify which parts of the state are most vulnerable to future carbon loss due to changing temperature and precipitation patterns. Projections also include changes in tree versus shrub spread across the landscape and maps vulnerability for 20 tree species statewide.
The CECS Fire Progression Tool is Live!
This new app shows daily fire spread for 32 of the largest multi-day fires in California since 2012. The underlying dataset, built by CECS researchers, uses satellite detection to track daily fire spread for all 274 large, multi-day fires in California from 2012-2020.
The tool also visualizes fuel loads derived from CECS Ecosystem Integration Model, an original product that integrates geospatial data on physical conditions and a diagnostic model of pools and fluxes in order to generate data on carbon pools, water balance, die-off, and surface fuels.
Satellite images since 1986 show that land set aside for protection is performing much like land that isn't protected. Companies claiming offsets are skating by, write Shane Coffield and James Randerson. (via @latimesopinion)
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-11-29/california-carbon-offset-forest-satellite-climate-change
Check out our new CECS blog article written by summer intern, Olivia Vanier. Olivia covered @shane_coffield's recent paper on CA forest carbon offsets in @GlobalChangeBio! https://tinyurl.com/4x57e8vj
Research News
- CECS Researchers Assess the Climate Benefits of California’s Forest Carbon Offsets September 14, 2022
- CECS Researchers Use Advanced Remote Sensing Techniques to Quantify Severe Tree Cover Loss in California August 17, 2022
- CECS Researchers Develop a New Method for Tracking Wildfire and Explore the Causes and Impacts of Extreme Fires May 31, 2022
- New Research Uncovers the Complex Drivers of Wildfire Ignition in California April 20, 2022
- Hotter Summers Under Climate Change Lead to Worsening Sierra Nevada Wildfires January 19, 2022
- Roger Bales on Drought and California’s Water Supply in “The Conversation” December 7, 2021