scholarly journals Assessing the carbon capture potential of a reforestation project

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Lefebvre ◽  
Adrian G. Williams ◽  
Guy J. D. Kirk ◽  
Paul ◽  
J. Burgess ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Anthropogenic Disturbances ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Carbon Accounting ◽  
Environmental Costs ◽  
Peruvian Amazon ◽  
Ecosystem Level ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Climatic Disturbances

AbstractThe number of reforestation projects worldwide is increasing. In many cases funding is obtained through the claimed carbon capture of the trees, presented as immediate and durable, whereas reforested plots need time and maintenance to realise their carbon capture potential. Further, claims usually overlook the environmental costs of natural or anthropogenic disturbances during the forest’s lifetime, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the reforestation are not allowed for. This study uses life cycle assessment to quantify the carbon footprint of setting up a reforestation plot in the Peruvian Amazon. In parallel, we combine a soil carbon model with an above- and below-ground plant carbon model to predict the increase in carbon stocks after planting. We compare our results with the carbon capture claims made by a reforestation platform. Our results show major errors in carbon accounting in reforestation projects if they (1) ignore the time needed for trees to reach their carbon capture potential; (2) ignore the GHG emissions involved in setting up a plot; (3) report the carbon capture potential per tree planted, thereby ignoring limitations at the forest ecosystem level; or (4) under-estimate tree losses due to inevitable human and climatic disturbances. Further, we show that applications of biochar during reforestation can partially compensate for project emissions.

Contribution of natural and drained wetland systems to carbon stocks, CO2, N2O, and CH4 fluxes: an Australian perspective

Soil Research ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 377 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. Page ◽  
R. C. Dalal
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Co2 Flux ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Carbon Accounting ◽  
Natural State ◽  
Climatic Zones ◽  
Forest Wetlands ◽  
Ch4 And N2o

Greenhouse gas (GHG) flux from wetland systems, both in their natural state and following drainage, has not been well accounted for in the carbon accounting process. We review GHG production from both natural and drained wetlands, and estimate the likely GHG emissions from these systems in Australia. Only a small number of studies have quantified GHG emissions from undisturbed Australian wetland environments. Consequently, in order to estimate GHG flux for Australia, it was necessary to collate data collected overseas from similar climatic zones. Using this approach, it appears that undisturbed, vegetated wetlands in Australia are likely to be net GHG sinks, with the greatest rates of sequestration occurring in mangrove ecosystems (–2669 g CO2-e/m2.year) where biomass production is high but CH4 emissions are limited by salinity. The uncertainty surrounding these values is high, however, due to (a) the low number of measurements from Australia, (b) the low number of measurements for CO2 flux, and (c) the low number of studies where all GHGs have been measured concurrently. It was estimated that the drainage of melaleuca and mangrove forest wetlands in Australia would turn them from carbon sinks into carbon sources, and that in the first 50 years since drainage, this has increased global warming potential by 1149 Tg CO2-e or 23 Tg CO2-e/year. This is significant given that GHG emissions due to land-use change in 2007 totalled 77.1 Tg CO2-e. However, data surrounding the area of wetlands drained, carbon stocks in drained wetlands, and the effect of drainage on CH4 and N2O flux are limited, making the uncertainty surrounding these estimates high. Further study is clearly required if Australia wishes to accurately incorporate wetland systems into national carbon and greenhouse gas accounting budgets.

scholarly journals Proximal sensing for soil carbon accounting

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline R. England ◽  
Raphael Armando Viscarra Rossel
Keyword(s):  
Bulk Density ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Carbon Accounting ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Proximal Sensing ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Cost Efficient

