Potential soil carbon sequestration of agricultural land around the world

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Vetter ◽  
Michael Martin ◽  
Pete Smith
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Organic Soils ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
The World ◽  
Soil C Sequestration

<p>Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in to the atmosphere to limit global warming is the big challenge of the coming decades. The focus lies on negative emission technologies to remove GHGs from the atmosphere from different sectors. Agriculture produces around a quarter of all the anthropogenic GHGs globally (including land use change and afforestation). Reducing these net emissions can be achieved through techniques that increase the soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. These techniques include improved management practices in agriculture and grassland systems, which increase the organic carbon (C) input or reduce soil disturbances. The C sequestration potential differs among soils depending on climate, soil properties and management, with the highest potential for poor soils (SOC stock farthest from saturation).</p><p>Modelling can be used to estimate the technical potential to sequester C of agricultural land under different mitigation practices for the next decades under different climate scenarios. The ECOSSE model was developed to simulate soil C dynamics and GHG emissions in mineral and organic soils. A spatial version of the model (GlobalECOSSE) was adapted to simulate agricultural soils around the world to calculate the SOC change under changing management and climate.</p><p>Practices like different tillage management, crop rotations and residue incorporation showed regional differences and the importance of adapting mitigation practices under an increased changing climate. A fast adoption of practices that increase SOC has its own challenges, as the potential to sequester C is high until the soil reached a new C equilibrium. Therefore, the potential to use soil C sequestration to reduce overall GHG emissions is limited. The results showed a high potential to sequester C until 2050 but much lower rates in the second half of the century, highlighting the importance of using soil C sequestration in the coming decades to reach net zero by 2050.</p>

Soil organic carbon dynamics and sequestration potential in cropland-grassland agro-ecosystems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Guillaume ◽  
David Makowski ◽  
Zamir Libohova ◽  
Luca Bragazza ◽  
Sokrat Sinaj
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Storage Capacity ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Boundary Line ◽  
Monitoring Networks ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Sequestration Potential

<p>Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) in agro-ecosystems enables to address simultaneously food security as well as climate change adaptation and mitigation. Croplands represent a great potential to sequester atmospheric C because they are depleted in SOC. Hence, reliable estimations of SOC deficits in agro-ecosystems are crucial to evaluate the C sequestration potential of agricultural soils and support management practices. Using a 30-year old soil monitoring networks with 250 sites established in western Switzerland, we identified factors driving the long-term SOC dynamics in croplands (CR) and permanent grasslands (PG) and quantified SOC deficit. A new relationship between the silt + clay (SC) soil particles and the C stored in the mineral-associated fraction (MAOMC) was established. We also tested the assumption about whether or not PG can be used as carbon-saturated reference sites. The C-deficit in CR constituted about a third of their potential SOC content and was mainly affected by the proportion of temporary grassland in the crop rotation. SOC accrual or loss were the highest in sites that experienced land-use change. The MAOMC level in PG depended on the C accrual history, indicating that C-saturation level was not coincidental. Accordingly, the relationship between MAOMC and SC to determine soil C-saturation should be estimated by boundary line analysis instead of least squares regressions. In conclusion, PG do provide an additional SOC storage capacity under optimal management, though the storage capacity is greater for CR.</p>

scholarly journals Soil Carbon Investigation in Three Pedoclimatic and Agronomic Settings of Northern Italy

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10539
Author(s):  
Valentina Brombin ◽  
Enrico Mistri ◽  
Mauro De Feudis ◽  
Camilla Forti ◽  
Gian Marco Salani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Soil Microbial Activity ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Organic Farm ◽  
Soil Sustainability ◽  
Soil C Sequestration

