The document discusses the need for updating reference values and developing specific monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) guidelines for soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and changes. Key areas of focus include reducing uncertainties in estimates, employing reliable models for quantifying stock changes, and incentivizing countries to establish national reference values. It emphasizes the importance of capacity development, harmonization procedures, and the integration of various methodological approaches to improve SOC management and reporting.

1. Theme 1: Monitoring, mapping,
measuring, reporting and
verification (MRV) of SOC
Liesl Wiese

2. Summary
28 Oral presentations
• 2 parallel sessions
15 Poster presentations

3. KEY QUESTIONS
Q1-1: What are the latest and reliable reference values for SOC
stocks, and stock change factors based on country- or region-
specific data for the most important land uses to be updated in
the 2006 IPCC Guidelines?
Q1-2: What are the recent developments in reliable methods and
models to quantify stock changes and how can these be best
applied for SOC measurement and monitoring?
Q1-3: How can the uncertainties of SOC stock and stock change
estimates be reduced?
Q1-4: Should specific MRV guidelines be developed to track SOC
stocks and stock changes and if yes, what are the main
methodological considerations?

4. • IPCC tables of reference values need to be
updated
• Still used by many countries due to lack of national
values
• Incentivize countries to develop national reference
values
• Capacity development and training need
Q1-1: What are the latest and reliable reference values for SOC
stocks, and stock change factors based on country- or region-specific
data for the most important land uses

5. Q1-1: What are the latest and reliable reference values for SOC
stocks, and stock change factors based on country- or region-
specific data for the most important land uses
• Go to Tier 2 level using reference tables as
transition step
• Emphasis developing stock change values
• Land use matrix
• Goal to improve soil carbon management
• More detailed assessment
• Broaden discussion to include C by soil type

6. Q1-4: Should specific MRV guidelines be developed to track SOC
stocks and stock changes and if yes, what are the main
methodological considerations?
- Yes, ensure that SOC is properly addressed
and monitored.
- Guidelines should support the carbon market
based mechanisms (standards to be defined).
- Comparability between countries and how
bottom-up approach applied (national to
global).

7. Q1-4: Should specific MRV guidelines be developed to track SOC
stocks and stock changes and if yes, what are the main
methodological considerations?
- Tiered approach to provide simpler and more
accessible methods for countries with less
capacity
- Time periods to detect stock changes and
associated sampling density

8. Q1-4: Should specific MRV guidelines be developed to track SOC
stocks and stock changes and if yes, what are the main
methodological considerations?
- Grid based sampling and monitoring sites
- Data management implications
- Drivers of SOC stocks and stock changes
need to be incorporated in guidelines

9. Q1-3: How can the uncertainties of SOC stock and
stock change estimates be reduced?
• Uncertainties should be measured
• Improving bottom-up / top-down integration can
reduce uncertainties
• Guidelines can be improved for Tier 3
uncertainty assessments

10. Q1-3: How can the uncertainties of SOC stock and
stock change estimates be reduced?
• Guidelines should address harmonization
procedures
• Mineral and organic soils intermediate classes
• Improved protocols needed for quality control
and quality assessment

11. Q1-3: How can the uncertainties of SOC stock and
stock change estimates be reduced?
• Land use change and management uncertainty
• Verification of coarse uncertainty at smaller
scales
• Financial implication of reduced uncertainty

12. Q1-2: What are the recent developments in reliable methods
and models to quantify stock changes and how can these be
best applied for SOC measurement and monitoring?
• Need predictions at global and local scales with
appropriate spatial resolutions
• Different resolutions have different purpose –
reporting vs enabling improved soil management
• Different models have different assumptions,
multi-model approaches to reduce the model
uncertainties

13. Q1-2: What are the recent developments in reliable methods
and models to quantify stock changes and how can these be
best applied for SOC measurement and monitoring?
• Common sampling and analysis protocols needed
• Assessment of old and new models, their
application and modifications
• Proximal sensing can be used to measure C stock
and stock changes – regional calibration

14. Q1-2: What are the recent developments in reliable methods
and models to quantify stock changes and how can these be
best applied for SOC measurement and monitoring?
• Laboratory networks for measuring + monitoring
• Include soil erosion in modelling
• Include well defined specifications for gravel
measurement to remove bias
• Importance of storing samples from reference
sites