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Engaging Learners in GLOBE Carbon Cycle  

Jennifer Bourgeault, U.S. GLOBE Country Coordinator

Haley Wicklein, Assistant U.S. GLOBE Country Coordinator

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How did you interact with the carbon cycle today?��¿Cómo interactuaron hoy con el ciclo de carbono?

In the chat…

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Carbon: A building block of life

  • The most abundant element in living things
  • Accounts for 50% of the total mass of the biosphere
  • Also present in the Earth’s atmosphere, soil, oceans, and crust

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How is carbon related to climate?

 

Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have corresponded closely with temperature over the past 800,000 years. Antarctic ice-core data show the long-term correlation until about 1900. (Graphs by Robert Simmon, using data from Lüthi et al., 2008, and Jouzel et al., 2007.) – from https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/CarbonCycle/page4.php

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How is the carbon cycle changing?

 

With the seasonal cycle removed, the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration measured at Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii, shows a steady increase since 1957. At the same time global average temperatures are rising as a result of heat trapped by the additional CO2 and increased water vapor concentration. (Graphs by Robert Simmon, using CO2 data from the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory and temperature data from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies.) – from https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/CarbonCycle/page5.php

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Why Collect Carbon Data?

  • Scientists collect carbon cycle data to understand how ecosystems will respond to warmer temperatures and higher CO2. 
  • NISAR satellite launching in 2025 - will measure biomass and carbon stored in forests.

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Guiding Questions

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  • How much carbon is stored in the vegetation near my school? 
  • Do different vegetation types store different amounts of carbon? (Native vs Non-Native)
  • How does the carbon stored at my school compare to the emissions of carbon by the school (carbon footprint)? 
  • Is there more carbon stored in the global human population or trees in [MY STATE/COUNTRY]?
  • Is carbon stored in the forest in my town different from carbon stored in a forest in another part of the world? What factors contribute to the differences?

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Learning Activities: The Carbon Cycle

Carbon Pools / Reservorios:

A place where carbon resides, measured in Petagrams (Pg)

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Carbon Fluxes / Flujos:

Movement of carbon between pools, measured in Petagrams/year

(Pg/year)

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Where to Start

Do learners have prior knowledge about systems thinking and modeling with the 1-box model?

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Yes

No

Paperclip Simulation: Introduction to Systems Thinking: Learn about systems through a simple model.

Next slide

Pool / Reservorio

Input flux /

Flujo de entrada

Output flux /

Flujo de salida

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Where to Start

Do learners have prior knowledge about the global carbon cycle?

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Yes

No

Carbon Adventure Story: Follow carbon in a choose your own adventure story.

Getting to Know Global Carbon: Create a carbon cycle diagram.

Carbon Travels Game: Roll dice to determine how carbon moves through the carbon cycle.

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Site Selection: Standard or Non-Standard?

Standard Site - an accessible area of at least 225 m2 (15m x 15m) of contiguous vegetation.

  • Forest
  • shrubland
  • Grassland

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Non-standard Site – an accessible area of 225 m2 (15m x 15m) with some vegetation and some human interference.

  • Park
  • city block
  • school area

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Site Selection: Standard or Non-Standard?

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Describe your study site! Is it Standard or Non-Standard?��¡Describe tu sitio! ¿Es estándar o no estándar?

In the padlet…

Standard / Estándar

Non-Standard / No Estándar

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Make vegetation measurements

Biomass (grams)

Carbon Storage (gC)

Carbon Storage per site (gC/m2)

÷ Sample Site Area (m2)

Allometric/ Mathematical Equations

Carbon = Biomass x 50%

How is carbon storage calculated?

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Do you have trees >15 cm circumference on your site?

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What Will You Measure? Protocol Decision Tree

Yes

No

Do the Trees Protocol!

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And...

Go to the next slide.

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Non-standard: Do you have shrubs/saplings on your site?

Standard: Do you have shrubs/saplings on >25% of your site?

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What Will You Measure? Protocol Decision Tree

Yes

No

Do the Shrub/Sapling Protocol!

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And...

Go to the next slide.

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Non-Standard: Do you have herbaceous vegetation on your site?

Standard: Do you have herbaceous vegetation on >50% of your site?

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What Will You Measure? Protocol Decision Tree

Yes

Do the Herbaceous Protocol!

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How is carbon storage calculated?

 

Make vegetation measurements

Biomass (grams)

Carbon Storage (gC)

Carbon Storage per site (gC/m2)

÷ Sample Site Area (m2)

Allometric/ Mathematical Equations

Carbon = Biomass x 50%

Allometry Learning Activity: Measure height, arm span, and foot length to show how living organism’s parts are related to the whole (allometry).

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Make vegetation measurements

Biomass (grams)

Carbon Storage (gC)

Carbon Storage per site (gC/m2)

÷ Sample Site Area (m2)

Allometric/ Mathematical Equations

Carbon = Biomass x 50%

Biomass Units Learning Activity: Students calculate the biomass of the classroom in g/m2. Rank global biomes from greatest to least biomass

How is carbon storage calculated?

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Global Terrestrial Biomes Ranked by Biomass

1 = least biomass

14 = most biomass

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Example Student Research

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Students present carbon research at the United States Student Research Symposium.

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  • Carbon Cycle Introduction
  • Standard Site Carbon Protocols
  • Non-Standard Site Carbon Protocols
  • Cycle Modeling

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GLOBE Carbon Cycle eTraining

In English y en Español!

https://www.globe.gov/get-trained/protocol-etraining

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Questions? ¿Preguntas?

For more information visit www.globe.gov

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North America Phenology Campaign Resources