Whose Knowledge, Whose Development? Use and Role of Local and External Knowledge in Agroforestry Projects in Bolivia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobi, Johanna; Mathez-Stiefel, Sarah-Lan; Gambon, Helen; Rist, Stephan; Altieri, Miguel

2017-03-01

Agroforestry often relies on local knowledge, which is gaining recognition in development projects. However, how local knowledge can articulate with external and scientific knowledge is little known. Our study explored the use and integration of local and external knowledge in agroforestry projects in Bolivia. In 42 field visits and 62 interviews with agroforestry farmers, civil society representatives, and policymakers, we found a diverse knowledge base. We examined how local and external knowledge contribute to livelihood assets and tree and crop diversity. Projects based predominantly on external knowledge tended to promote a single combination of tree and crop species and targeted mainly financial capital, whereas projects with a local or mixed knowledge base tended to focus on food security and increased natural capital (e.g., soil restoration) and used a higher diversity of trees and crops than those with an external knowledge base. The integration of different forms of knowledge can enable farmers to better cope with new challenges emerging as a result of climate change, fluctuating market prices for cash crops, and surrounding destructive land use strategies such as uncontrolled fires and aerial fumigation with herbicides. However, many projects still tended to prioritize external knowledge and undervalue local knowledge—a tendency that has long been institutionalized in the formal educational system and in extension services. More dialogue is needed between different forms of knowledge, which can be promoted by strengthening local organizations and their networks, reforming agricultural educational institutions, and working in close interaction with policymakers.

Whose Knowledge, Whose Development? Use and Role of Local and External Knowledge in Agroforestry Projects in Bolivia.

PubMed

Jacobi, Johanna; Mathez-Stiefel, Sarah-Lan; Gambon, Helen; Rist, Stephan; Altieri, Miguel

2017-03-01

Agroforestry often relies on local knowledge, which is gaining recognition in development projects. However, how local knowledge can articulate with external and scientific knowledge is little known. Our study explored the use and integration of local and external knowledge in agroforestry projects in Bolivia. In 42 field visits and 62 interviews with agroforestry farmers, civil society representatives, and policymakers, we found a diverse knowledge base. We examined how local and external knowledge contribute to livelihood assets and tree and crop diversity. Projects based predominantly on external knowledge tended to promote a single combination of tree and crop species and targeted mainly financial capital, whereas projects with a local or mixed knowledge base tended to focus on food security and increased natural capital (e.g., soil restoration) and used a higher diversity of trees and crops than those with an external knowledge base. The integration of different forms of knowledge can enable farmers to better cope with new challenges emerging as a result of climate change, fluctuating market prices for cash crops, and surrounding destructive land use strategies such as uncontrolled fires and aerial fumigation with herbicides. However, many projects still tended to prioritize external knowledge and undervalue local knowledge-a tendency that has long been institutionalized in the formal educational system and in extension services. More dialogue is needed between different forms of knowledge, which can be promoted by strengthening local organizations and their networks, reforming agricultural educational institutions, and working in close interaction with policymakers.

Projecting the bird community response resulting from the adoption of shelterbelt agroforestry practices in Eastern Nebraska

Treesearch

R. A., II Pierce; D. T. Farrand; W. B. Kurtz

2001-01-01

Evolving agricultural policies have influenced management practices within agroecosystems, impacting available habitats for many species of wildlife. Enhancing wildlife habitat has become an explicit objective of existing agricultural policy. Thus, there is renewed focus on field borders and the use of shelterbelt agroforestry systems to achieve conservation goals in...

Soil Carbon Storage in Christmas Tree Farms: Maximizing Ecosystem Management and Sustainability for Carbon Sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapman, S. K.; Shaw, R.; Langley, A.

2008-12-01

Management of agroecosystems for the purpose of manipulating soil carbon stocks could be a viable approach for countering rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, while maximizing sustainability of the agroforestry industry. We investigated the carbon storage potential of Christmas tree farms in the southern Appalachian mountains as a potential model for the impacts of land management on soil carbon. We quantified soil carbon stocks across a gradient of cultivation duration and herbicide management. We compared soil carbon in farms to that in adjacent pastures and native forests that represent a control group to account for variability in other soil-forming factors. We partitioned tree farm soil carbon into fractions delineated by stability, an important determinant of long-term sequestration potential. Soil carbon stocks in the intermediate pool are significantly greater in the tree farms under cultivation for longer periods of time than in the younger tree farms. This pool can be quite large, yet has the ability to repond to biological environmental changes on the centennial time scale. Pasture soil carbon was significantly greater than both forest and tree farm soil carbon, which were not different from each other. These data can help inform land management and soil carbon sequestration strategies.

Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation And Agriculture, Trade-off Or Win-win Situation: Bioeconomic Farm Modelling In The Sudanian Area of Burkina Faso

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Some, T. E.; Barbier, B.

2015-12-01

Climate changes talks regularly underline that developing countries' agriculture could play a stronger role in GHGs mitigation strategies and benefit from the Kyoto Protocol program of subsidies. Scientists explain that agriculture can contribute to carbon mitigation by storing more carbon in the soil through greener cropping systems. In this context, a growing number of research projects have started to investigate how developing countries agriculture can contribute to these objectives. The clean development mechanism (CDM) proposed in the Kyoto protocol is one particular policy instrument that can incite farmers to mitigate the GHG balance towards more sequestration and less emission. Some economists such as Michael Porter think that environmental regulation lead to a win-win outcome, in which case subsidies are not necessary. If it is a trade-off between incomes and the environment, subsidies are required. CDM can be mobilized to support the mitigation strategy. Agriculture implies the use of inputs. Reducing the emission implies the reduction of those inputs which will in turn imply a yield decrease. The study aims to assess whether this measure will imply a trade-off between environmental and economic objectives or a win-win situation. I apply this study to the case of small farmers in Burkina Faso through environmental instruments such as the emissions limits and agroforestry using a bioeconomic model, in which the farmers maximize their utility subject to constraints. The study finds that the limitation of emissions in annual crops production involves a trade-off. by impacting negatively their net cash come. By integrating perennial crops in the farming system, the farmers' utility increases. Around 6,118 kg are sequestrated individually. By computing the value on this carbon balance, farmers' net cash incomes go better. Then practicing agroforestry is a win-win situation, as they reach a higher level of income, and reduce emissions. Policymakers must encourage small farmers to integrate perennial crops in their annual crops system. Most of small farmers are living below the poverty line. Limiting emissions will get worse their life conditions. To reach the emission reduction objective in the annual crops system, subsidies are needed in order to compensate the income lost through the CDM.

A renewed perspective on agroforestry concepts and classification.

PubMed

Torquebiau, E F

2000-11-01

Agroforestry, the association of trees with farming practices, is progressively becoming a recognized land-use discipline. However, it is still perceived by some scientists, technicians and farmers as a sort of environmental fashion which does not deserve credit. The peculiar history of agroforestry and the complex relationships between agriculture and forestry explain some misunderstandings about the concepts and classification of agroforestry and reveal that, contrarily to common perception, agroforestry is closer to agriculture than to forestry. Based on field experience from several countries, a structural classification of agroforestry into six simple categories is proposed: crops under tree cover, agroforests, agroforestry in a linear arrangement, animal agroforestry, sequential agroforestry and minor agroforestry techniques. It is argued that this pragmatic classification encompasses all major agroforestry associations and allows simultaneous agroforestry to be clearly differentiated from sequential agroforestry, two categories showing contrasting ecological tree-crop interactions. It can also contribute to a betterment of the image of agroforestry and lead to a simplification of its definition.

Quantification and mapping of the supply of and demand for carbon storage and sequestration service in woody biomass and soil to mitigate climate change in the socio-ecological environment.

PubMed

Sahle, Mesfin; Saito, Osamu; Fürst, Christine; Yeshitela, Kumelachew

2018-05-15

In this study, the supply of and demand for carbon storage and sequestration of woody biomass in the socio-ecological environment of the Wabe River catchment in Gurage Mountains, Ethiopia, were estimated. This information was subsequently integrated into a map that showed the balance between supply capacities and demand in a spatially explicit manner to inform planners and decision makers on methods used to manage local climate change. Field data for wood biomass and soil were collected, satellite images for land use and land cover (LULC) were classified, and secondary data from statistics and studies for estimation were obtained. Carbon storage, the rate of carbon sequestration and the rate of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from diverse sources at different LULCs, was estimated accordingly by several methods. Even though a large amount of carbon was stored in the catchment, the current yearly sequestration was less than the CO 2 -eq. GHG emissions. Forest and Enset-based agroforestry emissions exhibited the highest amount of woody biomass, and cereal crop and wetland exhibited the highest decrease in soil carbon sequestration. CO 2 -eq. GHG emissions are mainly caused by livestock, nitrogenous fertilizer consumption, and urban activities. The net negative emissions were estimated for the LULC classes of cereal crop, grazing land, and urban areas. In conclusion, without any high-emission industries, GHG emissions can be greater than the regulatory capacity of ecosystems in the socio-ecological environment. This quantification approach can provide information to policy and decision makers to enable them to tackle climate change at the root level. Thus, measures to decrease emission levels and enhance the sequestration capacity are crucial to mitigate the globally delivered service in a specific area. Further studies on the effects of land use alternatives on net emissions are recommended to obtain in-depth knowledge on sustainable land use planning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Models of reforestation productivity and carbon sequestration for land use and climate change adaptation planning in South Australia.

PubMed

Hobbs, Trevor J; Neumann, Craig R; Meyer, Wayne S; Moon, Travis; Bryan, Brett A

2016-10-01

Environmental management and regional land use planning has become more complex in recent years as growing world population, climate change, carbon markets and government policies for sustainability have emerged. Reforestation and agroforestry options for environmental benefits, carbon sequestration, economic development and biodiversity conservation are now important considerations of land use planners. New information has been collected and regionally-calibrated models have been developed to facilitate better regional land use planning decisions and counter the limitations of currently available models of reforestation productivity and carbon sequestration. Surveys of above-ground biomass of 264 reforestation sites (132 woodlots, 132 environmental plantings) within the agricultural regions of South Australia were conducted, and combined with spatial information on climate and soils, to develop new spatial and temporal models of plant density and above-ground biomass productivity from reforestation. The models can be used to estimate productivity and total carbon sequestration (i.e. above-ground + below-ground biomass) under a continuous range of planting designs (e.g. variable proportions of trees and shrubs or plant densities), timeframes and future climate scenarios. Representative spatial models (1 ha resolution) for 3 reforestation designs (i.e. woodlots, typical environmental planting, biodiverse environmental plantings) × 3 timeframes (i.e. 25, 45, 65 years) × 4 possible climates (i.e. no change, mild, moderate, severe warming and drying) were generated (i.e. 36 scenarios) for use within land use planning tools. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Carbon outcomes of major land-cover transitions in SE Asia: great uncertainties and REDD+ policy implications.

PubMed

Ziegler, Alan D; Phelps, Jacob; Yuen, Jia Qi; Webb, Edward L; Lawrence, Deborah; Fox, Jeff M; Bruun, Thilde B; Leisz, Stephen J; Ryan, Casey M; Dressler, Wolfram; Mertz, Ole; Pascual, Unai; Padoch, Christine; Koh, Lian Pin

2012-10-01

Policy makers across the tropics propose that carbon finance could provide incentives for forest frontier communities to transition away from swidden agriculture (slash-and-burn or shifting cultivation) to other systems that potentially reduce emissions and/or increase carbon sequestration. However, there is little certainty regarding the carbon outcomes of many key land-use transitions at the center of current policy debates. Our meta-analysis of over 250 studies reporting above- and below-ground carbon estimates for different land-use types indicates great uncertainty in the net total ecosystem carbon changes that can be expected from many transitions, including the replacement of various types of swidden agriculture with oil palm, rubber, or some other types of agroforestry systems. These transitions are underway throughout Southeast Asia, and are at the heart of REDD+ debates. Exceptions of unambiguous carbon outcomes are the abandonment of any type of agriculture to allow forest regeneration (a certain positive carbon outcome) and expansion of agriculture into mature forest (a certain negative carbon outcome). With respect to swiddening, our meta-analysis supports a reassessment of policies that encourage land-cover conversion away from these [especially long-fallow] systems to other more cash-crop-oriented systems producing ambiguous carbon stock changes - including oil palm and rubber. In some instances, lengthening fallow periods of an existing swidden system may produce substantial carbon benefits, as would conversion from intensely cultivated lands to high-biomass plantations and some other types of agroforestry. More field studies are needed to provide better data of above- and below-ground carbon stocks before informed recommendations or policy decisions can be made regarding which land-use regimes optimize or increase carbon sequestration. As some transitions may negatively impact other ecosystem services, food security, and local livelihoods, the entire carbon and noncarbon benefit stream should also be taken into account before prescribing transitions with ambiguous carbon benefits. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Global Tree Cover and Biomass Carbon on Agricultural Land: The contribution of agroforestry to global and national carbon budgets.

PubMed

Zomer, Robert J; Neufeldt, Henry; Xu, Jianchu; Ahrends, Antje; Bossio, Deborah; Trabucco, Antonio; van Noordwijk, Meine; Wang, Mingcheng

2016-07-20

Agroforestry systems and tree cover on agricultural land make an important contribution to climate change mitigation, but are not systematically accounted for in either global carbon budgets or national carbon accounting. This paper assesses the role of trees on agricultural land and their significance for carbon sequestration at a global level, along with recent change trends. Remote sensing data show that in 2010, 43% of all agricultural land globally had at least 10% tree cover and that this has increased by 2% over the previous ten years. Combining geographically and bioclimatically stratified Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 1 default estimates of carbon storage with this tree cover analysis, we estimated 45.3 PgC on agricultural land globally, with trees contributing >75%. Between 2000 and 2010 tree cover increased by 3.7%, resulting in an increase of >2 PgC (or 4.6%) of biomass carbon. On average, globally, biomass carbon increased from 20.4 to 21.4 tC ha(-1). Regional and country-level variation in stocks and trends were mapped and tabulated globally, and for all countries. Brazil, Indonesia, China and India had the largest increases in biomass carbon stored on agricultural land, while Argentina, Myanmar, and Sierra Leone had the largest decreases.

Leaf Area Index (LAI) in different type of agroforestry systems based on hemispherical photographs in Cidanau Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nur Khairiah, Rahmi; Setiawan, Yudi; Budi Prasetyo, Lilik; Ayu Permatasari, Prita

2017-01-01

Ecological functions of agroforestry systems have perceived benefit to people around Cidanau Watershed, especially in the protection of water quality. The main causes of the problems encountered in the Cidanau Watershed are associated with the human factors, especially encroachment and conversion of forest into farmland. The encroachment has made most forest in Cidanau Watershed become bare land. To preserve the ecological function of agroforestry systems in Cidanau Watershed, monitoring of the condition of the vegetation canopy in agroforestry systems is really needed. High intensity thinning of crown density due to deforestation can change stand leaf area index dramatically. By knowing LAI, we can assess the condition of the vegetation canopy in agroforestry systems. LAI in this research was obtained from Hemispherical Photographs analysis using the threshold method in HemiView Canopy Analysis Software. Our research results indicate that there are six types of agroforestry in Cidanau Watershed i.e. Sengon Agroforestry, Clove Agroforestry, Melinjo Agroforestry, Chocolate Agroforestry, Coffee Agroforestry, and Complex Agroforestry. Several factors potentially contribute to variations in the value of LAI in different types of agroforestry. The simple assumptions about differences ranges of LAI values on six types of agroforestry is closely related to leaf area and plant population density.

Projecting the long-term biogeochemical impacts of a diverse agroforestry system in the Midwest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolz, K. J.; DeLucia, E. H.; Paul, R. F.

2014-12-01

Annual, monoculture cropping systems have become the standard agricultural model in the Midwestern US. Unintended consequences of these systems include surface and groundwater pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, loss of biodiversity, and soil erosion. Diverse agroforestry (DA) systems dominated by fruit and nut trees/shrubs have been proposed as an agricultural model for the Midwestern US that can restore ecosystem services while simultaneously providing economically viable and industrially relevant staple food crops. A DA system including six species of fruit and nut crops was established on long-time conventional agricultural land at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2012, with the conventional corn-soybean rotation (CSR) as a control. Initial field measurements of the nitrogen and water cycles during the first two years of transition have indicated a significant decrease in N losses and modification of the seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) pattern. While these early results suggest that the land use transition from CSR to DA can have positive biogeochemical consequences, models must be utilized to make long-term biogeochemical projections in agroforestry systems. Initial field measurements of plant phenology, net N2O flux, nitrate leaching, soil respiration, and soil moisture were used to parameterize the DA system within the DayCENT biogeochemical model as the "savanna" ecosystem type. The model was validated with an independent subset of field measurements and then run to project biogeochemical cycling in the DA system for 25 years past establishment. Model results show that N losses via N2O emission or nitrate leaching reach a minimum within the first 5 years and then maintain this tight cycle into the future. While early ET field measurements revealed similar magnitudes between the DA and CSR systems, modeled ET continued to increase for the DA system throughout the projected time since the trees would continue to grow larger. These modeling results illustrate the potential long-term biogeochemical impacts that can be generated by a land-use transition to a diverse agroforestry system in the Midwest.

Engaging in School-Led Multisectoral Collaboration: Implications to Agroforestry Promotion in the Philippine Uplands

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landicho, Leila D.; Cabahug, Rowena D.; De Luna, Catherine C.

2009-01-01

The Agroforestry Support Program for Empowering Communities Towards Self-Reliance (ASPECTS) was conceived to develop a model of two-stage approach in agroforestry promotion by capacitating the upland communities to establish community-managed agroforestry extension services, while strengthening the agroforestry education programs of the three…

76 FR 24007 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Lake Charles Carbon Capture...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-29

... Charles Carbon Capture and Sequestration Project, Lake Charles, LA AGENCY: Department of Energy. ACTION... competitive process under the Industrial Carbon Capture and Sequestration (ICCS) Program. The Lake Charles Carbon Capture and Sequestration Project (Lake Charles CCS Project) would demonstrate: (1) advanced...

Global Tree Cover and Biomass Carbon on Agricultural Land: The contribution of agroforestry to global and national carbon budgets

PubMed Central

Zomer, Robert J.; Neufeldt, Henry; Xu, Jianchu; Ahrends, Antje; Bossio, Deborah; Trabucco, Antonio; van Noordwijk, Meine; Wang, Mingcheng

2016-01-01

Agroforestry systems and tree cover on agricultural land make an important contribution to climate change mitigation, but are not systematically accounted for in either global carbon budgets or national carbon accounting. This paper assesses the role of trees on agricultural land and their significance for carbon sequestration at a global level, along with recent change trends. Remote sensing data show that in 2010, 43% of all agricultural land globally had at least 10% tree cover and that this has increased by 2% over the previous ten years. Combining geographically and bioclimatically stratified Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 1 default estimates of carbon storage with this tree cover analysis, we estimated 45.3 PgC on agricultural land globally, with trees contributing >75%. Between 2000 and 2010 tree cover increased by 3.7%, resulting in an increase of >2 PgC (or 4.6%) of biomass carbon. On average, globally, biomass carbon increased from 20.4 to 21.4 tC ha−1. Regional and country-level variation in stocks and trends were mapped and tabulated globally, and for all countries. Brazil, Indonesia, China and India had the largest increases in biomass carbon stored on agricultural land, while Argentina, Myanmar, and Sierra Leone had the largest decreases. PMID:27435095

78 FR 28205 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Lake Charles Carbon...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-14

... Lake Charles Carbon Capture and Sequestration Project (DOE/EIS-0464D) AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy...) announces the availability of the Lake Charles Carbon Capture and Sequestration Project Draft [[Page 28206... potential environmental impacts associated with the Lake Charles Carbon Capture and Sequestration Project...

Analyzing ex-ante agroforestry adoption decisions with attribute based choice experiments

Treesearch

Evan Mercer; Ann Snook

2004-01-01

Although many cases of successful agroforestry extension efforts exist (for examples, see Chapter 2), all too often attempts to promote agroforestry have resulted in low adoption rates, with farmers reluctant to adopt new or improved agroforestry systems or abandoning agroforestry shortly after establishment. As a result, the recent increase in research on the adoption...

Integrated Mid-Continent Carbon Capture, Sequestration & Enhanced Oil Recovery Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brian McPherson

2010-08-31

A consortium of research partners led by the Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration and industry partners, including CAP CO2 LLC, Blue Source LLC, Coffeyville Resources, Nitrogen Fertilizers LLC, Ash Grove Cement Company, Kansas Ethanol LLC, Headwaters Clean Carbon Services, Black & Veatch, and Schlumberger Carbon Services, conducted a feasibility study of a large-scale CCS commercialization project that included large-scale CO{sub 2} sources. The overall objective of this project, entitled the 'Integrated Mid-Continent Carbon Capture, Sequestration and Enhanced Oil Recovery Project' was to design an integrated system of US mid-continent industrial CO{sub 2} sources with CO{sub 2} capture, and geologicmore » sequestration in deep saline formations and in oil field reservoirs with concomitant EOR. Findings of this project suggest that deep saline sequestration in the mid-continent region is not feasible without major financial incentives, such as tax credits or otherwise, that do not exist at this time. However, results of the analysis suggest that enhanced oil recovery with carbon sequestration is indeed feasible and practical for specific types of geologic settings in the Midwestern U.S.« less

Economics of Agroforestry

Treesearch

D. Evan Mercer; Frederick W. Cubbage; Gregory E. Frey

2014-01-01

This chapter provides principles, literature and a case study about the economics of agroforestry. We examine necessary conditions for achieving efficiency in agroforestry system design and economic analysis tools for assessing efficiency and adoptability of agroforestry. The tools presented here (capital budgeting, linear progranuning, production frontier analysis...

Agroforestry: mapping the way with GIS

Treesearch

Gary Bentrup; Tim Leininger

2002-01-01

Agroforestry combines agriculture and forestry technologies to create diverse, profitable, and sustainable land-use systems (Rietveld, 1995). Agroforestry practices include alley cropping, forest farming, riparian forest buffers, silvopasture, and windbreaks-each of which meets environmental, social, and economic needs (Gold et al., 2000). Environmentally, agroforestry...

Landowner interest in multifunctional agroforestry riparian buffers.

Treesearch

Katie Trozzo; John Munsell; James Chamberlain

2014-01-01

Adoption of temperate agroforestry practices generally remains limited despite considerable advances in basic science. This study builds on temperate agroforestry adoption research by empirically testing a statistical model of interest in native fruit and nut tree riparian buffers using technology and agroforestry adoption theory. Data...

Agroforestry programs and issues in the northern Marianas Islands

Treesearch

Anthony Paul Tudela

1993-01-01

Agroforestry is an important land-use in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI) and provides many benefits. Various agencies are involved in forestry and agroforestry, and their programs are summarized in this paper. Major issues involving agroforestry in the CNMI are also discussed.

Characterization of Most Promising Sequestration Formations in the Rocky Mountain Region (RMCCS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McPherson, Brian; Matthews, Vince

2013-09-30

The primary objective of the “Characterization of Most Promising Carbon Capture and Sequestration Formations in the Central Rocky Mountain Region” project, or RMCCS project, is to characterize the storage potential of the most promising geologic sequestration formations within the southwestern U.S. and the Central Rocky Mountain region in particular. The approach included an analysis of geologic sequestration formations under the Craig Power Station in northwestern Colorado, and application or extrapolation of those local-scale results to the broader region. A ten-step protocol for geologic carbon storage site characterization was a primary outcome of this project.

Is a Clean Development Mechanism project economically justified? Case study of an International Carbon Sequestration Project in Iran.

PubMed

Katircioglu, Salih; Dalir, Sara; Olya, Hossein G

2016-01-01

The present study evaluates a carbon sequestration project for the three plant species in arid and semiarid regions of Iran. Results show that Haloxylon performed appropriately in the carbon sequestration process during the 6 years of the International Carbon Sequestration Project (ICSP). In addition to a high degree of carbon dioxide sequestration, Haloxylon shows high compatibility with severe environmental conditions and low maintenance costs. Financial and economic analysis demonstrated that the ICSP was justified from an economic perspective. The financial assessment showed that net present value (NPV) (US$1,098,022.70), internal rate of return (IRR) (21.53%), and payback period (6 years) were in an acceptable range. The results of the economic analysis suggested an NPV of US$4,407,805.15 and an IRR of 50.63%. Therefore, results of this study suggest that there are sufficient incentives for investors to participate in such kind of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects.

Agroforestry-based management of salt-affected croplands in irrigated agricultural landscape in Uzbekistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khamzina, Asia; Kumar, Navneet; Heng, Lee

2017-04-01

In the lower Amu Darya River Basin, the decades of intensive irrigation led to elevated groundwater tables, resulting in ubiquitous soil salinization and adverse impact on crop production. Field-scale afforestation trials and farm-scale economic analyses in the Khorezm region have determined that afforestation can be an environmentally and financially attractive land-use option for degraded croplands because it combines a diversified agricultural production, carbon sequestration, an improved soil health and minimizes the use of irrigation water. We examined prospects for upscaling afforestation activity for regional land-use planning considering prevailing constraints in irrigated agriculture landscape. Assessment of salinity-induced cropland productivity decline using satellite imagery of multiple spatial and temporal resolution revealed that 18-38% of the marginally productive or abandoned cropland might be considered for conversion to agroforestry. Furthermore, a regional-scale water balance suggests that most of these marginal croplands are characterized by sufficient surface water supplies for irrigating the newly planted saplings, before they are able to rely on the groundwater alone. However, the 10-year monitoring of soil salt dynamics in the afforestation trials reveals increasing salinity levels due to the salt exclusion from the root water uptake by the trees. Further study focuses on enhancing long-term sustainability of afforestation as a management option for highly saline lands by examining salt tolerance of candidate species using 13C isotopic signature as the indicator of water and salt stress, salt leaching needs and implications for regional scale planning.

A Role for Agroforestry in Forest Restoration in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley

Treesearch

Michael G. Dosskey; Gary Bentrup; Michele Schoeneberger

2012-01-01

Agroforestry options are explored for restoring important functions and values of bottomland hardwood (BLH) forests in the lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (LMAV). Agroforestry practices can augment the size and quality of BLH habitat, provide corridors between BLH areas, and enable restoration of natural hydrologic patterns and water quality. Agroforestry...

Agroforestry systems and environmental quality: introduction.

PubMed

Nair, P K Ramachandran

2011-01-01

Investments in agroforestry research during the past three decades-albeit modest-have yielded significant gains in understanding the role of trees on farmlands, and the ecological and economic advantages of integrated farming systems. While early research focused mostly on farm or local levels, broader-level ecosystem services of agroforestry systems (AFS) have raised high expectations in recent years. The nine papers included in this special collection deal with three of such environmental benefits of AFS: water-quality enhancement, carbon sequestration, and soil improvement. These benefits are based on the perceived ability of (i) vegetative buffer strips (VBS) to reduce surface transport of agrochemical pollutants, (ii) large volumes of aboveground and belowground biomass of trees to store high amounts of C deeper in the soil profile, and (iii) trees to enhance soil productivity through biological nitrogen fixation, efficient nutrient cycling, and deep capture of nutrients. The papers included have, in general, substantiated these premises and provided new insights. For example, the riparian VBS are reported to increase the reservoir life, in addition to reducing transport of agrochemicals; the variations in C storage in different soil-fraction sizes suggest that microaggregate (250-53 μm) dynamics in the soil could be a good indicator of its C-storage potential; and the use of vector analysis technique is recommended in AFS to avoid consequences of inaccurate and overuse of fertilizers. The papers also identified significant knowledge gaps in these areas. A common theme across all three environmental quality issues covered is that more and varied research datasets across a broad spectrum of conditions need to be generated and integrated with powerful statistical tools to ensure wide applicability of the results. Furthermore, appropriate management practices that are acceptable to the targeted land users and agroforestry practitioners need to be designed to exploit these environmental benefits. The relative newness of research in environmental quality of AFS will pose some additional challenges as well. These include the lack of allometric equations for tree-biomass determination, absence of standardized norms on soil sampling depth, and limitations of fixed-effect models arising from issues such as pseudo-replication and repeated measures that are common in studies on preexisting field plots. Overall, this special collection is a timely effort in highlighting the promise of AFS in addressing some of the environmental quality issues, and the challenges in realizing that potential. American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Earthworms and litter management contributions to ecosystem services in a tropical agroforestry system.

PubMed

Fonte, Steven J; Six, Johan

2010-06-01

The development of sustainable agricultural systems depends in part upon improved management of non-crop species to enhance the overall functioning and provision of services by agroecosystems. To address this need, our research examined the role of earthworms and litter management on nutrient dynamics, soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization, and crop growth in the Quesungual agroforestry system of western Honduras. Field mesocosms were established with two earthworm treatments (0 vs. 8 Pontoscolex corethrurus individuals per mesocosm) and four litter quality treatments: (1) low-quality Zea mays, (2) high-quality Diphysa robinioides, (3) a mixture of low- and high-quality litters, and (4) a control with no organic residues applied. Mesocosms included a single Z. mays plant and additions of 15N-labeled inorganic nitrogen. At maize harvest, surface soils (0-15 cm) in the mesocosms were sampled to determine total and available P as well as the distribution of C, N, and 15N among different aggregate-associated SOM pools. Maize plants were divided into grain and non-grain components and analyzed for total P, N, and 15N. Earthworm additions improved soil structure as demonstrated by a 10% increase in mean weight diameter and higher C and N storage within large macro-aggregates (>2000 microm). A corresponding 17% increase in C contained in micro-aggregates within the macro-aggregates indicates that earthworms enhance the stabilization of SOM in these soils; however, this effect only occurred when organic residues were applied. Earthworms also decreased available P and total soil P, indicating that earthworms may facilitate the loss of labile P added to this system. Earthworms decreased the recovery of fertilizer-derived N in the soil but increased the uptake of 15N by maize by 7%. Litter treatments yielded minimal effects on soil properties and plant growth. Our results indicate that the application of litter inputs and proper management of earthworm populations can have important implications for the provision of ecosystem services (e.g., C sequestration, soil fertility, and plant production) by tropical agroforestry systems.

