Conifer wood biochar as an amendment for agricultural soils in South-Tyrol: impact on greenhouse gases emissions and soil carbon stocks

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Criscuoli ◽  
Maurizio Ventura ◽  
Katja Wiedner ◽  
Bruno Glaser ◽  
Pietro Panzacchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Temperature Sensitivity ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
First Year ◽  
South Tyrol ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Conifer Wood ◽  
Over Time

<p>Biochar is a carbonaceous material produced through the pyro-gasification of biomass. In the last decade, biochar has been proposed as a soil amendment because it can improve soil physico-chemical properties and carbon stocks, contributing to climate change mitigation.</p><p>In the framework of the Wood-Up project (Optimization of WOOD gasification chain in South Tyrol to prodUce bioenergy and other high-value green Products to enhance soil fertility and mitigate climate change, FESR1028), we studied the impact of conifer wood biochar on the emissions of the main greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the soil: carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>), nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O) and methane (CH<sub>4</sub>), as well as on the soil carbon stock of agricultural fields in South Tyrol.</p><p>In May 2017, 25 and 50 t ha<sup>-1</sup> of pure biochar and biochar mixed with compost (45 t ha<sup>-1</sup>), were applied to the soil of a vineyard near Merano (South-Tyrol, northern Italy) following a randomized block experimental design with four replicates per treatment.</p><p>Soil GHGs fluxes were monitored from June 2017 until December 2019. Fluxes were measured, in real time, with a high-resolution portable multi-gas analyzer based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy technology (Picarro inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA) connected to an automated dynamic chambers system (Eosense Inc., Dartmouth, NS, Canada). Gas emissions were measured monthly and were related to soil temperature and moisture to evaluate the impact of treatments on the sensitivity of GHGs fluxes to environmental parameters. The stability of conifer wood biochar in soil was assessed through the quantification of the Benzene PolyCarboxylic Acids (BPCA), specific biomarkers of black carbon, over time. The BPCA content in the soil was measured before the application of biochar and compost, three weeks after the application and two years later.</p><p>During the first year of experiment, in biochar-amended soils, we observed a reduction of the temperature sensitivity of all GHGs fluxes in comparison to treatments without biochar (control and compost alone). In the second and third year an opposite trend was observed, with an increase of temperature sensitivity of GHGs fluxes in biochar-treated soil. The change of biochar effect over time might be linked to biochar ageing in soil. However, a role of soil moisture cannot be excluded, as it was higher in the first year of experiment. The experimental results will be presented in the broader context of the Wood-Up project.</p>

Climate Change Impact on Soil Carbon Stocks in India

2018 ◽  
pp. 301-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarik Mitran ◽  
Rattan Lal ◽  
Umakant Mishra ◽  
Ram Swaroop Meena ◽  
T. Ravisankar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Climate Change Impact ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Soil Carbon Stocks ◽  
Change Impact

scholarly journals The southern Brazilian grassland biome: soil carbon stocks, fluxes of greenhouse gases and some options for mitigation

2012 ◽  
Vol 72 (3 suppl) ◽  
pp. 673-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
VD Pillar ◽  
CG Tornquist ◽  
C Bayer
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Soil Tillage ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gases Emissions ◽  
Soil Carbon Stocks ◽  
Grassland Biome

The southern Brazilian grassland biome contains highly diverse natural ecosystems that have been used for centuries for grazing livestock and that also provide other important environmental services. Here we outline the main factors controlling ecosystem processes, review and discuss the available data on soil carbon stocks and greenhouse gases emissions from soils, and suggest opportunities for mitigation of climatic change. The research on carbon and greenhouse gases emissions in these ecosystems is recent and the results are still fragmented. The available data indicate that the southern Brazilian natural grassland ecosystems under adequate management contain important stocks of organic carbon in the soil, and therefore their conservation is relevant for the mitigation of climate change. Furthermore, these ecosystems show a great and rapid loss of soil organic carbon when converted to crops based on conventional tillage practices. However, in the already converted areas there is potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by using cropping systems based on no soil tillage and cover-crops, and the effect is mainly related to the potential of these crop systems to accumulate soil organic carbon in the soil at rates that surpass the increased soil nitrous oxide emissions. Further modelling with these results associated with geographic information systems could generate regional estimates of carbon balance.

scholarly journals Modeling relevant factors and covariates of carbon stock changes in peatlands using a hierarchical linear mixed modeling approach