Abstract. Maintaining or increasing soil organic carbon (C) is important for securing food production, and for mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, climate change and land degradation. Some land management practices in cropping, grazing, horticultural and mixed farming systems can be used to increase organic C in soil, but to assess their effectiveness, we need accurate and cost-efficient methods for measuring and monitoring the change. To determine the stock of organic C in soil, one needs measurements of soil organic C concentration, bulk density and gravel content, but using conventional laboratory-based analytical methods is expensive. Our aim here is to review the current state of proximal sensing for the development of new soil C accounting methods for emissions reporting and in emissions reduction schemes. We evaluated sensing techniques in terms of their rapidity, cost, accuracy, safety, readiness and their state of development. The most suitable technique for measuring soil organic C concentrations appears to be vis–NIR spectroscopy and for bulk density active gamma-ray attenuation. Sensors for measuring gravel have not been developed, but an interim solution with rapid wet-sieving and automated measurement appears useful. Field-deployable, multi-sensor systems are needed for cost-efficient soil C accounting. Proximal sensing can be used for soil organic C accounting, but the methods need to be standardised and procedural guidelines need to be developed to ensure proficient measurement and accurate reporting and verification. This is particularly important if the schemes use financial incentives for landholders to adopt management practices to sequester soil organic C. We list and discuss the requirements for the development of new soil C accounting methods that are based on proximal sensing, including requirements for recording, verification and auditing.

scholarly journals Above and Below Ground Biomass and Carbon Stock in Permanent Grasslands of Slovakia

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 155-163
Author(s):  
Miriam Kizeková ◽  
Radoslava Kanianska ◽  
Ľubica Jančová ◽  
Jozef Čunderlík ◽  
Zuzana Dugátová ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Hay Meadows ◽  
Ground Biomass ◽  
Grassland Type ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Abandoned Grassland

Abstract This paper aimed to monitory the dry matter biomass production and carbon stocks of above-and below-ground biomass in five types of grasslands in Slovakia: i) lowland oversowed pasture ii) lowland hay meadows, iii) mesophilous pasture, iv) mountain hay meadows, v) abandoned grassland. Averaged over two cropping seasons the total above-and below-ground biomass differed significantly across the monitored grasslands. It ranged respectively from 2.18 to 7.86 t/ha and from 9.64 to 22.67 t/ha dry matter depending on the pedoclimatic condition and the botanical composition of each grassland type. Consequently, this resulted also in the carbon stocks in above-and below-ground biomass. Generally, the mean carbon stocks were 1.56 t/ha for above-ground biomass (24%) and 4.83 t/ha for below-ground biomass (76%). The botanical composition for all the grassland types was also described. The highest number of plant species (55) was observed in lowland hay meadow located in Slovak Karst, the lowest one (23) for the oversowed grassland located in Eastern Slovak Upland. This monitoring paper showed that semi-natural grassland habitats and improved grasslands as well are an important carbon sink, and they can play a key role in global climate change mitigation.

Processes and magnitude of CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes from liming of Australian acidic soils: a review

Soil Research ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 747 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. Page ◽  
D. E. Allen ◽  
R. C. Dalal ◽  
W. Slattery
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Carbon Accounting ◽  
Accounting System ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Recent Approach ◽  
Tier 1 ◽  
Ch4 And N2o ◽  
Induced Changes

Increases in soil acidification have led to large increases in the application of aglime to Australian agricultural soils. The addition of aglime has the potential to increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to the release of CO2 during the chemical dissolution of aglime and due to pH-induced changes to soil biological processes. Currently, Australia’s GHG accounting system assumes that all the carbon contained in aglime is released to the atmosphere during dissolution in accordance with the Tier 1 methodology of the IPCC. However, a recent approach by TO West and AC McBride has questioned this assumption, hypothesising that a proportion of the carbon from riverine-transported aglime may be sequestered in seawater. In addition, there is presently no capacity within Australia’s carbon accounting system to quantify changes to GHG emissions from lime-induced changes to soil biological processes. Therefore, the primary objective of this review was to examine the chemical and biological processes occurring during the application of aglime and the subsequent fluxes in CO2, N2O, and CH4 from soil, with particular reference to the Australian environment. Estimates for CO2 emissions from aglime application in Australia using the contrasting methodologies of the IPCC and West and McBride were compared. Using the methodology of the IPCC it was determined that from the aglime applied in Australia in 2002, 0.995 Tg of CO2 would have been emitted, whereas this figure was reduced to 0.659–0.860 Tg of CO2 using the methodology of West and McBride. However, the accuracy of these estimates is currently limited by poor understanding of the manner in which aglime moves within the Australian landscapes. In addition, there are only a very small number of Australian studies that have examined the effect of aglime on GHG emissions due to changes in soil biological processes, limiting the ability of Australian modellers to accurately incorporate these processes within the carbon accounting system.

