The overall objective of this Statement of Need (SON) was to resolve significant uncertainties of carbon estimates in natural systems found on Department of Defense (DoD) installations and ranges. Enhanced measurement and modeling capabilities of carbon pools, fluxes, and forcing factors driving variability were required to quantify uncertainty in current estimates, reduce future uncertainties associated with DoD ecosystems, and support better climate-informed management decision making through managed disturbances under climate extremes. Specific objectives included scientific advancements, studies, new strategies, and innovations that accomplish the following:
- Improve the accuracy of estimates of carbon pools and fluxes, and of the effects of driving processes of carbon dynamics (including military activities) in ecosystems found on DoD lands.
- Characterize and reduce the uncertainty associated with monitoring efforts used to estimate carbon on DoD installations or adjacent sites.
- Characterize and reduce the uncertainty associated with ecophysiological processes that directly impact carbon pools and fluxes that are not well represented in existing ecosystem process models.
- Address the size and distribution of uncertainties in carbon and climate models, partition and constraint uncertainties, and develop outputs to effectively communicate those uncertainties to DoD policy makers and managers of natural infrastructure.
- For identified uncertainties, develop new approaches to create datasets or improve methods currently used in national or regional estimates and reporting, such as those that supply the Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks and standard IPCC emission factors which could be applicable for DoD lands.
Proposals addressed ecosystems relevant to the DoD, and address processes relevant to improving uncertainty in carbon estimates. Ecosystems of greatest interest included, but were not limited to, Arctic regions, southeast wetlands, peatlands, southeastern conifer forests, coastal ecosystems (salt marshes and mangrove forests), coral reefs, Pacific Island forests, and semi-arid grasslands. Relevant processes included, but were not limited to, permafrost hydrology, wildland fire, lateral fluxes of carbon, silvicultural activities, and cycling of soil organic and inorganic carbon. Proposals leveraged existing monitoring networks (e.g., Ameriflux, NEON), where possible, and used standardized metadata, sampling approaches, and established frameworks for any new data acquisition.