The “Global Aridity Index and Potential Evapotranspiration Database – Version 3” (Global-AI_PET_v3) provides high-resolution (30 arc-seconds) global hydro-climatic data averaged (1970–2000) monthly and yearly, based upon the FAO Penman-Monteith Reference Evapotranspiration (ET0) equation. An overview of the methods used to implement the Penman-Monteith equation geospatially and a technical evaluation of the results is provided. Results were compared for technical validation with weather station data from the FAO “CLIMWAT 2.0 for CROPWAT” (ET0: r2 = 0.85; AI: r2 = 0.90) and the U.K. “Climate Research Unit: Time Series v 4.04” (ET0: r2 = 0.89; AI: r2 = 0.83), while showing significant differences to an earlier version of the database. The current version of the Global-AI_PET_v3 supersedes previous versions, showing a higher correlation to real world weather station data. Developed using the generally agreed upon standard methodology for estimation of reference ET0, this database and notably, the accompanying source code, provide a robust tool for a variety of scientific applications in an era of rapidly changing climatic conditions.
Tag: data collection
Indicators to assess the contributions of forests, trees, and agroforestry to food security and nutrition at national level
Forest, trees and agroforestry provide multiple contributions to Food Security and Nutrition (FSN), asshown by the GFEP report (2015) and the High-Level Panel of Experts on food security and nutritionreport (HLPE 2017). However, there is currently no quantitative indicator to assess thesecontributions at national level.
The Economics of Ecosystem Restoration (TEER) initiative
The lack of consistent information on costs and benefits of ecosystem restoration hinders further investments, weakening our collective capacity to achieve the global restoration goals. To fill this gap the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) initiated The Economics of Ecosystem Restoration (TEER) initiative, together with the CGIAR Research program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA) led by CIFOR, the World Resource Institute (WRI), and other member organizations of the Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Restoration (GPFLR).
How do REDD+ projects contribute to the goals of the Paris Agreement?
Hundreds of projects to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhance carbon stocks (REDD+) are implemented globally, many by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or for-profit companies. Yet, at the global level, the Paris Agreement focuses on jurisdictional (national and subnational) REDD+. We ask: (1) How much can REDD+ projects contribute to achieving national and international climate objectives? (2) What are the issues in integrating REDD+ projects into national carbon accounting? Our snapshot of 377 REDD+ projects covering 53 million ha in 56 countries is based on data from the International Database on REDD+ Projects (ID-RECCO) supplemented with new data on projects’ accounting methods. The number of new REDD+ projects declined steadily from 45 new projects in 2011 to five in 2019. We examined 161 certified projects that started between 2007 and 2017; 96 of these could sell carbon credits in voluntary carbon markets by 2020 and spent on average 4.7 (± 2.4) years between project start and sales in voluntary carbon markets. Globally, REDD+ projects claim to reduce an average of 3.67 tCO2e/ha annually. This figure – combined with projects limited coverage – implies that projects need to be upscaled more than 40x to fulfil the potential contribution of tropical and subtropical forests towards limiting global warming to well below 2oC. Compared to the national carbon accounting methods, most projects in Colombia, Indonesia and Peru (63 of 86) use at least one different carbon accounting parameter. Carbon accounting inconsistencies across levels need to be addressed. Overall, the argument for REDD+ projects lies in the emissions reductions they can achieve, diversifying participation in REDD+ and providing non-carbon benefits to local communities, potentially leading to broader support for climate action.
WILDMEAT interventions database: A new database of interventions addressing unsustainable wild meat hunting, consumption and trade
The urgent need to manage wild meat for the sake of both local livelihoods and wild ecosystems means that many and varied interventions have been implemented with the aim of increasing the sustainability of wild meat use. Management responsibility for these interventions can rest with different actors, from central governments (which often contract nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) to support their resource management) to private sector concessionaries (e.g. timber companies), or devolved directly to wildlife-hunting communities. Although management goals may be similar—sustainable wildlife populations and local livelihood security—the range of interventions selected, the resources invested and the expertise available differ vastly.
