Working with inventory data

Silvia Huber
PhD, GRAS Copenhagen

14 december 2012
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Tier 1 vs Tier 2
The Tier 1 approach employs the basic method provided in the IPCC Guidelines and the default emission factors provided in the IPCC Guidelines . Tier 1 methodologies usually use activity data that are spatially coarse, such as nationally or globally available estimates of deforestation rates, agricultural production statistics, and global land cover maps. Tier 2 can use the same methodological approach as Tier 1 but applies emission factors and activity data (= area) which are defined by the country for the most important land uses/activities. Tier 2 can also apply stock change methodologies based on country-specific data. Country-defined emission factors/activity data are more appropriate for the climatic regions and land use systems in that country. Higher resolution activity data are typically used in Tier 2 to correspond with country-defined coefficients for specific regions and specialised land-use categories.

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Estimating Carbon Stock Changes

Stock-difference approach Gain-loss approach

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Calculating carbon stock at time t from inventory data

C = [V * BCEF] (1 + R) CF * * V = merchantable volume, m3/ha BCEF t/m3 = biomass conversion and expansion factor (ratio of aboveground Oven-dry biomass [t/ha] to merchantable growing stock over bark [m3/ha] (Table 4.5) R = root-to-shoot ratio, dimensionless (Table 4.4) CF = carbon fraction of dry matter (default = 0.5) (Table 4.3)

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Carbon dioxide emissions calculation for an area deforested

The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that would be emitted to the atmosphere if the 33 trees in the example sample plot were cut down and burned completely can be calculated as: C02 = AGBp* MWC02/MWC Where AGBp is the total aboveground live dry biomass in the sample plot, MWC02 is the molecular weight of carbon dioxide and MWC is the molecular weight of carbon. C02 [tons] = AGB plot * 44/12
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