Soil carbon dynamics of tree plantings for woody biomass feedstock

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agroforestry practices are being considered for their bioenergy potential as the wood could be harvested for direct combustion, cellulose to ethanol conversion, or pyrolysis to bio-oils. The objective of this project was to use spatially-distributed soil sampling and soil profile descriptions to det...

Carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in deep saline aquifers and formations: Chapter 3

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosenbauer, Robert J.; Thomas, Burt

2010-01-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and sequestration in geologic media is one among many emerging strategies to reduce atmospheric emissions of anthropogenic CO2. This chapter looks at the potential of deep saline aquifers – based on their capacity and close proximity to large point sources of CO2 – as repositories for the geologic sequestration of CO2. The petrochemical characteristics which impact on the suitability of saline aquifers for CO2 sequestration and the role of coupled geochemical transport models and numerical tools in evaluating site feasibility are also examined. The full-scale commercial CO2 sequestration project at Sleipner is described together with ongoing pilot and demonstration projects.

CCS Activities Being Performed by the U.S. DOE

PubMed Central

Dressel, Brian; Deel, Dawn; Rodosta, Traci; Plasynski, Sean; Litynski, John; Myer, Larry

2011-01-01

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is the lead federal agency for the development and deployment of carbon sequestration technologies. Its mission includes promoting scientific and technological innovations and transfer of knowledge for safe and permanent storage of CO2 in the subsurface. To accomplish its mission, DOE is characterizing and classifying potential geologic storage reservoirs in basins throughout the U.S. and Canada, and developing best practices for project developers, to help ensure the safety of future geologic storage projects. DOE’s Carbon Sequestration Program, Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) Initiative, administered by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), is identifying, characterizing, and testing potential injection formations. The RCSP Initiative consists of collaborations among government, industry, universities, and international organizations. Through this collaborative effort, a series of integrated knowledge-based tools have been developed to help potential sequestration project developers. They are the Carbon Sequestration Atlas of the United States and Canada, National Carbon Sequestration Database and Geographic System (NATCARB), and best practice manuals for CCS including Depositional Reservoir Classification for CO2; Public Outreach and Education for Carbon Storage Projects; Monitoring, Verification, and Accounting of CO2 Stored in Deep Geologic Formation; Site Screening, Site Selection, and Initial Characterization of CO2 Storage in Deep Geologic Formations. DOE’s future research will help with refinement of these tools and additional best practice manuals (BPM) which focus on other technical aspects of project development. PMID:21556188

A Survey of Measurement, Mitigation, and Verification Field Technologies for Carbon Sequestration Geologic Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, K. K.; Klara, S. M.; Srivastava, R. D.

2004-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy's (U.S. DOE's) Carbon Sequestration Program is developing state-of-the-science technologies for measurement, mitigation, and verification (MM&V) in field operations of geologic sequestration. MM&V of geologic carbon sequestration operations will play an integral role in the pre-injection, injection, and post-injection phases of carbon capture and storage projects to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Effective MM&V is critical to the success of CO2 storage projects and will be used by operators, regulators, and stakeholders to ensure safe and permanent storage of CO2. In the U.S. DOE's Program, Carbon sequestration MM&V has numerous instrumental roles: Measurement of a site's characteristics and capability for sequestration; Monitoring of the site to ensure the storage integrity; Verification that the CO2 is safely stored; and Protection of ecosystems. Other drivers for MM&V technology development include cost-effectiveness, measurement precision, and frequency of measurements required. As sequestration operations are implemented in the future, it is anticipated that measurements over long time periods and at different scales will be required; this will present a significant challenge. MM&V sequestration technologies generally utilize one of the following approaches: below ground measurements; surface/near-surface measurements; aerial and satellite imagery; and modeling/simulations. Advanced subsurface geophysical technologies will play a primary role for MM&V. It is likely that successful MM&V programs will incorporate multiple technologies including but not limited to: reservoir modeling and simulations; geophysical techniques (a wide variety of seismic methods, microgravity, electrical, and electromagnetic techniques); subsurface fluid movement monitoring methods such as injection of tracers, borehole and wellhead pressure sensors, and tiltmeters; surface/near surface methods such as soil gas monitoring and infrared sensors and; aerial and satellite imagery. This abstract will describe results, similarities, and contrasts for funded studies from the U.S. DOE's Carbon Sequestration Program including examples from the Sleipner North Sea Project, the Canadian Weyburn Field/Dakota Gasification Plant Project, the Frio Formation Texas Project, and Yolo County Bioreactor Landfill Project. The abstract will also address the following: How are the terms ``measurement,'' ``mitigation''and ``verification'' defined in the Program? What is the U.S. DOE's Carbon Sequestration Program Roadmap and what are the Roadmap goals for MM&V? What is the current status of MM&V technologies?

Changes in labile soil organic matter fractions following land use change from monocropping to poplar-based agroforestry systems in a semiarid region of Northeast China.

PubMed

Mao, Rong; Zeng, De-Hui; Li, Lu-Jun; Hu, Ya-Lin

2012-11-01

Labile fractions of soil organic matter (SOM) respond rapidly to land management practices and can be used as a sensitive indicator of changes in SOM. However, there is little information about the effect of agroforestry practices on labile SOM fractions in semiarid regions of China. In order to test the effects of land use change from monocropping to agroforestry systems on labile SOM fractions, we investigated soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and N, particulate organic matter C (POMC) and N (POMN), as well as total organic C (TOC) and total N (TN) in the 0- to 15-cm and the 15- to 30-cm layers in 4-year-old poplar-based agroforestry systems and adjoining monocropping systems with two different soil textures (sandy loam and sandy clay loam) in a semiarid region of Northeast China. Our results showed that poplar-based agroforestry practices affected soil MBC, POMC, and POMN, albeit there was no significant difference in TOC and TN. Agroforestry practices increased MBC, POMC, and POMN in sandy clay loam soils. However, in sandy loam soils, agroforestry practices only increased MBC and even decreased POMC and POMN at the 0- to 15-cm layer. Our results suggest that labile SOM fractions respond sensitively to poplar-based agroforestry practices and can provide early information about the changes in SOM in semiarid regions of Northeast China and highlight that the effects of agroforestry practices on labile SOM fractions vary with soil texture.

Land use and nutrient inputs affect priming in Andosols of Mt. Kilimanjaro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mganga, Kevin; Kuzyakov, Yakov

2015-04-01

Organic C and nutrients additions in soil can accelerate mineralisation of soil organic matter i.e. priming effects. However, only very few studies have been conducted to investigate the priming effects phenomenon in tropical Andosols. Nutrients (N, P, N+P) and 14C labelled glucose were added to Andosols from six natural and intensively used ecosystems at Mt. Kilimanjaro i.e. (1) savannah, (2) maize fields, (3) lower montane forest, (4) coffee plantation, (5) grasslands and (6) Chagga homegardens. Carbon-dioxide emissions were monitored over a 60 days incubation period. Mineralisation of glucose to 14CO2 was highest in coffee plantation and lowest in Chagga homegarden soils. Maximal and minimal mineralisation rates immediately after glucose additions were observed in lower montane forest with N+P fertilisation (9.1% ± 0.83 d -1) and in savannah with N fertilisation (0.9% ± 0.17 d -1), respectively. Glucose and nutrient additions accelerated native soil organic matter mineralisation i.e. positive priming. Chagga homegarden soils had the lowest 14CO2 emissions and incorporated the highest percent of glucose into microbial biomass. 50-60% of the 14C input was retained in soil. We attribute this mainly to the high surface area of non-crystalline constituents i.e. allophanes, present in Andosols and having very high sorption capacity for organic C. The allophanic nature of Andosols of Mt. Kilimanjaro especially under traditional Chagga homegarden agroforestry system shows great potential for providing essential environmental services, notably C sequestration. Key words: Priming Effects, Andosols, Land Use Changes, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Allophanes, Tropical Agroforestry

A Multi-Level Approach to Outreach for Geologic Sequestration Projects

USGS Publications Warehouse

Greenberg, S.E.; Leetaru, H.E.; Krapac, I.G.; Hnottavange-Telleen, K.; Finley, R.J.

2009-01-01

Public perception of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) projects represents a potential barrier to commercialization. Outreach to stakeholders at the local, regional, and national level is needed to create familiarity with and potential acceptance of CCS projects. This paper highlights the Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium (MGSC) multi-level outreach approach which interacts with multiple stakeholders. The MGSC approach focuses on external and internal communication. External communication has resulted in building regional public understanding of CCS. Internal communication, through a project Risk Assessment process, has resulted in enhanced team communication and preparation of team members for outreach roles. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Agricultural Carbon Sinks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horwath, W. R.; Lal, R.

2016-12-01

Agriculture is a source or sink of greenhouse gases depending on land use and management. Diverse activities of agroecosystems include croplands, grazing lands, forestlands, integration among these three land use systems (e.g., agroforestry, agro-pastoral, silvo-pastoral, and agro-silvo-pastoral systems), and urban and degraded lands. Conversion of natural to agroecosystems leads to decline in soil organic carbon (SOC) pool because of reduction in input of biomass-C (C­i) and increase in losses (Cl) by mineralization, erosion and leaching (Cil) through changes in micro-climate, components of the hydrologic cycle and energy budgets, and alterations in biogeochemical cycles. Historic loss from soils of agroecosystems may range from 25 to 50% in temperate regions and 50 to 75% in the tropics. The magnitude of SOC depletion is aggravated by soil degradation caused by erosion, salinization, etc. Thus, there exists a soil/ecosystem C sink which can be refilled through best management practices which create a positive C budget (Ci>Cl) and lead to recarbonization. The average rate of SOC sequestration is 0-250 kg C/ha•yr for warm and dry regions vs. 250-500 kgC/ha•yr for cool and moist climates. The potential of C sequestration is estimated at 0.4-1.2 Pg C/yr for cropland; 0.3-0.5 PgC/yr savanna and grasslands; 1.2-1.4 PgC/yr for afforestation, agroforestry, forest succession and peatlands; 0.2-0.5 PgC/yr for forest plantations; 0.3-0.7 PgC/yr for restoration of salt affected soils, and 0.2-0.7 PgC/yr for erosion and desertification control. There is an emission-avoidance by enhancing eco-efficiency of farm operations (e.g., plowing, irrigation, and input of herbicides and pesticides). These strategies are in accord with the implementation of "4 per Thousand" initiative proposed at the COP21 and COP22 Summits in Paris and Marrakech, respectively. Payments to land managers for ecosystem services, based on societal value of soil C, can promote adoption of BMPs, advance Sustainable Development Goals of the U.N., and achieve food security while improving the environment. Recarbonization of soil and ecosystems is a win-win option, and a bridge to the future until low-C or no-C fuel sources take effect.

Seasonal contrasts in the response of coffee ants to agroforestry shade-tree management.

PubMed

Teodoro, A V; Sousa-Souto, L; Klein, A-M; Tscharntke, T

2010-12-01

In many tropical landscapes, agroforestry systems are the last forested ecosystems, providing shade, having higher humidity, mitigating potential droughts, and possessing more species than any other crop system. Here, we tested the hypothesis that higher levels of shade and associated humidity in agroforestry enhance coffee ant richness more during the dry than rainy season, comparing ant richness in 22 plots of three coffee agroforestry types in coastal Ecuador: simple-shade agroforests (intensively managed with low tree species diversity), complex-shade agroforests (extensively managed with intermediate tree species diversity) and abandoned coffee agroforests (abandoned for 10-15 yr and resembling secondary forests). Seasonality affected responses of ant richness but not composition to agroforestry management, in that most species were observed in abandoned coffee agroforests in the dry season. In the rainy season, however, most species were found in simple-shade agroforests, and complex agroforestry being intermediate. Foraging coffee ants species composition did not change differently according to agroforestry type and season. Results show that shade appears to be most important in the dry seasons, while a mosaic of different land-use types may provide adequate environmental conditions to ant species, maximizing landscape-wide richness throughout the year. © 2010 Entomological Society of America

Determinants of bacterial communities in Canadian agroforestry systems.

PubMed

Banerjee, Samiran; Baah-Acheamfour, Mark; Carlyle, Cameron N; Bissett, Andrew; Richardson, Alan E; Siddique, Tariq; Bork, Edward W; Chang, Scott X

2016-06-01

Land-use change is one of the most important factors influencing soil microbial communities, which play a pivotal role in most biogeochemical and ecological processes. Using agroforestry systems as a model, this study examined the effects of land uses and edaphic properties on bacterial communities in three agroforestry types covering a 270 km soil-climate gradient in Alberta, Canada. Our results demonstrate that land-use patterns exert stronger effects on soil bacterial communities than soil zones in these agroforestry systems. Plots with trees in agroforestry systems promoted greater bacterial abundance and to some extent species richness, which was associated with more nutrient-rich soil resources. While Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria were the dominant bacterial phyla and subphyla across land uses, Arthrobacter, Acidobacteria_Gp16, Burkholderia, Rhodanobacter and Rhizobium were the keystone taxa in these agroforestry systems. Soil pH and carbon contents emerged as the major determinants of bacterial community characteristics. We found non-random co-occurrence and modular patterns of soil bacterial communities, and these patterns were controlled by edaphic factors and not their taxonomy. Overall, this study highlights the drivers and co-occurrence patterns of soil microbial communities in agroforestry systems. © 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Quantitative assessment of people-oriented forestry in Bangladesh: a case study in the Tangail forest division.

PubMed

Muhammed, Nur; Koike, Masao; Haque, Farhana; Miah, Md Danesh

2008-07-01

Forests represent more than just a livelihood to many people in developing countries. In Bangladesh, for example, overwhelming poverty and socio-economic pressures have resulted in an unstable situation where intensive pressure on forest resources is having increasingly negative consequences for the population. Some studies have evaluated the benefits of people-oriented forestry activities from an investment, as well as a participant, point of view. In the study area located in the Tangail Forest Division, a total of 11,854 ha of woodlot, 2704 ha of agroforestry and 945 km of strip plantations have been raised in a benefit-sharing program that is inclusive of land encroachers and other economically disadvantaged people. Since 2000-2001, a total of 3716 ha of woodlot, 890 ha of agroforestry and 163 km of strip plantations have been harvested to the benefit of 6326 individuals. Investment analysis indicates that woodlot plantation is not financially viable but agroforestry is the most profitable. These results were somewhat unexpected since initial analysis suggested that the woodlot plantation profit would be greater than, or at least equal to, that of the agroforestry plantation if the number of planted seedlings per unit area was taken into account. The per unit area net present value (NPV) was highest in the agroforestry plantation ($1662) and negative in the woodlot plantation (-$397). The benefit cost ratio (BCR) was also highest in the agroforestry plantation (1.64) and lowest in the woodlot plantation (0.86). This study also showed that some individuals who were formally classified as encroachers have now become vital stakeholders. On average, participants received $800, $1866 and $1327 over the course of 13 years from strip, agroforestry and woodlot plantations, respectively. Average annual return per participant was $62, $144 and $102, respectively, which was in addition to each individual's yearly income. This added income is a significant contribution to monetary resources and improves socio-economic conditions at a grass roots level. Overall then this program can be considered a financial success as a plantation raising strategy. However, despite this financial progress, the program cannot be considered a true form of participatory people-oriented forestry because it shows serious deviations from the original concept or model for participatory people-oriented forestry that is outlined in the project document. These discrepancies are especially notable with regard to (i) beneficiary selection, (ii) gender equity, (iii) professional attitude and corruption, (iv) funding and (v) program approach. However, other countries faced with similar challenges of forest overuse and degradation may adopt this practice for achieving self-reliance and environmental stability.

77 FR 58533 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the W.A. Parish Post...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-21

....A. Parish Post-Combustion CO 2 Capture and Sequestration Project, Southeastern TX AGENCY: U.S... availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the W.A. Parish Post-Combustion Carbon Dioxide.... Parish Post-Combustion CO 2 Capture and Sequestration Project (Parish PCCS Project). NRG's proposed...

Armed to farm: Soldiering the success of military veterans in new poultry, livestock and agroforestry enterprises

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Farming offers a viable avenue for returning veterans to transition into society and capitalizes on skills that made them successful in the military. The goal of this project is to develop and expand on a personalized comprehensive/integrated educational program that provides military veterans and b...

Armed to farm: Soldiering the success of military veterans in new poultry, livestock and agroforestry enterprises

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Farming offers a viable avenue for returning veterans to transition into society and capitalizes on skills that made them successful in the military. The goal of this project is to develop and expand on a personalized comprehensive/integrated educational program that provides military veterans begin...

100% Solids Polyurethane Sequestration Coating

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-11

Distribution Unlimited 100% Solids Polyurethane Sequestration Coating The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this report are those of the...Papers published in non peer-reviewed journals: 100% Solids Polyurethane Sequestration Coating Report Title Report developed under Topic #CBD13-101...Final Technical Report Contract #: W911NF-13-P-0010 Proposal #: 63958CHSB1 Project: 100% Solids Polyurethane Sequestration Coating

Integrating walnut and other hardwoods into agroforestry practices

Treesearch

Shibu. Jose

2013-01-01

Agroforestry systems have been proposed as alternative, environmentally benign systems for agricultural production in temperate North America. Walnut and other hardwoods have been successfully integrated in most agroforestry practices include alley cropping, silvopastural, windbreaks, and riparian buffers. Because of walnuts relatively thin crowns and nut production,...

A common framework for greenhouse gas assessment protocols in temperate agroforestry systems: Connecting via GRACEnet

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agroforestry systems offer many ecosystem benefits, but such systems have previously been marginalized in temperate environments due to overriding economic goals and perceived management complexity. In view of adaptation to a changing climate, agroforestry systems offer advantages that require quan...

Soil microbial communities under cacao agroforestry and cover crop systems in Peru

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cacao (Theobroma cacao) trees are grown in tropical regions worldwide for chocolate production. We studied the effects of agroforestry management systems and cover cropping on soil microbial communities under cacao in two different replicated field experiments in Peru. Two agroforestry systems, Imp...

Socioeconomic research in agroforestry: progress, prospects, priorities

Treesearch

D. Evan Mercer; R.P. Miller

1998-01-01

Fourteen years after the birth of the journal Agroforestry Systems, biophysical studies continue to dominate agroforestry research while other important areas have not received the attention they deserve. This paper reviews the progress in one of these under-researched areas, socioeconomics. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of published socioeconomic research...

Economics and agroforestry

Treesearch

John W. Brown

1993-01-01

The concept of sustainability is an underlying theme in much of the literature dealing with the economics of agroforestry. Four major areas of concern for economic investigation into sustainable agroforestry systems — profitability, dynamics, externalities, and markets — are addressed using examples from the available literature. Finally, the social constraints that...

Visualizing agroforestry alternatives or pixel this!

Treesearch

Gary Bentrup

2005-01-01

Natural resource professionals often hear the words, What will it look like? " from landowners who have difficulty in understanding a proposed agroforestry or conservation plan. Planting plans and engineering drawings, while necessary, often mean little to the general public. When practices require a long-term commitment like agroforestry, landowners want to know...

Agroforestry Systems in Zimbabwe: Promoting Trees in Agriculture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vukasin, Helen L., Ed.

Agroforestry has been defined as a sustainable crop management system which combines the production of forest crops with field crops. In June, 1987, an agroforestry workshop took place in Nyanga, Manicaland, Zimbabwe. This document was prepared to share the information presented at this workshop with other non-government organizations around the…

Agroforestry practices, runoff, and nutrient loss: a paired watershed comparison.

PubMed

Udawatta, Ranjith P; Krstansky, J John; Henderson, Gray S; Garrett, Harold E

2002-01-01

A paired watershed study consisting of agroforestry (trees plus grass buffer strips), contour strips (grass buffer strips), and control treatments with a corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation was used to examine treatment effects on runoff, sediment, and nutrient losses. During the (1991-1997) calibration and subsequent three-year treatment periods, runoff was measured in 0.91- and 1.37-m H-flumes with bubbler flow meters. Composite samples were analyzed for sediment, total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), nitrate, and ammonium. Calibration equations developed to predict runoff, sediment, and nutrients losses explained 66 to 97% of the variability between treatment watersheds. The contour strip and agroforestry treatments reduced runoff by 10 and 1% during the treatment period. In both treatments, most runoff reductions occurred in the second and third years after treatment establishment. The contour strip treatment reduced erosion by 19% in 1999, while erosion in the agroforestry treatment exceeded the predicted loss. Treatments reduced TP loss by 8 and 17% on contour strip and agroforestry watersheds. Treatments did not result in reductions in TN during the first two years of the treatment period. The contour strip and agroforestry treatments reduced TN loss by 21 and 20%, respectively, during a large precipitation event in the third year. During the third year of treatments, nitrate N loss was reduced 24 and 37% by contour strip and agroforestry treatments. Contour strip and agroforestry management practices effectively reduced nonpoint-source pollution in runoff from a corn-soybean rotation in the clay pan soils of northeastern Missouri.

Assessment of the Adoption of Agroforestry Technologies by Limited-Resource Farmers in North Carolina

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faulkner, Paula E.; Owooh, Bismark; Idassi, Joshua

2014-01-01

Agroforestry is a natural resource management system that integrates trees, forages, and livestock. The study reported here was conducted to determine farmers' knowledge about and willingness to adopt agroforestry technologies in North Carolina. The study reported participants were primarily older, male farmers, suggesting the need to attract more…

Soil quality indicators of a mature alley-cropping agroforestry system in temperate North America

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Although agroforestry practices are believed to improve soil quality, reports on long-term effects of alley cropping on soils within agroforestry in the temperate zone are limited. The objective of this study was to examine effects of management, landscape, and soil depth of an established agrofores...

Agroforestry: Enhancing resiliency in U.S. agricultural landscapes under changing conditions

Treesearch

Michele M. Schoeneberger; Gary Bentrup; Toral Patel-Weynand

2017-01-01

Agroforestry, the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal production systems, is being deployed to enhance productivity, profitability, and environmental stewardship of agricultural operations and lands across the United States. This assessment provides a science-based synthesis on the use of agroforestry for mitigation and adaptation services...

Taking stock of agroforestry adoption studies

Treesearch

Subhrendu K. Pattanayak; D. Evan Mercer; Erin Sills; Jui-Chen Yang

2003-01-01

In light of the large number of empirical studies of agroforestry adoption published during the last decade, we believe it is time to take stock and identify general determinants of agroforestry adoption. In reviewing 120 articles on adoption of agricultural and forestry technology by small holders, we find five categories of factors that explain technology adoption...

Knowledge systems in agroforestry

Treesearch

Wieland Kunzel

1993-01-01

Pacific Islands agroforestry has evolved into sustainable, diverse and productive a land use systems in many areas. We marvel at these systems, and the scientific world is trying to catch up with the traditional knowledge. At the same time, Pacific Islands farmers are abandoning their agroforestry systems in great numbers. It is mainly intensified agriculture for cash...

Agroforestry Adoption By Smallholders

Treesearch

D. Evan Mercer; Subhrendu K. Pattanayak

2003-01-01

Agroforestry is a joint forest production system whereby land, labor, and capital inputs are combined to produce trees and agricultural crops (and/or livestock) on the same unit of land. Although existing for centuries (maybe millennia) as an array of traditional land use practices in the tropics, agroforestry emerged in the late 1970s as a modern, improved tropical...

Weed competition with soybean in no-tillage agroforestry and sole-crop systems in subtropical Brazil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Weed competition on soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] growth and yield was expected to be different when managed in an agroforestry system as compared with solecropping without trees. Therefore agronomic practices to control weeds might need to be modified in agroforestry systems. We analyzed weed co...

Agro-ecosystem and socio-economic role of homegarden agroforestry in Jabithenan District, North-Western Ethiopia: implication for climate change adaptation.

PubMed

Linger, Ewuketu

2014-01-01

Homegarden agroforestry is believed to be more diverse and provide multiple services for household than other monocropping system and this is due to the combination of crops, trees and livestock. The aim of this study was to assess socio-economic and agro-ecological role of homegardens in Jabithenan district, North-western Ethiopia. Two sites purposively and two villages randomly from each site were selected. Totally 96 households; in which 48 from homegarden agroforestry user and 48 from non-tree based garden user were selected for this study. Socio-economic data and potential economic and agro-ecosystem role of homegarden agroforestry over non-tree based garden were collected by using semi-structured and structured questionnaires to the households. Homegarden agroforestry significantly (P < 0.05) improved the farmers cash income than non-tree based garden. With insignificant garden size; homegarden agroforestry practice provides good socio-economical and agro-ecological service for farmers which have a higher implication for climate change adaptation than non-tree based garden.

Trade-based carbon sequestration accounting.

PubMed

King, Dennis M

2004-04-01

This article describes and illustrates an accounting method to assess and compare "early" carbon sequestration investments and trades on the basis of the number of standardized CO2 emission offset credits they will provide. The "gold standard" for such credits is assumed to be a relatively riskless credit based on a CO2 emission reduction that provides offsets against CO2 emissions on a one-for-one basis. The number of credits associated with carbon sequestration needs to account for time, risk, durability, permanence, additionality, and other factors that future trade regulators will most certainly use to assign "official" credits to sequestration projects. The method that is presented here uses established principles of natural resource accounting and conventional rules of asset valuation to "score" projects. A review of 20 "early" voluntary United States based CO2 offset trades that involve carbon sequestration reveals that the assumptions that buyers, sellers, brokers, and traders are using to characterize the economic potential of their investments and trades vary enormously. The article develops a "universal carbon sequestration credit scoring equation" and uses two of these trades to illustrate the sensitivity of trade outcomes to various assumptions about how future trade auditors are likely to "score" carbon sequestration projects in terms of their "equivalency" with CO2 emission reductions. The article emphasizes the importance of using a standard credit scoring method that accounts for time and risk to assess and compare even unofficial prototype carbon sequestration trades. The scoring method illustrated in this article is a tool that can protect the integrity of carbon sequestration credit trading and can assist buyers and sellers in evaluating the real economic potential of prospective trades.

Dynamics and climate change mitigation potential of soil organic carbon sequestration.

PubMed

Sommer, Rolf; Bossio, Deborah

2014-11-01

When assessing soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and its climate change (CC) mitigation potential at global scale, the dynamic nature of soil carbon storage and interventions to foster it should be taken into account. Firstly, adoption of SOC-sequestration measures will take time, and reasonably such schemes could only be implemented gradually at large-scale. Secondly, if soils are managed as carbon sinks, then SOC will increase only over a limited time, up to the point when a new SOC equilibrium is reached. This paper combines these two processes and predicts potential SOC sequestration dynamics in agricultural land at global scale and the corresponding CC mitigation potential. Assuming that global governments would agree on a worldwide effort to gradually change land use practices towards turning agricultural soils into carbon sinks starting 2014, the projected 87-year (2014-2100) global SOC sequestration potential of agricultural land ranged between 31 and 64 Gt. This is equal to 1.9-3.9% of the SRES-A2 projected 87-year anthropogenic emissions. SOC sequestration would peak 2032-33, at that time reaching 4.3-8.9% of the projected annual SRES-A2 emission. About 30 years later the sequestration rate would have reduced by half. Thus, SOC sequestration is not a C wedge that could contribute increasingly to mitigating CC. Rather, the mitigation potential is limited, contributing very little to solving the climate problem of the coming decades. However, we deliberately did not elaborate on the importance of maintaining or increasing SOC for sustaining soil health, agro-ecosystem functioning and productivity; an issue of global significance that deserves proper consideration irrespectively of any potential additional sequestration of SOC. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technical Report on Application and Development of Appropriate Tools and Technologies for Cost-Effective Carbon Sequestration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bill Stanley; Sandra Brown; Zoe Kant

2009-01-07

The Nature Conservancy participated in a Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to explore the compatibility of carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity. The title of the research project was 'Application and Development of Appropriate Tools and Technologies for Cost-Effective Carbon Sequestration'. The objectives of the project were to: (1) improve carbon offset estimates produced in both the planning and implementation phases of projects; (2) build valid and standardized approaches to estimate project carbon benefits at a reasonable cost; and (3) lay the groundwork for implementing cost-effective projects, providingmore » new testing ground for biodiversity protection and restoration projects that store additional atmospheric carbon. This Final Technical Report discusses the results of the six tasks that The Nature Conservancy undertook to answer research needs while facilitating the development of real projects with measurable greenhouse gas reductions. The research described in this report occurred between July 1st 2001 and July 10th 2008. The specific tasks discussed include: Task 1: carbon inventory advancements; Task 2: emerging technologies for remote sensing of terrestrial carbon; Task 3: baseline method development; Task 4: third-party technical advisory panel meetings; Task 5: new project feasibility studies; and Task 6: development of new project software screening tool. The project occurred in two phases. The first was a focused exploration of specific carbon measurement and monitoring methodologies and pre-selected carbon sequestration opportunities. The second was a more systematic and comprehensive approach to compare various competing measurement and monitoring methodologies, and assessment of a variety of carbon sequestration opportunities in order to find those that are the lowest cost with the greatest combined carbon and other environmental benefits. In the first phase we worked in the U.S., Brazil, Belize, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile to develop and refine specific carbon inventory methods, pioneering a new remote-sensing method for cost-effectively measuring and monitoring terrestrial carbon sequestration and system for developing carbon baselines for both avoided deforestation and afforestation/reforestation projects. We evaluated the costs and carbon benefits of a number of specific terrestrial carbon sequestration activities throughout the U.S., including reforestation of abandoned mined lands in southwest Virginia, grassland restoration in Arizona and Indiana, and reforestation in the Mississippi Alluvial Delta. The most cost-effective U.S. terrestrial sequestration opportunity we found through these studies was reforestation in the Mississippi Alluvial Delta. In Phase II we conducted a more systematic assessment and comparison of several different measurement and monitoring approaches in the Northern Cascades of California, and a broad 11-state Northeast regional assessment, rather than pre-selected and targeted, analysis of terrestrial sequestration costs and benefits. Work was carried out in Brazil, Belize, Chile, Peru and the USA. Partners include the Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development, The Sampson Group, Programme for Belize, Society for Wildlife Conservation (SPVS), Universidad Austral de Chile, Michael Lefsky, Colorado State University, UC Berkeley, the Carnegie Institution of Washington, ProNaturaleza, Ohio State University, Stephen F. Austin University, Geographical Modeling Services, Inc., WestWater, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Century Ecosystem Services, Mirant Corporation, General Motors, American Electric Power, Salt River Project, Applied Energy Systems, KeySpan, NiSource, and PSEG. This project, 'Application and Development of Appropriate Tools and Technologies for Cost-Effective Carbon Sequestration', has resulted in over 50 presentations and reports, available publicly through the Department of Energy or by visiting the links listed in Appendix 1. More important than the reports, the project has helped to lead to the development of on-the-ground projects in Southwestern Virginia, Louisiana, and Chile while informing policy development in Virginia, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the California Climate Action Registry and U.S. and international programs.« less

Proceedings of the workshop on research methodologies and applications for Pacific Island agroforestry; July 16-20, 1990; Kolonia, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia

Treesearch

Bill Raynor; Roger R. Bay

1993-01-01

Includes 19 papers presented at the workshop, covering such topics as sampling techniques and statistical considerations, indigenous agricultural and agroforestry systems, crop testing and evaluation, and agroforestry practices in the Pacific Islands, including Micronesia, Northern Marianas Islands, Palau, and American Samoa.

