Analyzing temporal and spatial forest carbon storage using Google Plus Code: a case study of Zijin Mountain National Forest Park, China

It is always a challenging job to compare forest resources as there is not a standardized spatial unit with location information. Google Plus Code, the newest alphanumeric geocoding system, uses 20 specifically selected letters and numbers to assign a unique global ID to every cell at different levels of a hierarchical grid system which is established based on latitude and longitude. It can be used as a standardized, unique global geospatial unit to segment, locate, quantitate, evaluate, and compare natural resources with area, boundary, and location information embedded.

For this proof-of-concept case study, forest inventory data from 1987, 2002, and 2019 for the Zijin Mountain National Forest Park in Jiangsu Province, China was analyzed based on Google Plus Code grid/cell. This enabled the quantification of carbon storage at each cell allowing for the comparison of estimated carbon storage at same or different locations over time.

This methodology is used to quantify the impacts of changing forest conditions and forest management activities on carbon storage with high spatial accuracy through the 32-year study period. Furthermore, this technique could be used for providing technical support and validation of carbon credit quantification and management.