Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Growing populations and urban sprawl are among the main reasons for land use
changes across the world, which often occur hand in hand with deforestation, one of
the largest global causes for greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Many
global regions are affected by these dynamics that occur with a rising population, one
of them is Uppsala in central Sweden. However, the interest and awareness of
municipalities to define their environmental impact is starting to grow. The aim of this
study was to develop a framework that enables municipalities across Sweden to
determine carbon stocks and CO2 emissions occurring during land use changes into
settlement land. Two levels of precision were included that are based on either
regional climate zone data published by the IPCC in their National Greenhouse Gas
Inventory program (Level 1) or national inventory data (Level 2). In order to support
decision-making, the emissions were determined in space and time. The developed
framework was applied to a case study area in Uppsala, where 224 ha of mostly forest
land is proposed to be converted to settlements. The results showed that the Level 1
CO2 emissions were generally higher than in the national Level 2, with the rate of
biomass growth in forests being the main source of variation. This indicates that due
to Uppsala’s location in the northernmost part of the temperate climate zone, the lower
growth rate of the bordering boreal zone may have an impact on the site, raising
questions on the applicability of the Level 1 approach to areas in central regions of
Sweden. Concerning the case study area, the most effective strategy to reduce
emissions is to avoid land use change from wetlands and the biomass-rich forest land
depicted in a CO2 emission potential map.