Sustainable agricultural management is needed to promote carbon (C) sequestration in soil, prevent loss of soil fertility, and reduce the release of greenhouse gases. However, the influence of agronomic practices on soil C sequestration depends on the existing pedoclimatic features. We characterized the soils of three farms far away each other in the Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy): an organic farm in the Northern Apennines, a biodynamic farm, and a conventional farm on the Po Plain. The total, inorganic, and organic carbon in soil, as well as the distinct humic fractions were investigated, analyzing both the elemental and isotopic (13C/12C) composition. In soils, organic matter appears to be variously affected by mineralization processes induced by microorganisms that consume organic carbon. In particular, organic carbon declined in farms located in the plain (e.g., organic carbon down to 0.75 wt%; carbon stock0-30 cm down to 33 Mg/ha), because of the warmer climate and moderately alkaline environment that enhance soil microbial activity. On the other hand, at the mountain farm, the minimum soil disturbance, the cold climate, and the neutral conditions favored soil C sequestration (organic carbon up to 4.42 wt%; carbon stock0-30 cm up to 160 Mg/ha) in humified organic compounds with long turnover, which can limit greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. This work shows the need for thorough soil investigations, to propose tailored best-practices that can reconcile productivity and soil sustainability.

scholarly journals Modeling soil organic carbon dynamics and their driving factors in the main global cereal cropping systems

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 11849-11859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guocheng Wang ◽  
Wen Zhang ◽  
Wenjuan Sun ◽  
Tingting Li ◽  
Pengfei Han
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Crop Residue ◽  
Retention Rate ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Input ◽  
Soil C Sequestration ◽  
Residue Retention

Abstract. Changes in the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock are determined by the balance between the carbon input from organic materials and the output from the decomposition of soil C. The fate of SOC in cropland soils plays a significant role in both sustainable agricultural production and climate change mitigation. The spatiotemporal changes of soil organic carbon in croplands in response to different carbon (C) input management and environmental conditions across the main global cereal systems were studied using a modeling approach. We also identified the key variables that drive SOC changes at a high spatial resolution (0.1°  ×  0.1°) and over a long timescale (54 years from 1961 to 2014). A widely used soil C turnover model (RothC) and state-of-the-art databases of soil and climate variables were used in the present study. The model simulations suggested that, on a global average, the cropland SOC density increased at annual rates of 0.22, 0.45 and 0.69 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 under crop residue retention rates of 30, 60 and 90 %, respectively. Increasing the quantity of C input could enhance soil C sequestration or reduce the rate of soil C loss, depending largely on the local soil and climate conditions. Spatially, under a specific crop residue retention rate, relatively higher soil C sinks were found across the central parts of the USA, western Europe, and the northern regions of China. Relatively smaller soil C sinks occurred in the high-latitude regions of both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, and SOC decreased across the equatorial zones of Asia, Africa and America. We found that SOC change was significantly influenced by the crop residue retention rate (linearly positive) and the edaphic variable of initial SOC content (linearly negative). Temperature had weak negative effects, and precipitation had significantly negative impacts on SOC changes. The results can help guide carbon input management practices to effectively mitigate climate change through soil C sequestration in croplands on a global scale.

scholarly journals Modeling soil organic carbon dynamics and its driving factors in global main cereal cropping systems

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guocheng Wang ◽  
Wen Zhang ◽  
Wenjuan Sun ◽  
Tingting Li ◽  
Pengfei Han
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Crop Residue ◽  
Retention Rate ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Input ◽  
Soil C Sequestration ◽  
Residue Retention

Abstract. The net fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2) between the atmosphere and agricultural systems are mainly characterized by the changes in soil carbon stock, which is determined by the balance between carbon input from organic materials and output through soil C decomposition. The spatiotemporal changes of cropland soil organic carbon (SOC) in response to different carbon (C) input management and environmental conditions across the global main cereal systems were studied using a modeling approach. We also identified the key variables driving SOC changes at a high spatial resolution (0.1° × 0.1°) and long time scale (54 years from 1961 to 2014). The widely used soil C turnover model (RothC) and the state-of-the-art databases of soil and climate were used in the present study. The model simulations suggested that, on a global average, the cropland SOC density increased at an annual rate of 0.22, 0.45 and 0.69 MgC ha−1 yr−1 under a crop residue retention rate of 30 %, 60 % and 90 %, respectively. Increased quantity of C input could enhance the soil C sequestration or reduce the soil C loss rate, depending largely on the local soil and climate conditions. Spatially, under a certain crop residue retention rate, a relatively higher soil C sink were generally found across the central parts of the United States, western Europe, northern regions of China, while a relatively smaller soil C sink generally occurred in regions at high latitudes of both northern and southern hemisphere, and SOC decreased across the equatorial zones of Asia, Africa and America. We found that SOC change was significantly influenced by the crop residue retention rate (linearly positive), and the edaphic variable of initial SOC content (linearly negative). Temperature had weakly negative effects, and precipitation had significantly negative impacts on SOC changes. The results can help target carbon input management for effectively mitigating climate change through cropland soil C sequestration on a global scale.

