Projects

The main objective of the work plan is to develop a new methodology capable of mapping belowground biomass density (BGBD), litter biomass density (LBD), shrub biomass density (SBD) and aboveground biomass density (AGDB), combining optical and radar Earth observation data from the Sentinel and ALOS-2/PALSAR-2 missions. The specific objectives are: i) mapping BGBD, LBD, SBD and AGDB by combining Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and ALOS-2 data; ii) integrating the with the Climate Change Initiative (CCI) Biomass product, to generate maps of total biomass; iii) using GEDI and ICESat-2 data as calibration data.

CEF Team: João Neves Silva (lead researcher) and Juan Guerra Hernández (co-lead researcher)

Lead institution: UNINOVA, FCT, NOVA University of Lisbon

Vegetation burning and associated emissions of gases and aerosols have substantial ecological, atmospheric and climatic impacts. In Brazil, particularly the Cerrado savanna and the Amazon rainforest are significantly affected by anthropic fires every year, also becoming regionally and globally important sources of pyrogenic emissions. With this proposal we aim to develop improved daily and monthly burned area maps for Brazil, using data from the latest generation of Earth observation satellites, and to combine those maps with other relevant environmental data to estimate aerosol and gas emissions, including an assessment of uncertainty and a sensitivity analysis of the estimates. The project will then address the interactions between climatic and ecological drivers of fire activity in the Cerrado and in the rain forest, characterizing the current situation; it will also develop short-term predictive models concerning fire risk dynamics at the regional level. Statistical models will also be developed to understand and forecast future fire regimes under a variety of climate change scenarios available for the region. A fundamental consequence of this project will be the operational implementation of its results in INPE´s existing operational Fire System, improving the overall quality of its products, benefiting the many users, comprising government agencies, research groups, fire managers, NGOs, etc.

The objective of this project is to value forest residues through the production of 2^nd generation biofuels, such as biogas (methane), among others. Valuing the existing energy potential in forest biomass clearly favors the reduction of forest fires occurrence. Cleaning the forest is an important operation to prevent fires, because biomass has a high fuel load which, in hot and dry weather, increases the probability of fires occurring.

Production of pellets from roasted MDF residues for the production of thermal and electrical energy. Roasting allows the capture and neutralization of toxic gases (resulting from the pre-carbonization of the glue) and an increase in energy densification.

In the present project the effects of climate change on coastal pine forests were assessed, as well as how much this is contributing to the incidence of two recently emerged pests, the Pine Wood Nematode and a population of the Pine Processionary Moth with a shifted life cycle. These are economically important pests as they are responsible for the increase of mortality/decrease in productivity of coastal pine forests in Portugal. These objectives will be achieved by improving knowledge on the pines physiological response to climate, as well as the studied pests, their interaction, and the elucidation of how climate has changed in the studied forest in the past decades. At the end, a framework will be made available to built models enabling novel predictions under present and future global change scenarios. These models should be able to predict if pest species are be the primary agents killing the trees outright, or secondary agents that typically require stressed trees to be lethal

Global warming threatens coffee crop sustainability through flower infertility. An integrated approach to unveil flower developmental disturbances and a potential protective role of elevated air CO2.

The overall aim of this proposal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the effects of shrub encroachment on carbon and water fluxes and resilience of water-limited Mediterranean cork oak ecosystems, as a model system.

This project focuses on the use of cork and its products as a base material for facade cladding. Its objectives are (1) to understand how environmental factors (e.g. UV exposure, rain and water condensation, temperature fluctuations, insects) alter cork products. The underlying logic lies in the fact that cork products are a promising resource for use in buildings in the 21st century, due to their sustainability and characteristics, they could play a very important role in reducing the environmental impact of the construction industry. (2) The use of cork and cork products as an element in construction and design in architecture in general and in particular in the architecture of architect Álvaro Siza. The project is coordinated by the CEF and CEABN team of researchers. The other partner is SerQ - Forest Innovation and Skills Center - Sertã.