scholarly journals The climate benefit of carbon sequestration

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1029-1048
Author(s):  
Carlos A. Sierra ◽  
Susan E. Crow ◽  
Martin Heimann ◽  
Holger Metzler ◽  
Ernst-Detlef Schulze
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Radiative Effect ◽  
Time Horizons ◽  
Global Warming Potentials ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Carbon Retention ◽  
Change Mitigation

Abstract. Ecosystems play a fundamental role in climate change mitigation by photosynthetically fixing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it for a period of time in organic matter. Although climate impacts of carbon emissions by sources can be quantified by global warming potentials, the appropriate formal metrics to assess climate benefits of carbon removals by sinks are unclear. We introduce here the climate benefit of sequestration (CBS), a metric that quantifies the radiative effect of fixing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and retaining it for a period of time in an ecosystem before releasing it back as the result of respiratory processes and disturbances. In order to quantify CBS, we present a formal definition of carbon sequestration (CS) as the integral of an amount of carbon removed from the atmosphere stored over the time horizon it remains within an ecosystem. Both metrics incorporate the separate effects of (i) inputs (amount of atmospheric carbon removal) and (ii) transit time (time of carbon retention) on carbon sinks, which can vary largely for different ecosystems or forms of management. These metrics can be useful for comparing the climate impacts of carbon removals by different sinks over specific time horizons, to assess the climate impacts of ecosystem management, and to obtain direct quantifications of climate impacts as the net effect of carbon emissions by sources versus removals by sinks.

scholarly journals The Climate Benefit of Carbon Sequestration

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos A. Sierra ◽  
Susan E. Crow ◽  
Martin Heimann ◽  
Holger Metzler ◽  
Ernst-Detleft Schulze
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Radiative Effect ◽  
Global Warming Potentials ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Carbon Retention ◽  
Change Mitigation

Abstract. Ecosystems play a fundamental role in climate change mitigation by taking up carbon from the atmosphere and storing it for a period of time in organic matter. Although climate impacts of carbon emissions can be quantified by global warming potentials, it is not necessarily clear what are appropriate formal metrics to assess climate benefits of carbon removals by sinks. We introduce here the Climate Benefit of Sequestration (CBS), a metric that quantifies the radiative effect of taking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and retaining it for a period of time in an ecosystem before releasing it back to the atmosphere. To quantify CBS, we also propose a formal definition of carbon sequestration (CS) as the integral of an amount of carbon taken up from the atmosphere stored over the time horizon it remains in an ecosystem. Both metrics incorporate the separate effects of i) inputs (amount of atmospheric carbon removal), and ii) transit time (time of carbon retention) in carbon sinks, which can vary largely for different ecosystems or management types. In three separate examples, we show how to compute and apply these metrics to compare different carbon management practices in forestry and soils. We believe these metrics can be useful in resolving current controversies about the management of ecosystems for climate change mitigation.

scholarly journals The Climate Benefit of Carbon Sequestration

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Sierra ◽  
Susan Crow ◽  
Martin Heimann ◽  
Holger Metzler ◽  
Ernst-Detlef Schulze
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Radiative Effect ◽  
Global Warming Potentials ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Carbon Retention ◽  
Change Mitigation

<p>Ecosystems play a fundamental role in climate change mitigation by taking up carbon from the atmosphere and storing it for a period of time in organic matter. Although climate impacts of carbon emissions can be quantified by global warming potentials, there is not a formal metric to assess climate benefits of carbon removals by sinks. We introduce here the Climate Benefit of Sequestration (CBS), a metric that quantifies the radiative effect of taking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and retaining it for a period of time in an ecosystem before releasing it back to the atmosphere.  To quantify CBS, we also propose a formal definition of carbon sequestration (CS) as the integral of a sequestered amount of carbon over the time horizon it remains stored in an ecosystem. Both metrics incorporate the separate effects of i) inputs (amount of atmospheric carbon removal), and ii) transit time (time of carbon retention) in carbon sinks, which can vary largely for different ecosystems or management types. In three separate examples, we show how to compare different carbon management practices in forestry and soils using CS and CBS. We believe these metrics can be useful in resolving current controversies about the management of ecosystems for climate change mitigation. </p>

scholarly journals Soil Carbon Modelling in Salix Biomass Plantations: Variety Determines Carbon Sequestration and Climate Impacts