Simulations of greenhouse gas emissions and soil organic carbon with ECOSSE for a rice field in Northern Italy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Kuhnert ◽  
Viktoria Oliver ◽  
Andrea Volante ◽  
Stefano Monaco ◽  
Yit Arn Teh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Model Experiments ◽  
Below Ground

<p>Rice cultivation has high water consumption and emits large quantities of greenhouse gases. Therefore, rice fields provide great potential to mitigate GHG emissions by modifications to cultivation practices or external inputs. Previous studies showed differences for impacts of alternated wetting and drying (AWD) practices for above-ground and below-ground biomass, which might have long term impacts on soil organic carbon stocks. The objective of this study is to parameterise and evaluate the model ECOSSE for rice simulations based on data from an Italian rice test site where the effects of different water management practices and 12 common European cultivars, on yield and GHG emissions, were investigated. Special focus is on the differences of the impacts on the greenhouse gas emissions for AWD and continuous flooding (CF). The model is calibrated and tested for field measurements and is used for model experiments to explore climate change impacts and long-term effects. Long term carbon storage is of particular interest since it is a suitable mitigation strategy. As experiments showed different impacts of management practices on the below ground biomass, long term model experiments are used to estimate impacts on SOC of the different practices. The measurements also allow an analysis of the impacts of different cultivars and the uncertainty of model approaches using a single data set for calibration.</p>

Ecosystem Level Carbon and Net Primary Productivity of an Old-Growth and a Regenerating Humid Tropical Forest of North-Eastern India

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (01) ◽  
pp. 85-98
Author(s):  
Saroj Kanta Barik ◽  
Ratul Baishya
Keyword(s):  
Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Eastern India ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Ground Biomass ◽  
Ecosystem Carbon ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Ecosystem Level ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Humid Tropical Forest

Ecosystem level carbon and net primary productivity (NPP) estimates for old-growth and regenerating tropical forests of India are lacking. The study was conducted to estimate ecosystem level carbon contents and NPP, based on above and below ground biomass of trees, shrubs and herbs in an old growth and a regenerating humid tropical forest of Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, Meghalaya in north-eastern India. Soil carbon contents were also estimated in both the forest types to estimate ecosystem level carbon. The tree above ground biomass values in old-growth and regenerating forests were 313.8 and 152.4 Mg ha-1 and the below ground values were 50.8 and 30.3 Mg ha-1, respectively. The corresponding total above ground biomass values including trees, litter, herb and shrub components were 323.7 and 159.3 Mg ha-1, respectively. Of the total ecosystem biomass values of 374.5 Mg ha-1 in the old-growth forest, 86% was in the above ground and 14% was in the below ground compartment. The corresponding proportions in the regenerating forest with total biomass of 189.6 Mg ha-1 were 84% and 16%, respectively. The total ecosystem carbon contents in old-growth and regenerating forests were 265.5 and 147.8 Mg C ha-1, of which soil organic carbon was 83.2 and 55.6 Mg C ha-1, respectively that contributed 31.3% and 37.6% to the total ecosystem carbon in the respective forests. However, ecosystem NPP in the regenerating forest (18.4 Mg ha-1 yr-1) was greater than the old growth forest(13.6 Mg ha-1 yr-1)

scholarly journals Biomass and productivity of seagrasses in Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (2-3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael N. Githaiga ◽  
Linda Gilpin ◽  
James G. Kairo ◽  
Mark Huxham
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
East Africa ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Seagrass Ecosystems ◽  
Stocks And Flows ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Sediment Carbon

