GIS Modeling and Analysis of Ohio's CO2 Budget: Mitigating CO2 Emissions Through Reforestation

The United States has agreed to join with the international community in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to 7% below 1990 levels. To aid in this goal a Geographic Information System (GIS) based deterministic model was created to assess the potential impact of different land-use strategies for mitigating Ohio's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and lowering its total CO2 budget. CO2 was chosen as the greenhouse gas of focus for this study because it has been identified as a significant greenhouse gas impacting the climate and it is the only greenhouse gas capable of being anthropogenically sequestered from the atmosphere. A comprehensive CO2 emissions and absorptions database inventory using 1996 as a baseline was compiled for Ohio. A mathematical model of the total CO2 budget and the relationship between CO2 sources and sinks was developed. The model allowed for a quantitative assessment of features influencing Ohio's CO2 budget. Additionally, this study evaluated the ability of forestation to act as a sink for atmospheric CO2 in the budget. Using a GIS, areas of new forest were created and the acreage of new forest created was used to recalculate the CO2 budget model. The new forest areas were created by implementing theoretical policies within the GIS designed to create new forest throughout the state in an attempt to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 7% below 1990 levels by the commitment period of 2008-2011. Through the enactment of various forestation policies in this study, it was determined that practical and easily implemented increases in forestry could play a significant role in offsetting some of Ohio's CO2 emissions. However, making these simple increases in Ohio's forest acreage will not meet the necessary reduction on its own. Ohio will also have to take action to lower its emissions of CO2 by decreasing its dependency on fossil fuels. The techniques used in this study may be a valuable tool in helping to design strategies and practical policies to address our international responsibilities. OHIO J SCI 101 (3/4):34-4l, 200