Carbon Sequestration Map

Determining areas for carbon offset is critical step in the mitigation of climate change. Mapping quantities of Gross Primary Production (GPP) and Aboveground Carbon Density (ACD) are relevant in finding the areas of highest carbon sequestration potential. The higher an area’s GPP is, the more carbon it sequestrates per unit time, and the higher the ACD, the more carbon is stored in a forest. Together, these quantities might tell you what areas would be most suitable for reforestation, afforestation, or protection.

The Google Earth Engine app below shows the GPP and ACD values in the region of Nieder-Österreich, Austria. It can be seen that north-western part of the map, showing Nieder-Österreichs forest quarter, has the highest ACD values, representing an established forest. Combined with a relatively high GPP, these areas might thus be suitable as forest protection areas. Areas with high GPP but low ACD, on the other hand, are more suitable for reforestation projects due to their high carbon sequestration potential.

Please select ‘layers’ in the top right corner to switch between the ACD and GPP maps.