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1529
Author(s):  
Saurav Kalita ◽  
Hanna Karlsson Potter ◽  
Martin Weih ◽  
Christel Baum ◽  
Åke Nordberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Biomass Yield ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Carbon Modelling ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Determining Factor ◽  
Change Mitigation

Short-rotation coppice (SRC) Salix plantations have the potential to provide fast-growing biomass feedstock with significant soil and climate mitigation benefits. Salix varieties exhibit significant variation in their physiological traits, growth patterns and soil ecology—but the effects of these variations have rarely been studied from a systems perspective. This study analyses the influence of variety on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics and climate impacts from Salix cultivation for heat production for a Swedish site with specific conditions. Soil carbon modelling was combined with a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach to quantify SOC sequestration and climate impacts over a 50-year period. The analysis used data from a Swedish field trial of six Salix varieties grown under fertilized and unfertilized treatments on Vertic Cambisols during 2001–2018. The Salix systems were compared with a reference case where heat is produced from natural gas and green fallow was the land use alternative. Climate impacts were determined using time-dependent LCA methodology—on a land-use (per hectare) and delivered energy unit (per MJheat) basis. All Salix varieties and treatments increased SOC, but the magnitude depended on the variety. Fertilization led to lower carbon sequestration than the equivalent unfertilized case. There was no clear relationship between biomass yield and SOC increase. In comparison with reference cases, all Salix varieties had significant potential for climate change mitigation. From a land-use perspective, high yield was the most important determining factor, followed by SOC sequestration, therefore high-yielding fertilized varieties such as ‘Tordis’, ‘Tora’ and ‘Björn’ performed best. On an energy-delivered basis, SOC sequestration potential was the determining factor for the climate change mitigation effect, with unfertilized ‘Jorr’ and ‘Loden’ outperforming the other varieties. These results show that Salix variety has a strong influence on SOC sequestration potential, biomass yield, growth pattern, response to fertilization and, ultimately, climate impact.

Evaluating the Role of Community-Managed Forest in Carbon Sequestration and Climate Change Mitigation of Tripura, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 232 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dipankar Deb ◽  
Mary Jamatia ◽  
Jaba Debbarma ◽  
Jitendra Ahirwal ◽  
Sourabh Deb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Managed Forest ◽  
Change Mitigation

scholarly journals Above- and Below-Ground Carbon Sequestration in Shelterbelt Trees in Canada: A Review

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafaella C. Mayrinck ◽  
Colin P. Laroque ◽  
Beyhan Y. Amichev ◽  
Ken Van Rees
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Ghg Mitigation ◽  
Mitigation Potential ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Change Mitigation

Shelterbelts have been planted around the world for many reasons. Recently, due to increasing awareness of climate change risks, shelterbelt agroforestry systems have received special attention because of the environmental services they provide, including their greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential. This paper aims to discuss shelterbelt history in Canada, and the environmental benefits they provide, focusing on carbon sequestration potential, above- and below-ground. Shelterbelt establishment in Canada dates back to more than a century ago, when their main use was protecting the soil, farm infrastructure and livestock from the elements. As minimal-and no-till systems have become more prevalent among agricultural producers, soil has been less exposed and less vulnerable to wind erosion, so the practice of planting and maintaining shelterbelts has declined in recent decades. In addition, as farm equipment has grown in size to meet the demands of larger landowners, shelterbelts are being removed to increase efficiency and machine maneuverability in the field. This trend of shelterbelt removal prevents shelterbelt’s climate change mitigation potential to be fully achieved. For example, in the last century, shelterbelts have sequestered 4.85 Tg C in Saskatchewan. To increase our understanding of carbon sequestration by shelterbelts, in 2013, the Government of Canada launched the Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program (AGGP). In five years, 27 million dollars were spent supporting technologies and practices to mitigate GHG release on agricultural land, including understanding shelterbelt carbon sequestration and to encourage planting on farms. All these topics are further explained in this paper as an attempt to inform and promote shelterbelts as a climate change mitigation tool on agricultural lands.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document