Carbon Calculator is a joint product of The CBD Secretariat, LifeWeb, and UNEP-WCMC
Users can choose whether they wish to draw their own Areas Of Interest (AOI) or select existing protected areas. Estimates can also be calculated for mixtures of existing protected areas and self-drawn AOIs. AOIs can be drawn by clicking the ‘Create an AOI’ button and then drawing on the map itself. The AOI can be closed by either double-clicking or placing the last point on top of the first point of the AOI.
Protected Areas can be selected with one simple click on its location. The calculation will start as soon as an area has been selected and results will be visible after a short moment on the right side of the screen. They are presented separately by AOI as well as in a summary in different tabs.
Take a look at the video for viewing it in action!
CARBONEcosystems store carbon (C) in their biomass, both above ground and in roots, and in the organic fraction of their soils. The density of the carbon in ecosystems varies with vegetation and soil types. VIEW DATA SOURCES |
PROTECTED AREASProtected areas are defined as terrestrial or marine areas that are recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. This includes for example national parks and nature reserves. VISIT PROTECTED PLANET |
ECOLOGICAL GAP ANALYSISAn ecological gap analysis is an assessment of the extent to which a protected area system meets protection goals set by a nation or region to represent its biological diversity. In many cases, the assessment yields spatial data identifying ‘gaps’ in the current protected area system, i.e. areas of importance for biodiversity conservation that are not yet officially recognised as protected areas. The Carbon Calculator includes spatial data from ecological gap analyses in Ecuador, Brazil and Mexico. VIEW DATA SOURCES LEARN MORE |
FOREST STATUSThis dataset differentiates between intact forest, fragmented/managed forest (where potential closed forest has been converted into open forest), partially deforested areas (where potential forest has been converted into woodland with low tree canopy density) and deforested areas (where potential forest cover of different density has been converted into non-forest). It was derived from a map of potential forest extent using existing ecoregion/ecozone classifications, climate data, and information on current forest distribution. This dataset was jointly produced by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the South Dakota State University (SDSU) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on behalf of the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR) VIEW DATA SOURCES LEARN MORE |
RESTORATION OPPORTUNITIESThe restoration opportunities of degraded and deforested land depends on how densely it is populated, its degree of urbanization or industrialisation, and on whether it is cropland or not. Areas with high population density, or occupied by intensively managed croplands, were considered as having low/no restoration opportunities, while areas with scattered cropland areas, pastures, agroforestry and all types of forest plantations were considered as providing promising opportunities for restoration. Within the latter, the dataset differentiates between potential for a) wide-scale restoration (low population density and potential to support closed forest), b) mosaic restoration (moderate population density in a mosaic landscape with several functions), and c) remote restoration (population density less than one person per square kilometre within a 500km radius). This dataset was jointly produced by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the South Dakota State University (SDSU) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on behalf of the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR) VIEW DATA SOURCES LEARN MORE |
CARBON SEQUESTRATION POTENTIALThe dataseton carbon sequestration potential provides an estimate of the maximum amount of carbon that could be sequestered through restoration on deforested and degraded lands, if all restoration opportunities was used, all activities were successfully implemented and sufficient time provided. The dataset has been derived by comparing current estimates of carbon stocks with estimates for maximum carbon stocks for forest types by ecofloristic zone. It is important to note that the actual gain in carbon is likely to be lower due to a number of influencing factors, such as the potential impact of climatic conditions, actual time available and the way measures are implemented, which are too complex and manifold to be considered in the assessment. This dataset was jointly produced by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the South Dakota State University (SDSU) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on behalf of the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR) VIEW DATA SOURCES LEARN MORE |
KEY BIODIVERSITY AREASKey Biodiversity Areas are globally significant sites for biodiversity conservation identified using universal standards. They include Important Bird Areas (IBAs), Important Plant Areas (IPAs), Important Sites for Freshwater Biodiversity, Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) in the High Seas and Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) sites. VIEW DATA SOURCES LEARN MORE |