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We use a carbon-cycle data assimilation system to estimate the terrestrial biospheric CO(2) flux until 2090. The terrestrial sink increases rapidly and the increase is stronger in the presence of climate change. Using a linearized model, we calculate the uncertainty in the flux owing to uncertainty in model parameters. The uncertainty is large and is dominated by the impact of soil moisture on heterotrophic respiration. We show that this uncertainty can be greatly reduced by constraining the model parameters with two decades of atmospheric measurements., (© 2011 The Royal Society)

Terrestrial ecosystem models are employed to calculate the sources and sinks of carbon dioxide between land and atmosphere. These models may be heavily parameterised. Where reliable estimates are unavailable for a parameter, it remains highly uncertain; uncertainty of parameters can substantially contribute to overall model output uncertainty. This paper builds on the work of the terrestrial Carbon Cycle Data Assimilation System (CCDAS), which, here, assimilates atmospheric CO2 concentrations to optimise 19 parameters of the underlying terrestrial ecosystem model (Biosphere Energy Transfer and Hydrology scheme, BETHY). Previous experiments have shown that the identified minimum may contain non-physical parameter values. One way to combat this problem is to use constrained optimisation and so avoid the optimiser searching non-physical regions. Another technique is to use penalty terms in the cost function, which are added when the optimisation searches outside of a specified region. The use of parameter transformations is a further method of avoiding this problem, where the optimisation is carried out in a transformed parameter space, thus ensuring that the optimal parameters at the minimum are in the physical domain. We compare these different methods of achieving meaningful parameter values, finding that the parameter transformation method shows consistent results and that the other two provide no useful results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The terrestrial biosphere is currently a strong sink for anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Through the radiative properties of CO2 the strength of this sink has a direct influence on the radiative budget of the global climate system. The accurate assessment of this sink and its evolution under a changing climate is, hence, paramount for any efficient management strategies of the terrestrial carbon sink to avoid dangerous climate change. Unfortunately, simulations of carbon and water fluxes with terrestrial biosphere models exhibit large uncertainties. A considerable fraction of this uncertainty is reflecting uncertainty in the parameter values of the process formulations within the models. This paper describes the systematic calibration of the process parameters of a terrestrial biosphere model against two observational data streams: remotely sensed FAPAR provided by the MERIS sensor and in situ measurements of atmospheric CO2 provided by the GLOBALVIEW flask sampling network. We use the Carbon Cycle Data Assimilation System (CCDAS) to systematically calibrate some 70 parameters of the terrestrial biosphere model BETHY. The simultaneous assimilation of all observations provides parameter estimates and uncertainty ranges that are consistent with the observational information. In a subsequent step these parameter uncertainties are propagated through the model to uncertainty ranges for predicted carbon fluxes. We demonstrate the consistent assimilation for two different set-ups: first at site scale, where MERIS FAPAR observations at a range of sites are used as simultaneous constraints, and second at global scale, where the global MERIS FAPAR product and atmospheric CO2 are used simultaneously. On both scales the assimilation improves the match to independent observations. We quantify how MERIS data improve the accuracy of the current and future (net and gross) carbon flux estimates (within and beyond the assimilation period). We further demonstrate the use of an interactive mission benefit analysis tool built around CCDAS to support the design of future space missions. We find that, for long-term averages, the benefit of FAPAR data is most pronounced for hydrological quantities, and moderate for quantities related to carbon fluxes from ecosystems. The benefit for hydrological quantities is highest for semi-arid tropical or sub-tropical regions. Length of mission or sensor resolution is of minor importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the carbon cycle modelling using the Carbon Cycle Data Assimilation System (CCDAS) that evaluates the Biosphere Energy Transfer and Hydrology scheme (BETHY). It discusses the impact of terrestrial biosphere on global carbon cycle and the accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2). It reports that the method serves as a parameter for carbon cycle-climate and for future climate change.

Operationalizing a Global Carbon Observing and Analysis System (www.geocarbon.net) would provide a sound basis for monitoring actual carbon fluxes and thus getting quantities right when pricing carbon – be it in a cap-and-trade scheme or under a tax regime. However, such monitoring systems are expensive and—especially in times of economic weakness—budgets for science and environmental policy are under particular scrutiny. In this study, we attempt to demonstrate the magnitude of benefits of improved information about actual carbon fluxes. Such information enables better-informed policy-making and thus paves the way for a more secure investment environment when decarbonizing the energy sector. The numerical results provide a robust indication of a positive social value of improving carbon monitoring systems when compared to their cost, especially for the more ambitious climate policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]