Computer-based tools for decision support in agroforestry: Current state and future needs

Treesearch

E.A. Ellis; G. Bentrup; Michelle M. Schoeneberger

2004-01-01

Successful design of agroforestry practices hinges on the ability to pull together very diverse and sometimes large sets of information (i.e., biophysical, economic and social factors), and then implementing the synthesis of this information across several spatial scales from site to landscape. Agroforestry, by its very nature, creates complex systems with impacts...

An assessment of agroforestry systems in the southern USA

Treesearch

F. C. Zinkhan; D. Evan Mercer

1997-01-01

An assessment of the southern USA, based on a survey of land-use professionalsand a review of theliterature, revealed that it is a diverse region with substantial potential for agroforestry to address a combination of problems and opportunities. The survey indicated that silvopastoml systems are the most common form of agroforestry in the region. Increased economic...

Citrus stand ages regulate the fraction alteration of soil organic carbon under a citrus/Stropharua rugodo-annulata intercropping system in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Yang; Ni, Jiupai; Yang, John; Zhang, Tong; Xie, Deti

2017-08-01

Soil carbon fractionation is a valuable indicator in assessing stabilization of soil organic matter and soil quality. However, limited studies have addressed how different vegetation stand ages under intercropping agroforestry systems, could affect organic carbon (OC) accumulation in bulk soil and its physical fractions. A field study thus investigated the impact of citrus plantation age (15-, 25-, and 45-year citrus) on the bulk soil organic carbon (SOC) and SOC fractions and yields of Stropharia rugoso-annulata (SRA) in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, Chongqing, China. Results indicated that the intercropping practice of SRA with citrus significantly increased the SOC by 57.4-61.6% in topsoil (0-10 cm) and by 24.8-39.9% in subsoil (10-30 cm). With a significantly higher enhancement under the 25-year citrus stand than the other two stands, all these citrus stands of three ages also resulted in a significant increase of free particulate OC (fPOC, 60.1-62.4% in topsoil and 34.8-46.7% in subsoil), intra-micro aggregate particulate OC (iPOC, 167.6-206.0% in topsoil and 2.77-61.09% in subsoil), and mineral-associated OC (MOC, 43.6-46.5% in topsoil and 26.0-51.5% in subsoil). However, there were no significant differences in yields of SRA under three citrus stands. Our results demonstrated that citrus stand ages did play an important role in soil carbon sequestration and fractionation under a citrus/SRA intercropping system, which could therefore provide a sustainable agroforestry system to enhance concurrently the SOC accumulation while mitigating farmland CO 2 emission.

Birds as predators in tropical agroforestry systems.

PubMed

Van Bael, Sunshine A; Philpott, Stacy M; Greenberg, Russell; Bichier, Peter; Barber, Nicholas A; Mooney, Kailen A; Gruner, Daniel S

2008-04-01

Insectivorous birds reduce arthropod abundances and their damage to plants in some, but not all, studies where predation by birds has been assessed. The variation in bird effects may be due to characteristics such as plant productivity or quality, habitat complexity, and/or species diversity of predator and prey assemblages. Since agroforestry systems vary in such characteristics, these systems provide a good starting point for understanding when and where we can expect predation by birds to be important. We analyze data from bird exclosure studies in forests and agroforestry systems to ask whether birds consistently reduce their arthropod prey base and whether bird predation differs between forests and agroforestry systems. Further, we focus on agroforestry systems to ask whether the magnitude of bird predation (1) differs between canopy trees and understory plants, (2) differs when migratory birds are present or absent, and (3) correlates with bird abundance and diversity. We found that, across all studies, birds reduce all arthropods, herbivores, carnivores, and plant damage. We observed no difference in the magnitude of bird effects between agroforestry systems and forests despite simplified habitat structure and plant diversity in agroforests. Within agroforestry systems, bird reduction of arthropods was greater in the canopy than the crop layer. Top-down effects of bird predation were especially strong during censuses when migratory birds were present in agroforestry systems. Importantly, the diversity of the predator assemblage correlated with the magnitude of predator effects; where the diversity of birds, especially migratory birds, was greater, birds reduced arthropod densities to a greater extent. We outline potential mechanisms for relationships between bird predator, insect prey, and habitat characteristics, and we suggest future studies using tropical agroforests as a model system to further test these areas of ecological theory.

Lake Charles CCS Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leib, Thomas; Cole, Dan

In late September 2014 development of the Lake Charles Clean Energy (LCCE) Plant was abandoned resulting in termination of Lake Charles Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) Project which was a subset the LCCE Plant. As a result, the project was only funded through Phase 2A (Design) and did not enter Phase 2B (Construction) or Phase 2C (Operations). This report was prepared relying on information prepared and provided by engineering companies which were engaged by Leucadia Energy, LLC to prepare or review Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) for the Lake Charles Clean Energy Project, which includes the Carbon Capture andmore » Sequestration (CCS) Project in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Lake Charles Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) Project was to be a large-scale industrial CCS project intended to demonstrate advanced technologies that capture and sequester carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions from industrial sources into underground formations. The Scope of work was divided into two discrete sections; 1) Capture and Compression prepared by the Recipient Leucadia Energy, LLC, and 2) Transport and Sequestration prepared by sub-Recipient Denbury Onshore, LLC. Capture and Compression-The Lake Charles CCS Project Final Technical Report describes the systems and equipment that would be necessary to capture CO 2 generated in a large industrial gasification process and sequester the CO 2 into underground formations. The purpose of each system is defined along with a description of its equipment and operation. Criteria for selection of major equipment are provided and ancillary utilities necessary for safe and reliable operation in compliance with environmental regulations are described. Construction considerations are described including a general arrangement of the CCS process units within the overall gasification project. A cost estimate is provided, delineated by system area with cost breakdown showing equipment, piping and materials, construction labor, engineering, and other costs. The CCS Project Final Technical Report is based on a Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) study prepared by SK E&C, completed in [June] 2014. Subsequently, Fluor Enterprises completed a FEED validation study in mid-September 2014. The design analyses indicated that the FEED package was sufficient and as expected. However, Fluor considered the construction risk based on a stick-build approach to be unacceptable, but construction risk would be substantially mitigated through utilization of modular construction where site labor and schedule uncertainty is minimized. Fluor’s estimate of the overall EPC project cost utilizing the revised construction plan was comparable to SKE&C’s value after reflecting Fluor’s assessment of project scope and risk characteristic. Development was halted upon conclusion of Phase 2A FEED and the project was not constructed.Transport and Sequestration – The overall objective of the pipeline project was to construct a pipeline to transport captured CO 2 from the Lake Charles Clean Energy project to the existing Denbury Green Line and then to the Hastings Field in Southeast Texas to demonstrate effective geologic sequestration of captured CO 2 through commercial EOR operations. The overall objective of the MVA portion of the project was to demonstrate effective geologic sequestration of captured CO 2 through commercial Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) operations in order to evaluate costs, operational processes and technical performance. The DOE target for the project was to capture and implement a research MVA program to demonstrate the sequestration through EOR of approximately one million tons of CO 2 per year as an integral component of commercial operations.« less

Biophysical risks to carbon sequestration and storage in Australian drylands.

PubMed

Nolan, Rachael H; Sinclair, Jennifer; Eldridge, David J; Ramp, Daniel

2018-02-15

Carbon abatement schemes that reduce land clearing and promote revegetation are now an important component of climate change policy globally. There is considerable potential for these schemes to operate in drylands which are spatially extensive. However, projects in these environments risk failure through unplanned release of stored carbon to the atmosphere. In this review, we identify factors that may adversely affect the success of vegetation-based carbon abatement projects in dryland ecosystems, evaluate their likelihood of occurrence, and estimate the potential consequences for carbon storage and sequestration. We also evaluate management strategies to reduce risks posed to these carbon abatement projects. Identified risks were primarily disturbances, including unplanned fire, drought, and grazing. Revegetation projects also risk recruitment failure, thereby failing to reach projected rates of sequestration. Many of these risks are dependent on rainfall, which is highly variable in drylands and susceptible to further variation under climate change. Resprouting vegetation is likely to be less vulnerable to disturbance and have faster recovery rates upon release from disturbance. We conclude that there is a strong impetus for identifying management strategies and risk reduction mechanisms for carbon abatement projects. Risk mitigation would be enhanced by effective co-ordination of mitigation strategies at scales larger than individual abatement project boundaries, and by implementing risk assessment throughout project planning and implementation stages. Reduction of risk is vital for maximising carbon sequestration of individual projects and for reducing barriers to the establishment of new projects entering the market. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Greenhouse gas emissions, carbon leakage and net carbon sequestration from afforestation and forest management: A review.

PubMed

Liu, Bo Jie; Lu, Fei; Wang, Xiao Ke; Liu, Wei Wei

2017-02-01

Forests play an important role in climate change mitigation and concentration of CO 2 reduction in the atmosphere. Forest management, especially afforestation and forest protection, could increase carbon stock of forests significantly. Carbon sequestration rate of afforestation ranges from 0.04 to 7.52 t C·hm -2 ·a -1 , while that of forest protection is 0.33-5.20 t C·hm -2 ·a -1 . At the same time, greenhouse gas (GHG) is generated within management boundary due to the production and transportation of the materials consumed in relevant activities of afforestation and forest management. In addition, carbon leakage is also generated outside boundary from activity shifting, market effects and change of environments induced by forest management. In this review, we summarized the definition of emission sources of GHG, monitoring methods, quantity and rate of greenhouse gas emissions within boundary of afforestation and forest management. In addition, types, monitoring methods and quantity of carbon leakage outside boundary of forest management were also analyzed. Based on the reviewed results of carbon sequestration, we introduced greenhouse gas emissions within boundary and carbon leakage, net carbon sequestration as well as the countervailing effects of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon leakage to carbon sequestration. Greenhouse gas emissions within management boundary counteract 0.01%-19.3% of carbon sequestration, and such counteraction could increase to as high as 95% considering carbon leakage. Afforestation and forest management have substantial net carbon sequestration benefits, when only taking direct greenhouse gas emissions within boundary and measurable carbon leakage from activity shifting into consideration. Compared with soil carbon sequestration measures in croplands, afforestation and forest management is more advantageous in net carbon sequestration and has better prospects for application in terms of net mitigation potential. Along with the implementation of the new stage of key ecological stewardship projects in China as well as the concern on carbon benefits brought by projects, it is necessary to make efforts to increase net carbon sequestration via reducing greenhouse gas emissions and carbon leakage. Rational planning before start-up of the projects should be promoted to avoid carbon emissions due to unnecessary consumption of materials and energy. Additionally, strengthening the control and monitoring on greenhouse gas emissions and carbon leakage during the implementation of projects are also advocated.

A Sustainability Initiative to Quantify Carbon Sequestration by Campus Trees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Helen M.

2012-01-01

Over 3,900 trees on a university campus were inventoried by an instructor-led team of geography undergraduates in order to quantify the carbon sequestration associated with biomass growth. The setting of the project is described, together with its logistics, methodology, outcomes, and benefits. This hands-on project provided a team of students…

[Effect of agroforestry model on inhibition of Oncomelania snails in plateau mountainous area of Yunnan Province].

PubMed

Zhang, Chun-Hua; Tang, Guo-Yong; Liu, Fang-Yan; Li, Kun

2012-10-01

To evaluate the effect of agroforestry models on the inhibition of Oncomelania snails in the plateau mountainous area of Yunnan Province. The experimental field was established at Sanying Village of Eryuan County, Yunnan Province, where the "Flourishing Forest and Controlling Snails Project" was implemented. Different drought crops (alfalfa, vegetables, broad bean, garlic, lettuce, celery, green onions, and wheat) were intercropped under walnut forest in experimental groups, and the crops were not intercropped under walnut forest in a control group. The growth of forest, the change of snails and short-term income of residents were investigated. Agroforestry models promoted the forestry growth and effectively inhibited the growth of snails. There was a little snail in one of the experimental group that forest was intercropped with alfalfa (the occurrence rate of frames with living snails was 3.33%, the average density of living snails was 0.004/0.1 m2, and the declining rates were both 50.00%). The snails were not found in other intercropped models. The income of residents in the experimental groups increased (900-6 800 Yuan per year) compared with that in the control group. The model of walnut forest intercropped with crops not only has the obvious effect on inhibition of snails, but also has good economic and ecological benefits in the plateau mountainous area of Yunnan Province.

A snapshot of agroforestry in Terminalia carolinensis wetlands in Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia

Treesearch

Nobuko K. Conroy; Ali Fares; Katherine C. Ewel; Tomoaki Miura; Halina M. Zaleski

2011-01-01

Traditional food and its supporting agricultural and agroforestry systems still play a large part in people’s daily lives in Federated Sates of Micronesia (FSM). To date, however, there are few publications on details of these systems in the country. On Kosrae Island, the easternmost island of FSM, one type of agroforestry has been practiced for centuries in coastal...

2008 Farm Bill Agroforestry

Treesearch

Doug Wallace; Rich Straight

2010-01-01

Are you looking for a way to increase your revenue stream? Do you have other agricultural lands—crops, hay, or pastures—in addition to your woodlot? If so, you know how to manage both crops and trees. Why not put that hard-earned knowledge to work? Think agroforestry. That’s right—agroforestry. What better solution to your conservation issues and needs than...

Below-ground interspecific competition for water in a rubber agroforestry system may enhance water utilization in plants

PubMed Central

Wu, Junen; Liu, Wenjie; Chen, Chunfeng

2016-01-01

Rubber-based (Hevea brasiliensis) agroforestry systems are regarded as the best way to improve the sustainability of rubber monocultures, but few reports have examined water use in such systems. Accordingly, we tested whether interplanting facilitates water utilization of rubber trees using stable isotope (δD, δ18O, and δ13C) methods and by measuring soil water content (SWC), shoot potential, and leaf C and N concentrations in a Hevea-Flemingia agroforestry system in Xishuangbanna, southwestern China. We detected a big difference in the utilization of different soil layer water between both species in this agroforestry system, as evidenced by the opposite seasonal fluctuations in both δD and δ18O in stem water. However, similar predawn shoot potential of rubber trees at both sites demonstrating that the interplanted species did not affect the water requirements of rubber trees greatly. Rubber trees with higher δ13C and more stable physiological indexes in this agroforestry system showed higher water use efficiency (WUE) and tolerance ability, and the SWC results suggested this agroforestry is conductive to water conservation. Our results clearly indicated that intercropping legume plants with rubber trees can benefit rubber trees own higher N supply, increase their WUE and better utilize soil water of each soil layer. PMID:26781071

Below-ground interspecific competition for water in a rubber agroforestry system may enhance water utilization in plants.

PubMed

Wu, Junen; Liu, Wenjie; Chen, Chunfeng

2016-01-19

Rubber-based (Hevea brasiliensis) agroforestry systems are regarded as the best way to improve the sustainability of rubber monocultures, but few reports have examined water use in such systems. Accordingly, we tested whether interplanting facilitates water utilization of rubber trees using stable isotope (δD, δ(18)O, and δ(13)C) methods and by measuring soil water content (SWC), shoot potential, and leaf C and N concentrations in a Hevea-Flemingia agroforestry system in Xishuangbanna, southwestern China. We detected a big difference in the utilization of different soil layer water between both species in this agroforestry system, as evidenced by the opposite seasonal fluctuations in both δD and δ(18)O in stem water. However, similar predawn shoot potential of rubber trees at both sites demonstrating that the interplanted species did not affect the water requirements of rubber trees greatly. Rubber trees with higher δ(13)C and more stable physiological indexes in this agroforestry system showed higher water use efficiency (WUE) and tolerance ability, and the SWC results suggested this agroforestry is conductive to water conservation. Our results clearly indicated that intercropping legume plants with rubber trees can benefit rubber trees own higher N supply, increase their WUE and better utilize soil water of each soil layer.

Making biodiversity-friendly cocoa pay: combining yield, certification, and REDD for shade management.

PubMed

Waldron, A; Justicia, R; Smith, L E

2015-03-01

The twin United Nations' Millennium Development Goals of biodiversity preservation and poverty reduction both strongly depend on actions in the tropics. In particular, traditional agroforestry could be critical to both biological conservation and human livelihoods in human-altered rainforest areas. However, traditional agroforestry is rapidly disappearing, because the system itself is economically precarious, and because the forest trees that shade traditional crops are now perceived to be overly detrimental to agricultural yield. Here, we show a case where the commonly used agroforestry shade metric, canopy cover, would indeed suggest complete removal of shade trees to maximize yield, with strongly negative biodiversity and climate implications. However, a yield over 50% higher was achievable if approximately 100 shade trees per hectare were planted in a spatially organized fashion, a win-win for biodiversity and the smallholder. The higher yield option was detected by optimizing simultaneously for canopy cover, and a second shade metric, neighboring tree density, which was designed to better capture the yield value of ecological services flowing from forest trees. Nevertheless, even a 50% yield increase may prove insufficient to stop farmers converting away from traditional agroforestry. To further increase agroforestry rents, we apply our results to the design of a sustainable certification (eco-labelling) scheme for cocoa-based products in a biodiversity hotspot, and consider their implications for the use of the United Nations REDD (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) program in agroforestry systems. Combining yield boost, certification, and REDD has the potential to incentivize eco-friendly agroforestry and lift smallholders out of poverty, simultaneously.

Soil biochemical properties and microbial resilience in agroforestry systems: effects on wheat growth under controlled drought and flooding conditions.

PubMed

Rivest, David; Lorente, Miren; Olivier, Alain; Messier, Christian

2013-10-01

Agroforestry is increasingly viewed as an effective means of maintaining or even increasing crop and tree productivity under climate change while promoting other ecosystem functions and services. This study focused on soil biochemical properties and resilience following disturbance within agroforestry and conventional agricultural systems and aimed to determine whether soil differences in terms of these biochemical properties and resilience would subsequently affect crop productivity under extreme soil water conditions. Two research sites that had been established on agricultural land were selected for this study. The first site included an 18-year-old windbreak, while the second site consisted in an 8-year-old tree-based intercropping system. In each site, soil samples were used for the determination of soil nutrient availability, microbial dynamics and microbial resilience to different wetting-drying perturbations and for a greenhouse pot experiment with wheat. Drying and flooding were selected as water stress treatments and compared to a control. These treatments were initiated at the beginning of the wheat anthesis period and maintained over 10 days. Trees contributed to increase soil nutrient pools, as evidenced by the higher extractable-P (both sites), and the higher total N and mineralizable N (tree-based intercropping site) found in the agroforestry compared to the conventional agricultural system. Metabolic quotient (qCO2) was lower in the agroforestry than in the conventional agricultural system, suggesting higher microbial substrate use efficiency in agroforestry systems. Microbial resilience was higher in the agroforestry soils compared to soils from the conventional agricultural system (windbreak site only). At the windbreak site, wheat growing in soils from agroforestry system exhibited higher aboveground biomass and number of grains per spike than in conventional agricultural system soils in the three water stress treatments. At the tree-based intercropping site, higher wheat biomass, grain yield and number of grains per spike were observed in agroforestry than in conventional agricultural system soils, but in the drought treatment only. Drought (windbreak site) and flooding (both sites) treatments significantly reduced wheat yield and 1000-grain weight in both types of system. Relationships between soil biochemical properties and soil microbial resilience or wheat productivity were strongly dependent on site. This study suggests that agroforestry systems may have a positive effect on soil biochemical properties and microbial resilience, which could operate positively on crop productivity and tolerance to severe water stress. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Geologic CO2 Sequestration: Predicting and Confirming Performance in Oil Reservoirs and Saline Aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, J. W.; Nitao, J. J.; Newmark, R. L.; Kirkendall, B. A.; Nimz, G. J.; Knauss, K. G.; Ziagos, J. P.

2002-05-01

Reducing anthropogenic CO2 emissions ranks high among the grand scientific challenges of this century. In the near-term, significant reductions can only be achieved through innovative sequestration strategies that prevent atmospheric release of large-scale CO2 waste streams. Among such strategies, injection into confined geologic formations represents arguably the most promising alternative; and among potential geologic storage sites, oil reservoirs and saline aquifers represent the most attractive targets. Oil reservoirs offer a unique "win-win" approach because CO2 flooding is an effective technique of enhanced oil recovery (EOR), while saline aquifers offer immense storage capacity and widespread distribution. Although CO2-flood EOR has been widely used in the Permian Basin and elsewhere since the 1980s, the oil industry has just recently become concerned with the significant fraction of injected CO2 that eludes recycling and is therefore sequestered. This "lost" CO2 now has potential economic value in the growing emissions credit market; hence, the industry's emerging interest in recasting CO2 floods as co-optimized EOR/sequestration projects. The world's first saline aquifer storage project was also catalyzed in part by economics: Norway's newly imposed atmospheric emissions tax, which spurred development of Statoil's unique North Sea Sleipner facility in 1996. Successful implementation of geologic sequestration projects hinges on development of advanced predictive models and a diverse set of remote sensing, in situ sampling, and experimental techniques. The models are needed to design and forecast long-term sequestration performance; the monitoring techniques are required to confirm and refine model predictions and to ensure compliance with environmental regulations. We have developed a unique reactive transport modeling capability for predicting sequestration performance in saline aquifers, and used it to simulate CO2 injection at Sleipner; we are now extending this capability to address CO2-flood EOR/sequestration in oil reservoirs. We have also developed a suite of innovative geophysical and geochemical techniques for monitoring sequestration performance in both settings. These include electromagnetic induction imaging and electrical resistance tomography for tracking migration of immiscible CO2, noble gas isotopes for assessing trace CO2 leakage through the cap rock, and integrated geochemical sampling, analytical, and experimental methods for determining sequestration partitioning among solubility and mineral trapping mechanisms. We have proposed to demonstrate feasibility of the co-optimized EOR/sequestration concept and utility of our modeling and monitoring technologies to design and evaluate its implementation by conducting a demonstration project in the Livermore Oil Field. This small, mature, shallow field, located less than a mile east of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is representative of many potential EOR/sequestration sites in California. In approach, this proposed demonstration is analogous to the Weyburn EOR/CO2 monitoring project, to which it will provide an important complement by virtue of its contrasting depth (immiscible versus Weyburn's miscible CO2 flood) and geologic setting (clay-capped sand versus Weyburn's anhydrite-capped carbonate reservoir).

Depletion of Stem Water of Sclerocarya birrea Agroforestry Tree Precedes Start of Rainy Season in West African Sudanian Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceperley, Natalie; Mande, Theophile; Parlange, Marc B.

2013-04-01

Understanding water use by agroforestry trees in dry-land ecosystems is essential for improving water management. Agroforestry trees are valued and promoted for many of their ecologic and economic benefits but are often criticized as competing for valuable water resources. In order to understand the seasonal patterns of source water used by agroforestry trees, samples from rain, ground, and surface water were collected weekly in the subcatchment of the Singou watershed that is part of the Volta Basin. Soil and vegetation samples were collected from and under a Sclerocarya birrea agroforstry trees located in this catchment in sealed vials, extracted, and analyzed with a Picarro L2130-i CRDS to obtain both δO18 and δDH fractions. Meteorological measurements were taken with a network of wireless, autonomous stations that communicate through the GSM network (Sensorscope) and two complete eddy-covariance energy balance stations, in addition to intense monitoring of sub-canopy solar radiation, throughfall, stemflow, and soil moisture. Examination of the time series of δO18 concentrations confirm that values in soil and xylem water are coupled, both becoming enriched during the dry season and depleted during the rainy season. Xylem water δO18 levels drops to groundwater δO18 levels in early March when trees access groundwater for leafing out, however soil water does not reach this level until soil moisture increases in mid-June. The relationship between the δDH and δO18 concentrations of water extracted from soil and tree samples do not fall along the global meteoric water line. In order to explore whether this was a seasonally driven, we grouped samples into an "evaporated" group or a "meteoric" group based on the smaller residual to the respective lines. Although more soil samples were found along the m-line during the rainy season than tree samples or dry season soil samples, there was no significant difference in days since rain for any group This suggests that xylem water is always under stress from evapotranspiration and soil water underwent evaporation soon after a rain event. Visual observation of tree confirms conclusion that trees access deep ground water in March and April, before rain begins and before soil is connected to groundwater. Results from the research are being integrated into a local outreach project to improve use of agroforestry.

Southwestern Regional Partnership For Carbon Sequestration (Phase 2) Pump Canyon CO2- ECBM/Sequestration Demonstration, San Juan Basin, New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Advanced Resources International

2010-01-31

Within the Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration (SWP), three demonstrations of geologic CO{sub 2} sequestration are being performed -- one in an oilfield (the SACROC Unit in the Permian basin of west Texas), one in a deep, unmineable coalbed (the Pump Canyon site in the San Juan basin of northern New Mexico), and one in a deep, saline reservoir (underlying the Aneth oilfield in the Paradox basin of southeast Utah). The Pump Canyon CO{sub 2}-enhanced coalbed methane (CO{sub 2}/ECBM) sequestration demonstration project plans to demonstrate the effectiveness of CO{sub 2} sequestration in deep, unmineable coal seams via a small-scalemore » geologic sequestration project. The site is located in San Juan County, northern New Mexico, just within the limits of the high-permeability fairway of prolific coalbed methane production. The study area for the SWP project consists of 31 coalbed methane production wells located in a nine section area. CO{sub 2} was injected continuously for a year and different monitoring, verification and accounting (MVA) techniques were implemented to track the CO{sub 2} movement inside and outside the reservoir. Some of the MVA methods include continuous measurement of injection volumes, pressures and temperatures within the injection well, coalbed methane production rates, pressures and gas compositions collected at the offset production wells, and tracers in the injected CO{sub 2}. In addition, time-lapse vertical seismic profiling (VSP), surface tiltmeter arrays, a series of shallow monitoring wells with a regular fluid sampling program, surface measurements of soil composition, CO{sub 2} fluxes, and tracers were used to help in tracking the injected CO{sub 2}. Finally, a detailed reservoir model was constructed to help reproduce and understand the behavior of the reservoir under production and injection operation. This report summarizes the different phases of the project, from permitting through site closure, and gives the results of the different MVA techniques.« less

Agroforestry buffers for nonpoint source pollution reductions from agricultural watersheds.

