ICP Forests. The ICP Forests experience in setting up a joint international forest monitoring scheme

Transcription

1 The ICP Forests experience in setting up a joint international forest monitoring scheme Outline Background Political Scientific/technical Harmonisation Results Further development towards climate change and biodiversity Recommendations Current Project: FutMon Planned Project. ForEU

2 International Cooperative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests) Established 1985 body of the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) under United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) providing scientific information for adoption of legally binding protocols on clean air policies under CLRTAP UNECE, Geneva

3 International Co-operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests) Lead country Germany Institute for World Forestry provides Chairman (Prof. Dr. Michael Köhl) Programme Coordinating Centre (PCC) Task Force (Participating countries) Programme Coordinating Group Chairman and PCC Heads of Quality Assurance Committee (WG Quality in Laboratories) Heads of 7 Expert Panels (w. their WGs) Institute for World Forestry,

4 International Co-operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests) 7 Expert Panels entrusted with development of harmonised methods/criteria Deposition (w. WG Ambient Air Quality) Meteorology and Phenology Soil and Soil Solution Foliage and Litterfall Crown Condition Forest Growth Ground Vegetation and Biodiversity data quality assurance Institute for World Forestry,

5 International Co-operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests) Aims Provide CLRTAP with information on Effects of natural and anthropogenic stress factors (in particular air pollution) on the condition and development of forests at the European-wide scale (Monitoring intensity Level I ) Cause-effect relationships in forest ecosystem stem functioning on various sites in Europe (Monitoring intensity Level II ) Institute for World Forestry,

6 International Co-operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of fair Pollution Effects on Forests Participation 42 countries: Europe/North America Forest monitoring 40 countries of Europe Co-operation with the European Commission European Commission Co-financing of monitoring Co-financing of coordination Development of methods Data quality control and database Reporting

7 Cooperation ICP Forests and EU scheme World s largest uniform forest monitoring system Two monitoring approaches Large scale (Level I, 6500 plots) Spatial and temporal variation Ecosystems scale (Level II, 860) Cause-effect relationships Level I plots

8 High intensity, multidisciplinary monitoring system (Level II) About 860 plots selected by countries in important forest ecosystems High monitoring intensity Crown condition Tree phenology Foliar chemistry Ground vegetation Soil condition Soil solution chemistry Forest growth Meteorology Ambient air quality Atmospheric deposition

9 Harmonisation Programme Coordinating Group Supervises full-scale data quality assurance (QA) programme Responsible bodies Programme Coordinating Centre (PCC) Supervision updating of Manual (methods and criteria) Expert Panels (EPs) Develop methods and criteria (Manual) Organise ringtests and intercalibration courses Quality Assurance Committee WG Quality Assurance in Laboratories QA at all levels of data production Field Assessments Laboratory analyses National data validation Data submission i Central (multinational) data validation

10 Harmonisation Field Assessments International intercalibration courses (Crown condition assessments) Training courses (Ozone injury assessments) Application of Manual (Methods and criteria) Laboratory analyses Ringtests (Laboratory intercomparisons) Links of ringtest results to the database (in preparation) Application of Manual (Methods and criteria) National data validation Application of validation routines (same as in central data validation) Data submission Standardised data submission formats Online Data Submission Module with automated validation and reporting (in preparation) Central (multinational) data validation (in preparation) Compliance checks Consistency checks Uniformity checks

11 [kg / ha-a] S-SO4 throughfall (214) S-SO4 bulk (179) Example for results Sulphate bulk deposition Decrease from 5.6 kg ha -1 a -1 (2001) to 4.3 kg ha -1 a -1 (2006) by 25% in 5 years year Sulphate throughfall Decrease from 7.2 kg ha-1 a-1 (2001) to 5.9 kg ha-1 a-1 (2006) by 18% in 5 years Confirms Results for previous periods Success of clean air policies CLRTAP EC legislation

12 Wrong conclusion We might think Sulphur deposition decreases Nitrogen deposition remains at the same level Forests do not decline anymore Air pollution is of low priority With this attitude we will not understand carbon fluxes not improve forest condition less effectively mitigate climate change not stop losses of biodiversity This is shown by monitoring of air pollution effects on forests critical loads approach

13 Exceedance of critical loads Comparison between critical loads throughfall For nutrient nitrogen no exceedances on 1/3 of the plots (Northern Europe, Alps) In the Alps critical loads high because: precipitation high high h N leaching N input affects forest soil groundwater

14 Relationships between air pollution and climate change Greenhouse gases (anthropogenic share): Air pollutants Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) Methane (CH 4 ) Ozone (O 3 ) Ozone may increasingly form if more precursors are emitted (traffic) insulation and temperatur increase (climate change) may affect forest health (much like the other air pollutants) forest carbon sequestration potential Climate change may foster air pollution effects Climate change may foster air pollution effects Increased rainfall may enhance deposition, leaching, and acidification

15 Recommendation Develop forest monitoring i related to three threats Climate change Air pollution Loss of biodiversity Avoid duplication and redundancies, use what is already available Levels I and II as well as NFI ICP Forests (to continue air pollution effects anyhow) ENFIN

16 LIFE+ Investment by European Commission (DG Env LIFE Unit) EU-Member States ICP Forests Further development of existing monitoring towards climate change and biodiversity (FutMon ) Uses synergies of large-scale monitoring with NFIs (ENFIN) Makes intensive monitoring more useful and cost-effective Reduction of no. of Level II plots to 300 Increase in no. of surveys s per plot

17 LIFE+ Investment by European Commission (DG Env LIFE Unit) EU-Member States ICP Forests Application for follow-up Project ( ) Forests in the European Union (ForEU) Subtitle: Provision of Policy Relevant Information Application of new monitoring system Scientific analyses of monitoring data