A41R-03 – Impact of land use and land cover change on climate and air quality in the CESM (Invited)

Authors

Natalie Mahowald

Cornell University

Daniel Ward

Cornell University

Silvia Kloster

Max Planck Institute for Meteorology

James Randerson

University of California Irvine

Scott Doney

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

Keith Lindsay

National Center for Atmospheric Research

Ernesto Muñoz

National Center for Atmospheric Research

Sarah Schlunegger

Princeton University

Danica Lombardozzi

National Center for Atmospheric Research

David Lawrence

National Center for Atmospheric Research

Peter Lawrence

National Center for Atmospheric Research

Forrest Hoffman (forrest at climatemodeling dot org)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Session

Tropospheric Chemistry-Climate-Biosphere Interactions I
Thursday, December 17, 2015 08:30–08:45
Moscone West 3008

Abstract

Land use and land cover change (LULCC) impacts climate by directly emiting CO₂ as well as modifying indirect CO₂ sinks in the future. LULCC also modifies aerosol and reactive gas emissions, modifying ozone and methane lifetimes, as well as directly emitting methane and nitrous oxide. Finally, LULCC modifies land albedos. Here we consider multiple land use scenarios within the context of the CESM, and the net impact of LULCC on climate and compare to other anthropogenic forcings. These comparisons suggest that LULCC contributes 40% to climate change today, and out to 2100. The contribution from LULCC varies strongly by country and when the land use conversion occurs.