Historical Land Use and Carbon Estimates for South and Southeast Asia, 1880-1980

1880-1980 estimates of land use change and vegetation carbon content for South and Southeast Asia, covering 13 countries and approximately 8 million square kilometers. The data was compiled by John F. Richards of Duke University from sources like UN FAO statistics and historical texts, aggregated into 94 ecological zones. It shows a conversion of 107 million hectares of forest/woodland and a drop in total carbon content from 59 to 27 billion Mg over the century.

Use Cases

• Model historical carbon flux from land use change based on the 100-year time series of carbon content estimates.
• Analyze regional deforestation patterns based on the conversion of forest/woodland to other land use categories.
• Study the spatial distribution of carbon stocks based on data aggregated into 94 ecological zones.
• Benchmark climate models using the historical land use change data originally collected for that purpose.

Strengths

• Covers a 100-year time series with data points for 1880, 1920, 1950, 1970, and 1980.
• Aggregates data for 13 countries into 94 ecological zones to handle boundary changes and data disparities.
• Provides specific quantitative estimates, such as the conversion of 107 million hectares of forest and the decline in carbon content from 59 to 27 billion Mg.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Data format includes legacy Lotus 1-2-3 files, which may require conversion for modern analysis.

Provenance

Source

John F. Richards, Duke University, via CDIAC (Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center).

Collection Method

Developed using a sequential bookkeeping model in Lotus 1-2-3, sourced from official statistics, historical texts, and regional reports.

Time Range

1880-1980

Freshness

Last updated date is unknown; data covers the period 1880-1980.

Geography

South and Southeast Asia, encompassing 13 countries and approximately 8 million square kilometers.