Terrestrial ecosystems emit and sequester carbon dioxide. Terrestrial carbon sources and sinks are crucial components of the global carbon cycle, especially now as the atmospheric CO2 concentration rises.
Terrestrial ecosystems include forests, rangelands, croplands, steppes, agroforestry systems, World residential areas and other lands. Interdisciplinary research has assessed land use transitions with unprecedented progress in recent times. Social and economic development, population growth, urbanization and globalization affect land conversion on all continents. The on-going climate change and the rise of green house gases in the atmosphere pose challenges to scientific research. Advances of remotes sensing intermingled with national statistics and citizen science assist in updating our perceptions on global changes in terrestrial ecosystems.
This session invites scientists from different disciplines to attend interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary dialogues on drivers affecting the sinks and sources of global terrestrial carbon. Global overviews based on different methodologies are invited as well as case studies at continental, national and regional levels. Presentations should address changes in global terrestrial ecosystems in the 20th and 21st century.