Impacts of Fine Root Turnover on Forest NPP and Soil C Sequestration Potential

Science ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 302 (5649) ◽  
pp. 1385-1387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roser Matamala ◽  
Miquel A. Gonzàlez-Meler ◽  
Julie D. Jastrow ◽  
Richard J. Norby ◽  
William H. Schlesinger
Keyword(s):  
Fine Root ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Root Turnover ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Fine Root Turnover ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Soil C Sequestration

scholarly journals How does soil carbon sequestration affect greenhouse gas emissions from a sheep farming system? Results of an life cycle assessment case study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pasquale Arca ◽  
Enrico Vagnoni ◽  
Pierpaolo Duce ◽  
Antonello Franca
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Production System ◽  
Emission Intensity ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Dairy Sheep ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Sheep Farm ◽  
Enteric Methane ◽  
Soil C Sequestration

Highlights Extensification of dairy sheep systems provides an environmental benefit when soil C sequestration is considered. Extensification of dairy sheep systems determines lower environmental impact per hectare of utilized agricultural area. Enteric methane emissions are the main source of GHG emissions of the sheep milk life cycle. Carbon sequestration in permanent grasslands can considerably contribute to climate change mitigation.   Abstract A life cycle assessment (LCA) study of a transition from semi-intensive to semi-extensive Mediterranean dairy sheep farm suggests that the latter has a strong potential for offsetting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the soil C sequestration (Cseq) in permanent grasslands. The extensification process shows clear environmental advantage when emission intensity is referred to the area-based functional unit (FU). Several LCA studies reported that extensive livestock systems have greater GHG emissions per mass of product than intensive one, due to their lower productivity. However, these studies did not account for soil Cseq of temporary and permanent grasslands, that have a strong potential to partly mitigate the GHG balance of ruminant production systems. Our LCA study was carried out considering the transition from a semi-intensive (SI) towards a semi-extensive (SE) production system, adopted in a dairy sheep farm located in North-Western Sardinia (Italy). Impact scope included enteric methane emissions, feed production, on-farm energy use and transportation, infrastructures as well as the potential C sink arising from soil Cseqwith respect to the emission intensity. In order to provide a more comprehensive analysis, we used the following FUs: 1 kg of fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM) and 1 ha of utilised agricultural area (UAA). We observed that the extensification of production system determined contrasting environmental effects when using different FUs accounting for soil Cseq. When soil Cseq in emission intensity estimate was included, we observed slightly lower values of GHG emissions per kg of FPCM in the SI production system (from 3.37 to 3.12 kg CO2 equivalents – CO2-eq), whereas a greater variation we observed in the SE one (from 3.54 to 2.90 kg CO2-eq). Considering 1 ha of UAA as FU and including the soil Cseq, the emission intensity in SI moved from 6,257 to 5,793 kg CO2-eq, whereas values varied from 4,020 to 3,299 kg CO2-eq in SE. These results indicated that the emission intensity from semi-extensive Mediterranean dairy sheep farms can be considerably reduced through the soil Cseq, although its measurement is influenced by the models used in the estimation.

The potential for full inversion tillage to increase soil carbon storage following pasture renewal in New Zealand

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Beare ◽  
Erin Lawrence-Smith ◽  
Denis Curtin ◽  
Sam McNally ◽  
Frank Kelliher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Atmospheric Concentration ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Soil C Sequestration ◽  
Accumulation Efficiency