AbstractThere is growing interest in carbon stocks and flows in seagrass ecosystems, but recent global reviews suggest a paucity of studies from Africa. This paper reviews work on seagrass productivity, biomass and sediment carbon in Africa. Most work was conducted in East Africa with a major geographical gap in West Africa. The mean above-ground, below-ground and total biomasses from all studies were 174.4, 474.6 and 514 g DW m

Land use and management influences on surface soil organic carbon in Tasmania

Soil Research ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 51 (8) ◽  
pp. 615 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. E. Cotching ◽  
G. Oliver ◽  
M. Downie ◽  
R. Corkrey ◽  
R. B. Doyle
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Carbon Accounting ◽  
Continuous Cropping ◽  
Texture Contrast

The effects of environmental parameters, land-use history, and management practices on soil organic carbon (SOC) concentrations, nitrogen, and bulk density were determined in agricultural soils of four soil types in Tasmania. The sites sampled were Dermosols, Vertosols, Ferrosols, and a group of texture-contrast soils (Chromosol and Sodosol) each with a 10-year management history ranging from permanent perennial pasture to continuous cropping. Rainfall, Soil Order, and land use were all strong explanatory variables for differences in SOC, soil carbon stock, total nitrogen, and bulk density. Cropping sites had 29–35% less SOC in surface soils (0–0.1 m) than pasture sites as well as greater bulk densities. Clay-rich soils contained the greatest carbon stocks to 0.3 m depth under pasture, with Ferrosols containing a mean of 158 Mg C ha–1, Vertosols 112 Mg C ha–1, and Dermosols 107 Mg C ha–1. Texture-contrast soils with sandier textured topsoils under pasture had a mean of 69 Mg C ha–1. The range of values in soil carbon stocks indicates considerable uncertainty in baseline values for use in soil carbon accounting. Farmers can influence SOC more by their choice of land use than their day-to-day soil management. Although the influence of management is not as great as other inherent site variables, farmers can still select practices for their ability to retain more SOC.

scholarly journals Short Communication: Estimation of the above- and below-ground carbon stocks in University of Lampung, Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 676-681
Author(s):  
IRWAN SUKRI BANUWA ◽  
RIZKI AFRILIYANTI ◽  
MUHAJIR UTOMO ◽  
SRI YUSNAINI ◽  
MELYA RINIARTI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Stock ◽  
Open Space ◽  
Short Communication ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Mitigation Effort ◽  
Environmental Goals ◽  
Understory Biomass ◽  
Change Mitigation

Abstract. Banuwa IS, Afriliyanti R, Utomo M, Yusnaini S, Riniarti M, Sanjaya P, Suroso E, Hidayat W. 2019. Short Communication: Estimation of the above- and below-ground carbon stocks in University of Lampung, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 676-681. University of Lampung in Indonesia has been promoting green campus program since 2004 to meet environmental goals, including specific targets for energy and CO2 reductions. This study was conducted to establish baseline data on the carbon stock and carbon sequestered in the campus of University of Lampung in order to support the program. The above-ground carbon stocks were estimated from tree biomass, understory biomass, and litters, while under-ground carbon stocks were measured by determining the organic carbon in soil. The results showed that the average above-ground carbon stock was 35.65 t.ha-1, consisted of 35.10 t.ha-1, 0.18 t.ha-1, and 0.12 t.ha-1 from trees biomass, understory biomass, and litters, respectively. The average below-ground carbon stock was 317.33 t.ha-1 and the CO2 uptake by plants was 130.74 t.ha-1. The Faculty of Agriculture with the largest area of green open space contributed to the highest carbon stocks and carbon sequestration, while the Faculty of Medicine showed the lowest values. The results could be essential to suggest the climate change mitigation effort, such as the expansion and optimization of green spaces area.

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