PubMed

Udawatta, Ranjith P; Garrett, Harold E; Kallenbach, Robert

2011-01-01

Despite increased attention and demand for the adoption of agroforestry practices throughout the world, rigorous long-term scientific studies confirming environmental benefits from the use of agroforestry practices are limited. The objective was to examine nonpoint-source pollution (NPSP) reduction as influenced by agroforestry buffers in watersheds under grazing and row crop management. The grazing study consists of six watersheds in the Central Mississippi Valley wooded slopes and the row crop study site consists of three watersheds in a paired watershed design in Central Claypan areas. Runoff water samples were analyzed for sediment, total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) for the 2004 to 2008 period. Results indicate that agroforestry and grass buffers on grazed and row crop management sites significantly reduce runoff, sediment, TN, and TP losses to streams. Buffers in association with grazing and row crop management reduced runoff by 49 and 19%, respectively, during the study period as compared with respective control treatments. Average sediment loss for grazing and row crop management systems was 13.8 and 17.9 kg ha yr, respectively. On average, grass and agroforestry buffers reduced sediment, TN, and TP losses by 32, 42, and 46% compared with the control treatments. Buffers were more effective in the grazing management practice than row crop management practice. These differences could in part be attributed to the differences in soils, management, and landscape features. Results from this study strongly indicate that agroforestry and grass buffers can be designed to improve water quality while minimizing the amount of land taken out of production. American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Proposed roadmap for overcoming legal and financial obstacles to carbon capture and sequestration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jacobs, Wendy; Chohen, Leah; Kostakidis-Lianos, Leah

Many existing proposals either lack sufficient concreteness to make carbon capture and geological sequestration (CCGS) operational or fail to focus on a comprehensive, long term framework for its regulation, thus failing to account adequately for the urgency of the issue, the need to develop immediate experience with large scale demonstration projects, or the financial and other incentives required to launch early demonstration projects. We aim to help fill this void by proposing a roadmap to commercial deployment of CCGS in the United States.This roadmap focuses on the legal and financial incentives necessary for rapid demonstration of geological sequestration in themore » absence of national restrictions on CO2 emissions. It weaves together existing federal programs and financing opportunities into a set of recommendations for achieving commercial viability of geological sequestration.« less

Analysis and Comparison of Carbon Capture & Sequestration Policies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burton, E.; Ezzedine, S. M.; Reed, J.; Beyer, J. H.; Wagoner, J. L.

2010-12-01

Several states and countries have adopted or are in the process of crafting policies to enable geologic carbon sequestration projects. These efforts reflect the recognition that existing statutory and regulatory frameworks leave ambiguities or gaps that elevate project risk for private companies considering carbon sequestration projects, and/or are insufficient to address a government’s mandate to protect the public interest. We have compared the various approaches that United States’ state and federal governments have taken to provide regulatory frameworks to address carbon sequestration. A major purpose of our work is to inform the development of any future legislation in California, should it be deemed necessary to meet the goals of Assembly Bill 1925 (2006) to accelerate the adoption of cost-effective geologic sequestration strategies for the long-term management of industrial carbon dioxide in the state. Our analysis shows a diverse issues are covered by adopted and proposed carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) legislation and that many of the new laws focus on defining regulatory frameworks for underground injection of CO2, ambiguities in property issues, or assigning legal liability. While these approaches may enable the progress of early projects, future legislation requires a longer term and broader view that includes a quantified integration of CCS into a government’s overall climate change mitigation strategy while considering potentially counterproductive impacts on CCS of other climate change mitigation strategies. Furthermore, legislation should be crafted in the context of a vision for CCS as an economically viable and widespread industry. While an important function of new CCS legislation is enabling early projects, it must be kept in mind that applying the same laws or protocols in the future to a widespread CCS industry may result in business disincentives and compromise of the public interest in mitigating GHG emissions. Protection of the public interest requires that monitoring and verification track the long term fate of pipelined CO2 regardless of its end use in order to establish that climate change goals are being met.

THE APPLICATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF APPROPRIATE TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR COST-EFFECTIVE CARBON SEQUESTRATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bill Stanley; Sandra Brown; Ellen Hawes

2002-09-01

The Nature Conservancy is participating in a Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to explore the compatibility of carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity. The title of the research projects is ''Application and Development of Appropriate Tools and Technologies for Cost-Effective Carbon Sequestration''. The objectives of the project are to: (1) improve carbon offset estimates produced in both the planning and implementation phases of projects; (2) build valid and standardized approaches to estimate project carbon benefits at a reasonable cost; and (3) lay the groundwork for implementing cost-effective projects,more » providing new testing ground for biodiversity protection and restoration projects that store additional atmospheric carbon. This Technical Progress Report discusses preliminary results of the six specific tasks that The Nature Conservancy is undertaking to answer research needs while facilitating the development of real projects with measurable greenhouse gas impacts. The specific tasks discussed include: Task 1: carbon inventory advancements; Task 2: advanced videography testing; Task 3: baseline method development; Task 4: third-party technical advisory panel meetings; Task 5: new project feasibility studies; and Task 6: development of new project software screening tool.« less

Soil carbon sequestration potential for "grain for green" project in Loess Plateau, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chang, R.; Fu, B.; Liu, Gaisheng; Liu, S.

2011-01-01

Conversion of cropland into perennial vegetation land can increase soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation, which might be an important mitigation measure to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The “Grain for Green” project, one of the most ambitious ecological programmes launched in modern China, aims at transforming the low-yield slope cropland into grassland and woodland. The Loess Plateau in China is the most important target of this project due to its serious soil erosion. The objectives of this study are to answer three questions: (1) what is the rate of the SOC accumulation for this “Grain for Green” project in Loess Plateau? (2) Is there a difference in SOC sequestration among different restoration types, including grassland, shrub and forest? (3) Is the effect of restoration types on SOC accumulation different among northern, middle and southern regions of the Loess Plateau? Based on analysis of the data collected from the literature conducted in the Loess Plateau, we found that SOC increased at a rate of 0.712 TgC/year in the top 20 cm soil layer for 60 years under this project across the entire Loess Plateau. This was a relatively reliable estimation based on current data, although there were some uncertainties. Compared to grassland, forest had a significantly greater effect on SOC accumulation in middle and southern Loess Plateau but had a weaker effect in the northern Loess Plateau. There were no differences found in SOC sequestration between shrub and grassland across the entire Loess Plateau. Grassland had a stronger effect on SOC sequestration in the northern Loess Plateau than in the middle and southern regions. In contrast, forest could increase more SOC in the middle and southern Loess Plateau than in the northern Loess Plateau, whereas shrub had a similar effect on SOC sequestration across the Loess Plateau. Our results suggest that the “Grain for Green” project can significantly increase the SOC storage in Loess Plateau, and it is recommended to expand grassland and shrub areas in the northern Loess Plateau and forest in the middle and southern Loess Plateau to enhance the SOC sequestration in this area.

CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND PLANT COMMUNITY DYNAMICS FOLLOWING REFORESTATION OF TROPICAL PASTURE.

Treesearch

WHENDEE L. SILVER; LARA M. KUEPPERS; ARIEL E. LUGO; REBECCA OSTERTAG; VIRGINIA MATZEK

2004-01-01

Conversion of abandoned cattle pastures to secondary forests and plantations in the tropics has been proposed as a means to increase rates of carbon (C) sequestration from the atmosphere and enhance local biodiversity. We used a long-term tropical reforestation project (55–61 yr) to estimate rates of above- and belowground C sequestration and to investigate the impact...

Development and Implementation of the Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium CO 2-Technology Transfer Center

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greenberg, Sallie E.

2015-06-30

In 2009, the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), in collaboration with the Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium (MGSC), created a regional technology training center to disseminate carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology gained through leadership and participation in regional carbon sequestration projects. This technology training center was titled and branded as the Sequestration Training and Education Program (STEP). Over the last six years STEP has provided local, regional, national, and international education and training opportunities for engineers, geologists, service providers, regulators, executives, K-12 students, K-12 educators, undergraduate students, graduate students, university and community college faculty members, and participants of community programsmore » and functions, community organizations, and others. The goal for STEP educational programs has been on knowledge sharing and capacity building to stimulate economic recovery and development by training personnel for commercial CCS projects. STEP has worked with local, national and international professional organizations and regional experts to leverage existing training opportunities and provide stand-alone training. This report gives detailed information on STEP activities during the grant period (2009-2015).« less

Improved framework model to allocate optimal rainwater harvesting sites in small watersheds for agro-forestry uses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terêncio, D. P. S.; Sanches Fernandes, L. F.; Cortes, R. M. V.; Pacheco, F. A. L.

2017-07-01

This study introduces an improved rainwater harvesting (RWH) suitability model to help the implementation of agro-forestry projects (irrigation, wildfire combat) in catchments. The model combines a planning workflow to define suitability of catchments based on physical, socio-economic and ecologic variables, with an allocation workflow to constrain suitable RWH sites as function of project specific features (e.g., distance from rainfall collection to application area). The planning workflow comprises a Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA) implemented on a Geographic Information System (GIS), whereas the allocation workflow is based on a multiple-parameter ranking analysis. When compared to other similar models, improvement comes with the flexible weights of MCA and the entire allocation workflow. The method is tested in a contaminated watershed (the Ave River basin) located in Portugal. The pilot project encompasses the irrigation of a 400 ha crop land that consumes 2.69 Mm3 of water per year. The application of harvested water in the irrigation replaces the use of stream water with excessive anthropogenic nutrients that may raise nitrosamines in the food and accumulation in the food chain, with severe consequences to human health (cancer). The selected rainfall collection catchment is capable to harvest 12 Mm3·yr-1 (≈ 4.5 × the requirement) and is roughly 3 km far from the application area assuring crop irrigation by gravity flow with modest transport costs. The RWH system is an 8-meter high that can be built in earth with reduced costs.

Application and Development of Appropriate Tools and Technologies for Cost-Effective Carbon Sequestration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bill Stanley; Sandra Brown; Patrick Gonzalez

2004-07-10

The Nature Conservancy is participating in a Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to explore the compatibility of carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity. The title of the research project is ''Application and Development of Appropriate Tools and Technologies for Cost-Effective Carbon Sequestration''. The objectives of the project are to: (1) improve carbon offset estimates produced in both the planning and implementation phases of projects; (2) build valid and standardized approaches to estimate project carbon benefits at a reasonable cost; and (3) lay the groundwork for implementing cost-effective projects,more » providing new testing ground for biodiversity protection and restoration projects that store additional atmospheric carbon. This Technical Progress Report discusses preliminary results of the six specific tasks that The Nature Conservancy is undertaking to answer research needs while facilitating the development of real projects with measurable greenhouse gas impacts. The research described in this report occurred between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2003. The specific tasks discussed include: Task 1: carbon inventory advancements; Task 2: remote sensing for carbon analysis; Task 3: baseline method development; Task 4: third-party technical advisory panel meetings; Task 5: new project feasibility studies; and Task 6: development of new project software screening tool.« less

Agroforestry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The impacts of agroforestry systems (AFS) on soil management in temperate, subtropical, and tropical biomes support the beneficial, holistic role of tree components in agricultural land-use systems. Compared to annual monocultures, AFS can enhance several soil physical properties improving soil resi...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jacobs, G.K.

ORNL, through The Consortium for Research on Enhancing Carbon Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems (CSiTE), collaborated with The Village Botanica, Inc. (VB) on a project investigating carbon sequestration in soils and commercial products from a new sustainable crop developed from perennial Hibiscus spp. Over 500 pre-treated samples were analyzed for soil carbon content. ORNL helped design a sampling scheme for soils during the planting phase of the project. Samples were collected and prepared by VB and analyzed for carbon content by ORNL. The project did not progress to a Phase II proposal because VB declined to prepare the required proposal.

Diversity and Communities of Foliar Endophytic Fungi from Different Agroecosystems of Coffea arabica L. in Two Regions of Veracruz, Mexico

PubMed Central

Saucedo-García, Aurora; Anaya, Ana Luisa; Espinosa-García, Francisco J.; González, María C.

2014-01-01

Over the past 20 years, the biodiversity associated with shaded coffee plantations and the role of diverse agroforestry types in biodiversity conservation and environmental services have been topics of debate. Endophytic fungi, which are microorganisms that inhabit plant tissues in an asymptomatic manner, form a part of the biodiversity associated with coffee plants. Studies on the endophytic fungi communities of cultivable host plants have shown variability among farming regions; however, the variability in fungal endophytic communities of coffee plants among different coffee agroforestry systems is still poorly understood. As such, we analyzed the diversity and communities of foliar endophytic fungi inhabiting Coffea arabica plants growing in the rustic plantations and simple polycultures of two regions in the center of Veracruz, Mexico. The endophytic fungi isolates were identified by their morphological traits, and the majority of identified species correspond to species of fungi previously reported as endophytes of coffee leaves. We analyzed and compared the colonization rates, diversity, and communities of endophytes found in the different agroforestry systems and in the different regions. Although the endophytic diversity was not fully recovered, we found differences in the abundance and diversity of endophytes among the coffee regions and differences in richness between the two different agroforestry systems of each region. No consistent pattern of community similarity was found between the coffee agroforestry systems, but we found that rustic plantations shared the highest number of morphospecies. The results suggest that endophyte abundance, richness, diversity, and communities may be influenced predominantly by coffee region, and to a lesser extent, by the agroforestry system. Our results contribute to the knowledge of the relationships between agroforestry systems and biodiversity conservation and provide information regarding some endophytic fungi and their communities as potential management tools against coffee plant pests and pathogens. PMID:24887512

Diversity and communities of foliar endophytic fungi from different agroecosystems of Coffea arabica L. in two regions of Veracruz, Mexico.

PubMed

Saucedo-García, Aurora; Anaya, Ana Luisa; Espinosa-García, Francisco J; González, María C

2014-01-01

Over the past 20 years, the biodiversity associated with shaded coffee plantations and the role of diverse agroforestry types in biodiversity conservation and environmental services have been topics of debate. Endophytic fungi, which are microorganisms that inhabit plant tissues in an asymptomatic manner, form a part of the biodiversity associated with coffee plants. Studies on the endophytic fungi communities of cultivable host plants have shown variability among farming regions; however, the variability in fungal endophytic communities of coffee plants among different coffee agroforestry systems is still poorly understood. As such, we analyzed the diversity and communities of foliar endophytic fungi inhabiting Coffea arabica plants growing in the rustic plantations and simple polycultures of two regions in the center of Veracruz, Mexico. The endophytic fungi isolates were identified by their morphological traits, and the majority of identified species correspond to species of fungi previously reported as endophytes of coffee leaves. We analyzed and compared the colonization rates, diversity, and communities of endophytes found in the different agroforestry systems and in the different regions. Although the endophytic diversity was not fully recovered, we found differences in the abundance and diversity of endophytes among the coffee regions and differences in richness between the two different agroforestry systems of each region. No consistent pattern of community similarity was found between the coffee agroforestry systems, but we found that rustic plantations shared the highest number of morphospecies. The results suggest that endophyte abundance, richness, diversity, and communities may be influenced predominantly by coffee region, and to a lesser extent, by the agroforestry system. Our results contribute to the knowledge of the relationships between agroforestry systems and biodiversity conservation and provide information regarding some endophytic fungi and their communities as potential management tools against coffee plant pests and pathogens.

Traditional agroforestry practices in Atlantic Nicaragua promote biodiversity and natural resource diversity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sistla, S.; Roddy, A. B.; Williams, N. E.; Kramer, D.; Stevens, K.; Allison, S. D.

2016-12-01

The conversion of forest to pasture and other agricultural uses has increased interest in the role that small-scale agroforestry systems can play in linking sustainable agriculture to biodiversity conservation, particularly in rapidly developing areas of the tropics. Complementing the provisioning of natural resources (i.e. food, medicine, lumber), agroforestry systems tend to maintain higher levels of biodiversity and greater biomass than lower diversity crop or pasture systems. Greater plant diversity may also enhance soil quality, further supporting agricultural productivity in nutrient-limited tropical systems. We studied the relationships between plant diversity (including species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and natural resource diversity), and soil quality within pasture, agroforest, and secondary forest: three common land use types maintained by small-scale farmers in the Pearl Lagoon Basin, Nicaragua. The area is undergoing accelerated globalization following the 2007 completion of the region's first major road; a change which is expected to increase forest conversion for agriculture. However, farmer agrobiodiversity maintenance in the Basin was previously found to be positively correlated with affiliation to local agricultural NGOs through the maintenance of agroforestry systems, despite these farmers residing in the communities closest to the new road, highlighting the potential for maintaining diverse agroforestry agricultural strategies despite heightened globalization pressures. We found that agroforestry sites tended to have higher surface soil %C, %N, and pH relative to neighboring to secondary forest, while maintaining comparable plant diversity. In contrast, pasture reduced species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and natural resource diversity. No significant relationships were found between plant diversity and the soil properties assessed; however higher species richness and phylodiversity was positively correlated with natural resource diversity. These finding suggest that small, diversified agroforestry systems may be a viable strategy for promoting both social and ecological functions in eastern Nicaragua and other rapidly developing areas of the tropics.

Agroforestry versus farm mosaic systems - Comparing land-use efficiency, economic returns and risks under climate change effects.

PubMed

Paul, Carola; Weber, Michael; Knoke, Thomas

2017-06-01

Increasing land-use conflicts call for the development of land-use systems that reconcile agricultural production with the provisioning of multiple ecosystem services, including climate change mitigation. Agroforestry has been suggested as a global solution to increase land-use efficiency, while reducing environmental impacts and economic risks for farmers. Past research has often focused on comparing tree-crop combinations with agricultural monocultures, but agroforestry has seldom been systematically compared to other forms of land-use diversification, including a farm mosaic. This form of diversification mixes separate parcels of different land uses within the farm. The objective of this study was to develop a modelling approach to compare the performance of the agroforestry and farm mosaic diversification strategies, accounting for tree-crop interaction effects and economic and climate uncertainty. For this purpose, Modern Portfolio Theory and risk simulation were coupled with the process-based biophysical simulation model WaNuLCAS 4.0. For an example application, we used data from a field trial in Panama. The results show that the simulated agroforestry systems (Taungya, alley cropping and border planting) could outperform a farm mosaic approach in terms of cumulative production and return. Considering market and climate uncertainty, agroforestry showed an up to 21% higher economic return at the same risk level (i.e. standard deviation of economic returns). Farm compositions with large shares of land allocated to maize cultivation were also more severely affected by an increasing drought frequency in terms of both risks and returns. Our study demonstrates that agroforestry can be an economically efficient diversification strategy, but only if the design allows for economies of scope, beneficial interactions between trees and crops and higher income diversification compared to a farm mosaic. The modelling approach can make an important contribution to support land-use decisions at the farm level and reduce land-use conflicts at the landscape level. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Statistical considerations for agroforestry studies

Treesearch

James A. Baldwin

1993-01-01

Statistical topics that related to agroforestry studies are discussed. These included study objectives, populations of interest, sampling schemes, sample sizes, estimation vs. hypothesis testing, and P-values. In addition, a relatively new and very much improved histogram display is described.

Impacts of public policies and farmer preferences on agroforestry practices in Kerala, India.

PubMed

Guillerme, S; Kumar, B M; Menon, A; Hinnewinkel, C; Maire, E; Santhoshkumar, A V

2011-08-01

Agroforestry systems are fundamental features of the rural landscape of the Indian state of Kerala. Yet these mixed species systems are increasingly being replaced by monocultures. This paper explores how public policies on land tenure, agriculture, forestry and tree growing on private lands have interacted with farmer preferences in shaping land use dynamics and agroforestry practices. It argues that not only is there no specific policy for agroforestry in Kerala, but also that the existing sectoral policies of land tenure, agriculture, and forestry contributed to promoting plantation crops, even among marginal farmers. Forest policies, which impose restrictions on timber extraction from farmers' fields under the garb of protecting natural forests, have often acted as a disincentive to maintaining tree-based mixed production systems on farmlands. The paper argues that public policies interact with farmers' preferences in determining land use practices.

Geophysical monitoring technology for CO2 sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Jin-Feng; Li, Lin; Wang, Hao-Fan; Tan, Ming-You; Cui, Shi-Ling; Zhang, Yun-Yin; Qu, Zhi-Peng; Jia, Ling-Yun; Zhang, Shu-Hai

2016-06-01

Geophysical techniques play key roles in the measuring, monitoring, and verifying the safety of CO2 sequestration and in identifying the efficiency of CO2-enhanced oil recovery. Although geophysical monitoring techniques for CO2 sequestration have grown out of conventional oil and gas geophysical exploration techniques, it takes a long time to conduct geophysical monitoring, and there are many barriers and challenges. In this paper, with the initial objective of performing CO2 sequestration, we studied the geophysical tasks associated with evaluating geological storage sites and monitoring CO2 sequestration. Based on our review of the scope of geophysical monitoring techniques and our experience in domestic and international carbon capture and sequestration projects, we analyzed the inherent difficulties and our experiences in geophysical monitoring techniques, especially, with respect to 4D seismic acquisition, processing, and interpretation.

Study on the methodology of road carbon sink forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Lijuan; Zhang, Yi; Cheng, Dongxiang; Huang, Yanan

2017-01-01

Advanced concepts of forest carbon sink and forestry carbon sequestration are introduced in road carbon sink forest project and the measurement and carbon monitoring of road carbon sink forest are explored. Experience and technology are accumulated and a set of the carbon sequestration forestation and carbon measurement and monitoring technology systems on both sides of road are formed. To update the green concept, improve the forestation quality along road and to enhanced sequestration and ecological efficiency, it is important to realize the traffic low carbon and energy saving and emission reduction. To use scientific planting and monitoring methods, soil properties, carbon sequestration of soil organic carbon pool, and carbon sequestration capacity of different species of trees were studied and monitored. High carbon sequestration species selection, silvicultural management, measurement of carbon sink and carbon monitoring are explored.

Tradeoffs between income, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning during tropical rainforest conversion and agroforestry intensification

PubMed Central

Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf; Kessler, Michael; Barkmann, Jan; Bos, Merijn M.; Buchori, Damayanti; Erasmi, Stefan; Faust, Heiko; Gerold, Gerhard; Glenk, Klaus; Gradstein, S. Robbert; Guhardja, Edi; Harteveld, Marieke; Hertel, Dietrich; Höhn, Patrick; Kappas, Martin; Köhler, Stefan; Leuschner, Christoph; Maertens, Miet; Marggraf, Rainer; Migge-Kleian, Sonja; Mogea, Johanis; Pitopang, Ramadhaniel; Schaefer, Matthias; Schwarze, Stefan; Sporn, Simone G.; Steingrebe, Andrea; Tjitrosoedirdjo, Sri S.; Tjitrosoemito, Soekisman; Twele, André; Weber, Robert; Woltmann, Lars; Zeller, Manfred; Tscharntke, Teja

2007-01-01

Losses of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning due to rainforest destruction and agricultural intensification are prime concerns for science and society alike. Potentially, ecosystems show nonlinear responses to land-use intensification that would open management options with limited ecological losses but satisfying economic gains. However, multidisciplinary studies to quantify ecological losses and socioeconomic tradeoffs under different management options are rare. Here, we evaluate opposing land use strategies in cacao agroforestry in Sulawesi, Indonesia, by using data on species richness of nine plant and animal taxa, six related ecosystem functions, and on socioeconomic drivers of agroforestry expansion. Expansion of cacao cultivation by 230% in the last two decades was triggered not only by economic market mechanisms, but also by rarely considered cultural factors. Transformation from near-primary forest to agroforestry had little effect on overall species richness, but reduced plant biomass and carbon storage by ≈75% and species richness of forest-using species by ≈60%. In contrast, increased land use intensity in cacao agroforestry, coupled with a reduction in shade tree cover from 80% to 40%, caused only minor quantitative changes in biodiversity and maintained high levels of ecosystem functioning while doubling farmers' net income. However, unshaded systems further increased income by ≈40%, implying that current economic incentives and cultural preferences for new intensification practices put shaded systems at risk. We conclude that low-shade agroforestry provides the best available compromise between economic forces and ecological needs. Certification schemes for shade-grown crops may provide a market-based mechanism to slow down current intensification trends. PMID:17360392

Tradeoffs between income, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning during tropical rainforest conversion and agroforestry intensification.

PubMed

Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf; Kessler, Michael; Barkmann, Jan; Bos, Merijn M; Buchori, Damayanti; Erasmi, Stefan; Faust, Heiko; Gerold, Gerhard; Glenk, Klaus; Gradstein, S Robbert; Guhardja, Edi; Harteveld, Marieke; Hertel, Dietrich; Höhn, Patrick; Kappas, Martin; Köhler, Stefan; Leuschner, Christoph; Maertens, Miet; Marggraf, Rainer; Migge-Kleian, Sonja; Mogea, Johanis; Pitopang, Ramadhaniel; Schaefer, Matthias; Schwarze, Stefan; Sporn, Simone G; Steingrebe, Andrea; Tjitrosoedirdjo, Sri S; Tjitrosoemito, Soekisman; Twele, André; Weber, Robert; Woltmann, Lars; Zeller, Manfred; Tscharntke, Teja

2007-03-20

Losses of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning due to rainforest destruction and agricultural intensification are prime concerns for science and society alike. Potentially, ecosystems show nonlinear responses to land-use intensification that would open management options with limited ecological losses but satisfying economic gains. However, multidisciplinary studies to quantify ecological losses and socioeconomic tradeoffs under different management options are rare. Here, we evaluate opposing land use strategies in cacao agroforestry in Sulawesi, Indonesia, by using data on species richness of nine plant and animal taxa, six related ecosystem functions, and on socioeconomic drivers of agroforestry expansion. Expansion of cacao cultivation by 230% in the last two decades was triggered not only by economic market mechanisms, but also by rarely considered cultural factors. Transformation from near-primary forest to agroforestry had little effect on overall species richness, but reduced plant biomass and carbon storage by approximately 75% and species richness of forest-using species by approximately 60%. In contrast, increased land use intensity in cacao agroforestry, coupled with a reduction in shade tree cover from 80% to 40%, caused only minor quantitative changes in biodiversity and maintained high levels of ecosystem functioning while doubling farmers' net income. However, unshaded systems further increased income by approximately 40%, implying that current economic incentives and cultural preferences for new intensification practices put shaded systems at risk. We conclude that low-shade agroforestry provides the best available compromise between economic forces and ecological needs. Certification schemes for shade-grown crops may provide a market-based mechanism to slow down current intensification trends.

Road-testing the outreach best practices manual: Applicability for implementation of the development phase projects by the regional carbon sequestration partnerships

USGS Publications Warehouse

Daly, D.; Bradbury, J.; Garrett, G.; Greenberg, S.; Myhre, R.; Peterson, T.; Tollefson, L.; Wade, S.; Sacuta, N.

2011-01-01

Geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) storage verification tests by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) seven Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs) provided the experience base for the Public Outreach and Education for Carbon Storage Projects, a best practices manual, published in December 2009. This paper summarizes these outreach best practices; discusses their application in Aquistorc, a grcenficld CO2 storage project under way in western Canada; and reviews the implications for applying the best practices to new projects during the Development Phase of the DOE's RCSP Program. ?? 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Enhanced biodiversity and pollination in UK agroforestry systems.

PubMed

Varah, Alexa; Jones, Hannah; Smith, Jo; Potts, Simon G

2013-07-01

Monoculture farming systems have had serious environmental impacts such as loss of biodiversity and pollinator decline. The authors explain how temperate agroforestry systems show potential in being able to deliver multiple environmental benefits. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Synergy of agroforestry and bottomland hardwood afforestation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Twedt, D.J.; Portwood, J.; Clason, Terry R.

2003-01-01

Afforestation of bottomland hardwood forests has historically emphasized planting heavy-seeded tree species such as oak (Quercus spp.) and pecan (Caryaillinoensis) with little or no silvicultural management during stand development. Slow growth of these tree species, herbivory, competing vegetation, and limited seed dispersal, often result in restored sites that are slow to develop vertical vegetation structure and have limited tree diversity. Where soils and hydrology permit, agroforestry can provide transitional management that mitigates these historical limitations on converting cropland to forests. Planting short-rotation woody crops and intercropping using wide alleyways are two agroforestry practices that are well suited for transitional management. Weed control associated with agroforestry systems benefits planted trees by reducing competition. The resultant decrease in herbaceous cover suppresses small mammal populations and associated herbivory of trees and seeds. As a result, rapid vertical growth is possible that can 'train' under-planted, slower-growing, species and provide favorable environmental conditions for naturally invading trees. Finally, annual cropping of alleyways or rotational pulpwood harvest of woody crops provides income more rapidly than reliance on future revenue from traditional silviculture. Because of increased forest diversity, enhanced growth and development, and improved economic returns, we believe that using agroforestry as a transitional management strategy during afforestation provides greater benefits to landowners and to the environment than does traditional bottomland hardwood afforestation.

Cocoa agroforestry is less resilient to sub-optimal and extreme climate than cocoa in full sun.

