scholarly journals Do cover crops enhance soil greenhouse gas losses during high emission moments under temperate Central Europe conditions?

2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gernot Bodner ◽  
Axel Mentler ◽  
Andreas Klik ◽  
Hans-Peter Kaul ◽  
Sophie Zechmeister-Boltenstern
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Nitrate Content ◽  
Cover Cropping ◽  
Main Crop ◽  
High Emission ◽  
Soil Microbiological Activity ◽  
The Cost

SummaryCover cropping is a key agro-environmental measure in Europe. Cover crops may reduce N2O emissions by reducing soil nitrate content, while easily decomposable residues can enhance greenhouse gas losses. In a field study, emissions from the cover cropped fields compared to the fallow at two climatically different sites (semi-arid vs. humid) in Austria were measured with closed chambers and different driving factors were studied. The height of post-cover crop emissions was compared to gaseous losses during the management operations in the subsequent main crop maize. N2O and CO2emissions following the cover crops were low even at high emission moments compared to the losses induced by the main crop management operations. Highest risk of N2O losses was from mustards due to low C/N ratio and possibly as a consequence of glucosinolate decomposition. CO2emissions in the cover cropped plots were generally higher compared to the fallow, indicating an enhanced soil microbiological activity. Dissolved organic carbon was found as a sensitive indicator related to the greenhouse gas emissions. We concluded that the environmental benefits from cover cropping are not achieved at the cost of an enhanced greenhouse gas emission and that pure stands of late sown brassica cover crops should be avoided to prevent any risk of increased N2O losses.

Hydrogen Use in an Urban District: Energy and Environmental Comparisons

2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michela Vellini ◽  
Jacopo Tonziello
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Production ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Coal Gasification ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Urban District ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Hypothetical Scenario

Hydrogen technology is becoming ever more relevant because hydrogen use can help in containing greenhouse gas emission if CO2 capture and storage technologies are implemented in the hydrogen production pathway (when hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels). This work aims at carrying out a comparative analysis of possible energy scenarios in urban districts. A medium-small Italian city is considered as a reference case, and its energy consumption both for domestic and industrial use is evaluated. The current situation in which conventional technologies meet the energy needs is compared with a hypothetical scenario where hydrogen is largely used. Two options of hydrogen production from commercially ready technologies are investigated: coal gasification and steam methane reforming, as well as hydrogen use in advanced energy systems for transports and for thermal and electric energy generations. Also, the environmental impacts are evaluated. This study is particularly focused on greenhouse gas emissions with specific reference to carbon dioxide. The final goal is to define an alternative scenario, quantifying the energy needs and the relative environmental impacts in order to obtain quantitative information on the environmental benefits of the hydrogen scenario, as well as to identify its possible structural and functional criticalities.

A survey of cover crop practices and perceptions of sustainable farmers in North Carolina and the surrounding region

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 550-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. O'Connell ◽  
J.M. Grossman ◽  
G.D. Hoyt ◽  
W. Shi ◽  
S. Bowen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Cover Cropping ◽  
Survey Population ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Production Areas

AbstractThe environmental benefits of cover cropping are widely recognized but there is a general consensus that adoption levels are still quite low among US farmers. A survey was developed and distributed to more than 200 farmers engaged in two sustainable farming organizations in NC and the surrounding region to determine their level of utilization, current practices and perceptions related to cover cropping. The majority of farms surveyed had diverse crop production, production areas <8 ha, and total gross farm incomes <US$50,000. Approximately one-third of the survey population had an organic production component. Eighty-nine percent of participants had a crop rotation plan and 79% of the total survey population utilized cover cropping. More than 25 different cool- and warm-season cover crops were reported. The statements that generated the strongest agreement about cover crop benefits were that cover crops: increase soil organic matter, decrease soil erosion, increase soil moisture, contribute nitrogen to subsequent cash crops, suppress weeds, provide beneficial insect habitat and break hard pans with their roots. Economic costs associated with cover cropping were not viewed as an obstacle to implementation. A factor analysis was conducted to identify underlying themes from a series of positive and negative statements about cover crops. Pre- and post-management challenges were able to explain the most variability (30%) among participant responses. Overall, participants indicated that the incorporation of residues was their greatest challenge and that a lack of equipment, especially for no-till systems, influenced their decisions about cover cropping. Farmers did not always appear to implement practices that would maximize potential benefits from cover crops.

