Biogeosciences www.biogeosciences.net 1726-4170 1726-4189 6 8 2009 10.5194/bg-6-1647-2009 http://www.biogeosciences.net/6/1647/2009/ http://www.biogeosciences.net/6/1647/2009/bg-6-1647-2009.html http://www.biogeosciences.net/6/1647/2009/bg-6-1647-2009.pdf 1647 1654 2009-08-12 Ignoring detailed fast-changing dynamics of land use overestimates regional terrestrial carbon sequestration S. Q. Zhao sqzhao@urban.pku.edu.cn S. Liu Z. Li T. L. Sohl College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) Research and Technology Solutions, Contractor to US Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, Sioux Falls, SD 57198, USA USGS EROS Center, Sioux Falls, SD 57198, USA Work performed under USGS contract 08HQCN0007 Land use change is critical in determining the distribution, magnitude and mechanisms of terrestrial carbon budgets at the local to global scales. To date, almost all regional to global carbon cycle studies are driven by a static land use map or land use change statistics with decadal time intervals. The biases in quantifying carbon exchange between the terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere caused by using such land use change information have not been investigated. Here, we used the General Ensemble biogeochemical Modeling System (GEMS), along with consistent and spatially explicit land use change scenarios with different intervals (1 yr, 5 yrs, 10 yrs and static, respectively), to evaluate the impacts of land use change data frequency on estimating regional carbon sequestration in the southeastern United States. Our results indicate that ignoring the detailed fast-changing dynamics of land use can lead to a significant overestimation of carbon uptake by the terrestrial ecosystem. 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