PubMed

Abdulai, Issaka; Vaast, Philippe; Hoffmann, Munir P; Asare, Richard; Jassogne, Laurence; Van Asten, Piet; Rötter, Reimund P; Graefe, Sophie

2018-01-01

Cocoa agroforestry is perceived as potential adaptation strategy to sub-optimal or adverse environmental conditions such as drought. We tested this strategy over wet, dry and extremely dry periods comparing cocoa in full sun with agroforestry systems: shaded by (i) a leguminous tree species, Albizia ferruginea and (ii) Antiaris toxicaria, the most common shade tree species in the region. We monitored micro-climate, sap flux density, throughfall, and soil water content from November 2014 to March 2016 at the forest-savannah transition zone of Ghana with climate and drought events during the study period serving as proxy for projected future climatic conditions in marginal cocoa cultivation areas of West Africa. Combined transpiration of cocoa and shade trees was significantly higher than cocoa in full sun during wet and dry periods. During wet period, transpiration rate of cocoa plants shaded by A. ferruginea was significantly lower than cocoa under A. toxicaria and full sun. During the extreme drought of 2015/16, all cocoa plants under A. ferruginea died. Cocoa plants under A. toxicaria suffered 77% mortality and massive stress with significantly reduced sap flux density of 115 g cm -2  day -1 , whereas cocoa in full sun maintained higher sap flux density of 170 g cm -2  day -1 . Moreover, cocoa sap flux recovery after the extreme drought was significantly higher in full sun (163 g cm -2  day -1 ) than under A. toxicaria (37 g cm -2  day -1 ). Soil water content in full sun was higher than in shaded systems suggesting that cocoa mortality in the shaded systems was linked to strong competition for soil water. The present results have major implications for cocoa cultivation under climate change. Promoting shade cocoa agroforestry as drought resilient system especially under climate change needs to be carefully reconsidered as shade tree species such as the recommended leguminous A. ferruginea constitute major risk to cocoa functioning under extended severe drought. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sarmiento, Jorge L.; Chavez, Francisco; Maltrud, Matthew

The purpose of this proposal was to fund a workshop to bring together the principal investigators of all the projects that were being funded under the DOE ocean carbon sequestration research program. The primary goal of the workshop was to interchange research results, to discuss ongoing research, and to identify future research priorities. In addition, we hoped to encourage the development of synergies and collaborations between the projects and to write an EOS article summarizing the results of the meeting. Appendix A summarizes the plan of the workshop as originally proposed, Appendix B lists all the principal investigators who weremore » able to attend the workshop, Appendix C shows the meeting agenda, and Appendix D lists all the abstracts that were provided prior to the meeting. The primary outcome of the meeting was a decision to write two papers for the reviewed literature on carbon sequestration by iron fertilization, and on carbon sequestration by deep sea injection and to examine the possibility of an overview article in EOS on the topic of ocean carbon sequestration.« less

A Review of CO2 Sequestration Projects and Application in China

PubMed Central

Tang, Yong; Yang, Ruizhi; Bian, Xiaoqiang

2014-01-01

In 2008, the top CO2 emitters were China, United States, and European Union. The rapid growing economy and the heavy reliance on coal in China give rise to the continued growth of CO2 emission, deterioration of anthropogenic climate change, and urgent need of new technologies. Carbon Capture and sequestration is one of the effective ways to provide reduction of CO2 emission and mitigation of pollution. Coal-fired power plants are the focus of CO2 source supply due to their excessive emission and the energy structure in China. And over 80% of the large CO2 sources are located nearby storage reservoirs. In China, the CO2 storage potential capacity is of about 3.6 × 109 t for all onshore oilfields; 30.483 × 109 t for major gas fields between 900 m and 3500 m of depth; 143.505 × 109 t for saline aquifers; and 142.67 × 109 t for coal beds. On the other hand, planation, soil carbon sequestration, and CH4–CO2 reforming also contribute a lot to carbon sequestration. This paper illustrates some main situations about CO2 sequestration applications in China with the demonstration of several projects regarding different ways of storage. It is concluded that China possesses immense potential and promising future of CO2 sequestration. PMID:25302323

Application and Development of Appropriate Tools and Technologies for Cost-Effective Carbon Sequestration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bill Stanley; Patrick Gonzalez; Sandra Brown

2005-10-01

The Nature Conservancy is participating in a Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to explore the compatibility of carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity. The title of the research project is ''Application and Development of Appropriate Tools and Technologies for Cost-Effective Carbon Sequestration''. The objectives of the project are to: (1) improve carbon offset estimates produced in both the planning and implementation phases of projects; (2) build valid and standardized approaches to estimate project carbon benefits at a reasonable cost; and (3) lay the groundwork for implementing cost-effective projects,more » providing new testing ground for biodiversity protection and restoration projects that store additional atmospheric carbon. This Technical Progress Report discusses preliminary results of the six specific tasks that The Nature Conservancy is undertaking to answer research needs while facilitating the development of real projects with measurable greenhouse gas reductions. The research described in this report occurred between April 1st , 2005 and June 30th, 2005. The specific tasks discussed include: Task 1: carbon inventory advancements; Task 2: emerging technologies for remote sensing of terrestrial carbon; Task 3: baseline method development; Task 4: third-party technical advisory panel meetings; Task 5: new project feasibility studies; and Task 6: development of new project software screening tool.« less

Application and Development of Appropriate Tools and Technologies for Cost-Effective Carbon Sequestration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bill Stanley; Patrick Gonzalez; Sandra Brown

2006-01-01

The Nature Conservancy is participating in a Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to explore the compatibility of carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity. The title of the research project is ''Application and Development of Appropriate Tools and Technologies for Cost-Effective Carbon Sequestration''. The objectives of the project are to: (1) improve carbon offset estimates produced in both the planning and implementation phases of projects; (2) build valid and standardized approaches to estimate project carbon benefits at a reasonable cost; and (3) lay the groundwork for implementing cost-effective projects,more » providing new testing ground for biodiversity protection and restoration projects that store additional atmospheric carbon. This Technical Progress Report discusses preliminary results of the six specific tasks that The Nature Conservancy is undertaking to answer research needs while facilitating the development of real projects with measurable greenhouse gas reductions. The research described in this report occurred between April 1st , 2005 and June 30th, 2005. The specific tasks discussed include: Task 1: carbon inventory advancements; Task 2: emerging technologies for remote sensing of terrestrial carbon; Task 3: baseline method development; Task 4: third-party technical advisory panel meetings; Task 5: new project feasibility studies; and Task 6: development of new project software screening tool.« less

Longleaf pine agroforestry

Treesearch

Kristina Connor; Rebecca Barlow; Luben Dimov; Mark Smith

2012-01-01

While ecosystem restoration of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) forests represents a worthy ideal, it is not always a practical alternative for landowners. Agroforestry systems, which can be developed in existing agricultural land, natural forest stands, plantations, or pasturelands, offer the opportunity to provide multiple benefits: high value...

Greenhouse gas emissions in an agroforestry system in the southeastern USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agroforestry systems may provide diverse ecosystem services and economic benefits that conventional agriculture cannot, e.g. potentially mitigating greenhouse gas emissions by enhancing nutrient cycling, since tree roots can capture nutrients not taken up by crops. However, greenhouse gas emission ...

JPRS Report, China

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-06-09

in the suburbs of Beijing. But they must be made more productive, said Bai Youguang, director of Beijing’s municipal government’s Agroforestry ...prises, building materials and the textiles and garments industry," said Zhuang Peiwei, an official with the municipal government’s Agroforestry

State and Regional Control of Geological Carbon Sequestration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reitze, Arnold; Durrant, Marie

2011-03-01

The United States has economically recoverable coal reserves of about 261 billion tons, which is in excess of a 250-­year supply based on 2009 consumption rates. However, in the near future the use of coal may be legally restricted because of concerns over the effects of its combustion on atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. Carbon capture and geologic sequestration offer one method to reduce carbon emissions from coal and other hydrocarbon energy production. While the federal government is providing increased funding for carbon capture and sequestration, recent congressional legislative efforts to create a framework for regulating carbon emissions have failed. However,more » regional and state bodies have taken significant actions both to regulate carbon and facilitate its capture and sequestration. This article explores how regional bodies and state government are addressing the technical and legal problems that must be resolved in order to have a viable carbon sequestration program. Several regional bodies have formed regulations and model laws that affect carbon capture and storage, and three bodies comprising twenty-three states—the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the Midwest Regional Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord, and the Western Climate initiative—have cap-­and-trade programs in various stages of development. State property, land use and environmental laws affect the development and implementation of carbon capture and sequestration projects, and unless federal standards are imposed, state laws on torts and renewable portfolio requirements will directly affect the liability and viability of these projects. This paper examines current state laws and legislative efforts addressing carbon capture and sequestration.« less

SUBSURFACE PROPERTY RIGHTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR GEOLOGIC CO2 SEQUESTRATION

EPA Science Inventory

The chapter discusses subsurface property rights as they apply to geologic sequestration (GS) of carbon dioxide (CO2). GS projects inject captured CO2 into deep (greater than ~1 km) geologic formations for the explicit purpose of avoiding atmospheric emission of CO2. Because of t...

Agroforestry management in vineyards: effects on soil microbial communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montagne, Virginie; Nowak, Virginie; Guilland, Charles; Gontier, Laure; Dufourcq, Thierry; Guenser, Josépha; Grimaldi, Juliette; Bourgade, Emilie; Ranjard, Lionel

2017-04-01

Some vineyard practices (tillage, chemical weeding or pest management) are generally known to impact the environment with particular negative effects on the diversity and the abundance of soil microorganisms, and cause water and soil pollutions. In an agro-ecological context, innovative cropping systems have been developed to improve ecosystem services. Among them, agroforestry offers strategies of sustainable land management practices. It consists in intercropping trees with annual/perennial/fodder crop on the same plot but it is weakly referenced with grapevine. The present study assesses the effects of intercropped and neighbouring trees on the soil of three agroforestry vineyards, in south-western France regions. More precisely soils of the different plots were sampled and the impact of the distance to the tree or to the neighbouring trees (forest) on soil microbial community has been considered. Indigenous soil microbial communities were characterized by a metagenomic approach that consisted in extracting the molecular microbial biomass, then in calculating the soil fungi/bacteria ratio - obtained by qPCR - and then in characterizing the soil microbial diversity - through Illumina sequencing of 16S and 18S regions. Our results showed a significant difference between the soil of agroforestry vineyards and the soil sampled in the neighbouring forest in terms of microbial abundance and diversity. However, only structure and composition of bacterial community seem to be influenced by the implanted trees in the vine plots. In addition, the comparison of microbial co-occurrence networks between vine and forest plots as well as inside vine plots according to distance to the tree allow revealing a more sensitive impact of agroforestry practices. Altogether, the results we obtained build up the first references for concerning the soil of agroforestry vineyards which will be interpreted in terms of soil quality, functioning and sustainability.

General considerations in testing and evaluating crop varieties for agroforestry systems

Treesearch

Lolita N. Ragus

1993-01-01

Introduction of new crops in agroforestry is often suggested as a way to improve productivity. This paper provides general guidelines in selecting companion plant combinations and general considerations in evaluating, testing, naming, maintaining genetic purity and distributing crop varieties to farmers.

Agroforestry systems for bioenergy in the southeastern USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agricultural landscapes are an important component of a biofuel strategy to develop energy independence. Agroforestry systems offer an opportunity to produce both food and biofuel feedstocks from the same land area. Such a strategy could improve numerous ecosystem services more so than either of t...

Greenhouse gas emissions in an agroforestry system in the southeastern U.S.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agroforestry systems can provide diverse ecosystem services and economic benefits that conventional farming practices cannot. Importantly, these systems have the potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the need for external inputs, enhancing nutrient cycling and promoting C seques...

The timing and importance of arboriculture and agroforestry in a temperate East Polynesia Society, the Moriori, Rekohu (Chatham Island)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maxwell, Justin J.; Howarth, Jamie D.; Vandergoes, Marcus J.; Jacobsen, Geraldine E.; Barber, Ian G.

2016-10-01

Identifying arboriculture and agroforestry in Polynesian Societies has usually relied heavily upon the ethnographic record in the absence of direct archaeological evidence. In this paper we outline a multi-proxy research design, including ethnography, palynology, anthracology, archaeology and a high precision chronology to evaluate arboriculture and agroforestry as components of Moriori subsistence practices before the arrival of Europeans in 1791. The colonisers of Rekohu brought with them a mainland New Zealand endemic tree, Corynocarpus laevigatus, and the technology to propagate the tree in a less than ideal climate and to process its drupe into a storable source of carbohydrate in what was a difficult environment for Polynesian cultivation practices. We also present a conceptual model of forest change due to Moriori fuel selection practices which suggests that Moriori were actively managing these forest spaces for food, fuel, medicine, construction material and as a habitation space, therefore making agroforestry an important component of Moriori subsistence.

Agroforestry Practices Promote Biodiversity and Natural Resource Diversity in Atlantic Nicaragua.

PubMed

Sistla, Seeta A; Roddy, Adam B; Williams, Nicholas E; Kramer, Daniel B; Stevens, Kara; Allison, Steven D

2016-01-01

Tropical forest conversion to pasture, which drives greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss, remains a pressing socio-ecological challenge. This problem has spurred increased interest in the potential of small-scale agroforestry systems to couple sustainable agriculture with biodiversity conservation, particularly in rapidly developing areas of the tropics. In addition to providing natural resources (i.e. food, medicine, lumber), agroforestry systems have the potential to maintain higher levels of biodiversity and greater biomass than lower diversity crop or pasture systems. Greater plant diversity may also enhance soil quality, further supporting agricultural productivity in nutrient-limited tropical systems. Yet, the nature of these relationships remains equivocal. To better understand how different land use strategies impact ecosystem services, we characterized the relationships between plant diversity (including species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and natural resource diversity), and soil quality within pasture, agroforests, and secondary forests, three common land use types maintained by small-scale farmers in the Pearl Lagoon Basin, Nicaragua. The area is undergoing accelerated globalization following the 2007 completion of the region's first major road; a change which is expected to increase forest conversion for agriculture. However, farmer agrobiodiversity maintenance in the Basin was previously found to be positively correlated with affiliation to local agricultural NGOs through the maintenance of agroforestry systems, despite these farmers residing in the communities closest to the new road, highlighting the potential for maintaining diverse agroforestry agricultural strategies despite heightened globalization pressures. We found that agroforestry sites tended to have higher surface soil %C, %N, and pH relative to neighboring to secondary forest, while maintaining comparable plant diversity. In contrast, pasture reduced species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and natural resource diversity. No significant relationships were found between plant diversity and the soil properties assessed; however higher species richness and phylodiversity was positively correlated with natural resource diversity. These finding suggest that small, diversified agroforestry systems may be a viable strategy for promoting both social and ecological functions in eastern Nicaragua and other rapidly developing areas of the tropics.

Agroforestry Practices Promote Biodiversity and Natural Resource Diversity in Atlantic Nicaragua

PubMed Central

Sistla, Seeta A.; Roddy, Adam B.; Williams, Nicholas E.; Kramer, Daniel B.; Stevens, Kara; Allison, Steven D.

2016-01-01

Tropical forest conversion to pasture, which drives greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss, remains a pressing socio-ecological challenge. This problem has spurred increased interest in the potential of small-scale agroforestry systems to couple sustainable agriculture with biodiversity conservation, particularly in rapidly developing areas of the tropics. In addition to providing natural resources (i.e. food, medicine, lumber), agroforestry systems have the potential to maintain higher levels of biodiversity and greater biomass than lower diversity crop or pasture systems. Greater plant diversity may also enhance soil quality, further supporting agricultural productivity in nutrient-limited tropical systems. Yet, the nature of these relationships remains equivocal. To better understand how different land use strategies impact ecosystem services, we characterized the relationships between plant diversity (including species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and natural resource diversity), and soil quality within pasture, agroforests, and secondary forests, three common land use types maintained by small-scale farmers in the Pearl Lagoon Basin, Nicaragua. The area is undergoing accelerated globalization following the 2007 completion of the region’s first major road; a change which is expected to increase forest conversion for agriculture. However, farmer agrobiodiversity maintenance in the Basin was previously found to be positively correlated with affiliation to local agricultural NGOs through the maintenance of agroforestry systems, despite these farmers residing in the communities closest to the new road, highlighting the potential for maintaining diverse agroforestry agricultural strategies despite heightened globalization pressures. We found that agroforestry sites tended to have higher surface soil %C, %N, and pH relative to neighboring to secondary forest, while maintaining comparable plant diversity. In contrast, pasture reduced species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and natural resource diversity. No significant relationships were found between plant diversity and the soil properties assessed; however higher species richness and phylodiversity was positively correlated with natural resource diversity. These finding suggest that small, diversified agroforestry systems may be a viable strategy for promoting both social and ecological functions in eastern Nicaragua and other rapidly developing areas of the tropics. PMID:27606619

High organic inputs explain shallow and deep SOC storage in a long-term agroforestry system - combining experimental and modeling approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardinael, Rémi; Guenet, Bertrand; Chevallier, Tiphaine; Dupraz, Christian; Cozzi, Thomas; Chenu, Claire

2018-01-01

Agroforestry is an increasingly popular farming system enabling agricultural diversification and providing several ecosystem services. In agroforestry systems, soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks are generally increased, but it is difficult to disentangle the different factors responsible for this storage. Organic carbon (OC) inputs to the soil may be larger, but SOC decomposition rates may be modified owing to microclimate, physical protection, or priming effect from roots, especially at depth. We used an 18-year-old silvoarable system associating hybrid walnut trees (Juglans regia × nigra) and durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum) and an adjacent agricultural control plot to quantify all OC inputs to the soil - leaf litter, tree fine root senescence, crop residues, and tree row herbaceous vegetation - and measured SOC stocks down to 2 m of depth at varying distances from the trees. We then proposed a model that simulates SOC dynamics in agroforestry accounting for both the whole soil profile and the lateral spatial heterogeneity. The model was calibrated to the control plot only. Measured OC inputs to soil were increased by about 40 % (+ 1.11 t C ha-1 yr-1) down to 2 m of depth in the agroforestry plot compared to the control, resulting in an additional SOC stock of 6.3 t C ha-1 down to 1 m of depth. However, most of the SOC storage occurred in the first 30 cm of soil and in the tree rows. The model was strongly validated, properly describing the measured SOC stocks and distribution with depth in agroforestry tree rows and alleys. It showed that the increased inputs of fresh biomass to soil explained the observed additional SOC storage in the agroforestry plot. Moreover, only a priming effect variant of the model was able to capture the depth distribution of SOC stocks, suggesting the priming effect as a possible mechanism driving deep SOC dynamics. This result questions the potential of soils to store large amounts of carbon, especially at depth. Deep-rooted trees modify OC inputs to soil, a process that deserves further study given its potential effects on SOC dynamics.

SUBSURFACE PROPERTY RIGHTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR GEOLOGIC CO2 SEQUESTRATION (PRESENTATION)

EPA Science Inventory

The paper discusses subsurface property rights as they apply to geologic sequestration (GS) of carbon dioxide (CO2). GS projects inject captured CO2 into deep (greater than ~1 km) geologic formations for the explicit purpose of avoiding atmospheric emission of CO2. Because of the...

Soil Quality in a Pecan Agroforestry System is Improved with Intercropped Kura Clover

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Intercropping alleys of agroforestry systems provides an income source until the tree crop produces harvestable yields. However, cultivation of annual crops decreases soil organic matter and increases soil erosion, especially on sloping landscapes. Perennial crops maintain a continuous soil cover, m...

Intercropping with Kura Clover Improves Soil Quality in a Pecan Agroforestry System

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Intercropping the alleys of agroforestry systems provides income until the tree crop begins to yield. However, cultivation of annual crops or intensive herbicidal control of vegetation in the alleys decreases soil organic matter and increases soil erosion, especially on sloping landscapes. Perennial...

A common framework for GHG assessment protocols in temperate agroforestry systems: connecting via GRACEnet

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

There are technical and financial advantages for pursuing agroforestry-derived mitigation and adaptation services simultaneously, with a recognition that carbon (C) payments could assist in supporting the deployment of adaptation strategies (Motocha et al. (2012). However, we lack the repeated/repea...

Indigenous agroforestry in American Samoa

Treesearch

Malala (Mike) Misa; Agnes M. Vargo

1993-01-01

Agroforestry exists in American Samoa as a system where indigenous trees and natural vegetation used for food, fuelwood, crafts and medicine are incorporated with traditional staple crops and livestock on a set piece of land, usually a mountainous slope. Most agroforests are taro-based (Colocasia esculenta). While nutritional, cultural, social,...

Status of microbial diversity in agroforestry systems in Tamil Nadu, India.

PubMed

Radhakrishnan, Srinivasan; Varadharajan, Mohan

2016-06-01

Soil is a complex and dynamic biological system. Agroforestry systems are considered to be an alternative land use option to help and prevent soil degradation, improve soil fertility, microbial diversity, and organic matter status. An increasing interest has emerged with respect to the importance of microbial diversity in soil habitats. The present study deals with the status of microbial diversity in agroforestry systems in Tamil Nadu. Eight soil samples were collected from different fields in agroforestry systems in Cuddalore, Villupuram, Tiruvanamalai, and Erode districts, Tamil Nadu. The number of microorganisms and physico-chemical parameters of soils were quantified. Among different microbial population, the bacterial population was recorded maximum (64%), followed by actinomycetes (23%) and fungi (13%) in different samples screened. It is interesting to note that the microbial population was positively correlated with the physico-chemical properties of different soil samples screened. Total bacterial count had positive correlation with soil organic carbon (C), moisture content, pH, nitrogen (N), and micronutrients such as Iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn). Similarly, the total actinomycete count also showed positive correlations with bulk density, moisture content, pH, C, N, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn). It was also noticed that the soil organic matter, vegetation, and soil nutrients altered the microbial community under agroforestry systems. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Can joint carbon and biodiversity management in tropical agroforestry landscapes be optimized?

PubMed

Kessler, Michael; Hertel, Dietrich; Jungkunst, Hermann F; Kluge, Jürgen; Abrahamczyk, Stefan; Bos, Merijn; Buchori, Damayanti; Gerold, Gerhard; Gradstein, S Robbert; Köhler, Stefan; Leuschner, Christoph; Moser, Gerald; Pitopang, Ramadhanil; Saleh, Shahabuddin; Schulze, Christian H; Sporn, Simone G; Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf; Tjitrosoedirdjo, Sri S; Tscharntke, Teja

2012-01-01

Managing ecosystems for carbon storage may also benefit biodiversity conservation, but such a potential 'win-win' scenario has not yet been assessed for tropical agroforestry landscapes. We measured above- and below-ground carbon stocks as well as the species richness of four groups of plants and eight of animals on 14 representative plots in Sulawesi, Indonesia, ranging from natural rainforest to cacao agroforests that have replaced former natural forest. The conversion of natural forests with carbon stocks of 227-362 Mg C ha(-1) to agroforests with 82-211 Mg C ha(-1) showed no relationships to overall biodiversity but led to a significant loss of forest-related species richness. We conclude that the conservation of the forest-related biodiversity, and to a lesser degree of carbon stocks, mainly depends on the preservation of natural forest habitats. In the three most carbon-rich agroforestry systems, carbon stocks were about 60% of those of natural forest, suggesting that 1.6 ha of optimally managed agroforest can contribute to the conservation of carbon stocks as much as 1 ha of natural forest. However, agroforestry systems had comparatively low biodiversity, and we found no evidence for a tight link between carbon storage and biodiversity. Yet, potential win-win agroforestry management solutions include combining high shade-tree quality which favours biodiversity with cacao-yield adapted shade levels.

[Changes of soil physical properties during the conversion of cropland to agroforestry system].

PubMed

Wang, Lai; Gao, Peng Xiang; Liu, Bin; Zhong, Chong Gao; Hou, Lin; Zhang, Shuo Xin

2017-01-01

To provide theoretical basis for modeling and managing agroforestry systems, the influence of conversion of cropland to agroforestry system on soil physical properties was investigated via a walnut (Juglans regia)-wheat (Triticum aestivum) intercropping system, a wide spreading local agroforestry model in northern Weihe River of loess area, with the walnut and wheat monoculture systems as the control. The results showed that the improvement of the intercropping system on soil physical properties mainly appeared in the 0-40 cm soil layer. The intercropping system could prevent soil bulk density rising in the surface soil (0-20 cm), and the plow pan in the 20-40 cm soil layer could be significantly alleviated. The intercropping system had conti-nuous improvement on soil field capacity in each soil layer with the planting age increase, and the soil field capacity was higher than that of each monoculture system in each soil layer (except 20-40 cm soil layer) since the 5th year after planting. The intercropping system had continuous improvement on soil porosity in each soil layer, but mainly in the 0-20 and 20-40 cm soil layer, and the ratio of capillary porosity was also improved. The soil bulk density, field capacity and soil porosity obtained continuous improvement during the conversion of cropland to agroforestry system, and the improvement on soil physical properties was stronger in shallow soil layer than in deep soil.

Can Joint Carbon and Biodiversity Management in Tropical Agroforestry Landscapes Be Optimized?

PubMed Central

Kessler, Michael; Hertel, Dietrich; Jungkunst, Hermann F.; Kluge, Jürgen; Abrahamczyk, Stefan; Bos, Merijn; Buchori, Damayanti; Gerold, Gerhard; Gradstein, S. Robbert; Köhler, Stefan; Leuschner, Christoph; Moser, Gerald; Pitopang, Ramadhanil; Saleh, Shahabuddin; Schulze, Christian H.; Sporn, Simone G.; Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf; Tjitrosoedirdjo, Sri S.; Tscharntke, Teja

2012-01-01

Managing ecosystems for carbon storage may also benefit biodiversity conservation, but such a potential ‘win-win’ scenario has not yet been assessed for tropical agroforestry landscapes. We measured above- and below-ground carbon stocks as well as the species richness of four groups of plants and eight of animals on 14 representative plots in Sulawesi, Indonesia, ranging from natural rainforest to cacao agroforests that have replaced former natural forest. The conversion of natural forests with carbon stocks of 227–362 Mg C ha−1 to agroforests with 82–211 Mg C ha−1 showed no relationships to overall biodiversity but led to a significant loss of forest-related species richness. We conclude that the conservation of the forest-related biodiversity, and to a lesser degree of carbon stocks, mainly depends on the preservation of natural forest habitats. In the three most carbon-rich agroforestry systems, carbon stocks were about 60% of those of natural forest, suggesting that 1.6 ha of optimally managed agroforest can contribute to the conservation of carbon stocks as much as 1 ha of natural forest. However, agroforestry systems had comparatively low biodiversity, and we found no evidence for a tight link between carbon storage and biodiversity. Yet, potential win-win agroforestry management solutions include combining high shade-tree quality which favours biodiversity with cacao-yield adapted shade levels. PMID:23077569

Enhancing forest carbon sequestration in China: toward an integration of scientific and socio-economic perspectives.

PubMed

Chen, J M; Thomas, S C; Yin, Y; Maclaren, V; Liu, J; Pan, J; Liu, G; Tian, Q; Zhu, Q; Pan, J-J; Shi, X; Xue, J; Kang, E

2007-11-01

This article serves as an introduction to this special issue, "China's Forest Carbon Sequestration", representing major results of a project sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. China occupies a pivotal position globally as a principle emitter of carbon dioxide, as host to some of the world's largest reforestation efforts, and as a key player in international negotiations aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas emission. The goals of this project are to develop remote sensing approaches for quantifying forest carbon balance in China in a transparent manner, and information and tools to support land-use decisions for enhanced carbon sequestration (CS) that are science based and economically and socially viable. The project consists of three components: (i) remote sensing and carbon modeling, (ii) forest and soil assessment, and (iii) integrated assessment of the socio-economic implications of CS via forest management. Articles included in this special issue are highlights of the results of each of these components.

Impact of agroforestry plantings for bioenergy production on soil organic carbon

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Tree windbreaks are an attractive multiple-benefit land use through their ability to mitigate climate change by modifying the local microclimate to improve crop growth and by sequestering carbon in the soil and tree biomass. Recently, such agroforestry practices are also being considered for their b...

Assessment of Professional Training Programmes in International Agricultural Research Institutions: The Case of ICRAF

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wanjiku, Julliet; Mairura, Franklin; Place, Frank

2010-01-01

The following survey was undertaken in 2005 to assess the effectiveness of professional training activities in international agricultural research organizations that were undertaken between 1999 and 2002 at ICRAF (International Centre for Research in Agroforestry), now World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi. Trainees were randomly selected from…

Cacau Cabruca Agroforestry System of Production in Bahia, Brazil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Cacao Cabruca Agroforestry system of production was developed by farmers in Southern Bahia probably in the beginning of the 19th century. To establish such system, farmers in the Atlantic rain forest region selectively maintained around 75 adult individual native trees per hectare, removed the o...

Soil classification and carbon storage in cacao agroforestry farming systems of Bahia, Brazil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Information concerning the classification of soils and their properties under cacao agroforestry systems of the Atlantic rain forest biome region in the Southeast of Bahia Brazil is largely unknown. Soil and climatic conditions in this region are favorable for high soil carbon storage. This study is...

National Food Strategy: Kenya’s Approach to the Problem of Feeding the Nation

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-02-01

intercropping, agroforestry , preven- tion of soil erosion and rural afforestation. The new Arid and Semi Arid Lands Authority (ASAL) will establish irrigation...international organizations such as the International Council for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) has been beneficial. 13 To preserve Kenya’s forests, the

Barriers and Coping Mechanisms Relating to Agroforestry Adoption by Smallholder Farmers in Zimbabwe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chitakira, Munyaradzi; Torquebiau, Emmanuel

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to investigate agroforestry adoption by smallholder farmers in Gutu District, Zimbabwe. Design/Methodology/Approach: The methodology was based on field data collected through household questionnaires, key informant interviews and direct observations. Findings: Major findings reveal that traditional…

Changing human-ecological relationships and drivers using the Quesungual agroforestry system in western Honduras

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The development of sustainable agricultural production systems in the tropics is challenging in part because the local and external conditions that affect sustainability are constantly in flux. The Quesungual Agroforestry System (QSMAS) was developed in response to these changing conditions. The his...

Summary and future directions

Treesearch

Janaki R.R. Alavalapati; D. Evan Mercer

2004-01-01

This chapter summarizes the main results from the preceding chapters, identifies gaps, and provides direction for fbture economics research on agroforestry systems. Although a common theme throughout the 1990s was that economic research on agroforestry continued to lag the advances made in the bio-physical sciences, the wide range of systems, regions, and techniques...

Sequestration of carbon in soil organic matter in Senegal: an overview

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tieszen, Larry L.; Tappan, G. Gray; Toure, A.

2004-01-01

The project focuses on four objectives in specific locations across the agroecological zones of Senegal. These objectives are: use of soil sampling and biogeochemical modeling to quantify the biophysical potential for carbon sequestration and to determine the sensitivity of the carbon stocks to various management and climate scenarios, to evaluate the socio-economic and cultural requirements necessary for successful project implementation directed toward an aggregation of smallholders to sequester around 100,000 t carbon (C), to support capacity building to develop a Carbon Specialist Team, and to initiate extrapolation from site-specific project areas to the Sahel region and the national level.

