Biomass mission: Advancing our knowledge of the carbon cycle

Innovation News Network
January 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to launch its Biomass mission in 2025, providing more accurate measurements of forest biomass to enhance our understanding of the carbon cycle. We spoke to Biomass Project Manager, Michael Fehringer, to learn more. As a major carbon sink, forests play a crucial role in the carbon cycle and climate system. However, due to factors such as forest degradation and deforestation, much of this otherwise stored carbon is being released back into the atmosphere, causing a detrimental impact on the environment. To understand the rapid changes that forests are undergoing, and therefore tackle the implications this has for our climate, quantifying the global carbon cycle is vital. However, current measurements of forest biomass are poor in many parts of the world. …Editor Georgie Purcell spoke to ESA’s Biomass Project Manager, Michael Fehringer, to find out how the mission will clear up questions surrounding forest biomass and the carbon cycle.

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