IB-AGC: Annual 25 km global live biomass carbon product from SMOS L-band passive microwave vegetation optical depth

Abstract Monitoring aboveground biomass carbon (AGC) stocks and their changes is crucial for understanding the global carbon cycle and the impact of climate change. Among remotely sensed methods, the use of the L-band (1.4 GHz) vegetation optical depth (L-VOD) derived from passive microwave satellit...

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Main Authors: Xiaojun Li, Philippe Ciais, Frédéric Frappart, Klaus Scipal, Lei Fan, Hui Yang, Clément Albergel, Xiangzhuo Liu, Yuqing Liu, Mengjia Wang, Huan Wang, Zanpin Xing, Aurelien De Truchis, Jean-Pierre Wigneron
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Data
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05470-2
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author Xiaojun Li
Philippe Ciais
Frédéric Frappart
Klaus Scipal
Lei Fan
Hui Yang
Clément Albergel
Xiangzhuo Liu
Yuqing Liu
Mengjia Wang
Huan Wang
Zanpin Xing
Aurelien De Truchis
Jean-Pierre Wigneron
author_facet Xiaojun Li
Philippe Ciais
Frédéric Frappart
Klaus Scipal
Lei Fan
Hui Yang
Clément Albergel
Xiangzhuo Liu
Yuqing Liu
Mengjia Wang
Huan Wang
Zanpin Xing
Aurelien De Truchis
Jean-Pierre Wigneron
author_sort Xiaojun Li
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Monitoring aboveground biomass carbon (AGC) stocks and their changes is crucial for understanding the global carbon cycle and the impact of climate change. Among remotely sensed methods, the use of the L-band (1.4 GHz) vegetation optical depth (L-VOD) derived from passive microwave satellite observations, offers rapid updates for timely monitoring of interannual AGC changes. L-VOD is sensitive to changes in the total water content of vegetation, which is determined by both AGC (the biomass of vegetation) and vegetation moisture content. While several methods have been used to understand and correct for the influence of the latter parameter when inferring AGC from L-VOD, there is still a lack of quantified corrections for its impact. Moreover, varying benchmark biomass datasets and fitting functions are currently used for converting L-VOD to AGC, making it difficult to harmonize or compare AGC estimates at regional and global scales. To address these issues, we first corrected the L-VOD time series for changes in the vegetation moisture content and then implemented a systematic global-scale calibration, resulting in annual AGC data set (called INRAE-BORDEAUX AGC, hereafter IB AGC) from 2010 to 2020 at a 25 km resolution. The accuracy assessments showed that IB AGC had a reasonably good spatial agreement with LiDAR referenced AGC data (R2 = 0.60). Moreover, when aggregated at the national level, IB AGC exhibited stronger consistency with long-term net changes from country-level forest inventory data (R2 = 0.62) than other mainstream satellite products. It is expected that IB AGC will provide an independent means for better monitoring the global vegetation carbon stocks and their variability in response to climate change.
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spelling doaj-art-f9d629df558b43f688bbdc0fc4acbbc22025-08-20T03:42:30ZengNature PortfolioScientific Data2052-44632025-07-0112111510.1038/s41597-025-05470-2IB-AGC: Annual 25 km global live biomass carbon product from SMOS L-band passive microwave vegetation optical depthXiaojun Li0Philippe Ciais1Frédéric Frappart2Klaus Scipal3Lei Fan4Hui Yang5Clément Albergel6Xiangzhuo Liu7Yuqing Liu8Mengjia Wang9Huan Wang10Zanpin Xing11Aurelien De Truchis12Jean-Pierre Wigneron13INRAE, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, UMR 1391 ISPALaboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, UMR 1572 CEA-CNRS-5 UVSQINRAE, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, UMR 1391 ISPAEuropean Space Agency (ESA)Chongqing Jinfo Mountain Karst Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Geographical Sciences, Southwest UniversityInstitute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking UniversityEuropean Space Agency Climate Office, ECSATINRAE, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, UMR 1391 ISPAINRAE, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, UMR 1391 ISPASchool of Geoscience and Technology, Zhengzhou UniversityInstitute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking UniversityCenter for the Pan-Third Pole Environment, Lanzhou UniversityKayrros SASINRAE, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, UMR 1391 ISPAAbstract Monitoring aboveground biomass carbon (AGC) stocks and their changes is crucial for understanding the global carbon cycle and the impact of climate change. Among remotely sensed methods, the use of the L-band (1.4 GHz) vegetation optical depth (L-VOD) derived from passive microwave satellite observations, offers rapid updates for timely monitoring of interannual AGC changes. L-VOD is sensitive to changes in the total water content of vegetation, which is determined by both AGC (the biomass of vegetation) and vegetation moisture content. While several methods have been used to understand and correct for the influence of the latter parameter when inferring AGC from L-VOD, there is still a lack of quantified corrections for its impact. Moreover, varying benchmark biomass datasets and fitting functions are currently used for converting L-VOD to AGC, making it difficult to harmonize or compare AGC estimates at regional and global scales. To address these issues, we first corrected the L-VOD time series for changes in the vegetation moisture content and then implemented a systematic global-scale calibration, resulting in annual AGC data set (called INRAE-BORDEAUX AGC, hereafter IB AGC) from 2010 to 2020 at a 25 km resolution. The accuracy assessments showed that IB AGC had a reasonably good spatial agreement with LiDAR referenced AGC data (R2 = 0.60). Moreover, when aggregated at the national level, IB AGC exhibited stronger consistency with long-term net changes from country-level forest inventory data (R2 = 0.62) than other mainstream satellite products. It is expected that IB AGC will provide an independent means for better monitoring the global vegetation carbon stocks and their variability in response to climate change.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05470-2
spellingShingle Xiaojun Li
Philippe Ciais
Frédéric Frappart
Klaus Scipal
Lei Fan
Hui Yang
Clément Albergel
Xiangzhuo Liu
Yuqing Liu
Mengjia Wang
Huan Wang
Zanpin Xing
Aurelien De Truchis
Jean-Pierre Wigneron
IB-AGC: Annual 25 km global live biomass carbon product from SMOS L-band passive microwave vegetation optical depth
Scientific Data
title IB-AGC: Annual 25 km global live biomass carbon product from SMOS L-band passive microwave vegetation optical depth
title_full IB-AGC: Annual 25 km global live biomass carbon product from SMOS L-band passive microwave vegetation optical depth
title_fullStr IB-AGC: Annual 25 km global live biomass carbon product from SMOS L-band passive microwave vegetation optical depth
title_full_unstemmed IB-AGC: Annual 25 km global live biomass carbon product from SMOS L-band passive microwave vegetation optical depth
title_short IB-AGC: Annual 25 km global live biomass carbon product from SMOS L-band passive microwave vegetation optical depth
title_sort ib agc annual 25 km global live biomass carbon product from smos l band passive microwave vegetation optical depth
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05470-2
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