The Story of Carbon Meet Philip Duffy Also in This Issue
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CanopyFALL 2014 The Story of Carbon Connecting land and climate Meet Philip Duffy Introducing the President-designate of Woods Hole Research Center Also in this Issue Beyond Zero Deforestation Conversation Between Scientists How Dynamic are Tropical Forests? Forgotten Feedbacks Restoring the Biosphere Science for the Future of the Earth Where We Work Scientists to Watch Canopy Annual Magazine Letter from the of the Acting President Woods Hole Research Center Contents First of all, I hope you’ll join me in welcoming our President-designate, Dr. Philip Duffy. This External Affairs of Woods Hole Research Center coming year, the Woods Hole Research Center Canopy magazine is published by the Office of (WHRC) in Falmouth, Massachusetts. WHRC will celebrate its 30th anniversary of making is an independent research institution where a difference in the world and Phil Duffy is the scientists investigate the causes and effects of climate change to identify opportunities right person to lead this institution into the for conservation, restoration and economic next 30 years. development around the globe. 1 From the Acting President 3 Staff / Board & Donor Spotlights WHRC is all about the Land-Climate Connection, and that connection is Acting President and Senior Scientist, largely about carbon. Carbon is the thread that runs through all of the 2 Board of Directors 24 Happenings Dr. Richard A. Houghton research at WHRC and the impacts that follow from our work. Carbon dioxide (CO ) is the major heat-trapping gas under human control. CO Director of External Affairs, Eunice Youmans 2 2 drives climate change. CO2 is released to the atmosphere as a result Graphic Designer, Julianne Waite of deforestation and cultivation. CO2 is removed from the atmosphere when forests grow. Thus, management of land and forests provides a key 4 Research at WHRC: The Story of Carbon Copy Editor, Allison White Connecting land and climate. mechanism for managing the carbon cycle and, thereby, climate. Contributors Associate Scientist, Alessandro Baccini, Ph.D. Director of Annual Giving, Elizabeth Bagley, B.A. climate interaction: tropical forests (and their conversion to agricultural Development Associate, Paula Beckerle, B.A. Threelands), major arctic initiatives and boreal at forestsWHRC define (and their its core association mission regarding with permafrost), the land- 8 Meet Philip Duffy, Research Associate, Jesse Bishop, M.S. and measurement of the annual changes in the carbon stocks of land. Senior Scientist, Michael T. Coe, Ph.D. President-Designate Research Associate, Tina Cormier, M.S. The three initiatives focus on carbon, but in different ways. For example, of WHRC Research Assistant, Mary Farina, M.A. the emphasis on REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Deputy Director and Senior Scientist, forest Degradation) in the tropics is to of carbon. The Introducing the President- reduce emissions Scott Goetz, Ph.D emphasis on boreal and arctic systems is to keep the permafrost frozen so designate of WHRC. Research Assistant, Kevin Guay, B.S. that the carbon stored there stays locked up and doesn’t get released to the Senior Scientist, Robert Max Holmes, Ph.D. atmosphere, as it would if the permafrost were to thaw. And the emphasis Research Associate, Patrick Jantz Postdoctoral Fellow, Min Lee, Ph.D. on the world’s carbon stocks is to determine how to enlarge them; that is, to use lands everywhere to . In the 12 Where We Work 22 Scientists to Watch Research Associate, Paul Lefebvre, M.A. remove carbon from the atmosphere Assistant Scientist, Marcia Macedo, Ph.D. simplest terms, these three initiatives are reducing emissions of carbon A map of WHRC research. Ten up-and-coming WHRC scientists. from land, keeping carbon on land, and removing it from the atmosphere, Robert Mollenhauer, M.Ed. respectively. AssistantChief Development Scientist, SusanOfficer, M. Natali, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow, Prajjwal Panday, Ph.D. Measuring changes in the amount of carbon stored in forests over the Postdoctoral Fellow, Johanne Pelletier, Ph.D. Earth provides information for scientists studying the global carbon cycle, Research Policy Postdoctoral Fellow, Brendan M. Rogers, Ph.D. for managers seeking to use land consistent with carbon management, and for decision makers who must adapt to climatic change through Images 10 Beyond Zero Deforestation 17 Forgotten Feedbacks Greg Johnson, Ph.D. mitigation. Where is carbon being lost? Where is it accumulating? How Creating a global model for sustainable Better models that include the role of Chris Linder fast? What are the potentials for loss and gain? Where are there degraded lands suitable for reforestation or restoration? agriculture. permafrost in the future climate system are Christy Lynch Design needed in order for the global policy community Woods Hole Research Center The Center is seeking answers to these questions and depends on individuals and foundations for support of these initiatives. The initiatives Conversation Between Scientists to respond. 