<p><span>The global atmospheric concentration of CO<sub>2</sub> and other greenhouse gases (GHG) is steadily increasing. It is estimated that, worldwide, soil C sequestration could offset GHG emissions by 400–1200 Mt C per year. Relative to 1990, New Zealand’s CH<sub>4</sub> and N<sub>2</sub>O emissions in 2013 had increased by 7% and 23% respectively, which translates to an annual emission increase of 1.09 Mt C that could be offset by a similar annual increase in soil C stock. Recent research has shown that some New Zealand pastoral soils are under-saturated in SOC. Subsurface soils (15–30 cm depth) typically have a greater soil C saturation deficit than topsoil (0-30 cm) because plant C inputs (roots) are lower. Using management practices that expose more of the under-saturated soil to higher C inputs could result in increased soil C storage and stabilisation.</span></p><p><span>Pasture renewal (destruction and re-establishment of pasture) is promoted to livestock farmers to improve pasture performance. This typically involves shallow cultivation or direct drilling to establish new grass. Whereas shallow cultivation of soil typically results in a loss of SOC, deeper full inversion tillage (FIT) of soil would result in the burial of C-rich topsoil in closer proximity to mineral material that has a higher stabilisation capacity.  Buried SOC is expected to have a slower decomposition rate owing to less variable temperatures and more anoxic conditions. Deep FIT would also bring under-saturated mineral soil to the surface, where the deposition of SOC from high producing pastures could increase the stabilisation of SOC.  Both the slower turnover of buried SOM and greater stabilisation of new carbon on under-saturated minerals at the soil surface are expected to result in increased SOC sequestration. </span></p><p><span>There is a lack of experimental data to directly address the effect of FIT on soil C stocks in pastoral soils. We applied a simple empirical model to predicting changes in soil C stocks following a one-off application of FIT (30 cm) during pasture renewal. The model accounts for the decomposition of SOC in buried topsoil and the accumulation of C in the new topsoil (inverted subsoil). The model was used to derive national estimates of soil C sequestration under different scenarios of C accumulation efficiency, farmer adoption of FIT and pasture renewal rates.</span></p><p>Our modelled estimates suggest that 32 Mt C could be sequestered over 20 years following a one-time application of FIT (0-30 cm) to 2 M ha of High Producing Grasslands on suitable New Zealand soils. This estimate is based on 100% accumulation efficiency (i.e. topsoil C stocks are returned to pre-inversion levels within 20 years) and a 10% annual rate of pasture renewal. In the absence of direct experimental evidence, a more conservative estimate is warranted, where topsoil C stocks are projected to return to 80% of pre-inversion levels, thus sequestering 20 Mt C. This paper will present our modelled estimates of SOC sequestration during FIT pasture renewal and discuss the potential benefits and adverse effects of deploying this management practice.</p>

Modelling the influence of soil carbon on net greenhouse gas emissions from grazed pastures

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachelle Meyer ◽  
Brendan R. Cullen ◽  
Richard J. Eckard
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Annual Variation ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Soil C ◽  
High Rainfall ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Ch4 And N2o

Sequestering carbon (C) in soil organic matter in grassland systems is often cited as a major opportunity to offset greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, these systems are typically grazed by ruminants, leading to uncertainties in the net GHG balance that may be achieved. We used a pasture model to investigate the net balance between methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and soil C in sheep-grazed pasture systems with two starting amounts of soil C. The net emissions were calculated for four soil types in two rainfall zones over three periods of 19 years. Because of greater pasture productivity, and consequent higher sheep stocking rates, high-rainfall sites were associated with greater GHG emissions that could not be offset by C sequestration. On these high-rainfall sites, the higher rate of soil organic carbon (SOC) increase on low-SOC soils offset an average of 45% of the livestock GHG emissions on the modelled chromosol and 32% on the modelled vertosol. The slow rate of SOC increase on the high-SOC soils only offset 2–4% of CH4 and N2O emissions on these high-rainfall sites. On low-rainfall sites, C sequestration in low-SOC soils more than offset livestock GHG emissions, whereas the modelled high-C soils offset 75–86% of CH4 and N2O emissions. Greater net emissions on high-C soils were due primarily to reduced sequestration potential and greater N2O emissions from nitrogen mineralisation and livestock urine. Annual variation in CH4 and N2O emissions was low, whereas annual SOC change showed high annual variation, which was more strongly correlated with weather variables on the low-rainfall sites compared with the high-rainfall sites. At low-soil C concentrations, with high sequestration potential, there is an initial mitigation benefit that can in some instances offset enteric CH4 and direct and indirect N2O emissions. However, as soil organic matter increases there is a trade-off between diminishing GHG offsets and increasing ecosystem services, including mineralisation and productivity benefits.

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