GOFC-GOLD Program Overview

The Global Observation of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics (GOFC-GOLD) panel for climate is a GTOS panel aimed at providing a coordinated international effort to supply space-based and in situ forest and land cover observations to obtain an accurate, reliable and quantitative understanding of global change processes. One of the most important objectives in GOFC-GOLD is to promote international networking for data access, data sharing, and international collaboration. Networks have been established in Central Africa, Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, and Northern Eurasia. These networks compliment the Global Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring (GT-NET) and the Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring Sites (TEMS) databases.

Program Management

The organizational structure created to implement the Global Observation of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics (GOFC-GOLD) consists of five elements: a Scientific and Technical Board (STB), a Project Office, an Executive Committee, Implementation Teams and Regional Networks.

The primary function of each Implementation Team is to plan, conduct, and supervise activities and actions which produce demonstrable progress toward the overall GOFC-GOLD goal of implementing a suite of securely funded, on-going programs which will provide timely and consistent information about forests world-wide. The three Implementation Teams are: Forest Cover Characteristics and Changes, Forest Fire Monitoring and Mapping, and Forest Biophysical Processes.

The regional networks provide a forum for users and researchers operating in (or with an interest in) a common geographic area, and represent a link between national agencies and user groups and the global user/producer community. To date, the following regional networks have been established: Central Africa, Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, and Northern Eurasia.

The primary function of the GOFC-GOLD Project Office and Executive Committee are to ensure effective record keeping, and communication between all GOFC-GOLD elements, and between GOFC-GOLD and its external audience.

Implementation Strategy

Through a "learning and developing by doing" approach, GOFC-GOLD is working to:

1. create and strengthen partnerships between CEOS members and user agencies;
2. identify gaps and overlaps in current and planned earth observation satellite programs and make recommendations to resolve them;
3. promote common data processing standards and interpretation methods, which are necessary for inter-comparison of regional studies;
4. use data from multiple sensors, in combination with in-situ data, to produce validated information products which satisfy clearly identified requirements of user agencies and research groups;
5. stimulate advances in the management and dissemination of large volume datasets;
6. encourage the increased operational use of earth observation data for decision making at national, regional, and global levels.

The essence of the GOFC-GOLD implementation strategy is to develop and demonstrate operational forest monitoring at regional and global scaled by conduction pilot projects and developing prototype products within three primary themes: Forest Cover Characteristics and Changes, Forest Fire Monitoring and Mapping, and Forest Biophysical Processes.

Users

Users include:

• Global change researchers
• Forest resource managers
• Earth systems scientists
• National and international policy makers, agencies, governmental organizations
• Treaties and conventions (such as the Framework Convention on Climate Change).

Contact Information

• Dr. Michael Brady
  Executive Director
  GOFC-GOLD Project Office
  Natural Resources Canada/Canadian Forest Service
  Northern Forestry Centre
  5320 - 122 Street
  Edmonton, Alberta T6H 3S5
  Canada
  Phone: +1 (780) 435-7210
  Fax: +1 (780) 435-7359
  E-mail: GOFC-GOLD@nrcan.gc.ca

Page reviewed or revised June 20, 2007