149 Woods Hole Road 14 Falmouth, MA 02540 are based on long-term strengths at the Center and represent vital Drs. Scott Goetz and Susan Natali talk about Email: [email protected] interests for sustaining life as we know it on Earth. Those who work at arctic research. 18 Restoring the Biosphere Website: www.whrc.org the Center, whether scientists or not, are here because the Center makes a positive difference through its research and through the outreach to Newsletter policy makers. The work described in the following pages—through the 16 How Dynamic are Tropical Forests? emissions but has the capacity to reduce Subscribe online at www.whrc.org Land makes up only one fifth of global carbon eyes of different colleagues—represents the primary focus of WHRC. I A new way to measure carbon. emissions by half each year. Copyright hope you enjoy this issue of Canopy. All material appearing in Canopy is copyrighted unless otherwise stated or it may rest with the Best wishes, 20 Science for the Future of the Earth provider of the supplied material. Canopy takes front cover: Science offers the discovery of things before care to ensure information is correct at time of President-Designate Dr. Philip B. Duffy, photo by Christy Lynch Designs. they become disruptive and provides options printing. The publisher accepts no responsibility back cover: or liability for the accuracy of any information Richard Houghton Dr. Paul Mann on a tributary of the Congo River, photo by Chris Linder. for overcoming them. contained herein. Acting President Canopy Fall 2014 1 Board of Directors Staff Chair Stuart Goode Constance R. Roosevelt Acting President Min Li, Ph.D. Stanley Hammond Wilhelm Merck Private Investor Conservationist Richard Houghton, Ph.D. Marcia N. Macedo, Ph.D. Duane H. Martin Managing Member David Hawkins Dana Mock, B.A. Joyce McAuliffe, B.S. Essex Timber Company Director, Climate Center Tedd Saunders Deputy Director Zander Nassikas, B.A. Robert J. Mollenhauer, M.Ed. Trustee and Treasurer Natural Resources Defense Council President Scott J. Goetz, Ph.D. Susan M. Natali, Ph.D. Lisa Strock O’Connell, B.S. Merck Family Fund Eco-Logical Solutions Neeti Neeti, Ph.D. Fred Palmer Richard Houghton Science Staff Prajjwal Panday, Ph.D. Camille M. Romano, M.S., C.P.A. Vice Chair Acting President, Senior Scientist The Saunders Hotel Group Alessandro Baccini, Ph.D. Johanne Pelletier, Ph.D. Julianne Waite, B.A. Thomas E. Lovejoy Woods Hole Research Center Chief Sustainability Officer Senior Fellow Honorary Directors Jesse B. Bishop, M.S. Amanda E.W. Poston, B.A. Allison B. White United Nations Foundation Lily Rice Hsia Anita W. Brewer-Siljehølm I. Foster Brown, Ph.D. Brendan M. Rogers, Ph.D. Eunice Youmans, M.A. Professor Consultant Neal A. Brown Ekaterina Bulygina, M.S. Kathleen Savage, M.Sc. George Mason University Mather & Hsia John Cantlon Glenn K. Bush, Ph.D. John D. Schade, Ph.D. Joel Horn Oliver Cartus, Ph.D. Seth Spawn, B.A. Lawrence S. Huntington James MacNeill Michael T. Coe, Ph.D. Thomas A. Stone, M.A. Treasurer | Donor Spotlight Joseph R. Robinson Chairman Emeritus Mary Louise Montgomery Tina A. Cormier, M.S. Wayne S. Walker, Ph.D. Managing Director Fiduciary Trust International Gilman Ordway Mary Farina, M.A. Research is my main love. I MidMark Capital Gordon Russell Gregory J. Fiske, M.S. Administrative Staff believe it is important to Karen C. Lambert Ross Sandler Kevin Guay, B.S. Elizabeth H. Bagley, B.A. Environmentalist, Helen B. Spaulding Clerk Robert Max Holmes, Ph.D. Tracy Barquinero, M.S. R.J. Lyman Political Activist J.G. Speth new ways to do things. For me, Holly Hughes, B.S. Paula C. Beckerle, B.A. President Robert G. Stanton studyingquantify andand organize… understanding to find Patrick Jantz, Ph.D. Kelly Benway, B.B.A General Compression, Inc. Victoria Lowell M.S. Swaminathan saves anxiety. It is the key to Josef M. Kellndorfer, Ph.D. Florence Carlowicz, B.A. Community Leader, Ola Ullsten alleviating fear. That is why Melaine Kermarc, B.Sc. Shauna Conley, B.S. Members Conservationist I believe in the Woods Hole Wendy Kingerlee, B.S. Annalisa Eisen John H. Adams Founder Research Center and why I Paul A. Lefebvre, M.A. Michael Ernst, M.F.A. Founding Director Merloyd Ludington George M. Woodwell support it. Natural Resources Defense Council Publisher and Editor Merloyd Lawrence Books Ben Hammett Stephen T. Curwood | Board Spotlight Donor Host, Living On Earth William Moomaw Professor World Media Foundation “…the care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and, after International Environmental Policy all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it, Iris Fanger The Fletcher School and to foster its renewal, is our only legitimate hope.” Dance and Theater Tufts University The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays Historian and Critic Jeremy Oppenheim I― love Wendell this quote… Berry, it is so true. For 20 years I have proudly supported Scott J.