Quantifying spatial-temporal changes of aboveground carbon stocks using Landsat time series data: A case study of Miombo woodlands

ABSTRACT

There is a need for accurate reporting of the second-growth forest in accounting for the contribution of secondary forests to achieving global carbon sequestration strategies. This study develops a model relating aboveground live biomass (AGLB) to Landsat reflectance measurements, and this method is used on multi spatial-temporal Landsat data (1998, 2001, 2004, 2011 and 2016) to assess changes in Miombo woodlands in Zambia. Results showed that the enhanced vegetation index was a better predictor of AGLB (r² = 0.96; RMSE = 0.24 t ha⁻¹) than the other assessed vegetation indices. Forest carbon stocks increased by an average rate of 3.65 ± standard error (SE): 0.56 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ from 1998 to 2001, but a continual decline was evident for the periods 2001–2004 (−0.60 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), 2004–2011 (−0.88 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and 2011–2016 (−2.03 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). The study provides an empirical model for evaluating carbon stock changes.

KEYWORDS:

• Aboveground
• biomass
• carbon
• Landsat
• Miombo
• stocks

Acknowledgments

We thank the research field assistants for their energy and time during field measurements and the anonymous reviewers of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Site refers to a surveyed area of different forest fragments measuring 90 × 90 m.

2. Plot refers to the measurable unit of each site measuring 30 × 30 m.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the funding from the National Research Fund [Grant No. 101435] of South Africa.