Climate Change and Trade Facilitation: Estimating Greenhouse Gas Emission Savings from Implementation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific

2021 ◽  
pp. 263168462110355
Author(s):  
Yann Duval ◽  
Simon Hardy
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Trade Facilitation ◽  
Framework Agreement ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
The Pacific

The Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific entered into force in February 2021. While economic benefits associated with paperless trade facilitation are well known, little attention has been paid to measuring the potential environmental benefits. Accordingly, this article sets out to quantify the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that could be saved if all trade-related paper documents in the region are ultimately replaced by digital documents and data exchange, as foreseen in the regional framework agreement. This is carried out by combining detailed descriptions of trade transactions, data on trading volumes and relevant emission factors. Even with conservative assumptions, the emissions saved by fully digitalising a single end-to-end trade transaction are equivalent to planting 1.5 trees. For the Asia-Pacific, this implies savings of about 13 million tons of CO2e annually, equivalent to the carbon absorbed by 400 million trees. The results are driven by efficiency gains from handling data digitally rather than by the direct savings of paper and ink. JEL Classification: F18, H83, Q56

scholarly journals Implications of a Carbon-Based Energy Tax for U.S. Agriculture

2005 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uwe A. Schneider ◽  
Bruce A. McCarl
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Carbon Tax ◽  
Market Price ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Energy Prices ◽  
Carbon Taxes ◽  
Sector Model

Policies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions are likely to increase energy prices. Higher energy prices raise farmer costs for diesel and other fuels, irrigation water, farm chemicals, and grain drying. Simultaneously, renewable energy options become more attractive to agricultural producers. We consider both of these impacts, estimating the economic and environmental consequences of higher energy prices on U.S. agriculture. To do this we employ a price-endogenous agricultural sector model and solve that model for a range of carbon-tax-based energy price changes. Our results show mostly positive impacts on net farm income in the intermediate run. Through market price adjustments, fossil fuel costs are largely passed on to consumers. Additional farm revenue arises from the production of biofuels when carbon taxes reach $30 per ton of carbon or more. Positive environmental benefits include not only greenhouse gas emission offsets but also reduced levels of nitrogen leaching.

scholarly journals Effect of cover crops on greenhouse gas emissions in an irrigated field under integrated soil fertility management

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 5245-5257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillermo Guardia ◽  
Diego Abalos ◽  
Sonia García-Marco ◽  
Miguel Quemada ◽  
María Alonso-Ayuso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Soil Fertility Management ◽  
Integrated Soil Fertility Management ◽  
Fertility Management ◽  
Winter Fallow

Abstract. Agronomical and environmental benefits are associated with replacing winter fallow by cover crops (CCs). Yet, the effect of this practice on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions remains poorly understood. In this context, a field experiment was carried out under Mediterranean conditions to evaluate the effect of replacing the traditional winter fallow (F) by vetch (Vicia sativa L.; V) or barley (Hordeum vulgare L.; B) on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the intercrop and the maize (Zea mays L.) cropping period. The maize was fertilized following integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) criteria. Maize nitrogen (N) uptake, soil mineral N concentrations, soil temperature and moisture, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and GHG fluxes were measured during the experiment. Our management (adjusted N synthetic rates due to ISFM) and pedo-climatic conditions resulted in low cumulative N2O emissions (0.57 to 0.75 kg N2O-N ha−1 yr−1), yield-scaled N2O emissions (3–6 g N2O-N kg aboveground N uptake−1) and N surplus (31 to 56 kg N ha−1) for all treatments. Although CCs increased N2O emissions during the intercrop period compared to F (1.6 and 2.6 times in B and V, respectively), the ISFM resulted in similar cumulative emissions for the CCs and F at the end of the maize cropping period. The higher C : N ratio of the B residue led to a greater proportion of N2O losses from the synthetic fertilizer in these plots when compared to V. No significant differences were observed in CH4 and CO2 fluxes at the end of the experiment. This study shows that the use of both legume and nonlegume CCs combined with ISFM could provide, in addition to the advantages reported in previous studies, an opportunity to maximize agronomic efficiency (lowering synthetic N requirements for the subsequent cash crop) without increasing cumulative or yield-scaled N2O losses.

Quantifying the Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions Associated with Recycling Hot Mix Asphalt

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-77
Author(s):  
James W Lewis ◽  
Morton A Barlaz ◽  
Akhtar Tayebali ◽  
S Ranji Ranjithan
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Hot Mix Asphalt ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Gas Emission ◽  
Emission Reductions
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