Carbon transport and balance in Amazon

• Grant number: 10/03674-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: July 01, 2010
• End date: June 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences
• Principal Investigator: Humberto Ribeiro da Rocha
• Grantee: Monica Tais Siqueira D'Amelio Felippe
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 08/58120-3 - Carbon tracker and water availability controls of land use and climate changes, AP.PFPMCG.TEM

Abstract

The Amazon region has the largest rainforest worldwide, with the highest reserves of organic carbon in biomass, 15% of the world freshwater and 25% of terrestrial biodiversity. The interpretation of the carbon balance in Amazonia is strategical as it provides the understanding of processes intrinsically linked to the climate variability, which will help to support our public policies of environmental sustainability and adaptation to global climate changes. Deforestation and land use changes control the regional carbon balance. In addition, the processes of carbon exchange in natural ecosystems are not entirely understood, which include the wet lands and different physiognomies of "terra firme" forests. Previous studies do not form a consensus, and are substantially divergent due to potential errors and limitations of spatial estimates. This proposal, linked to the FAPESP Thematic Project Carbon Tracker and Water availability: controls of Land Use and Climate Change (FAPESP 08/58120-3) aims to help the estimate and interpretation of the CO2 balance over Amazonia on the continental scale, with the use of high accurate measurement sampling and numerical modeling. Data will be assimilated from aircraft vertical CO2 profile sampling at the sites of Tabatinga, Rio Branco, Santarém, Rondônia and Cuiabá, and other sites in the coast (Kourou, Bragança and Arembepe), in cooperation with IPEN. The proposal will implement, adapt and use properly the modeling systems "Carbon Tracker", and the Flexpart Model for CO2, in cooperation with the NOAA/ESRL/USA. (AU)