Geochemical Modeling of Carbon Sequestration, MMV, and EOR in the Illinois Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berger, P.M.; Roy, W.R.; Mehnert, E.

2009-01-01

The Illinois State Geologic Survey is conducting several ongoing CO2 sequestration projects that require geochemical models to gain an understanding of the processes occurring in the subsurface. The ISGS has collected brine and freshwater samples associated with an enhanced oil recovery project in the Loudon oil field. Geochemical modeling allows us to understand reactions with carbonate and silicate minerals in the reservoir, and the effects they have had on brine composition. For the Illinois Basin Decatur project, geochemical models should allow predictions of the reactions that will take place before CO2 injection begins. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technical Progress Report on Application and Development of Appropriate Tools and Technologies for Cost-Effective Carbon Sequestration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bill Stanley; Patrick Gonzalez; Sandra Brown

2006-06-30

The Nature Conservancy is participating in a Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to explore the compatibility of carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity. The title of the research project is ''Application and Development of Appropriate Tools and Technologies for Cost-Effective Carbon Sequestration''. The objectives of the project are to: (1) improve carbon offset estimates produced in both the planning and implementation phases of projects; (2) build valid and standardized approaches to estimate project carbon benefits at a reasonable cost; and (3) lay the groundwork for implementing cost-effective projects,more » providing new testing ground for biodiversity protection and restoration projects that store additional atmospheric carbon. This Technical Progress Report discusses preliminary results of the six specific tasks that The Nature Conservancy is undertaking to answer research needs while facilitating the development of real projects with measurable greenhouse gas reductions. The research described in this report occurred between April 1st and July 30th 2006. The specific tasks discussed include: Task 1: carbon inventory advancements; Task 2: emerging technologies for remote sensing of terrestrial carbon; Task 3: baseline method development; Task 4: third-party technical advisory panel meetings; Task 5: new project feasibility studies; and Task 6: development of new project software screening tool. Work is being carried out in Brazil, Belize, Chile, Peru and the USA.« less

Carbon storage in young growth coast redwood stands

Treesearch

Dryw A. Jones; Kevin A. O' Hara

2012-01-01

Carbon sequestration is an emerging forest management objective within California and around the world. With the passage of the California's Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32) our need to understand the dynamics of carbon sequestration and to accurately measure carbon storage is essential to insure successful implementation of carbon credit projects throughout...

CONSIDERATIONS FOR A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR LARGE-SCALE GEOLOGIC SEQUESTRATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE: A NORTH AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE

EPA Science Inventory

Large scale geologic sequestration (GS) of carbon dioxide poses a novel set of challenges for regulators. This paper focuses on the unique needs of large scale GS projects in light of the existing regulatory regimes in the United States and Canada and identifies several differen...

PNNL Apatite Investigation at 100-NR-2 Quality Assurance Project Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fix, N. J.

In 2004, the U.S. Department of Energy, Fluor Hanford, Inc., Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and the Washington Department of Ecology agreed that the long-term strategy for groundwater remediation at the 100-N Area would include apatite sequestration as the primary treatment, followed by a secondary treatment if necessary. Since then, the agencies have worked together to agree on which apatite sequestration technology has the greatest chance of reducing strontium-90 flux to the Columbia River. This Quality Assurance Project Plan provides the quality assurance requirements and processes that will be followed by staff working on the PNNL Apatite Investigation at 100-NR-2more » Project. The plan is designed to be used exclusively by project staff.« less

Maquoketa Shale Caprock Integrity Evaluation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leetaru, Hannes

2014-09-30

The Knox Project objective is to evaluate the potential of formations within the Cambrian-Ordovician strata above the Mt. Simon Sandstone (St. Peter Sandstone and Potosi Dolomite) as potential targets for carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in the Illinois and Michigan Basins. The suitability of the St. Peter Sandstone and Potosi Dolomite to serve as reservoirs for CO2 sequestration is discussed in separate reports. In this report the data gathered from the Knox project, the Illinois Basin – Decatur Project (IBDP) and Illinois Industrial Carbon Capture and Sequestration project (IL-ICCS) are used to make some conclusions about the suitability of the Maquoketamore » shale as a confining layer for CO2 sequestration. These conclusions are then upscaled to basin-wide inferences based on regional knowledge. Data and interpretations (stratigraphic, petrophysical, fractures, geochemical, risk, seismic) applicable to the Maquoketa Shale from the above mentioned projects was inventoried and summarized. Based on the analysis of these data and interpretations, the Maquoketa Shale is considered to be an effective caprock for a CO2 injection project in either the Potosi Dolomite or St. Peter Sandstone because it has a suitable thickness (~200ft. ~61m), advantageous petrophysical properties (low effective porosity and low permeability), favorable geomechanical properties, an absence of observable fractures and is regionally extensive. Because it is unlikely that CO2 would migrate upward through the Maquoketa Shale, CO2, impact to above lying fresh water aquifers is unlikely. Furthermore, the observations indicate that CO2 injected into the St. Peter Sandstone or Potosi Dolomite may never even migrate up into the Maquoketa Shale at a high enough concentrations or pressure to threaten the integrity of the caprock. Site specific conclusions were reached by unifying the data and conclusions from the IBDP, ICCS and the Knox projects. In the Illinois Basin, as one looks further away from these sites, the formation characteristics are expected to vary. The degree of how well this data can be extrapolated throughout the Basins (regionalized) is difficult to quantify because of the limited amount of data collected on the Maquoketa Shale away from IBDP, IL-ICCS and the Knox projects. Data gathered from the IBDP/IL-ICCS/Knox projects were used to make conclusions about the suitability of the Maquoketa shale as a confining layer for CO2 sequestration. This study indicates that the Maquoketa Shale would be a suitable caprock for a CO2 injection program in either the Potosi Dolomite or St. Peter Sandstone.« less

Subsurface Characterization and Seismic Monitoring for the Southwest Partnerships Phase III Demonstration Project at Farnsworth Field, TX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Will, R. A.; Balch, R. S.

2015-12-01

The Southwest Partnership on Carbon Sequestration is performing seismic based characterization and monitoring activities at an active CO2 EOR project at Farnsworth Field, Texas. CO2 is anthropogenically sourced from a fertilizer and an ethanol plant. The field has 13 CO2 injectors and has sequestered 302,982 metric tonnes of CO2 since October 2013. The field site provides an excellent laboratory for testing a range of monitoring technologies in an operating CO2 flood since planned development is sequential and allows for multiple opportunities to record zero CO2 baseline data, mid-flood data, and fully flooded data. The project is comparing and contrasting several scales of seismic technologies in order to determine best practices for large scale commercial sequestration projects. Characterization efforts include an 85 km2 3D surface seismic survey, baseline and repeat 3D VSP surveys centered on injection wells, cross-well tomography baseline and repeat surveys between injector/producer pairs, and a borehole passive seismic array to monitor induced seismicity. All surveys have contributed to detailed geologic models which were then used for fluid flow and risk assessment simulations. 3D VSP and cross-well data with repeat surveys have allowed for direct comparisons of the reservoir prior to CO2 injection and at eight months into injection, with a goal of imaging the CO2 plume as it moves away from injection wells. Additional repeat surveys at regular intervals will continue to refine the plume. The goal of this work is to demonstrate seismic based technologies to monitor CO2 sequestration projects, and to contribute to best practices manuals for commercial scale CO2 sequestration projects. In this talk the seismic plan will be outlined, progress towards goals enumerated, and preliminary results from baseline and repeat seismic data will be discussed. Funding for this project is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy under Award No. DE-FC26-05NT42591.

Documentation of indigenous Pacific agroforestry systems: a review of methodologies

Treesearch

Bill Raynor

1993-01-01

Recent interest in indigenous agroforestry has led to a need for documentation of these systems. However, previous work is very limited, and few methodologies are well-known or widely accepted. This paper outlines various methodologies (including sampling methods, data to be collected, and considerations in analysis) for documenting structure and productivity of...

Agroforestry systems and valuation methodologies

Treesearch

Janaki R.R. Alavalapati; D. Evan Mercer; Jensen R. Montambault

2004-01-01

Agroforestry, the deliberate integration of trees with agricultural crops andor livestock either simultaneously or sequentially on the same unit of land, has been an established practice for centuries. Throughout the tropics and, to some extent, temperate zones, farmers have a long tradition of retaining trees on their fields and pastures, as well as growing crops or...

Agroforestry: working trees for sequestering carbon on agricultural lands

Treesearch

M.M. Schoeneberger

2008-01-01

Agroforestry is an appealing option for sequestering carbon on agricultural lands because it can sequester significant amounts of carbon while leaving the bulk of the land in agricultural production. Simultaneously, it can help landowners and society address many other issues facing these lands, such as economic diversification, biodiversity, and water quality....

Agroforestry-working trees for sequestering carbon on ag-lands

Treesearch

Michele M. Schoeneberger

2005-01-01

Agroforestry is an appealing option for sequestering carbon on agricultural lands because it can sequester significant amounts of carbon whle leaving the bulk of the land in agricultural production. Simultaneously, it can help landowners and society address many other issues, such as economic diversification, biodiversity, and water quality, facing these lands....

Agroforestry: Enhancing resiliency in U.S. agricultural landscapes under changing conditions - executive summary

Treesearch

Toral Patel-Weynand; Gary Bentrup; Michele M. Schoeneberger

2017-01-01

Agroforestry, the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal production systems, is being deployed to enhance productivity, profitability, and environmental stewardship of agricultural operations and lands across the United States. The full assessment at https://doi.org/10.2737/WO-GTR-96...

Agroforestry adoption in the Calakmul biosphere reserve, Campeche, Mexico

Treesearch

D. Evan Mercer; Jeremy Haggar; Ann Snook; Mauricio Sosa

2005-01-01

Since farmers engage in a complex, dynamic process of learning-by-doing, evaluating economic incentives, and assessing risks in deciding whether to adopt agroforestry systems, a multi-pronged research approach is required for a complete analysis of adoption potential and to develop effective technological and institutional interventions. A case study is presented for...

Resolving Controlled Vocabulary in DITA Markup: A Case Example in Agroforestry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zschocke, Thomas

2012-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to address the issue of matching controlled vocabulary on agroforestry from knowledge organization systems (KOS) and incorporating these terms in DITA markup. The paper has been selected for an extended version from MTSR'11. Design/methodology/approach: After a general description of the steps taken to harmonize controlled…

A review of traditional agroforestry in Micronesia

Treesearch

Harley I. Manner

1993-01-01

For the many Micronesian islands, agroforestry was a sustainable land use system, and an integral component of the traditional subsistence system which provided the people with many of the necessities of life. Given the increasing pressures on limited land resources, the social and environmental problems associated with modern agriculture, particularly its use of...

A model for estimating windbreak carbon within COMET-Farm™

Treesearch

Justin ​Ziegler; Mark Easter; Amy Swan; James Brandle; William Ballesteros; Grant Domke; Adam Chambers; Marlen Eve; Keith Paustian

2016-01-01

Agroforestry as a land management practice presents a method for partially offsetting greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural land. Of all agroforestry practices in the United States, windbreaks in particular are used throughout the United States providing a useful starting point for deriving a modelling systemwhich could quantify the amount of carbon sequestered on...

An indigenous Pacific Island agroforestry system: Pohnpei Island

Treesearch

Bill Raynor; James Fownes

1993-01-01

The indigenous agroforestry system on Pohnpei was studied using circular plots laid out in transect across 57 randomly-selected farms. Data were collected on species and cultivar presence, size, density, frequency, as well as soil type, slope, aspect, and other related information. Through farmer interviews, farm family demographic data was also recorded. Seasonality...

Agroforestry leads to shifts within the gammaproteobacterial microbiome of banana plants cultivated in Central America

PubMed Central

Köberl, Martina; Dita, Miguel; Martinuz, Alfonso; Staver, Charles; Berg, Gabriele

2015-01-01

Bananas (Musa spp.) belong to the most important global food commodities, and their cultivation represents the world's largest monoculture. Although the plant-associated microbiome has substantial influence on plant growth and health, there is a lack of knowledge of the banana microbiome and its influencing factors. We studied the impact of (i) biogeography, and (ii) agroforestry on the banana-associated gammaproteobacterial microbiome analyzing plants grown in smallholder farms in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Profiles of 16S rRNA genes revealed high abundances of Pseudomonadales, Enterobacteriales, Xanthomonadales, and Legionellales. An extraordinary high diversity of the gammaproteobacterial microbiota was observed within the endophytic microenvironments (endorhiza and pseudostem), which was similar in both countries. Enterobacteria were identified as dominant group of above-ground plant parts (pseudostem and leaves). Neither biogeography nor agroforestry showed a statistically significant impact on the gammaproteobacterial banana microbiome in general. However, indicator species for each microenvironment and country, as well as for plants grown in Coffea intercropping systems with and without agri-silvicultural production of different Fabaceae trees (Inga spp. in Nicaragua and Erythrina poeppigiana in Costa Rica) could be identified. For example, banana plants grown in agroforestry systems were characterized by an increase of potential plant-beneficial bacteria, like Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas, and on the other side by a decrease of Erwinia. Hence, this study could show that as a result of legume-based agroforestry the indigenous banana-associated gammaproteobacterial community noticeably shifted. PMID:25717322

Agroforestry leads to shifts within the gammaproteobacterial microbiome of banana plants cultivated in Central America.

PubMed

Köberl, Martina; Dita, Miguel; Martinuz, Alfonso; Staver, Charles; Berg, Gabriele

2015-01-01

Bananas (Musa spp.) belong to the most important global food commodities, and their cultivation represents the world's largest monoculture. Although the plant-associated microbiome has substantial influence on plant growth and health, there is a lack of knowledge of the banana microbiome and its influencing factors. We studied the impact of (i) biogeography, and (ii) agroforestry on the banana-associated gammaproteobacterial microbiome analyzing plants grown in smallholder farms in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Profiles of 16S rRNA genes revealed high abundances of Pseudomonadales, Enterobacteriales, Xanthomonadales, and Legionellales. An extraordinary high diversity of the gammaproteobacterial microbiota was observed within the endophytic microenvironments (endorhiza and pseudostem), which was similar in both countries. Enterobacteria were identified as dominant group of above-ground plant parts (pseudostem and leaves). Neither biogeography nor agroforestry showed a statistically significant impact on the gammaproteobacterial banana microbiome in general. However, indicator species for each microenvironment and country, as well as for plants grown in Coffea intercropping systems with and without agri-silvicultural production of different Fabaceae trees (Inga spp. in Nicaragua and Erythrina poeppigiana in Costa Rica) could be identified. For example, banana plants grown in agroforestry systems were characterized by an increase of potential plant-beneficial bacteria, like Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas, and on the other side by a decrease of Erwinia. Hence, this study could show that as a result of legume-based agroforestry the indigenous banana-associated gammaproteobacterial community noticeably shifted.

Changes in Soil Physical and Chemical Properties in Long Term Improved Natural and Traditional Agroforestry Management Systems of Cacao Genotypes in Peruvian Amazon

PubMed Central

Arévalo-Gardini, Enrique; Canto, Manuel; Alegre, Julio; Loli, Oscar; Julca, Alberto; Baligar, Virupax

2015-01-01

Growing cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) in an agroforestry system generates a productive use of the land, preserves the best conditions for physical, chemical and biological properties of tropical soils, and plays an important role in improving cacao production and fertility of degraded tropical soils. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of two long term agroforestry systems of cacao management on soil physical and chemical properties in an area originally inhabited by 30 years old native secondary forest (SF). The two agroforestry systems adapted were: improved natural agroforestry system (INAS) where trees without economic value were selectively removed to provide 50% shade and improved traditional agroforestry system (ITAS) where all native trees were cut and burnt in the location. For evaluation of the changes of soil physical and chemical properties with time due to the imposed cacao management systems, plots of 10 cacao genotypes (ICS95, UF613, CCN51, ICT1112, ICT1026, ICT2162, ICT2171, ICT2142, H35, U30) and one plot with a spontaneous hybrid were selected. Soil samples were taken at 0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm depths before the installation of the management systems (2004), and then followed at two years intervals. Bulk density, porosity, field capacity and wilting point varied significantly during the years of assessment in the different soil depths and under the systems assessed. Soil pH, CEC, exchangeable Mg and sum of the bases were higher in the INAS than the ITAS. In both systems, SOM, Ext. P, K and Fe, exch. K, Mg and Al+H decreased with years of cultivation; these changes were more evident in the 0-20 cm soil depth. Overall improvement of SOM and soil nutrient status was much higher in the ITAS than INAS. The levels of physical and chemical properties of soil under cacao genotypes showed a marked difference in both systems. PMID:26181053

Changes in soil physical and chemical properties in long term improved natural and traditional agroforestry management systems of cacao genotypes in Peruvian Amazon.

PubMed

Arévalo-Gardini, Enrique; Canto, Manuel; Alegre, Julio; Loli, Oscar; Julca, Alberto; Baligar, Virupax

2015-01-01

Growing cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) in an agroforestry system generates a productive use of the land, preserves the best conditions for physical, chemical and biological properties of tropical soils, and plays an important role in improving cacao production and fertility of degraded tropical soils. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of two long term agroforestry systems of cacao management on soil physical and chemical properties in an area originally inhabited by 30 years old native secondary forest (SF). The two agroforestry systems adapted were: improved natural agroforestry system (INAS) where trees without economic value were selectively removed to provide 50% shade and improved traditional agroforestry system (ITAS) where all native trees were cut and burnt in the location. For evaluation of the changes of soil physical and chemical properties with time due to the imposed cacao management systems, plots of 10 cacao genotypes (ICS95, UF613, CCN51, ICT1112, ICT1026, ICT2162, ICT2171, ICT2142, H35, U30) and one plot with a spontaneous hybrid were selected. Soil samples were taken at 0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm depths before the installation of the management systems (2004), and then followed at two years intervals. Bulk density, porosity, field capacity and wilting point varied significantly during the years of assessment in the different soil depths and under the systems assessed. Soil pH, CEC, exchangeable Mg and sum of the bases were higher in the INAS than the ITAS. In both systems, SOM, Ext. P, K and Fe, exch. K, Mg and Al+H decreased with years of cultivation; these changes were more evident in the 0-20 cm soil depth. Overall improvement of SOM and soil nutrient status was much higher in the ITAS than INAS. The levels of physical and chemical properties of soil under cacao genotypes showed a marked difference in both systems.

Community-based carbon sequestration in East Africa: Linking science and sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hultman, N. E.

2004-12-01

International agreements on climate change have set the stage for an expanding market for greenhouse gas emissions reduction credits. Projects that can generate credits for trading are diverse, but one of the more controversial types involve biological carbon sequestration. For several reasons, most of the activity on these "sinks" projects has been in Latin America and Southeast Asia. Yet people in sub-saharan Africa could benefit from properly implemented projects. This poster will discuss estimates of the potential and risks of such projects in East Africa, and will describe in detail a case study located in central Tanzania and now part of the World Bank's BioCarbon Fund portfolio. Understanding climate variability and risk can effectively link international agreements on climate change, local realities of individual projects, and the characteristics of targeted ecosystems.

Development of Improved Caprock Integrity and Risk Assessment Techniques

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bruno, Michael

GeoMechanics Technologies has completed a geomechanical caprock integrity analysis and risk assessment study funded through the US Department of Energy. The project included: a detailed review of historical caprock integrity problems experienced in the natural gas storage industry; a theoretical description and documentation of caprock integrity issues; advanced coupled transport flow modelling and geomechanical simulation of three large-scale potential geologic sequestration sites to estimate geomechanical effects from CO₂ injection; development of a quantitative risk and decision analysis tool to assess caprock integrity risks; and, ultimately the development of recommendations and guidelines for caprock characterization and CO₂ injection operating practices. Historicalmore » data from gas storage operations and CO₂ sequestration projects suggest that leakage and containment incident risks are on the order of 10-1 to 10-2, which is higher risk than some previous studies have suggested for CO₂. Geomechanical analysis, as described herein, can be applied to quantify risks and to provide operating guidelines to reduce risks. The risk assessment tool developed for this project has been applied to five areas: The Wilmington Graben offshore Southern California, Kevin Dome in Montana, the Louden Field in Illinois, the Sleipner CO₂ sequestration operation in the North Sea, and the In Salah CO₂ sequestration operation in North Africa. Of these five, the Wilmington Graben area represents the highest relative risk while the Kevin Dome area represents the lowest relative risk.« less

Site Development, Operations, and Closure Plan Topical Report 5 An Assessment of Geologic Carbon Sequestration Options in the Illinois Basin. Phase III

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Finley, Robert; Payne, William; Kirksey, Jim

2015-06-01

The Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium (MGSC) has partnered with Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) and Schlumberger Carbon Services to conduct a large-volume, saline reservoir storage project at ADM’s agricultural products processing complex in Decatur, Illinois. The Development Phase project, named the Illinois Basin Decatur Project (IBDP) involves the injection of 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO 2) into a deep saline formation of the Illinois Basin over a three-year period. This report focuses on objectives, execution, and lessons learned/unanticipated results from the site development (relating specifically to surface equipment), operations, and the site closure plan.

Pilot Studies of Geologic and Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration in the Big Sky Region, USA, and Opportunities for Commercial Scale Deployment of New Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waggoner, L. A.; Capalbo, S. M.; Talbott, J.

2007-05-01

Within the Big Sky region, including Montana, Idaho, South Dakota, Wyoming and the Pacific Northwest, industry is developing new coal-fired power plants using the abundant coal and other fossil-based resources. Of crucial importance to future development programs are robust carbon mitigation plans that include a technical and economic assessment of regional carbon sequestration opportunities. The objective of the Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership (BSCSP) is to promote the development of a regional framework and infrastructure required to validate and deploy carbon sequestration technologies. Initial work compiled sources and potential sinks for carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Big Sky Region and developed the online Carbon Atlas. Current efforts couple geologic and terrestrial field validation tests with market assessments, economic analysis and regulatory and public outreach. The primary geological efforts are in the demonstration of carbon storage in mafic/basalt formations, a geology not yet well characterized but with significant long-term storage potential in the region and other parts of the world; and in the Madison Formation, a large carbonate aquifer in Wyoming and Montana. Terrestrial sequestration relies on management practices and technologies to remove atmospheric CO2 to storage in trees, plants, and soil. This indirect sequestration method can be implemented today and is on the front-line of voluntary, market-based approaches to reduce CO2 emissions. Details of pilot projects are presented including: new technologies, challenges and successes of projects and potential for commercial-scale deployment.

Predicting long-term carbon sequestration in response to CO 2 enrichment: How and why do current ecosystem models differ?

DOE PAGES

Walker, Anthony P.; Zaehle, Sönke; Medlyn, Belinda E.; ...

2015-04-27

Large uncertainty exists in model projections of the land carbon (C) sink response to increasing atmospheric CO 2. Free-Air CO 2 Enrichment (FACE) experiments lasting a decade or more have investigated ecosystem responses to a step change in atmospheric CO 2 concentration. To interpret FACE results in the context of gradual increases in atmospheric CO 2 over decades to centuries, we used a suite of seven models to simulate the Duke and Oak Ridge FACE experiments extended for 300 years of CO 2 enrichment. We also determine key modeling assumptions that drive divergent projections of terrestrial C uptake and evaluatemore » whether these assumptions can be constrained by experimental evidence. All models simulated increased terrestrial C pools resulting from CO 2 enrichment, though there was substantial variability in quasi-equilibrium C sequestration and rates of change. In two of two models that assume that plant nitrogen (N) uptake is solely a function of soil N supply, the net primary production response to elevated CO 2 became progressively N limited. In four of five models that assume that N uptake is a function of both soil N supply and plant N demand, elevated CO 2 led to reduced ecosystem N losses and thus progressively relaxed nitrogen limitation. Many allocation assumptions resulted in increased wood allocation relative to leaves and roots which reduced the vegetation turnover rate and increased C sequestration. Additionally, self-thinning assumptions had a substantial impact on C sequestration in two models. As a result, accurate representation of N process dynamics (in particular N uptake), allocation, and forest self-thinning is key to minimizing uncertainty in projections of future C sequestration in response to elevated atmospheric CO 2.« less

Management experiments for high-elevation agroforestry systems jointly producing matsutake mushrooms and high-quality timber in the Cascade Range of southern Oregon.

Treesearch

James F. Weigand

1998-01-01

Experimental prescriptions compare agroforestry systems designed to increase financial returns from high-elevation stands in the southern Oregon Cascade Range. The prescriptions emphasize alternative approaches for joint production of North American matsutake mushrooms (also known as North American pine mushrooms; Tricholoma magnivelare) and high-...

Agroforestry landscapes and global change: landscape ecology tools for management and conservation

Treesearch

Guillermo Martinez Pastur; Emilie Andrieu; Louis R. Iverson; Pablo Luis Peri

2012-01-01

Forest ecosystems are impacted by multiple uses under the influence of global drivers, and where landscape ecology tools may substantially facilitate the management and conservation of the agroforestry ecosystems. The use of landscape ecology tools was described in the eight papers of the present special issue, including changes in forested landscapes due to...

Changes in soil physical and chemical properties in long term improved natural and traditional agroforestry management systems of cacao genotypes in Peruvian Amazon

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Traditional slash and burn agriculture practiced in the Peruvian Amazon region is leading to soil degradation and deforestation of native forest flora. The only way to stop such destructive processes is through the adoptation of sustainable alternatives such as growing crops in agroforestry systems....

Field Note: Standard Web Application for Information Exchange on Agroforestry in India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ajit; Nighat Jabeen; Handa, A. K.; Uma

2008-01-01

Agroforestry (AF)/forestry is no longer an isolated field, with so many developmental activities having links with this sector, and thus the information required to be handled by the researchers all over the world has increased exponentially. This article discusses a website that was developed by the National Research Centre for Agroforestry…

Indexing Soil Conservation: Farmer Perceptions of Agroforestry Benefits

Treesearch

Subhrendu K. Pattanayak; D. Evan Mercer

2002-01-01

Soil erosion poses economic and environmental concerns in many tropical uplands. Agroforestry has been proposed as a sustainable land use that can mitigate soil erosion and promote the economic welfare of small farmers. To evaluate such claims, we must (a) develop a composite measure of effectiveness, such as a soil conservation index, and (b) define it in terms...

Northern California CO 2 Reduction Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hymes, Edward

2010-06-16

C6 Resources LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell Oil Company, worked with the US Department of Energy (DOE) under a Cooperative Agreement to develop the Northern California CO 2 Reduction Project. The objective of the Project is to demonstrate the viability of using Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) to reduce existing greenhouse gas emissions from industrial sources on a large-scale. The Project will capture more than 700,000 metric tonnes of CO 2 per year, which is currently being vented to the atmosphere from the Shell Martinez Refinery in Contra Costa County. The CO 2 will be compressed and dehydratedmore » at the refinery and then transported via pipeline to a sequestration site in a rural area in neighboring Solano County. The CO 2 will be sequestered into a deep saline formation (more than two miles underground) and will be monitored to assure secure, long-term containment. The pipeline will be designed to carry as much as 1,400,000 metric tonnes of CO 2 per year, so additional capacity will be available to accommodate CO 2 captured from other industrial sources. The Project is expected to begin operation in 2015. The Project has two distinct phases. The overall objective of Phase 1 was to develop a fully definitive design basis for the Project. The Cooperative Agreement with the DOE provided cost sharing for Phase 1 and the opportunity to apply for additional DOE cost sharing for Phase 2, comprising the design, construction and operation of the Project. Phase 1 has been completed. DOE co-funding is provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. As prescribed by ARRA, the Project will stimulate the local economy by creating manufacturing, transportation, construction, operations, and management jobs while addressing the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at an accelerated pace. The Project, which will also assist in meeting the CO 2 reduction requirements set forth in California's Climate Change law, presents a major opportunity for both the environment as well as the region. C6 Resources is conducting the Project in collaboration with federally-funded research centers, such as Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and Lawrence Livermore National Lab. C6 Resources and Shell have identified CCS as one of the critical pathways toward a worldwide goal of providing cleaner energy. C6 Resources, in conjunction with the West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (WESTCARB), has conducted an extensive and ongoing public outreach and CCS education program for local, regional and state-wide stakeholders. As part of a long term relationship, C6 Resources will continue to engage directly with community leaders and residents to ensure public input and transparency. This topical report summarizes the technical work from Phase 1 of the Project in the following areas; Surface Facility Preliminary Engineering: summarizes the preliminary engineering work performed for CO 2 capture, CO 2 compression and dehydration at the refinery, and surface facilities at the sequestration site; Pipeline Preliminary Engineering: summarizes the pipeline routing study and preliminary engineering design; Geologic Sequestration: summarizes the work to characterize, model and evaluate the sequestration site; and Monitoring, Verification and Accounting (MVA): summarizes the MVA plan to assure long-term containment of the sequestered CO 2.« less

Development of a Carbon Sequestration Visualization Tool using Google Earth Pro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keating, G. N.; Greene, M. K.

