Spatiotemporal Changes in Carbon and Anthropogenic Contributions in an Agricultural-Forest Watershed

In this dissertation, I explore the socioeconomic contributions of landscape ecosystem C production in context of conventional biophysical regulations, resulting in spatiotemporal changes of global warming potential (GWP). To accurately model landscape-scale C production and estimate GWP at ecosystem and landscape levels, both socioeconomic and biophysical processes must be considered. Using an interdisciplinary approach, this work identifies factors that drive landscape C production and evaluates the sensitivity of terrestrial C sinks and sources. Chapter 2 uses fine spatiotemporal resolution remote sensing imagery to estimate terrestrial carbon production in heterogeneous agroecosystems. In Chapter 3, a structural equation model (SEM) assesses the relationships between historical agricultural intensification, land tenure, abiotic climate factors, and land cover land use change (LCLUC) on landscape terrestrial carbon production. Chapter 4 discusses the potential use of these estimates in a spatiotemporal life cycle assessment (LCA) for calculating carbon offset for carbon neutral goals. This work provides an innovative protocol that integrates geospatial and engineering methods to measure, validate, and summarize terrestrial and anthropogenic C emissions in life cycle assessment for calculating CO2-equivalent (CO2-eq)—GWP. Key contributions and lessons from this research will advance policy- and decision-making at landscape scales, where social and ecological processes must be considered for sustainable climate mitigation.