Physical Science of Forests, Climate Regulation, and Carbon Storage

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Overview
Contents (20)

Course information

This short course, curated by Michigan State University's Forest Carbon and Climate Program, will develop foundational knowledge in the relationship between climate regulation, forests, and forest carbon. In five modules, the course covers the 1) Carbon Cycle and Storage, 2) Humans, the Global Carbon Cycle, and Terrestrial Sinks, 3) Forest Ecosystems and Carbon Storage, 4) Forest Ecosystem Carbon Pools and Fluxes, and 5) Disturbances and their Carbon Impact. Each module will outline its respective learning objectives. Course content will include recorded presentations, links to online resources, and recommended reading.

Is this course for you?

This course is intended for the novice or aspiring forest carbon and climate novice who is seeking to get a better understanding of climate regulation and forest carbon within the context of forests and forestry. This foundational course covers the fundamentals to help better equip you in the conversation of climate and forest carbon with your colleagues, customers, and other diverse audiences. This course may also serve as a refresher to your understanding. Reinforcing your knowledge can strengthen your understanding, especially as new resources, tools, and policies may emerge as they relate to climate regulation and forest carbon.

Open registration

Registration is open for only 1 month - July 7, 2020 at 8:00 am ET to August 4, 2020 at 11:55 pm ET.

Course start date

Course content will be accessible starting August 4, 2020 at 8:30 am ET.

Course access

Course access will remain open until September 30, 2020 at 11:55 pm ET.

Course pace

This course is self-paced with an expected completion time frame of up to 6 weeks. This course must be completed in sequence and each presentation must be viewed in entirety to progress to the next section. Once a section is complete, you can return to the previous section. ForestEd will send you reminders along the way to help you stay on track.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this short course, you will:

Be familiar with and able to identify the carbon cycle and its connection to natural and human-caused global warming
Know about trends in atmospheric GHG emissions and their impact on the carbon cycle
Understand sources and sinks, and the role of natural forests and the forestry sector
Understand that forest composition, structure, and function influence carbon storage
Remember the pools of carbon with forested ecosystems
Apply knowledge of forest structure differences to forest carbon pools and fluxes by forest type
Be able to communicate global distribution of carbon storage in forests
Remember that management planning and decision-making can minimize the carbon losses from natural and human-caused disturbances

Rubric

Successful completion of the course is measured by mastering each module's quiz to assess how well you recall and apply your new knowledge. You have unlimited attempts for each quiz to master the content. Passing score for each quiz is 80%.

Course Evaluation

Participant feedback is appreciated to help the course curators and subject matter experts continually improve the course for future participants.

CFEs

Upon successful completion of this course, you will earn 3.5 CFEs in Category 1. CFEs will automatically be added to your CFE record located on www.eforester.org.

Certificate

Upon successful completion of this course and course evaluation, participants may download and print a certificate verifying completion of the course and earning CFEs. CFEs will be uploaded to participant CFE records by the end of the day of course completion (11:59 pm ET).

Get Started or Return to Place in Course

Once you are registered for the course, access this course within your MY DASHBOARD. You can pause at any point during the course and you can return right where you last left off. Simply select the presentation you were last viewing and you will be prompted to select if you wish to start where you left off. For additional tips for success, watch the Course Tutorial Video preceding the Welcome Presentation. Note: this course uses pop-up windows so be sure to enable pop-up windows on your browser.

Course Resources

Additional course resources are available within the Resources tab and within the Contents tab course sections.

Need Help?

For ForestEd questions, visit FAQs, email cf@safnet.org, or watch the Course Tutorial within the Contents tab. For questions about this course's content email forestc@msu.edu. For technical assistance, go to help.commpartners.com for self troubleshooting and/or live chat, or you can email cf@safnet.org.

Refund

This is a non-refundable item. Please view FAQs for additional information.

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Course Tutorial - Tips for Success

Open to view video.

Open to view video. View this short video to learn tips for success.

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Welcome!

Welcome Presentation

Begin self-paced component package.

Begin self-paced component package. To view this presentation and subsequent presentations, A pop-up window will appear so you can view the presentation. Meanwhile the course page will temporarily appear blank while you view the course presentation and when you are being transitioned back to the course to progress to the next presentation. When you are done viewing the presentation in entirety, close the presentation window, but REMEMBER to keep the main course window open to maintain continued access to your course. You must view all presentations in entirety to advance to the next section. You can close your browser and log out of ForestEd as needed and return to your course where you left at your convenience.

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Course Glossary

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Open to download resource. The course glossary outlines terms and abbreviations used throughout the course. You can return to this resource as needed.

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Week 1: Carbon Cycle and Forest Carbon Storage

Carbon Cycle and Forest Carbon Storage Presentation

Begin self-paced component package.

