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The Big Sky Institute at Montana State University is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to creating, applying, and communicating science-based knowledge. The BSI Ecological Informatics Lab brings together natural sciences, geographic information systems (GIS), statistics, modeling, information technology, and computational programming with a comprehensive goal of making ecological data more useful to society. BSI partners with several NBII Nodes to disseminate information and to create value-added tools for interacting with data.

Carbon Sequestration

Rising carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere continue to incite international concern as the effects of global warming become clearer and more frequent. In parallel with energy conservation and the potential of alternative energy sources, recapture and storage of current CO 2 levels and emissions represents an essential strategy in mitigating for climate change. The Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership is working to advance research, applied technologies, and land use practices for geologic and terrestrial sequestration of carbon in the region while promoting a shift to a new, sustainable energy future that cleanly meets the region's energy needs.

The Mountain Prairie Information Node is working with the National Map - Montana Mapping Partnership, Montana State University, and the Big Sky Institute to achieve Partnership goals. The Partnership's Carbon Atlas includes a gallery of thematic maps, several interactive mapping services, and a data resources page.

Resources on Carbon Sequestration
Showing 15 of 41 ( Show All )
CollapseAging in Pacific Northwest Forests: A Selection of Recent Research
Description: This paper provides an overview of the work reported at a symposium on age-related changes in the structure and function of forests in the United States Pacific Northwest. Some of the work presented at this meeting is reported in the peer-reviewed papers comprising this journal issue. Age-related changes in leaf structure, CO2 assimilation rate, stable carbon isotope ratio, nitrogen concentration and stomatal limitation were demonstrated at many organizational scales. At larger scales, age-related changes were reported in canopy structure and light profile, stand productivity, tree mortality and respiration. These data raise new questions about the potential interaction among the structural and functional changes in aging forests, and indicate many avenues for future research concerning tree growth and ecosystem functioning.
Resource Type: Issue Overviews, Proceedings
Resource Format: PDF
Publisher: Department of Forest Science, Oregon State University
ExpandBig Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership
ExpandBoreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS)
ExpandCan the Global Carbon Budget Be Balanced?
ExpandCarbon Dioxide Offset Investment in the Asia-Pacific Forestry Sector: Opportunities and Constraints
ExpandCarbon for Kids
ExpandCarbon Modeling and Climate Change
ExpandCarbon Sequestration in Forests
ExpandCarbon Sequestration Introduction
ExpandCarbon Sequestration Leadership Forum
ExpandClimate and Environmental Sciences Division (CESD), U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE)
ExpandClimate Change and Forests - Climate Change
ExpandClimate Change Resource Center (CCRC): Forests and Carbon Storage
ExpandCompass - February 2008, Issue 10: What do Forests have to Do with Global Climate Change? (PDF, 60 pp., 6.5 MB)
ExpandField Measurements for Forest Carbon Monitoring: A Landscape-scale Approach (PDF, 2 pp., 82.17 KB)
Carbon Sequestration Resources for Teachers and Kids
Showing 3 Results
CollapseGlobal Climate Change Curriculum
Description: "This curriculum explores the science of Global Climate Change, the primary sources of greenhouse gases, and potential solutions, such as sequestration, through hands-on inquiry."
Resource Type: K-12 Curriculum and Lesson Plans
Resource Format: URL
Publisher: The Keystone Center
CollapseNational Energy Technology Laboratory Teacher's Lounge: An Experiment for Carbon Dioxide Sequestration
Description: This lesson plan was developed with scientists from the National Energy Technology Laboratory for use with fourth through eighth grade students. The experiment teaches students about the need for and gives an example of carbon sequestration.
Resource Type: K-12 Curriculum and Lesson Plans
Resource Format: PDF, URL
Publisher: United States Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory
CollapseNational Energy Technology Laboratory Teacher's Lounge: Clean Air Research as Related to Fossil Fuels
Description: This lesson plan focuses on research aimed at developing technologies to use fossil energy more cleanly and efficiently. Students will work collaboratively "to study the effects of air pollutants and experimentation being conducted to eliminate them."
Resource Type: K-12 Curriculum and Lesson Plans
Resource Format: PDF, URL
Publisher: United States Department of Energy

More on Carbon Sequestration

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Image by Reto Stöckli (land surface, shallow water, clouds). Enhancements by Robert Simmon (ocean color, compositing, 3D globes, animation).
[Globe Image: Reto Stockli/Robert Simmon, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]

"Carbon sequestration" is a family of methods for capturing and permanently isolating gases such as CO 2 that otherwise could contribute to global climate change. Affordable and environmentally safe sequestration approaches could offer a way to help mitigate rising atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide.

Learn more:

Core States of the Partnership

Map of states in the Carbon Sequestration Partnership
[Image: Aaron Jones, Big Sky Institute]

Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership Logo

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