Estimation of Carbon Sequestration Potential of Arid Land Afforestation Using Satellite Image Analysis and Ground Truth

As a countermeasure to the greenhouse effect, afforestation in arid areas has been proposed and tested in an arid area of Western Australia. According to the CDM/JI guidelines set by UNFCCC, the sequestered carbon amount accountable as carbon credit was estimated in this study. First, the sequestered carbon amount by planted trees was measured by repeated tree censuses. Second, the land use type (vegetation type) was estimated using LANDSAT images by statistical methods. Third, by repeated tree censuses, the Mean Annual Increment (MAI) at natural vegetation monitoring sites of each vegetation type was estimated, and this MAI data were used as the baseline of each type of vegetation. Fourth, the present biomass distribution was estimated using the SAVI index calculated from LANDSAT image, since the original vegetation must be clear-cut before afforestation sites were established. At last, the sequestered carbon amount accountable as carbon credit was estimated inside 45×50 km area, and this result revealed that carbon mitigation amount by this arid land afforestation was equivalent to 0.88% of Japanese CO2 emission in 2008.