2008-12-01

The Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership seeks to prepare organizations throughout the western United States for a possible carbon-constrained economy. Through the development of CO2 capture and subsurface sequestration technology, the Partnership is working to enable the region to cleanly utilize its abundant fossil energy resources. The intent of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Big Sky Visualization tool is to allow geochemists, geologists, geophysicists, project managers, and other project members to view, identify, and query the data collected from CO2 injection tests using a single data source platform, a mission to which Google Earth Pro is uniquely and ideally suited . The visualization framework enables fusion of data from disparate sources and allows investigators to fully explore spatial and temporal trends in CO2 fate and transport within a reservoir. 3-D subsurface wells are projected above ground in Google Earth as the KML anchor points for the presentation of various surface subsurface data. This solution is the most integrative and cost-effective possible for the variety of users in the Big Sky community.

78 FR 27374 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-10

..., LA, Lake Charles Carbon Capture and Sequestration Project, Comment Period Ends: 06/24/2013, Contact... Project, Exploration and Mine Development, Cibola National Forest, Comment Period Ends: 06/13/2013...

Simulated Local and Remote Biophysical Effects of Afforestation over the Southeast United States in Boreal Summer

Treesearch

Guang-Shan Chen; Michael Notaro; Zhengyu Liu; Yongqiang Liu

2012-01-01

Afforestation has been proposed as a climate change mitigation strategy by sequestrating atmospheric carbon dioxide. With the goal of increasing carbon sequestration, a Congressional project has been planned to afforest about 18 million acres by 2020 in the Southeast United States (SEUS), the Great Lake states, and the Corn Belt states. However, biophysical feedbacks...

Analysis and prediction of pest dynamics in an agroforestry context using Tiko'n, a generic tool to develop food web models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rojas, Marcela; Malard, Julien; Adamowski, Jan; Carrera, Jaime Luis; Maas, Raúl

2017-04-01

While it is known that climate change will impact future plant-pest population dynamics, potentially affecting crop damage, agroforestry with its enhanced biodiversity is said to reduce the outbreaks of pest insects by providing natural enemies for the control of pest populations. This premise is known in the literature as the natural enemy hypothesis and has been widely studied qualitatively. However, disagreement still exists on whether biodiversity enhancement reduces pest outbreaks, showing the need of quantitatively understanding the mechanisms behind the interactions between pests and natural enemies, also known as trophic interactions. Crop pest models that study insect population dynamics in agroforestry contexts are very rare, and pest models that take trophic interactions into account are even rarer. This may be due to the difficulty of representing complex food webs in a quantifiable model. There is therefore a need for validated food web models that allow users to predict the response of these webs to changes in climate in agroforestry systems. In this study we present Tiko'n, a Python-based software whose API allows users to rapidly build and validate trophic web models; the program uses a Bayesian inference approach to calibrate the models according to field data, allowing for the reuse of literature data from various sources and reducing the need for extensive field data collection. Tiko'n was run using coffee leaf miner (Leucoptera coffeella) and associated parasitoid data from a shaded coffee plantation, showing the mechanisms of insect population dynamics within a tri-trophic food web in an agroforestry system.

Rain forest promotes trophic interactions and diversity of trap-nesting Hymenoptera in adjacent agroforestry.

PubMed

Klein, Alexandra-Maria; Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf; Tscharntke, Teja

2006-03-01

1. Human alteration of natural ecosystems to agroecosystems continues to accelerate in tropical countries. The resulting world-wide decline of rain forest causes a mosaic landscape, comprising simple and complex agroecosystems and patchily distributed rain forest fragments of different quality. Landscape context and agricultural management can be expected to affect both species diversity and ecosystem services by trophic interactions. 2. In Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, 24 agroforestry systems, differing in the distance to the nearest natural forest (0-1415 m), light intensity (37.5-899.6 W/m(-2)) and number of vascular plant species (7-40 species) were studied. Ten standardized trap nests for bees and wasps, made from reed and knotweed internodes, were exposed in each study site. Occupied nests were collected every month, over a period totalling 15 months. 3. A total of 13,617 brood cells were reared to produce adults of 14 trap-nesting species and 25 natural enemy species, which were mostly parasitoids. The total number of species was affected negatively by increasing distance from forest and increased with light intensity of agroforestry systems. The parasitoids in particular appeared to benefit from nearby forests. Over a 500-m distance, the number of parasitoid species decreased from eight to five, and parasitism rates from 12% to 4%. 4. The results show that diversity and parasitism, as a higher trophic interaction and ecosystem service, are enhanced by (i) improved connectivity of agroecosystems with natural habitats such as agroforestry adjacent to rain forest and (ii) management practices to increase light availability in agroforestry, which also enhances richness of flowering plants in the understorey.

Socio-economic comparison between traditional and improved cultivation methods in agroforestry systems, East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania.

PubMed

Reyes, Teija; Quiroz, Roberto; Msikula, Shija

2005-11-01

The East Usambara Mountains, recognized as one of the 25 most important biodiversity hot spots in the world, have a high degree of species diversity and endemism that is threatened by increasing human pressure on resources. Traditional slash and burn cultivation in the area is no longer sustainable. However, it is possible to maintain land productivity, decrease land degradation, and improve rural people's livelihood by ameliorating cultivation methods. Improved agroforestry seems to be a very convincing and suitable method for buffer zones of conservation areas. Farmers could receive a reasonable net income from their farm with little investment in terms of time, capital, and labor. By increasing the diversity and production of already existing cultivations, the pressure on natural forests can be diminished. The present study shows a significant gap between traditional cultivation methods and improved agroforestry systems in socio-economic terms. Improved agroforestry systems provide approximately double income per capita in comparison to traditional methods. More intensified cash crop cultivation in the highlands of the East Usambara also results in double income compared to that in the lowlands. However, people are sensitive to risks of changing farming practices. Encouraging farmers to apply better land management and practice sustainable cultivation of cash crops in combination with multipurpose trees would be relevant in improving their economic situation in the relatively short term. The markets of most cash crops are already available. Improved agroforestry methods could ameliorate the living conditions of the local population and protect the natural reserves from human disturbance.

Analyzing the uncertainties in use of forest-derived biomass equations for open-grown trees in agricultural land

Treesearch

Xinhua Zhou; Michele M. Schoeneberger; James R. Brandle; Tala N. Awada; Jianmin Chu; Derrel L. Martin; Jihong Li; Yuqiang Li; Carl W. Mize

2014-01-01

Quantifying carbon in agroforestry trees requires biomass equations that capture the growth differences (e.g., tree specific gravity and architecture) created in the more open canopies of agroforestry plantings compared with those generally encountered in forests. Whereas forest-derived equations are available, equations for open-grown trees are not. Data from...

Use of herbicide to reduce stump-sprouting following thinning of an eastern black walnut agroforestry planting

Treesearch

W.D. " Dusty" Walter; H.E. " Gene" Garrett; Larry D. Godsey

2004-01-01

When establishing an agroforestry practice, the number of trees planted will often exceed the densities needed to achieve a final spacing or configuration. While tight spacings may facilitate certain growth parameters, such as height development, timely thinnings of plantings are required in order to maintain desirable growth rates. In managed plantations especially,...

Potential adoption of agroforestry riparian buffers based on landowner and streamside characteristics

Treesearch

K.E. Trozzo; J.F. Munsell; J.L. Chamberlain; W.M. Aust

2014-01-01

Riparian forest buffers provide numerous environmental benefits, yet obstacles to landowner adoption are many. One barrier is the perception that riparian forest buffers are used for conservation at the expense of production. We present a study that focused on why landowners are more or less inclined to adopt native fruit and nut tree agroforestry riparian buffers that...

Cocoa agroforestry is less resilient to suboptimal and extreme climate than cocoa in full sun: Reply to Norgrove (2017).

PubMed

Abdulai, Issaka; Vaast, Philippe; Hoffmann, Munir P; Asare, Richard; Jassogne, Laurence; Asten, Piet Van; Rötter, Reimund P; Graefe, Sophie

2018-05-01

Resilience of cocoa agroforestry vs. full sun under extreme climatic conditions. In the specific case of our study, the two shade tree species associated with cocoa resulted in strong competition for water and became a disadvantage to the cocoa plants contrary to expected positive effects. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Agroforestry for landscape restoration and livelihood development in Central Asia.

Treesearch

U. Djanibekov; Klara Dzhakypbekova; James Chamberlain; Horst Weyerhaeuser; Robert Zomer; G. Villamor; J. Xu

2016-01-01

This paper discusses how the adoption of agroforestry for ecosystem and livelihood improvement in Central Asian countries can be enhanced. First, it describes how previous and current developments lead to changing environmental conditions, and how these changing conditions consequently affected the welfare of people. Environmental issues on a global level, such as...

Transferring site information for black walnut from native woodlands in southeastern Kansas USA to identify sites for agroforestry practices

Treesearch

Wayne A. Geyer; Felix Ponder

2013-01-01

Black walnut (Juglans nigra) is an important tree species for temperate agroforestry in the United States for timber, nuts, wildlife, and abrasives. Predictions of forestland productivity are needed for proper species selection in tree planting. Potential productivity can be estimated for nonforested areas and agricultural croplands by relating site...

The silviculture of silvopasture

Treesearch

Rebecca J. Barlow; Seth Hunt; John S. Kush

2016-01-01

Silvopasture is an agroforestry practice where livestock, forage, and timber are managed on the same parcel of land. The most common form of agroforestry in the Southeastern US is silvopasture. According to the most recent USDA Census of Agriculture, six of the top ten states in the Nation that report that they practice alley cropping or silvopasture are southern....

Farmers, the Practice of Farming and the Future of Agroforestry: An Application of Bourdieu's Concepts of Field and Habitus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raedeke, Andrew H.; Green, John J.; Hodge, Sandra S.; Valdivia, Corinne

2003-01-01

Agroforestry, the practice of raising crops and trees together in ways that are mutually beneficial, provides farmers with an alternative to more conventional farming practices. In this paper, we apply Bourdieu's concepts of "field" and "habitus" in an attempt to better understand the practice of farming and the role that…

Flood tolerance evaluation of bottomland oaks in a multi-channel field laboratory

Treesearch

Mark V. Coggeshall; J. W. Van Sambeek; Scott E. Schlarbaum

2005-01-01

A multi-channel field laboratory was designed and constructed by the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry at the Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center to assess the flood tolerance of forages and hardwood seedlings. This facility located in the Missouri River floodplain consists of twelve 6-m wide x 180-m long channels that had minimal disturbance to...

Agroforestry: a refuge for tropical biodiversity?

PubMed

Bhagwat, Shonil A; Willis, Katherine J; Birks, H John B; Whittaker, Robert J

2008-05-01

As rates of deforestation continue to rise in many parts of the tropics, the international conservation community is faced with the challenge of finding approaches which can reduce deforestation and provide rural livelihoods in addition to conserving biodiversity. Much of modern-day conservation is motivated by a desire to conserve 'pristine nature' in protected areas, while there is growing recognition of the long-term human involvement in forest dynamics and of the importance of conservation outside protected areas. Agroforestry -- intentional management of shade trees with agricultural crops -- has the potential for providing habitats outside formally protected land, connecting nature reserves and alleviating resource-use pressure on conservation areas. Here we examine the role of agroforestry systems in maintaining species diversity and conclude that these systems can play an important role in biodiversity conservation in human-dominated landscapes.

The role of multilateral institutions.

PubMed

Kiss, Agi; Castro, Gonzalo; Newcombe, Kenneth

2002-08-15

In line with its mission of alleviating poverty through support for environmentally and socially sustainable economic development, The World Bank (along with some other multilateral development banks) is working to help developing countries capture a share of the emerging global market in greenhouse-gas-emissions reductions ('carbon trading'). Under the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Joint Implementation instrument and the Clean Development Mechanism now provide an opening for substantial international resource transfers and potential for supporting sustainable development through the transfer of cleaner technologies or sustainable forestry and agro-forestry practices. For example, carbon sequestration represents a non-extractive non-consumptive sustainable use of living natural resources that can be incorporated within a multiple-use 'integrated ecosystem management' approach. The World Bank initiated the Prototype Carbon Fund (PCF) in April 2000, to help spur the development of a global carbon market and to 'learn by doing' how to use carbon-purchase transactions across a range of energy-sector technologies (and some forestry applications) to achieve environmentally credible and cost-effective emissions reductions that benefit developing countries and economies in transition. Building on the success of the PCF ($145 million raised from public and private-sector investors), The World Bank expects to launch two new funds in 2002: the Biocarbon Fund and the Community Development Carbon Fund. These funds will target synergies between carbon markets and objectives such as biodiversity conservation, combating desertification and small-scale community-driven development. Experience from the PCF shows that developing countries can have a comparative advantage in supplying this global market, as emissions reductions can be achieved in developing countries in the range of $3-$5 per ton of CO(2) equivalent, compared with a marginal abatement cost of $10-$15 per ton of CO(2) equivalent in most countries within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. However, realizing this economic potential over the next decade, and targeting the market to the rural poor, will require substantial assistance with project development and government legal and institutional capacity building. Specific needs include raising awareness of the potential of carbon markets at all levels (particularly in energy and land-use sectors), clarifying property rights, particularly in the case of communally held land and resources, ensuring the existence of an attractive investment climate, eliminating policies that create perverse incentives and constraints, and mitigating logistical, political and 'reputational' risks that could deter private-sector investors. It will also be necessary to find ways to reconcile the short-term needs of the rural poor and the typically long-term revenue stream associated with carbon sequestration.

From sink to source: Regional variation in U.S. forest carbon futures

PubMed Central

Wear, David N.; Coulston, John W.

2015-01-01

The sequestration of atmospheric carbon (C) in forests has partially offset C emissions in the United States (US) and might reduce overall costs of achieving emission targets, especially while transportation and energy sectors are transitioning to lower-carbon technologies. Using detailed forest inventory data for the conterminous US, we estimate forests’ current net sequestration of atmospheric C to be 173 Tg yr−1, offsetting 9.7% of C emissions from transportation and energy sources. Accounting for multiple driving variables, we project a gradual decline in the forest C emission sink over the next 25 years (to 112 Tg yr−1) with regional differences. Sequestration in eastern regions declines gradually while sequestration in the Rocky Mountain region declines rapidly and could become a source of atmospheric C due to disturbances such as fire and insect epidemics. C sequestration in the Pacific Coast region stabilizes as forests harvested in previous decades regrow. Scenarios simulating climate-induced productivity enhancement and afforestation policies increase sequestration rates, but would not fully offset declines from aging and forest disturbances. Separating C transfers associated with land use changes from sequestration clarifies forests’ role in reducing net emissions and demonstrates that retention of forest land is crucial for protecting or enhancing sink strength. PMID:26558439

From sink to source: Regional variation in U.S. forest carbon futures.

PubMed

Wear, David N; Coulston, John W

2015-11-12

The sequestration of atmospheric carbon (C) in forests has partially offset C emissions in the United States (US) and might reduce overall costs of achieving emission targets, especially while transportation and energy sectors are transitioning to lower-carbon technologies. Using detailed forest inventory data for the conterminous US, we estimate forests' current net sequestration of atmospheric C to be 173 Tg yr(-1), offsetting 9.7% of C emissions from transportation and energy sources. Accounting for multiple driving variables, we project a gradual decline in the forest C emission sink over the next 25 years (to 112 Tg yr(-1)) with regional differences. Sequestration in eastern regions declines gradually while sequestration in the Rocky Mountain region declines rapidly and could become a source of atmospheric C due to disturbances such as fire and insect epidemics. C sequestration in the Pacific Coast region stabilizes as forests harvested in previous decades regrow. Scenarios simulating climate-induced productivity enhancement and afforestation policies increase sequestration rates, but would not fully offset declines from aging and forest disturbances. Separating C transfers associated with land use changes from sequestration clarifies forests' role in reducing net emissions and demonstrates that retention of forest land is crucial for protecting or enhancing sink strength.

Ecosystem carbon stocks and sequestration potential of federal lands across the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tan, Zhengxi; Liu, Shuguang; Sohl, Terry L.; Wu, Yiping; Young, Claudia J.

2015-01-01

Federal lands across the conterminous United States (CONUS) account for 23.5% of the CONUS terrestrial area but have received no systematic studies on their ecosystem carbon (C) dynamics and contribution to the national C budgets. The methodology for US Congress-mandated national biological C sequestration potential assessment was used to evaluate ecosystem C dynamics in CONUS federal lands at present and in the future under three Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Emission Scenarios (IPCC SRES) A1B, A2, and B1. The total ecosystem C stock was estimated as 11,613 Tg C in 2005 and projected to be 13,965 Tg C in 2050, an average increase of 19.4% from the baseline. The projected annual C sequestration rate (in kilograms of carbon per hectare per year) from 2006 to 2050 would be sinks of 620 and 228 for forests and grasslands, respectively, and C sources of 13 for shrublands. The federal lands’ contribution to the national ecosystem C budget could decrease from 23.3% in 2005 to 20.8% in 2050. The C sequestration potential in the future depends not only on the footprint of individual ecosystems but also on each federal agency’s land use and management. The results presented here update our current knowledge about the baseline ecosystem C stock and sequestration potential of federal lands, which would be useful for federal agencies to decide management practices to achieve the national greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation goal.

Ecosystem carbon stocks and sequestration potential of federal lands across the conterminous United States

PubMed Central

Tan, Zhengxi; Liu, Shuguang; Sohl, Terry L.; Wu, Yiping; Young, Claudia J.

2015-01-01

Federal lands across the conterminous United States (CONUS) account for 23.5% of the CONUS terrestrial area but have received no systematic studies on their ecosystem carbon (C) dynamics and contribution to the national C budgets. The methodology for US Congress-mandated national biological C sequestration potential assessment was used to evaluate ecosystem C dynamics in CONUS federal lands at present and in the future under three Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Emission Scenarios (IPCC SRES) A1B, A2, and B1. The total ecosystem C stock was estimated as 11,613 Tg C in 2005 and projected to be 13,965 Tg C in 2050, an average increase of 19.4% from the baseline. The projected annual C sequestration rate (in kilograms of carbon per hectare per year) from 2006 to 2050 would be sinks of 620 and 228 for forests and grasslands, respectively, and C sources of 13 for shrublands. The federal lands’ contribution to the national ecosystem C budget could decrease from 23.3% in 2005 to 20.8% in 2050. The C sequestration potential in the future depends not only on the footprint of individual ecosystems but also on each federal agency’s land use and management. The results presented here update our current knowledge about the baseline ecosystem C stock and sequestration potential of federal lands, which would be useful for federal agencies to decide management practices to achieve the national greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation goal. PMID:26417074

Research Activities in Support of High-Resolution Land Cover Mapping in the North Central United States

Treesearch

Dacia M. Meneguzzo; Greg C. Liknes

2015-01-01

The USDA Agroforestry Strategic Framework and the 2014 Farm Bill call for inventory and monitoring of agroforestry practices; however, collecting such data over very large non-forested areas is costly. The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program at the Northern Research Station has addressed this challenge by forming a targeted task team whose primary purpose is to...

Valuing soil conservation benefits of agroforestry: contour hedgerows in the Eastern Visayas, Philippines

Treesearch

Subhrendu Patanayak; D. Evan Mercer

1998-01-01

Trecs can he considered as investments made by economic agents to prevent depreciation of natural assets such as stocks of top soil and water. In agroforestq systems farmers use trees in this manner by deliberately combining them with agricultural crops on the same unit of land. Although advocates of agroforestry have asserted that soil conservation is one of its...

Agroforestry planting design affects loblolly pine growth

Treesearch

D.M. Burner

2013-01-01

The effect of plantation design on resource utilization has not been adequately investigated in agroforestry plantations. An experiment was conducted near Booneville, AR, on a silt loam soil with a fragipan. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) trees were planted in 1994 in three designs: two rows (1.2 by 2.4 m) with a 7.3-m alley, four rows (1.2 by 2.4 m...

Ranking the shade tolerance of forty-five candidate groundcovers for agroforestry plantings

Treesearch

J.W. Van Sambeek; N.E. Navarrete-Tindall; H.E. Garrett; C.-H. Lin; R.L. McGraw; D.C. Wallace

2007-01-01

Several large-scale screening trials evaluating native and introduced herbaceous ground covers have been conducted in the last half century. Most trials have used shade cloth to evaluate growth of potted plants under moderate shade (45 to 55 percent of full sunlight) similar to what might be found in many agroforestry practices and heavy shade (20 to 30 percent of full...

Knowledge and valuation of Andean agroforestry species: the role of sex, age, and migration among members of a rural community in Bolivia.

PubMed

Brandt, Regine; Mathez-Stiefel, Sarah-Lan; Lachmuth, Susanne; Hensen, Isabell; Rist, Stephan

2013-12-20

Agroforestry is a sustainable land use method with a long tradition in the Bolivian Andes. A better understanding of people’s knowledge and valuation of woody species can help to adjust actor-oriented agroforestry systems. In this case study, carried out in a peasant community of the Bolivian Andes, we aimed at calculating the cultural importance of selected agroforestry species, and at analysing the intracultural variation in the cultural importance and knowledge of plants according to peasants’ sex, age, and migration. Data collection was based on semi-structured interviews and freelisting exercises. Two ethnobotanical indices (Composite Salience, Cultural Importance) were used for calculating the cultural importance of plants. Intracultural variation in the cultural importance and knowledge of plants was detected by using linear and generalised linear (mixed) models. The culturally most important woody species were mainly trees and exotic species (e.g.Schinus molle, Prosopis laevigata, Eucalyptus globulus). We found that knowledge and valuation of plants increased with age but that they were lower for migrants; sex, by contrast, played a minor role. The age effects possibly result from decreasing ecological apparency of valuable native species, and their substitution by exotic marketable trees,loss of traditional plant uses or the use of other materials (e.g. plastic) instead of wood. Decreasing dedication to traditional farming may have led to successive abandonment of traditional tool uses, and the overall transformation of woody plant use is possibly related to diminishing medicinal knowledge. Age and migration affect how people value woody species and what they know about their uses.For this reason, we recommend paying particular attention to the potential of native species, which could open promising perspectives especially for the young migrating peasant generation and draw their interest in agroforestry. These native species should be ecologically sound and selected on their potential to provide subsistence and promising commercial uses. In addition to offering socio-economic and environmental services,agroforestry initiatives using native trees and shrubs can play a crucial role in recovering elements of the lost ancient landscape that still forms part of local people’s collective identity.

Increased soil organic carbon stocks under agroforestry: A survey of six different sites in France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardinael, Rémi; Chevallier, Tiphaine; Cambou, Aurélie; Beral, Camille; Barthes, Bernard; Dupraz, Christian; Kouakoua, Ernest; Chenu, Claire

2017-04-01

Introduction: Agroforestry systems are land use management systems in which trees are grown in combination with crops or pasture in the same field. In silvoarable systems, trees are intercropped with arable crops, and in silvopastoral systems trees are combined with pasture for livestock. These systems may produce forage and timber as well as providing ecosystem services such as climate change mitigation. Carbon (C) is stored in the aboveground and belowground biomass of the trees, and the transfer of organic matter from the trees to the soil can increase soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Few studies have assessed the impact of agroforestry systems on carbon storage in soils in temperate climates, as most have been undertaken in tropical regions. Methods: This study assessed five silvoarable systems and one silvopastoral system in France. All sites had an agroforestry system with an adjacent, purely agricultural control plot. The land use management in the inter-rows in the agroforestry systems and in the control plots were identical. The age of the study sites ranged from 6 to 41 years after tree planting. Depending on the type of soil, the sampling depth ranged from 20 to 100 cm and SOC stocks were assessed using equivalent soil masses. The aboveground biomass of the trees was also measured at all sites. Results: In the silvoarable systems, the mean organic carbon stock accumulation rate in the soil was 0.24 (0.09-0.46) Mg C ha-1 yr-1 at a depth of 30 cm and 0.65 (0.004-1.85) Mg C ha-1 yr-1 in the tree biomass. Increased SOC stocks were also found in deeper soil layers at two silvoarable sites. Young plantations stored additional SOC but mainly in the soil under the rows of trees, possibly as a result of the herbaceous vegetation growing in the rows. At the silvopastoral site, the SOC stock was significantly greater at a depth of 30-50 cm than in the control. Overall, this study showed the potential of agroforestry systems to store C in both soil and biomass in temperate regions.

Restoration of degraded arid farmland at Project Wadi Attir: Impact of conservation on biological productivity and soil organic matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mor-Mussery, Amir; Helman, David; Ben Eli, Michael; Leu, Stefan

2017-04-01

The Israeli Negev Desert, as most Mediterranean drylands, is profoundly degraded. We have been documenting degradation and successful rehabilitation approaches in recent research, aiming at maximizing environmental and economic benefits while restoring healthy dryland soils and perennial vegetation to act as carbon sinks. These methods have been implemented for rehabilitation of Project Wadi Attir's. 50 hectares of heavily degraded farmland suffering from intensive soil erosion (expressed in dense gullies net and massive overland flow). Project Wadi Attir is a groundbreaking initiative of the Bedouin community in the Negev, for establishing a model sustainable agricultural operation. The project was initiated by the US-based Sustainability Laboratory and the Hura Municipal Council. The project is designed to demonstrate implementation of holistic sustainability principles developed by The Lab. The project's ecosystem restoration component involves site development, erosion control, soil conservation and improvement, planting of native and agroforestry trees, together with conservation and protection of biodiversity hotspots and avoiding grazing have, within three years, revealed the high biodiversity and productivity potential of this arid/semi-arid landscape. A number of shrublands and loess plots were subject to strict conservation, avoiding tilling and grazing. Soil fertility, productivity and biodiversity of these conserved plots inside the farm boundaries was compared to similar unprotected plots outside the farm fences by sampling in the field and by using satellite imaging. Our findings indicate a gradual improvement of SOM content specifically in the conserved shrubland area. Water infiltration, herbaceous biomass productivity and ants' activity of the protected plots also significantly increased within 3 years compared to the unprotected control areas. Starting from similar soil organic matter content in 2013 (3.3%) in the rocky slopes, in 2016 1% higher SOM was measured inside the farm vs. outside (4.5% compared to 3.5%, respectively). In spring 2014 herbaceous biomass production was similar in both areas (0.05 Kg per m2), while in spring 2016 0.25 Kg per m2 were measured in the pedestal inside the farm compared to 0.06 Kg per m2 outside were observed. Consistent but less dramatic, changes were observed in the loess areas inside the farm with a productivity difference of 1.1 inside compared to 0.19 Kg per m2 outside in 2016 as compared to 0.05 Kg per m2 observed in both areas in 2013. Our results indicate that soil conservation together with proper land management and protection of biodiversity hotspots will enable sustainable agricultural management in degraded drylands all over the globe under significant gains in productivity, biodiversity and carbon sequestration.

Carbon Storage and Sequestration in Ecosystems of the Western United States: Finings of a Recent Resource Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Z.; Bergamaschi, B. A.; Hawbaker, T. J.; Liu, S.; Sleeter, B. M.; Sohl, T. L.; Stackpoole, S. M.

2012-12-01

A new assessment was conducted covering 2.66 million km2 in the Western United States extending from the Rockies to the Pacific coastal waters, in two time periods: baseline (the first half of the 2000s) and future (projections from baseline to 2050), using in-situ and remotely sensed data together with statistical methods and simulation models. The total carbon storage in the ecosystems of the Western United States in 2005 was approximately 13,920 TgC; distributed in live biomass (38%), soil organic carbon (39%), and woody debris and other surface carbon pools (23%). Estimated mean values of major flux terms included net ecosystem production (-127.2 TgC/yr), inland lateral flux (7.2 TgC/yr) from rivers/streams to coastal areas, emissions from inland water surfaces to the atmosphere (28.2 TgC/yr), and emissions form the wildland fires (10.0 TgC/yr). Average C sequestration rates for the region were estimated: -86.6 TgC/yr in net flux for all terrestrial ecosystems, -2.4 and -2.0 TgC/yr in net burial rates in lakes and reservoirs and in the Pacific coastal waters respectively, for a total sequestration rate of -90.9 TgC/yr across all of the major ecosystems. A negative sign denotes uptake, sequestration, or a carbon sink. Most of the net carbon flux is in forests (62.2%, -72.1 gC/m2/yr), followed by grasslands/shrublands (29.6%, -16.4 gC/m2/yr), agricultural lands (7.1%, -38.3 gC/m2/yr), and wetlands (0.96%, -82.1 gC/m2/yr). Projected on the basis of future land-use and land-cover scenarios and climate projections, the total amount of carbon that potentially could be stored in the ecosystems of the Western United States in 2050 was estimated to range from 13,743 to 19,407 TgC, an increase of 1,325-3,947 TgC (or 10.7 to 25.5 %) from baseline conditions of 2005. The potential mean (averaged between 2006 and 2050) annual net carbon flux in terrestrial ecosystems was projected to range from -113.9 TgC/yr to 2.9 TgC/yr. When compared to the baseline net carbon flux estimates, the projected future carbon-sequestration rates in the Western United States represent a potential decline by 16.5 to 49 TgC/yr. The projected decline is largely associated with grasslands/shrublands and forests in the Rockies. Under future projections of climate change, the GHG combustion emissions from wildfires were projected to increase by 28 to 56 percent, relative to baseline conditions.

Impacts of land use and climate change on carbon dynamics in south-central Senegal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liu, Shu-Guang; Kaire, M.; Wood, Eric C.; Diallo, O.; Tieszen, Larry L.

2004-01-01

Total carbon stock in vegetation and soils was reduced 37% in south-central Senegal from 1900 to 2000. The decreasing trend will continue during the 21st century unless forest clearing is stopped, selective logging dramatically reduced, and climate change, if any, relatively small. Developing a sustainable fuelwood and charcoal production system could be the most feasible and significant carbon sequestration project in the region. If future climate changes dramatically as some models have predicted, cropland productivity will drop more than 65% around 2100, posing a serious threat to food security and the efficiency of carbon sequestration projects.