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kilian Walz ◽  
Kenneth A Byrne ◽  
David Wilson ◽  
Florence Renou-Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Carbon Stock ◽  
Dimensional Space ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Carbon Distribution ◽  
Soil Carbon Stock ◽  
Modeling Approach ◽  
The Impact

<p>While peatlands constitute the largest soil carbon stock in Ireland with 75% of soil carbon stored in an area covering an estimated 20% of the land surface, carbon stocks of peatlands are affected by past and present disturbances related to various land uses. Afforestation, grazing and peat extraction for energy and horticultural use often are major drivers of peatland soil degradation. A comparative assessment of the impact of land disturbance on peatland soil carbon stocks on a national scale has been lacking so far. Current research, funded by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), addresses this issue with the goal to fill various gaps related to mapping and modeling changes of soil carbon stock in Irish peatlands. Data from the first nationwide peatland survey forms the basis for this study, in which the influence of different factors and covariates on soil carbon distribution in peatlands is examined. After data exploratory analysis, a mixed linear modeling approach is tested for its suitability to explain peatland soil carbon distribution within the Republic of Ireland. Parameters are identified which are responsible for changes across the country. In addition, model performance to map peat soil carbon stock within a three-dimensional space is evaluated.</p>

Agriculture in the Boreal Forest: Understanding the Impact of Land Use Change on Soil Carbon for Developing Sustainable Community Food Systems 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Bysouth ◽  
Merritt Turetsky ◽  
Andrew Spring
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Soil Carbon Stocks ◽  
Carbon Losses

<p>Climate change is causing rapid warming at northern high latitudes and disproportionately affecting ecosystem services that northern communities rely upon. In Canada’s Northwest Territories (NWT), climate change is impacting the access and availability of traditional foods that are critical for community health and well-being. With climate change potentially expanding the envelope of suitable agricultural land northward, many communities in the NWT are evaluating including agriculture in their food systems. However, the conversion of boreal forest to agriculture may degrade the carbon rich soils that characterize the region, resulting in large carbon losses to the atmosphere and the depletion of existing ecosystem services associated with the accumulation of soil organic matter. Here, we first summarize the results of 35 publications that address land use change from boreal forest to agriculture, with the goal of understanding the magnitude and drivers of carbon stock changes with time-since-land use change. Results from the literature synthesis show that conversion of boreal forest to agriculture can result in up to ~57% of existing soil carbon stocks being lost 30 years after land use change occurs. In addition, a three-way interaction with soil carbon, pH and time-since-land use change is observed where soils become more basic with increasing time-since-land use change, coinciding with declines in soil carbon stocks. This relationship is important when looking at the types of crops communities are interested in growing and the type of agriculture associated with cultivating these crops. Partnered communities have identified crops such as berry bushes, root vegetables, potatoes and corn as crops they are interested in growing. As berry bushes grow in acidic conditions and the other mentioned crops grow in more neutral conditions, site selection and management practices associated with growing these crops in appropriate pH environments will be important for managing soil carbon in new agricultural systems in the NWT. Secondly, we also present community scale soil data assessing variation in soil carbon stocks in relation to potential soil fertility metrics targeted to community identified crops of interest for two communities in the NWT.  We collected 192 soil cores from two communities to determine carbon stocks along gradients of potential agriculture suitability. Our field soil carbon measurements in collaboration with the partnered NWT communities show that land use conversions associated with agricultural development could translate to carbon losses ranging from 2.7-11.4 kg C/m<sup>2</sup> depending on the type of soil, agricultural suitability class, and type of land use change associated with cultivation. These results highlight the importance of managing soil carbon in northern agricultural systems and can be used to emphasize the need for new community scale data relating to agricultural land use change in boreal soils. Through the collection of this data, we hope to provide northern communities with a more robust, community scale product that will allow them to make informed land use decisions relating to the cultivation of crops and the minimization of soil carbon losses while maintaining the culturally important traditional food system.</p>

scholarly journals Soil Microbiomes Under Climate Change and Implications for Carbon Cycling

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-59
Author(s):  
Dan Naylor ◽  
Natalie Sadler ◽  
Arunima Bhattacharjee ◽  
Emily B. Graham ◽  
Christopher R. Anderton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Carbon Cycling ◽  
Soil Microorganisms ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Soil Microbiome ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Soil Carbon Cycling ◽  
Heterogeneous Soil ◽  
The Impact

Communities of soil microorganisms (soil microbiomes) play a major role in biogeochemical cycles and support of plant growth. Here we focus primarily on the roles that the soil microbiome plays in cycling soil organic carbon and the impact of climate change on the soil carbon cycle. We first discuss current challenges in understanding the roles carried out by highly diverse and heterogeneous soil microbiomes and review existing knowledge gaps in understanding how climate change will impact soil carbon cycling by the soil microbiome. Because soil microbiome stability is a key metric to understand as the climate changes, we discuss different aspects of stability, including resistance, resilience, and functional redundancy.We then review recent research pertaining to the impact of major climate perturbations on the soil microbiome and the functions that they carry out. Finally, we review new experimental methodologies and modeling approaches under development that should facilitate our understanding of the complex nature of the soil microbiome to better predict its future responses to climate change.

