Aggregated Estimation of Basic Parameters of Biological Production and the Carbon Budget of Russian Terrestrial Ecosystems: 2. Net Primary Production

The estimated net primary production (NPP) of Russian terrestrial ecosystems (annual average over the period from 1988 to 1992) is 9544 Tg of dry matter, or 4353 Tg of carbon. Of the total amount, forests account for approximately 39.2% (here and below, comparisons are made with respect to carbon content); natural grasslands and brushwoods, for 27.6%; farmlands (arable land and cultivated pastures), for 22.0%; and wetlands, for 11.2%. The average NPP density on lands covered with vegetation (1629.8 million hectares in Russia) is 267 g C/m²per year. The highest value (498 g C/m²per year) is characteristic of arable lands. Other land-use/land-cover (LULC) classes have the following NPP densities (in areas covered with vegetation): grasslands and brushwoods, 278 g C/m²; forests, 224 g C/m²; and wetlands, 219 g C/m²per year. In general, Russian terrestrial ecosystems accumulate 59.7% of the total NPP in the aboveground phytomass (47.8% in green parts and 11.9% in wood) and 40.3% in the underground phytomass. The latter parameter differs significantly in different LULC classes and bioclimatic zones. According to calculations, the uncertainty in estimating the total NPP is 11% (a priori confidential probability 0.9).     

Aggregated Estimation of the Basic Parameters of Biological Production and the Carbon Budget of Russian Terrestrial Ecosystems: 1. Stocks of Plant Organic Mass

The data presented were obtained at the first stage (1993–1999) of studies on evaluating the basic parameters of biological production in Russian terrestrial ecosystems in order to provide information for assessing and modeling the carbon budget of the entire terrestrial biota of the country. Stocks of phytomass (by fractions), coarse woody debris, and dead roots (underground necromass) were calculated by two independent methods, which yielded close results. The total amount of phytomass in Russian terrestrial ecosystems was estimated at 81800 Tg (=10¹² g = million t) dry matter, or 39989 Tg carbon. Forest ecosystems comprise a greater part (82.1%) of live plant organic matter (here and below, comparisons are made with respect to the carbon content); natural grasslands and brushwoods account for 8.8%; the phytomass of wetlands (bogs and swamps), for 6.6%; and the phytomass of farmlands, for only 2.5%. Aboveground wood contains approximately two-thirds of the plant carbon (63.8%), and green parts contain 9.9%. For all classes of ecosystems, the proportion of underground phytomass averages 26.7% of the total amount, varying from 22.0% in forests to 57.1% in grasslands and brushwoods. The average phytomass density on lands covered with vegetation (1629.9 million hectares in Russia) is 5.02 kg/m² dry matter, or 2.45 kg C/m². The total amount of carbon in coarse woody debris is 4955 Tg C, and 9180 Tg C are in the underground necromass. In total, the vegetation of Russian terrestrial ecosystems (without litter) contains 54124 Tg carbon.     

Carbon Budget for Basic Needs:Implications of International Equity and Sustainability

The fundamental way of satisfying the basic needs of human development is to secure the basic needs,limit luxurious and wasteful emissions,and ensure the fulfillment of climate targets,so as to achieve intra-and intergenerational equity.In this paper,the author discusses and analyzes a series of challenges that the development has to face,such as poverty elimination,urbanization,and industrialization,and the problems of increased consumption that is brought about by the improvement of living standards;the author distinguishes the stock emission,which does not need annual updating,and the flow emission of regular consumption;the author also defines the standards of energy consumption and carbon emissions that can meet the basic needs.On this basis,the author proposes the concept and method of carbon budget,compares this method with other means,and in particular,studies and analyzes the implications of international equity and sustainability of carbon budget as part of the international climate regime design.     

中国西北寒旱区农牧民生活碳排放评估

围绕碳排放权开展的气候谈判愈来愈关注贫困人口与弱势群体的生存权与发展权,一方面由于受制于其薄弱的社会经济水平,贫困人口与弱势群体在气候变化实践中表现出更高的脆弱性,另一方面则因气候变化减缓与适应行动而造成的贫困人口生活成本的增加以及生活水平的下降。然而,对这些地区和人口的排放权判断主要基于国家层面和地区层面宏观数据的分析,其结果掩盖了国家和地区内部不同社会经济水平下的人口排放差异,不能准确揭示贫困人口和脆弱群体的低碳排放事实。本文基于国际碳排放评估对人口生活排放的需求,结合IPCC参考方法,利用投入产出分析模型构建了人口生活碳排放评价指标体系,并用于对甘肃、青海和宁夏干旱-高寒地区农牧民生活碳排放的样本调查和分析。评估表明,中国西北干旱—高寒区人口生活碳排放仅为1.85tCO2/人,其中用于满足基本生活需要的碳排放量达到87.25%。研究发现,生活在更冷(海拔更高)区域内的人口生活排放量更高;随着家庭收入的增长,人口生活排放量也随之上升;家庭成员数量越多,家庭的人均碳排放量就会越低。