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About Greenhouse Gas Value
Terrestrial ecosystems exchange greenhouse gases with the atmosphere, and thereby regulate climate. Clearing ecosystems affects climate, usually contributing positively to climate change.
"Greenhouse Gas Value" (GHGV) is a measure of the total greenhouse gas benefit of maintaining an ecosystem-or, conversely, the greenhouse gas cost of clearing it. GHGV provides a comprehensive method of calculating the change in greenhouse gas emissions-and therefore climate-that results from changes in land use.
GHGV is expressed in units of CO2-equivalents; that is, it compares the climate effect of clearing the ecosystem with the effect of releasing one ton of CO2 to the atmosphere. This allows easy comparison of the long-term effects of clearing a forest, for example, to the costs of other greenhouse gas emissions (for example, driving emissions).
For more information about GHGV, see this news story and the links at the bottom of this page.
About the Greenhouse Gas Value Calculator
The Greenhouse Gas Value Calculator is an online tool for calculating the GHGV of terrestrial ecosystems. It has many potential applications:
- Quantify and compare the GHGVs of different types of ecosystems:
- What is the value of preserving tropical peat forest?
- Which ecosystem is most valuable for greenhouse gas regulation? Which is the most harmful to climate?
- Quantify the full greenhouse gas effect of land use change (the difference between the GHGVs of two ecosystem types):
- What is the cost of clearing tropical forest to make way for cropland?
- What is the greenhouse gas effect of growing perennial grasses for bioenergy on current US cropland?
- Calculate GHGV for a custom ecosystem by changing any parameter(s) in the model:
- What is the value of preserving your favorite ecosystem?
- Test the sensitivity of GHGV to any paramenter.
- How does fire frequency affect the GHGV of forest?
- How does GHGV change with the time span that we consider?
Results are summarized graphically, and files detailing the results are available for download.
The GHGV Calculator Tutorial
Click here to download The Greenhouse Gas Value Calculator Tutorial PDF
News story about GHGV
Scientific Background
Related Academic Articles:
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