The Global Warming By Using The Experimental Methods Within Project-Based Learning Approach

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gulperi Selcan Öncü
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Experimental Methods ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
The Impact

<div> <p>In recent times we have often received news such as about melting glaciers, sudden and torrential rain, storms, increased atmospheric temperatures, and forest fires. We have also observed some of these phenomena in our immediate vicinity. There is a frequently used expression among the public, 'the seasons are shifting'. </p> <p>Students have asked the reasons why these changes have been occurring and what about changes between the past and present. In order to understand these changes we all know that they need to understand global warming in the first place. To help them with this as an science teacher I have guided them to be capable of using experimental methods within project-based learning approaches. First they did preliminary literature surveys and then they designed an experiment. In the experiment, they tested the hypothesis that the water inside the bell JAR, which is coated with black cardboard, heats up more than the transparent one. In this way they began to investigate climate change due to greenhouse gases. </p> <p>In the experiment, two bell glasses were used to represent the atmosphere layers. One was intermittently covered with pieces cut out of black cardboard. Black cardboard was used to represent the greenhouse gas due since the black colour absorbs light. Two beakers of the same size were used, filled with water. A thermometer was placed inside and bell jars were turned upside down and put over the beakers. The two thermometers were used to measure the water temperature inside the beakers. </p> <p>The first apparatus is the control group (inside uncovered). The second apparatus is the experimental group (covered with independent black cardboard). In the experimental and observation stage, the independent variable is the bell jar; the dependent variable is the water temperature. The constant variables are the size of the jar, the size of the beaker, the amount of water and the ambient conditions. </p> <p>Having set up the apparatus, the initial temperature of water was measured and recorded. Students carried out the experiment on a sunny day by placing the apparatus in a sun-covered field. They recorded the data in the tables they completed periodically. Then they shared the results with participants at the science festival. </p> <p>In this way they began to investigate the impact of greenhouse gases on climate change.</p> </div>

Comorbidities Impact Survival in Multiple Myeloma: Analysis of the Veterans Health Administration National Database

Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (21) ◽  
pp. 760-760
Author(s):  
Tanya Wildes ◽  
Suhong Luo ◽  
Graham A Colditz ◽  
Kenneth R. Carson
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Renal Impairment ◽  
Proportional Hazards ◽  
First Year ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Comorbidity Index ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Abstract 760 Introduction: The incidence of multiple myeloma (MM) increases with age, and the prognosis worsens. Comorbidities increase in prevalence with age, yet little is known about the impact of comorbid medical conditions on outcomes in MM. Methods: In a retrospectively-assembled cohort study, all patients with MM diagnosed between 1998 and 2009 at a Veterans' Administration (VA) hospital were identified in the VA central cancer registry. Patients who received no treatment within 6 months of diagnosis were excluded, eliminating those with smoldering myeloma or who received supportive care only. Comorbidities were ascertained from ICD-9 codes present prior to the diagnosis of MM, and categorized using the Romano adaptation of the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). The independent effects of age, race and comorbidities were examined using Cox proportional hazards modeling. The impact of individual comorbidities on survival was also examined, controlling for age and race. Results: A total of 2,968 patients were identified. The median age was 69 (range 27–92). The vast majority of patients (98%) were male; 28.6% of the patients were black. The median Charlson Comorbidity Index score was 2 (range 0–13). The frequencies of selected comorbidities were: diabetes (31%), renal impairment (23.8%), cardiovascular comorbidities (38.8%) and pulmonary (26.6%). The median overall survival (OS) for the entire cohort was 28.6 months at a median follow up of 26.8 months (range 0–137 months). On multivariate analysis, age was significantly associated with mortality [Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.03 per year (95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.03–1.04), p<0.0001]. Race was not significantly associated with survival [HR 0.99 (95% CI 0.90–1.09), p=0.81]. The median OS, adjusted for age and race, was 36.5 months for patients with no comorbidities, 33.9 months for patients with a CCI score of 1–2, 25.6 months for patients with a CCI score of 3–4 and 20.2 months for patients with a CCI score ≥5. The impact of comorbidities on survival violated the proportional hazards assumption, with a cut-point at 1 year, indicating that the influence of comorbidities varied over time. Relative to those with no comorbidities, the HR for death among those with a CCI score 1–2 was 1.20 (0.97–1.48) in the first year, and 1.03 (95% CI 0.89–1.18) subsequent to the first year; among those with a CCI score 3–4, the HR for death was 1.67 (95% CI 1.34–2.08) in the first year and 1.23 (95% CI 1.05–1.45) subsequently; among those with a CCI score ≥5, the risk of death in the first year doubled [HR 2.15 (95% CI 1.73–2.67)] and was increased 40% subsequently [HR 1.42 (95% CI 1.19–1.69)]. Individual prevalent comorbidities were then examined. Cardiovascular disease, renal impairment, and pulmonary disease were all significantly associated with mortality. In the first year after diagnosis, cardiovascular disease was associated with a 55% increase in mortality [HR 1.55 (95% CI 1.35–1.78)] while, subsequent to the first year, the risk was only increased about 20% [HR 1.19 (95% CI 1.07–1.39)]. The impact of renal impairment and pulmonary impairment did not vary over time; both were associated with a 25% increased risk of death [renal impairment HR 1.26 (95% CI 1.14–1.38); pulmonary disease HR 1.24 (95% CI 1.13–1.37)]. Diabetes was not associated with survival (HR 1.02, p=0.64) after controlling for age, race and cardiovascular, pulmonary or renal impairment. Conclusion: Age and comorbidities are independently associated with increased risk of mortality in MM. The influence of comorbidities varies over time, with the greatest impact noted in the first year after diagnosis of MM among those with a CCI score ≥3 and with cardiovascular disease. Further study is needed to determine whether this increased early mortality is related to increased risk of toxicity of therapy, inadequate MM therapy or both. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

A preliminary assessment of the impact of landslide, earthflow, and gully erosion on soil carbon stocks in New Zealand

Geomorphology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 307 ◽  
pp. 93-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Les Basher ◽  
Harley Betts ◽  
Ian Lynn ◽  
Mike Marden ◽  
Stephen McNeill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Gully Erosion ◽  
Preliminary Assessment ◽  
Soil Carbon Stocks ◽  
The Impact

THE VALUE OF FLEXIBILITY IN ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE: A REAL OPTIONS ANALYSIS OF INVESTMENTS IN COASTAL DEFENSE

2012 ◽  
Vol 03 (02) ◽  
pp. 1250008 ◽  
Author(s):  
PETER LINQUITI ◽  
NICHOLAS VONORTAS
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Real Options ◽  
International Development ◽  
Monte Carlo Model ◽  
Investment Strategy ◽  
First Year ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Coastal Defense ◽  
Institutional Capability ◽  
Over Time

Adaptation to climate change is likely to be a significant challenge for developing countries. We examine whether a real options approach that recognizes uncertainty and maintains future flexibility can provide an improved adaptation investment strategy. We use a Monte Carlo model to test four strategies for defending against sea level rise. Two of the strategies are inflexible, with the coastal defense fully specified in the first year of analysis. The other two strategies are flexible real options that allow adjustments in the coastal defense over time. We emphatically show that a real options strategy has the potential to increase the benefits of proactive adaptation. Our results prove to be location-dependent, underscoring the need for location-specific analysis. We find that the quality of the information obtained over time has an important bearing on option value and that a country's institutional capability and the specific mechanisms of international development assistance may affect implementation.

scholarly journals The Reduce of CO2 Emissions in Morocco: Case Study in A Landfill

2021 ◽  
pp. 32-35
Author(s):  
Amine Moulay Taj ◽  
Fouzi Belmir
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Economic Growth ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Calculation Method ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Global Context ◽  
The Impact

In a global context increasingly concerned with climate change, understanding the impact of economic growth on the environment is becoming crucial, especially for developing countries. Morocco has been committed to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to achieve the objectives set for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 13% by 2030, with 2010 as the reference year. Such a target could reach 32% by the same horizon under certain technical, financial and capacity building support conditions.The main emitters of greenhouse gases (CH4 and CO2) are landfills because during the decomposition of solid waste CO2 is the most present gas pollutant is for this reason focuses this case study carried out in a landfill located in Fez, the development of a new calculation method or we could have a reduction in CO2 41261,69 teq CO2/year and with a yield of 85%.

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