ForestGEO Ecosystems & Climate Lab| Source | Data | Published research |
The ForestGEO Ecosystems & Climate Lab operates within the Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO), a worldwide network of forest research plots and scientists focused on understanding forest function and diversity. Based at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, USA, the lab is also affiliated with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Research conducted in the lab employs diverse methodologies such as data synthesis, field studies, and modeling to investigate the impacts of global change on forests globally. By studying these changes, the lab aims to determine how forest ecosystems can either mitigate or exacerbate climate change.
The Global Forest Carbon database (ForC) is a comprehensive open-access resource managed by Dr. Kristina Anderson-Teixeira’s Ecosystems & Climate Lab at the Smithsonian. It houses the largest collection of ground-based measurements tracking carbon stocks and fluxes in forest ecosystems. Supplementary data on site characteristics, stand ages, and disturbance history are also available. All information is sourced from published, peer-reviewed studies, ensuring reliability. ForC is regularly updated and accessible through its GitHub repository, with visualization options provided by an interactive Shiny app.