Carbon Stock (Distribution) is a snapshot indicator that measures the current carbon storage capacity of a site, comparing how much carbon is stored across different land cover types. It distinguishes between three carbon pools: Above-Ground Biomass (AGB), Below-Ground Biomass (BGB), and Soil Organic Carbon (SOC).
Carbon stocks are a critical proxy for ecosystem health. Terrestrial carbon represents approximately 2,500 Gt C globally (Ciais et al., 2013), distributed between vegetation (~450 Gt C), soils (~1,500 Gt C), and litter/debris (~50 Gt C). Monitoring carbon storage is essential for climate mitigation strategies, ESRS E1 disclosures, and biodiversity conservation planning.
Unlike Carbon Stock Trends — which shows temporal evolution — this KPI shows a single-year snapshot for the year closest to the polygon's reference date. The platform displays this as a circular gauge comparing site (ROI) against control area (CA) for the selected carbon pool type.
Carbon stock values are derived from satellite imagery and machine learning models. A baseline dataset at 30 m resolution provides the reference carbon density for the year 2016. For subsequent years, a Random Forest model trained on 2016 data estimates carbon density using land cover and vegetation index inputs at 10 m resolution. Values are then aggregated by land cover class within the site polygon.
where density = carbon density (MgC/ha) for each land cover class, area = area of that class within the polygon
The result is expressed in tonnes of carbon per hectare (MgC/ha). Data are sourced from the Global Potential Carbon dataset (Harvard Dataverse) at 30 m resolution for the baseline, with Google Dynamic World and ESA Sentinel-2 L2A at 10 m for subsequent years.
Gauge. A semicircular dual-arc gauge comparing the carbon stock of the site (ROI) against the control area (CA) for the selected carbon pool type.
Purpose: How much carbon is stored at this site right now, and how does it compare to the surrounding landscape?
Description: The gauge shows two concentric arcs on a semicircular dial. The outer arc (ROI) represents the site's carbon stock and the inner arc (CA) represents the control area. Both arcs are colored according to the 5-level quality scale (A–E). The center of the gauge displays the ROI mean value in MgC/ha (large text), the CA mean value (smaller text below), and a delta badge showing ROI − CA (green badge if the site outperforms the control; red badge if not). Above the gauge, two selectors allow switching between carbon pool types: a layer selector (Current / Unrealized Potential / Future) and a detail toggle (AGB / BGB / AGB+BGB / SOC / Total). The CA arc is only visible when the SiteSpecific feature is enabled.
52.3Carbon Stock (Total)
How it's calculated: The selected carbon pool indicator provides the site mean (ROI) and control mean (CA). The arc color is determined by comparing the ROI value against the quality thresholds for the active pool.
Legend: Arc color corresponds to the quality grade. Thresholds vary by selected carbon pool:
Total Carbon Stock (AGB + BGB + SOC):
| Level | Range (MgC/ha) | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| A (Excellent) | ≥ 255 | ■ #00A67A | Very high carbon storage — dense forest or rich organic soils |
| B (Good) | 175 – 255 | ■ #00DF80 | High carbon stock — mature woodland or productive grassland |
| C (Moderate) | 100 – 175 | ■ #FFD21E | Moderate storage — mixed land use |
| D (Poor) | 40 – 100 | ■ #FF8B16 | Low storage — degraded or agricultural land |
| E (Critical) | 0 – 40 | ■ #FF367F | Very low storage — impervious surfaces or bare soil |
Above-Ground Biomass (AGB) only:
| Level | Range (MgC/ha) | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | ≥ 110 | ■ #00A67A | Dense mature forest |
| B | 75 – 110 | ■ #00DF80 | Established woodland |
| C | 40 – 75 | ■ #FFD21E | Mixed or young forest |
| D | 10 – 40 | ■ #FF8B16 | Sparse trees or shrubland |
| E | 0 – 10 | ■ #FF367F | Grassland, cropland, or bare surfaces |
Interpretation example:
If the gauge shows ROI = 52.3 MgC/ha and CA = 38.1 MgC/ha with a delta of +14.2 (Total Carbon Stock), it means the site stores 14.2 MgC/ha more carbon than its surrounding landscape — a positive signal indicating the site contributes more to regional carbon sequestration than its context would predict.
| Source | Provider | Coverage | Resolution | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Potential Carbon | Harvard Dataverse | Global | 30 m | 2016 baseline |
| Google Dynamic World | Global | 10 m | Continuous | |
| ESA Sentinel-2 L2A | ESA / Copernicus | Global | 10 m | 2017 – present |
Carbon stock values are computed from pre-generated raster map layers. The baseline year (2016) is sourced from the Global Potential Carbon dataset (Harvard Dataverse) at 30 m resolution. For subsequent years, values are estimated via a Random Forest machine learning model trained on 2016 baseline data, using two feature inputs: land cover from Google Dynamic World (10 m resolution) and NDVI from ESA Sentinel-2 L2A (10 m resolution).
The image closest to the polygon's reference year is selected from the pre-generated map stack. Values are aggregated by CLC (Corine Land Cover) land use class within the polygon, producing both a percentage distribution and an absolute MgC/ha value per land cover type.