Creating a National Biodiversity Database in Gabon and the Challenges of Mobilizing Natural History Data for Francophone Countries
Language is a major barrier for researchers wanting to digitize and publish collection data in Africa. Despite being the fifth most spoken language on Earth and the second most common in Africa, resources in French about digitization, data management, and publishing are lacking. Furthermore, French-speaking regions of Africa (primarily Central/West Africa and Madagascar) host some of the highest biodiversity on the continent and therefore are of great importance to scientists and decision-makers. Without having representation in online portals like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio), these important collections are effectively invisible. Producing relevant/applicable resources about digitization in French will help shine a light on these valuable natural history records and allow the data-holders in Africa to retain the autonomy of their collections. Awarded a GBIF-BID (Biodiversity Information for Development) grant in 2021, an international, multilingual network of partners has undertaken the important task of digitizing and mobilizing Gabon’s vertebrate collections. There are an estimated 13,500 vertebrate specimens housed in five institutions in different parts of Gabon. To date, the group has mobilized >4,600 vertebrate records to our recently launched Gabon Biodiversity Portal (https://gabonbiota.org/). The portal also hosts French guides for using Symbiota-based portals to manage, georeference, and publish natural history databases. These resources can provide much-needed guidance for other Francophone countries—in Africa and beyond—working to maximize the accessibility and value of their biodiversity collections.
Geospatial Data Curation Steps
Digital curation can be defined as maintaining and adding value to a trusted body of digital information for current and future use (Beagrie 2006). It is beyond archiving and preservation. Digital data curation is concerned with data management “for as long as it continues to be of scholarly, scientific, research and/or administrative interest, with the aim of supporting reproducibility of results, reuse of and adding value to that data, managing it from its point of creation until it is determined not to be useful, and ensuring its long-term accessibility and preservation, authenticity and integrity” (DCC n.d. in Sandifer n.d.).
Data on how tree planting and management practices influence tree seedling survival in Kenya and Ethiopia
Understanding which trees farmers prefer, what determines their survival and enhancing farmer knowledge of tree management is key to increasing tree cover in agricultural landscapes. This article presents data on tree seedling survival under different tree planting and management practices in Kenya and Ethiopia. Data were collected from 1600 households across three Counties in Kenya and 173 households across four Woredas in Ethiopia, using a structured questionnaire which was administered through the Open Data Kit. Data on seedling survival were collected at least six months after tree seedlings were planted. To understand how planting and management practices influence tree planting across the different socioeconomic and biophysical contexts, both household level and individual tree level data were collected. Household level data included socio-economic and biophysical characteristics of the households while tree specific data included when the tree seedling was planted, where it was planted, the management practices employed and whether surviving. The datasets described in this article help understand which options confer the best chance survival for the planted seedlings and in which socio-economic and biophysical contexts they are most successful.
ICRAF SOIL ARCHIVE: A Physical Archive of Systematically Collected Soil Samples
The ICRAF Soil Archive contains samples from 46 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America collected using a systematic field sampling method, the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF). The LDSF provides a biophysical baseline at a landscape level and a monitoring and evaluation framework for assessing processes of land degradation and the effectiveness of rehabilitation measures over time.
Standards of practice to guide ecosystem restoration: A contribution to the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030
The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030 (hereafter “UN Decade”) aims to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation and recover biodiversity, and ecosystem integrity; enhance human health and well-being, including sustainable delivery of ecosystem goods and services; and mitigate climate change. To create a shared vision of ecosystem restoration, UN Decade partners, through a consultative process, launched ten principles for achieving the highest level of recovery possible through restoration projects. To facilitate application of these principles and thereby maximize restoration outcomes for nature and people, the Standards of practice to guide ecosystem restoration provide key recommendations for all phases of restoration projects. These recommendations are applicable to the broad array of restorative activities included as ecosystem restoration under the UN Decade, across all types of ecosystems (urban, production, cultural, semi-natural and natural) and restoration projects, from voluntary community member-led efforts to highly resourced, nationally funded projects.