A Guide to
      Monitoring Carbon Storage
      in Forestry and Agroforestry Projects
      K.G. MacDicken
      Forest Carbon Monitoring Program
               Winrock International Institute
            for Agricultural Development
                          +YMHIXS1SRMXSVMRK*SVIWX'EVFSR7XSVEKI
       A Guide to
       Monitoring Carbon Storage
       in Forestry and Agroforestry Projects
       K.G. MacDicken
       Winrock Internationl Institute for Agricultural Development
       Forest Carbon Monitoring Program
       October 1997
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                                                      Contents
                Acknowledgments                                                                           v
                Summary                                                                                   1
                1. Introduction                                                                           3
                        1.1 Defining objectives                                                           3
                        1.2 Factors in inventory design                                                   4
                        1.3 Effects of product end use                                                    5
                        1.4 Inventory outputs                                                             7
                2. Measuring carbon pools                                                                 8
                        2.1 Inventory design                                                              8
                        2.2 Inventory timing                                                             12
                        2.3 Measurement procedures                                                       12
                3. Designing monitoring packages for specific land uses                                  16
                        3.1 General requirements by land-use                                             16
                        3.2 Setting the economic limits                                                  18
                4. Tools                                                                                 20
                        4.1  Equipment                                                                   20
                        4.2  Using models for interpolation                                              21
                5. Reporting and verification                                                            23
                        5.1 Reporting                                                                    23
                        5.2 Baseline                                                                     23
                        5.3 Reporting carbon changes                                                     24
                        5.4  Verifying carbon monitoring estimates                                       26
                Appendix 1  Carbon Inventory Data Form (CIDF)                                            28
                        Form A - Level of precision specifications                                       28
                        Form B - Project site description                                                29
                        Form C - Sampling design                                                         30
                        Form D - Satellite images                                                        31
                        Form E - Permanent plot locations                                                32
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                       Form F - Biomass measurements                                                  34
                       Form G - Anticipated disposition of biomass                                    38
                       Form H - Laboratory methods                                                    39
                       Form I - Inventory costs                                                       40
                Appendix 2  Calculating sample size                                                   41
                Appendix 3  Inputs required for carbon modelling                                      44
                Appendix 4  Measuring woody biomass                                                   53
                Appendix 5  Field procedures for herbaceous vegetation, soils and litter              65
                Appendix 6  Measuring carbon in agroforestry plantings                                75
                Appendix 7  Estimating root biomass                                                   84
                List of Tables
                Table 1 Examples of carbon inventory characteristics at three levels of effort              7
                Table 2 Suggested allowable limits for measurement error                                   14
                Table 3 Procedures required for reference vs. project case comparisons                     17
                Table 4 Plot radii for carbon inventory plots                                              54
                Table 5 Comparison of methodologies for determining organic C in soils                     69
                Table 6 Organic and carbonate carbon mass in soils of the world                            70
                Table 7 Comparison of methods used for determining total C in soils                        73
                List of  Figures
                Figure 1 Flowchart for monitoring major carbon pools                                    6
                Figure 2 Large-scale topographic map with a grid of sample plots                      11
                Figure 3 Sample point layout using quarter-point plotless method                      55
                Figure 4 Proper use of a diameter tape                                                63
                Figure 5 Examples of aluminum sampling frames                                         67
                Figure 6 Location of the plot reference point                                         78
                Figure 7 Plot layout for agroforestry and farm forestry inventory plots               79
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