Begin self-paced component package. Learning Objectives: - Understand and be able to identify key scientific elements of the greenhouse effect and global warming - Analyze the concept of Global Warming Potential (GWP) in relation to various GHGs and CO2 - Know about trends in atmospheric GHG emissions and their impact on the carbon cycle Complete the presentation and pass the quiz prior to progressing to the next presentation.

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Presentation 1 Handout

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Required Reading: A Comparison of Carbon Stock Estimates and Projections for the Northeastern United States

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Open to download resource. Richard G. MacLean, Mark J. Ducey, Coeli M. Hoover, A Comparison of Carbon Stock Estimates and Projections for the Northeastern United States, Forest Science, Volume 60, Issue 2, April 2014, Pages 206–213, https://doi.org/10.5849/forsci.12-072

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Week 2: Humans, the Global Carbon Cycle, and Terrestrial Sinks

Humans, the Global Carbon Cycle, and Terrestrial Sinks Presentation

Begin self-paced component package.

Begin self-paced component package. Learning Objectives: - Remember terminology and Units of Measure - Be able to convert between measures of carbon and carbon dioxide - Understand an overview of Global Carbon Cycle and Human Perturbation - Know how forests and the and sector fit into the global carbon cycle - Apply knowledge to analyze terrestrial Sinks for CO2 and Climate Mitigation Complete the presentation and pass the quiz prior to progressing to the next presentation.

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Presentation 2 Handout

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Required Reading: Carbon in Northern Forests

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Open to download resource. Chris Swanston, Andrew Burton, Carbon in Northern Forests, Forest Science, Volume 57, Issue 6, December 2011, Pages 449–450, https://doi.org/10.1093/forestscience/57.6.449

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Week 3: Forest Ecosystems and Carbon Pools

Forest Ecosystems and Carbon Pools Presentation

Begin self-paced component package.

Begin self-paced component package. Learning Objectives: - Remember the pools of carbon within forested ecosystems - Evaluate above and belowground carbon storage pools - Understand that Forest Composition, Structure, and Function influences carbon storage - Remember that forest ecosystem structure influence how pools of Carbon Within Forest Ecosystems Complete the presentation and pass the quiz prior to progressing to the next presentation.

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Presentation 3 Handout

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Required Reading: Near Surface Soil Carbon

Open to download resource.

Open to download resource. Donald S. Ross, Scott W. Bailey, Gregory B. Lawrence, James B. Shanley, Guinevere Fredriksen, Austin E. Jamison, Patricia A. Brousseau, Near-Surface Soil Carbon, Carbon/Nitrogen Ratio, and Tree Species Are Tightly Linked across Northeastern United States Watersheds, Forest Science, Volume 57, Issue 6, December 2011, Pages 460–469, https://doi.org/10.1093/forestscience/57.6.460

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Week 4: Global Forest Ecosystems and Carbon Fluxes

Global Forest Ecosystems and Carbon Fluxes Presentation

Begin self-paced component package.

Begin self-paced component package. Learning Objectives: - Understand carbon fluxes and the concepts of source versus sink - Apply knowledge of forest structure differences to forest carbon pools and fluxes by forest type - Be able to communicate global distribution of carbon storage in forests Complete the presentation and pass the quiz prior to progressing to the next presentation.

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Presentation 4 Handout

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Required Reading: The Carbon Consequences of Thinning Techniques

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Open to download resource. Hoover, C. & Stout, Susan. (2007). The carbon consequences of thinning techniques: Stand structure makes a difference. Journal of Forestry -Washington-. 105.

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Week 5: Disturbances and Carbon Impact Presentation

Disturbances and Carbon Impact Presentation

Begin self-paced component package.

Begin self-paced component package. Learning Objectives: - Understand how forest disturbances are linked to a changing climate - Be able to communicate how forest carbon is influenced by forest disturbances - Remember that management planning and decision-making can minimize the carbon losses from natural and human-caused disturbances Complete the presentation and pass the quiz prior to accessing the course evaluation, CFEs, and certificate verifying course completion.

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Presentation 5 Handout

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Required Reading: Forest Development and Carbon Dynamics after Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreaks

Open to download resource.

Open to download resource. E. Matthew Hansen, Forest Development and Carbon Dynamics after Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreaks, Forest Science, Volume 60, Issue 3, June 2014, Pages 476–488, https://doi.org/10.5849/forsci.13-039

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Course Evaluation & CFEs

Course Evaluation

16 Questions

16 Questions Please complete this evaluation to help support continuous improvement of this course.

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CFEs & Certificate

3.50 CAT1 credits | Certificate available

3.50 CAT1 credits | Certificate available CFEs will automatically be added to your CFE record by the end of the day. Feel free to print or simply download the certificate for your personal records.

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Physical Science of Forests, Climate Regulation, and Carbon Storage

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