Plant and Soil Sequestration of Carbon

75471S Measurement techniques are needed to validate technologies developed to enhance the net long-term sequestration of carbon in man-made and natural environments. In particular, a capability is required to determine increases in carbon fixation or sequestration of 1 tonne per hectare per year. This project will develop modifications and improvements to an existing airborne remote sensing system, BioSAR 3, that will provide a much more exact survey of 3 square miles (777 ha) a day. The modifications will reduce the size of the radar footprint on the ground and allow for improved accuracy. Phase I defined the changes required for the hardware and software systems, developed requirements for the new laser radar, and developed specifications for the new linear array radar. The instrument was successfully used to survey 30 pine plantation sites in North Carolina. In Phase II, a new laser radar will be procured and integrated into the system, and a new wingtip-to-wingtip linear array antenna will be fabricated. The complete system will be installed and integrated into the aircraft, and two missions will be flown in North Carolina. The two missions will be flown one year apart, in order to measure the change in carbon of 1 ton per hectare per year. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The system should provide increased accuracy and precision for biomass and carbon surveys for the validation of technologies developed to enhance net long-term C sequestration. The measurements should have immediate applicability to the timber industry, for forest inventory and assessments.