Assessing the land-use change and carbon sink capacity in the slash-and-burn agriculture region of northern Laos

Abstract. We examine the impact of land use and land cover change (LULCC) over the period from 1850 to 2005 using an Earth System Model that incorporates nitrogen and phosphorous limitation on the terrestrial carbon cycle. We compare the estimated CO2 emissions and warming from land use change in a carbon only version of the model with those from simulations including nitrogen and phosphorous limitation. If we omit nutrients, our results suggest LULCC cools on the global average by about 0.1 °C. Including nutrients reduces this cooling to ~ 0.05 °C. Our results also suggest LULCC has a major impact on total land carbon over the period 1850–2005. In carbon only simulations, the inclusion of LULCC decreases the total additional land carbon stored in 2005 from around 210 Pg C to 85 Pg C. Including nitrogen and phosphorous limitation also decreases the scale of the terrestrial carbon sink to 80 Pg C. In particular, adding LULCC on top of the nutrient limited simulations changes the sign of the terrestrial carbon flux from a sink to a source (12 Pg C). The CO2 emission from LULCC from 1850 to 2005 is estimated to be 130 Pg C for carbon only simulation, or 97 Pg C if nutrient limitation is accounted for in our model. The difference between these two estimates of CO2 emissions from LULCC largely results from the weaker response of photosynthesis to increased CO2 and smaller carbon pool sizes, and therefore lower carbon loss from plant and wood product carbon pools under nutrient limitation. We suggest that nutrient limitation should be accounted in simulating the effects of LULCC on the past climate and on the past and future carbon budget.

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Aspects of land use in slash and burn agriculture

Applied Economics Letters ◽

10.1080/1350485032000148259 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 10 (13) ◽

pp. 821-824 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

A. A. Batabyal ◽

D. M. Lee

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Slash And Burn ◽

Slash And Burn Agriculture

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The impact of nitrogen and phosphorous limitation on the estimated terrestrial carbon balance and warming of land use change over the last 156 yr

Earth System Dynamics ◽

10.5194/esd-4-333-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 333-345 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Q. Zhang ◽

A. J. Pitman ◽

Y. P. Wang ◽

Y. J. Dai ◽

P. J. Lawrence

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Nutrient Limitation ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Carbon Sink ◽

Terrestrial Carbon ◽

The Past ◽

The Difference ◽

Terrestrial Carbon Sink ◽

The Impact

Abstract. We examine the impact of land use and land cover change (LULCC) over the period from 1850 to 2005 using an Earth system model that incorporates nitrogen and phosphorous limitation on the terrestrial carbon cycle. We compare the estimated CO2 emissions and warming from land use change in a carbon-only version of the model with those from simulations, including nitrogen and phosphorous limitation. If we omit nutrients, our results suggest LULCC cools on the global average by about 0.1 °C. Including nutrients reduces this cooling to ~ 0.05 °C. Our results also suggest LULCC has a major impact on total land carbon over the period 1850–2005. In carbon-only simulations, the inclusion of LULCC decreases the total additional land carbon stored in 2005 from around 210 Pg C to 85 Pg C. Including nitrogen and phosphorous limitation also decreases the scale of the terrestrial carbon sink to 80 Pg C. Shown as corresponding fluxes, adding LULCC on top of the nutrient-limited simulations changes the sign of the terrestrial carbon flux from a sink to a source (12 Pg C). The CO2 emission from LULCC from 1850 to 2005 is estimated to be 130 Pg C for carbon only simulation, or 97 Pg C if nutrient limitation is accounted for in our model. The difference between these two estimates of CO2 emissions from LULCC largely results from the weaker response of photosynthesis to increased CO2 and smaller carbon pool sizes, and therefore lower carbon loss from plant and wood product carbon pools under nutrient limitation. We suggest that nutrient limitation should be accounted for in simulating the effects of LULCC on the past climate and on the past and future carbon budget.

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Erosion, deposition and replacement of soil organic carbon in Mediterranean catchments: a geomorphological, isotopic and land use change approach

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-9-1099-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 1099-1111 ◽

Cited By ~ 74

Author(s):

E. Nadeu ◽

A. A. Berhe ◽

J. de Vente ◽

C. Boix-Fayos

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Carbon Sink ◽

Terrestrial Carbon ◽

Change Analysis ◽

Deep Soil ◽

Erosion Processes ◽

Carbon Dioxide Co2

Abstract. Determination of whether soil erosion can constitute a net terrestrial carbon dioxide (CO2) sink continues to suffer from lack of sufficient focused studies and field data. Two of the major gaps in our understanding of the erosion induced terrestrial carbon sink issue include rate of eroded soil organic carbon replacement by production of new photosynthate and stability of eroded organic carbon (OC) post deposition. Here we examined the effect of erosion processes and land use change on the stock, type, and stability of OC in two medium-sized subcatchments (18 and 50 ha in size) in SE Spain. We analysed soil samples from drainage areas and depositional settings for stock and isotopic composition of OC (14C and 13C), and particle size distribution. In addition, we conducted land use change analysis for the period 1956–2008 and a geomorphological survey of the current erosion processes taking place in the slope-streambed connections. Our findings demonstrate that land use change influenced the dominating erosion processes and, thus, the source of eroding sediments. Carbon isotopes used as tracers revealed that in one of the subcatchments the deposited sediments were derived from deep soil (average Δ14C of −271.5 ‰) through non-selective erosion processes and channel incision. In the other subcatchment, topsoil material was predominantly eroded and the average Δ14C in sediments was −64.2 ‰. Replacement of eroded soil OC was taking place in the analysed soil profiles in the slopes suggesting that erosion processes do not necessarily provoke a decrease in soil OC stock over time.

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