Increased light-use efficiency sustains net primary productivity of shaded coffee plants in agroforestry system.

PubMed

Charbonnier, Fabien; Roupsard, Olivier; le Maire, Guerric; Guillemot, Joannès; Casanoves, Fernando; Lacointe, André; Vaast, Philippe; Allinne, Clémentine; Audebert, Louise; Cambou, Aurélie; Clément-Vidal, Anne; Defrenet, Elsa; Duursma, Remko A; Jarri, Laura; Jourdan, Christophe; Khac, Emmanuelle; Leandro, Patricia; Medlyn, Belinda E; Saint-André, Laurent; Thaler, Philippe; Van Den Meersche, Karel; Barquero Aguilar, Alejandra; Lehner, Peter; Dreyer, Erwin

2017-08-01

In agroforestry systems, shade trees strongly affect the physiology of the undergrown crop. However, a major paradigm is that the reduction in absorbed photosynthetically active radiation is, to a certain extent, compensated by an increase in light-use efficiency, thereby reducing the difference in net primary productivity between shaded and non-shaded plants. Due to the large spatial heterogeneity in agroforestry systems and the lack of appropriate tools, the combined effects of such variables have seldom been analysed, even though they may help understand physiological processes underlying yield dynamics. In this study, we monitored net primary productivity, during two years, on scales ranging from individual coffee plants to the entire plot. Absorbed radiation was mapped with a 3D model (MAESPA). Light-use efficiency and net assimilation rate were derived for each coffee plant individually. We found that although irradiance was reduced by 60% below crowns of shade trees, coffee light-use efficiency increased by 50%, leaving net primary productivity fairly stable across all shade levels. Variability of aboveground net primary productivity of coffee plants was caused primarily by the age of the plants and by intraspecific competition among them (drivers usually overlooked in the agroforestry literature) rather than by the presence of shade trees. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Environmental Growing Conditions in Five Production Systems Induce Stress Response and Affect Chemical Composition of Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Beans.

PubMed

Niether, Wiebke; Smit, Inga; Armengot, Laura; Schneider, Monika; Gerold, Gerhard; Pawelzik, Elke

2017-11-29

Cocoa beans are produced all across the humid tropics under different environmental conditions provided by the region but also by the season and the type of production system. Agroforestry systems compared to monocultures buffer climate extremes and therefore provide a less stressful environment for the understory cocoa, especially under seasonally varying conditions. We measured the element concentration as well as abiotic stress indicators (polyamines and total phenolic content) in beans derived from five different production systems comparing monocultures and agroforestry systems and from two harvesting seasons. Concentrations of N, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Na, and Zn were higher in beans produced in agroforestry systems with high stem density and leaf area index. In the dry season, the N, Fe, and Cu concentration of the beans increased. The total phenolic content increased with proceeding of the dry season while other abiotic stress indicators like spermine decreased, implying an effect of the water availability on the chemical composition of the beans. Agroforestry systems did not buffer the variability of stress indicators over the seasons compared to monocultures. The effect of environmental growing conditions on bean chemical composition was not strong but can contribute to variations in cocoa bean quality.

Final Report for the ZERT Project: Basic Science of Retention Issues, Risk Assessment & Measurement, Monitoring and Verification for Geologic Sequestration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spangler, Lee; Cunningham, Alfred; Lageson, David

2011-03-31

ZERT has made major contributions to five main areas of sequestration science: improvement of computational tools; measurement and monitoring techniques to verify storage and track migration of CO{sub 2}; development of a comprehensive performance and risk assessment framework; fundamental geophysical, geochemical and hydrological investigations of CO{sub 2} storage; and investigate innovative, bio-based mitigation strategies.

Restoring tides to reduce methane emissions in impounded wetlands: A new and potent Blue Carbon climate change intervention

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kroeger, Kevin D.; Crooks, Stephen; Moseman-Valtierra, Serena; Tang, Jianwu

2017-01-01

Coastal wetlands are sites of rapid carbon (C) sequestration and contain large soil C stocks. Thus, there is increasing interest in those ecosystems as sites for anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission offset projects (sometimes referred to as “Blue Carbon”), through preservation of existing C stocks or creation of new wetlands to increase future sequestration. Here we show that in the globally-widespread occurrence of diked, impounded, drained and tidally-restricted salt marshes, substantial methane (CH4) and CO2 emission reductions can be achieved through restoration of disconnected saline tidal flows. Modeled climatic forcing indicates that tidal restoration to reduce emissions has a much greater impact per unit area than wetland creation or conservation to enhance sequestration. Given that GHG emissions in tidally-restricted, degraded wetlands are caused by human activity, they are anthropogenic emissions, and reducing them will have an effect on climate that is equivalent to reduced emission of an equal quantity of fossil fuel GHG. Thus, as a landuse-based climate change intervention, reducing CH4 emissions is an entirely distinct concept from biological C sequestration projects to enhance C storage in forest or wetland biomass or soil, and will not suffer from the non-permanence risk that stored C will be returned to the atmosphere.

Incorporating Agroforestry Approaches into Commodity Value Chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millard, Edward

2011-08-01

The productivity of tropical agricultural commodities is affected by the health of the ecosystem. Shade tolerant crops such as coffee and cocoa benefit from environmental services provided by forested landscapes, enabling landscape design that meets biodiversity conservation and economic needs. What can motivate farmers to apply and maintain such landscape approaches? Rather than rely on a proliferation of externally funded projects new opportunities are emerging through the international market that buys these commodities. As part of their growing commitment to sustainable supply chains, major companies are supporting agroforestry approaches and requiring producers and traders to demonstrate that the source of their commodities complies with a set of principles that conserves forested landscapes and improves local livelihoods. The paper presents examples of international companies that are moving in this direction, analyzes why and how they are doing it and discusses the impact that has been measured in coffee and cocoa communities in Latin America and Africa. It particularly considers the role of standards and certification systems as a driver of this commitment to promote profitable operations, environmental conservation and social responsibility throughout the coffee and cocoa value chains. Such approaches are already being taken to scale and are no longer operating only in small niches of the market but the paper also considers the limitations to growth in this market-based approach.

Incorporating agroforestry approaches into commodity value chains.

PubMed

Millard, Edward

2011-08-01

The productivity of tropical agricultural commodities is affected by the health of the ecosystem. Shade tolerant crops such as coffee and cocoa benefit from environmental services provided by forested landscapes, enabling landscape design that meets biodiversity conservation and economic needs. What can motivate farmers to apply and maintain such landscape approaches? Rather than rely on a proliferation of externally funded projects new opportunities are emerging through the international market that buys these commodities. As part of their growing commitment to sustainable supply chains, major companies are supporting agroforestry approaches and requiring producers and traders to demonstrate that the source of their commodities complies with a set of principles that conserves forested landscapes and improves local livelihoods. The paper presents examples of international companies that are moving in this direction, analyzes why and how they are doing it and discusses the impact that has been measured in coffee and cocoa communities in Latin America and Africa. It particularly considers the role of standards and certification systems as a driver of this commitment to promote profitable operations, environmental conservation and social responsibility throughout the coffee and cocoa value chains. Such approaches are already being taken to scale and are no longer operating only in small niches of the market but the paper also considers the limitations to growth in this market-based approach.

A real options model to assess the role of flexibility in forestry and agroforestry adoption and disadoption in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley

Treesearch

Gregory E. Frey; D. Evan Mercer; Frederick W. Cubbage; Robert C. Abt

2013-01-01

Efforts to restore the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley’s forests have not achieved desired levels of ecosystem services production.We examined how the variability of returns and the flexibility to change or postpone decisions (option value) affects the economic potential of forestry and agroforestry systems to keep private land in production while still providing...

Village agroforestry systems and tree-use practices: A case study in Sri Lanka. Multipurpose tree species network research series

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wickramasinghe, A.

1992-01-01

Village agroforestry systems in Sri Lanka have evolved through farmers' efforts to meet their survival needs. The paper examines farmers' land-use systems and their perceptions of the role of trees in the villages of Bambarabedda and Madugalla in central Sri Lanka. The benefits of village agroforestry are diverse food, fuelwood, fodder, timber, and mulch, but food products are of outstanding importance. The ability of Artocarpus heterophyllus (the jackfruit tree) and Cocos nucifera (coconut) to ensure food security during the dry season and provide traditional foods throughout the year, as well as to grow in limited space, make them popular cropsmore » in the two study villages. The study recommends that further research precede the formulation of agricultural interventions and that efforts to promote improved tree varieties recognize farmers' practices and expressed needs.« less

Spatial pattern and ecological process in the coffee agroforestry system.

PubMed

Perfecto, Ivette; Vandermeer, John

2008-04-01

The coffee agroforestry system provides an ideal platform for the study of spatial ecology. The uniform pattern of the coffee plants and shade trees allows for the study of pattern generation through intrinsic biological forces rather than extrinsic habitat patchiness. Detailed studies, focusing on a key mutualism between an ant (Azteca instabilis) and a scale insect (Coccus viridis), conducted in a 45-ha plot in a coffee agroforestry system have provided insights into (1) the quantitative evaluation of spatial pattern of the scale insect Coccus viridis on coffee bushes, (2) the mechanisms for the generation of patterns through the combination of local satellite ant nest formation and regional control from natural enemies, and (3) the consequences of the spatial pattern for the stability of predator-prey (host-parasitoid) systems, for a key coccinelid beetle preying on the scale insects and a phorid fly parasitoid parasitizing the ant.

Analysis of community income on suren (Toona sureni (Blume) Merr.) and cacao crops (Theobroma cacao L.) in Simalungun, North Sumatera-Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latifah, S.; Afifuddin, Y.; Widya, S.

2018-02-01

Agroforestry is the management and integration of trees, crops and/or livestock on the same plot of land and can be an integral component of productive agriculture. It may include existing native forests and forests established by landholders. The study was conducted in Mekar Sari Raya village, Panei sub, Simalungun regency, North Sumatera. This study aims to gain the ability to use agroforestry in suren crops and cocoa that provides benefits to farmers and the feasibility of the model farm. The study site has Net Present Value (NPV) is 2,670,306,905 ( IDR) for 15 of year, Gross B/C Ratio (BCR) is 2.3; Internal Rate of Return ( IRR) is 28 %; and Payback Period (PP) for 5 years 4 months 24 days. Agroforestry using commodities cacao and suren crops are financially feasible to be cultivated and developed.

Who Benefits from Ecosystem Services? A Case Study for Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suwarno, Aritta; Hein, Lars; Sumarga, Elham

2016-02-01

There is increasing experience with the valuation of ecosystem services. However, to date, less attention has been devoted to who is actually benefiting from ecosystem services. This nevertheless is a key issue, in particular, if ecosystem services analysis and valuation is used to support environmental management. This study assesses and analyzes how the monetary benefits of seven ecosystem services are generated in Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, are distributed to different types of beneficiaries. We analyze the following ecosystem services: (1) timber production; (2) rattan collection; (3) jelutong resin collection; (4) rubber production (based on permanent agroforestry systems); (5) oil palm production on three management scales (company, plasma farmer, and independent smallholder); (6) paddy production; and (7) carbon sequestration. Our study shows that the benefits generated from these services differ markedly between the stakeholders, which we grouped into private, public, and household entities. The distribution of these benefits is strongly influenced by government policies and in particular benefit sharing mechanisms. Hence, land-use change and policies influencing land-use change can be expected to have different impacts on different stakeholders. Our study also shows that the benefits generated by oil palm conversion, a main driver for land-use change in the province, are almost exclusively accrued by companies and at this point in time are shared unequally with local stakeholders.

Who Benefits from Ecosystem Services? A Case Study for Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.

PubMed

Suwarno, Aritta; Hein, Lars; Sumarga, Elham

2016-02-01

There is increasing experience with the valuation of ecosystem services. However, to date, less attention has been devoted to who is actually benefiting from ecosystem services. This nevertheless is a key issue, in particular, if ecosystem services analysis and valuation is used to support environmental management. This study assesses and analyzes how the monetary benefits of seven ecosystem services are generated in Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, are distributed to different types of beneficiaries. We analyze the following ecosystem services: (1) timber production; (2) rattan collection; (3) jelutong resin collection; (4) rubber production (based on permanent agroforestry systems); (5) oil palm production on three management scales (company, plasma farmer, and independent smallholder); (6) paddy production; and (7) carbon sequestration. Our study shows that the benefits generated from these services differ markedly between the stakeholders, which we grouped into private, public, and household entities. The distribution of these benefits is strongly influenced by government policies and in particular benefit sharing mechanisms. Hence, land-use change and policies influencing land-use change can be expected to have different impacts on different stakeholders. Our study also shows that the benefits generated by oil palm conversion, a main driver for land-use change in the province, are almost exclusively accrued by companies and at this point in time are shared unequally with local stakeholders.

Quantifying Human Appropriated Net Primary Productivity (HANPP) in a Ghanaian Cocoa System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morel, A.; Adu-Bredu, S.; Adu Sasu, M.; Ashley Asare, R.; Boyd, E.; Hirons, M. A.; Malhi, Y.; Mason, J.; Norris, K.; Robinson, E. J. Z.; McDermott, C. L.

2015-12-01

Ghana is the second largest producer of cocoa (Theobroma cacoa), exporting approximately 18 percent of global volumes. These cocoa farms are predominantly small-scale, ranging in size from 2-4 hectares (ha). Traditionally, the model of cocoa expansion in Ghana relied on clearing new areas of forest and establishing a farm under remnant forest trees. This is increasingly less practical due to few unprotected forest areas remaining and management practices favoring close to full sun cocoa to maximize short-term yields. This study is part of a larger project, ECOLMITS, which is an interdisciplinary, ESPA-funded[1] initiative exploring the ecological limits of ecosystem system services (ESS) for alleviating poverty in small-scale agroforestry systems. The ecological study plots are situated within and around the Kakum National Forest, a well-protected, moist-evergreen forest of the Lower Guinea Forest region. Net primary productivity (NPP) is a measure of the rate at which carbon dioxide (CO2) is incorporated into plant tissues (e.g. canopy, stem and root). For this study, NPP was monitored in situ using methods developed by the Global Environmental Monitoring Network (GEM, http://gem.tropicalforests.ox.ac.uk/). By comparing NPP measured in intact forest and farms, the human appropriated NPP (HANPP) of this system can be estimated. The forest measures provide the "potential" NPP of the region, and then the reduction in NPP for farm plots is calculated for both land-cover change (HANPPLUC) and cocoa harvesting (HANPPHARV). The results presented are of the first year of NPP measurements across the cocoa landscape, including measurements from intact forest, logged forest and cocoa farms across a shade gradient and located at varying distances from the forest edge (e.g. 100 m, 500 m, 1 km and 5 km). These measures will have implications for carbon sequestration potential over the region and long-term sustainability of the Ghanaian cocoa sector. [1] Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation grant program, http://www.espa.ac.uk/

Knowledge and valuation of Andean agroforestry species: the role of sex, age, and migration among members of a rural community in Bolivia

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Agroforestry is a sustainable land use method with a long tradition in the Bolivian Andes. A better understanding of people’s knowledge and valuation of woody species can help to adjust actor-oriented agroforestry systems. In this case study, carried out in a peasant community of the Bolivian Andes, we aimed at calculating the cultural importance of selected agroforestry species, and at analysing the intracultural variation in the cultural importance and knowledge of plants according to peasants’ sex, age, and migration. Methods Data collection was based on semi-structured interviews and freelisting exercises. Two ethnobotanical indices (Composite Salience, Cultural Importance) were used for calculating the cultural importance of plants. Intracultural variation in the cultural importance and knowledge of plants was detected by using linear and generalised linear (mixed) models. Results and discussion The culturally most important woody species were mainly trees and exotic species (e.g. Schinus molle, Prosopis laevigata, Eucalyptus globulus). We found that knowledge and valuation of plants increased with age but that they were lower for migrants; sex, by contrast, played a minor role. The age effects possibly result from decreasing ecological apparency of valuable native species, and their substitution by exotic marketable trees, loss of traditional plant uses or the use of other materials (e.g. plastic) instead of wood. Decreasing dedication to traditional farming may have led to successive abandonment of traditional tool uses, and the overall transformation of woody plant use is possibly related to diminishing medicinal knowledge. Conclusions Age and migration affect how people value woody species and what they know about their uses. For this reason, we recommend paying particular attention to the potential of native species, which could open promising perspectives especially for the young migrating peasant generation and draw their interest in agroforestry. These native species should be ecologically sound and selected on their potential to provide subsistence and promising commercial uses. In addition to offering socio-economic and environmental services, agroforestry initiatives using native trees and shrubs can play a crucial role in recovering elements of the lost ancient landscape that still forms part of local people’s collective identity. PMID:24359597

Agroforestry In-Service Training. A Training Aid for Asia & the Pacific Islands (Honiara, Solomon Islands, South Pacific, October 23-29, 1983). Training for Development. Peace Corps Information Collection & Exchange Training Manual No. T-16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fillion, Jacob; Weeks, Julius

The Forestry/Natural Resources Sector in the Office of Training and Program Support of the Peace Corps conducted an agroforestry inservice training workshop in Honiara, Solomon Islands, in 1983. Participants included Peace Corps volunteers and their host country national counterparts from six countries of the Pacific Islands and Asia (Western…

Modeling of afforestation possibilities on one part of Hungary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bozsik, Éva; Riczu, Péter; Tamás, János; Burriel, Charles; Helilmeier, Hermann

2015-04-01

Agroforestry systems are part of the history of the European Union rural landscapes, but the regional increase of size of agricultural parcels had a significant effect on European land use in the 20th century, thereby it has radically reduced the coverage of natural forest. However, this cause conflicts between interest of agricultural and forestry sectors. The agroforestry land uses could be a solution of this conflict management. One real - ecological - problem with the remnant forests and new forest plantation is the partly missing of network function without connecting ecological green corridors, the other problem is verifiability for the agroforestry payment system, monitoring the arable lands and plantations. Remote sensing methods are currently used to supervise European Union payments. Nowadays, next to use satellite imagery the airborne hyperspectral and LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) remote sensing technologies are becoming more widespread use for nature, environmental, forest, agriculture protection, conservation and monitoring and it is an effective tool for monitoring biomass production. In this Hungarian case study we made a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) to create agroforestry site selection model. The aim of model building was to ensure the continuity of ecological green corridors, maintain the appropriate land use of regional endowments. The investigation tool was the more widely used hyperspectral and airborne LiDAR remote sensing technologies which can provide appropriate data acquisition and data processing tools to build a decision support system

Soil, water and nutrient conservation in mountain farming systems: case-study from the Sikkim Himalaya.

PubMed

Sharma, E; Rai, S C; Sharma, R

2001-02-01

The Khanikhola watershed in Sikkim is agrarian with about 50% area under rain-fed agriculture representing the conditions of the middle mountains all over the Himalaya. The study was conducted to assess overland flow, soil loss and subsequent nutrient losses from different land uses in the watershed, and identify biotechnological inputs for management of mountain farming systems. Overland flow, soil and nutrient losses were very high from open agricultural (cropped) fields compared to other land uses, and more than 72% of nutrient losses were attributable to agriculture land use. Forests and large cardamom agroforestry conserved more soil compared to other land uses. Interventions, like cultivation of broom grass upon terrace risers, N2-fixing Albizia trees for maintenance of soil fertility and plantation of horticulture trees, have reduced the soil loss (by 22%). Soil and water conservation values (> 80%) of both large cardamom and broom grass were higher compared to other crops. Use of N2-fixing Albizia tree in large cardamom agroforestry and croplands contributed to soil fertility, and increased productivity and yield. Bio-composting of farm resources ensured increase in nutrient availability specially phosphorus in cropped areas. Agricultural practices in mountain areas should be strengthened with more agroforestry components, and cash crops like large cardamom and broom grass in agroforestry provide high economic return and are hydroecologically sustainable.

Subsurface Monitoring of CO2 Sequestration - A Review and Look Forward

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daley, T. M.

2012-12-01

The injection of CO2 into subsurface formations is at least 50 years old with large-scale utilization of CO2 for enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) beginning in the 1970s. Early monitoring efforts had limited measurements in available boreholes. With growing interest in CO2 sequestration beginning in the 1990's, along with growth in geophysical reservoir monitoring, small to mid-size sequestration monitoring projects began to appear. The overall goals of a subsurface monitoring plan are to provide measurement of CO2 induced changes in subsurface properties at a range of spatial and temporal scales. The range of spatial scales allows tracking of the location and saturation of the plume with varying detail, while finer temporal sampling (up to continuous) allows better understanding of dynamic processes (e.g. multi-phase flow) and constraining of reservoir models. Early monitoring of small scale pilots associated with CO2-EOR (e.g., the McElroy field and the Lost Hills field), developed many of the methodologies including tomographic imaging and multi-physics measurements. Large (reservoir) scale sequestration monitoring began with the Sleipner and Weyburn projects. Typically, large scale monitoring, such as 4D surface seismic, has limited temporal sampling due to costs. Smaller scale pilots can allow more frequent measurements as either individual time-lapse 'snapshots' or as continuous monitoring. Pilot monitoring examples include the Frio, Nagaoka and Otway pilots using repeated well logging, crosswell imaging, vertical seismic profiles and CASSM (continuous active-source seismic monitoring). For saline reservoir sequestration projects, there is typically integration of characterization and monitoring, since the sites are not pre-characterized resource developments (oil or gas), which reinforces the need for multi-scale measurements. As we move beyond pilot sites, we need to quantify CO2 plume and reservoir properties (e.g. pressure) over large scales, while still obtaining high resolution. Typically the high-resolution (spatial and temporal) tools are deployed in permanent or semi-permanent borehole installations, where special well design may be necessary, such as non-conductive casing for electrical surveys. Effective utilization of monitoring wells requires an approach of modular borehole monitoring (MBM) were multiple measurements can be made. An example is recent work at the Citronelle pilot injection site where an MBM package with seismic, fluid sampling and distributed fiber sensing was deployed. For future large scale sequestration monitoring, an adaptive borehole-monitoring program is proposed.

Geological Carbon Sequestration in the Ohio River Valley: An Evaluation of Possible Target Formations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalton, T. A.; Daniels, J. J.

2009-12-01

The development of geological carbon sequestration within the Ohio River Valley is of major interest to the national electricity and coal industries because the Valley is home to a heavy concentration of coal-burning electricity generation plants and the infrastructure is impossible to eliminate in the short-term. It has been determined by Ohio's politicians and citizenry that the continued use of coal in this region until alternative energy supplies are available will be necessary over the next few years. Geologic sequestration is the only possible means of keeping the CO2 out of the atmosphere in the region. The cost of the sequestration effort greatly decreases CO2 emissions by sequestering CO2 directly on site of these plants, or by minimizing the distance between fossil-fueled generation and sequestration (i.e., by eliminating the cost of transportation of supercritical CO2 from plant to sequestration site). Thus, the practicality of CO2 geologic sequestration within the Ohio River Valley is central to the development of such a commercial effort. Though extensive work has been done by the Regional Partnerships of the DOE/NETL in the characterization of general areas for carbon sequestration throughout the nation, few projects have narrowed their focus into a single geologic region in order to evaluate the sites of greatest commercial potential. As an undergraduate of the Earth Sciences at Ohio State, I have engaged in thorough research to obtain a detailed understanding of the geology of the Ohio River Valley and its potential for commercial-scale carbon sequestration. Through this research, I have been able to offer an estimate of the areas of greatest interest for CO2 geologic sequestration. This research has involved petrological, mineralogical, geochemical, and geophysical analyses of four major reservoir formations within Ohio—the Rose Run, the Copper Ridge, the Clinton, and the Oriskany—along with an evaluation of the possible effects of injection into these saline reservoirs.

FULL SCALE BIOREACTOR LANDFILL FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND GREENHOUSE EMISSION CONTROL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramin Yazdani; Jeff Kieffer; Heather Akau

2003-08-01

The Yolo County Department of Planning and Public Works is constructing a full-scale bioreactor landfill as a part of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Project XL program to develop innovative approaches for carbon sequestration and greenhouse emission control. The overall objective is to manage landfill solid waste for rapid waste decomposition and maximum landfill gas generation and capture for carbon sequestration and greenhouse emission control. Waste decomposition is accelerated by improving conditions for either the aerobic or anaerobic biological processes and involves circulating controlled quantities of liquid (leachate, groundwater, gray water, etc.), and, in the aerobic process, large volumes ofmore » air. The first phase of the project entails the construction of a 12-acre module that contains a 6-acre anaerobic cell, a 3.5-acre anaerobic cell, and a 2.5-acre aerobic cell at the Yolo County Central Landfill near Davis, California. The cells are highly instrumented to monitor bioreactor performance. Liquid addition has commenced in the 3.5-acre anaerobic cell and the 6-acre anaerobic cell. Construction of the 2.5-acre aerobic cell is nearly complete with only the biofilter remaining and is scheduled to be complete by the end of August 2003. The current project status and preliminary monitoring results are summarized in this report.« less

DE-SC0004118 (Wong & Lindquist). Final Report: Changes of Porosity, Permeability and Mechanical Strength Induced by Carbon Dioxide Sequestration.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

WONG, TENG-FONG; Lindquist, Brent

In the context of CO{sub 2} sequestration, the overall objective of this project is to conduct a systematic investigation of how the flow of the acidic, CO{sub 2} saturated, single phase component of the injected/sequestered fluid changes the microstructure, permeability and strength of sedimentary rocks, specifically limestone and sandstone samples. Hydromechanical experiments, microstructural observations and theoretical modeling on multiple scales were conducted.

Profitability Evaluation of a Hybrid Geothermal and CO2 Sequestration Project for a Coastal Hot Saline Aquifer.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plaksina, Tatyana; Kanfar, Mohammed

2017-11-01

With growing interest in commercial projects involving industrial volume CO2 sequestration, a concern about proper containment and control over the gas plume becomes particularly prominent. In this study, we explore the potential of using a typical coastal geopressured hot saline aquifer for two commercial purposes. The first purpose is to harvest geothermal heat of the aquifer for electricity generation and/or direct use and the second one is to utilize the same rock volume for safe and controlled CO2 sequestration without interruption of heat production. To achieve these goals, we devised and economically evaluated a scheme that recovers operational and capital costs within first 4 years and yields positive internal rate of return of about 15% at the end of the operations. Using our strategic design of well placement and operational scheduling, we were able to achieve in our numerical simulation study the following results. First, the hot water production rates allowed to run a 30 MW organic Rankine cycle plant for 20 years. Second, during the last 10 years of operation we managed to inject into the same reservoir (volume of 0.8 x 109 m3) approximately 10 million ton of the supercritical gas. Third, decades of numerical monitoring the plume after the end of the operations showed that this large volume of CO2 is securely sequestrated inside the reservoir without compromising the caprock integrity.

Basin-Scale Hydrologic Impacts of CO2 Storage: Regulatory and Capacity Implications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Birkholzer, J.T.; Zhou, Q.

Industrial-scale injection of CO{sub 2} into saline sedimentary basins will cause large-scale fluid pressurization and migration of native brines, which may affect valuable groundwater resources overlying the deep sequestration reservoirs. In this paper, we discuss how such basin-scale hydrologic impacts can (1) affect regulation of CO{sub 2} storage projects and (2) may reduce current storage capacity estimates. Our assessment arises from a hypothetical future carbon sequestration scenario in the Illinois Basin, which involves twenty individual CO{sub 2} storage projects in a core injection area suitable for long-term storage. Each project is assumed to inject five million tonnes of CO{sub 2}more » per year for 50 years. A regional-scale three-dimensional simulation model was developed for the Illinois Basin that captures both the local-scale CO{sub 2}-brine flow processes and the large-scale groundwater flow patterns in response to CO{sub 2} storage. The far-field pressure buildup predicted for this selected sequestration scenario suggests that (1) the area that needs to be characterized in a permitting process may comprise a very large region within the basin if reservoir pressurization is considered, and (2) permits cannot be granted on a single-site basis alone because the near- and far-field hydrologic response may be affected by interference between individual sites. Our results also support recent studies in that environmental concerns related to near-field and far-field pressure buildup may be a limiting factor on CO{sub 2} storage capacity. In other words, estimates of storage capacity, if solely based on the effective pore volume available for safe trapping of CO{sub 2}, may have to be revised based on assessments of pressure perturbations and their potential impact on caprock integrity and groundwater resources, respectively. We finally discuss some of the challenges in making reliable predictions of large-scale hydrologic impacts related to CO{sub 2} sequestration projects.« less

The Role of Soil Biological Function in Regulating Agroecosystem Services and Sustainability in the Quesungual Agroforestry System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fonte, S.; Pauli, N.; Rousseau, L.; SIX, J. W. U. A.; Barrios, E.

2014-12-01

The Quesungual agroforestry system from western Honduras has been increasingly promoted as a promising alternative to traditional slash-and-burn agriculture in tropical dry forest regions of the Americas. Improved residue management and the lack of burning in this system can greatly impact soil biological functioning and a number of key soil-based ecosystem services, yet our understanding of these processes has not been thoroughly integrated to understand system functionality as a whole that can guide improved management. To address this gap, we present a synthesis of various field studies conducted in Central America aimed at: 1) quantifying the influence of the Quesungual agroforestry practices on soil macrofauna abundance and diversity, and 2) understanding how these organisms influence key soil-based ecosystem services that ultimately drive the success of this system. A first set of studies examined the impact of agroecosystem management on soil macrofauna populations, soil fertility and key soil processes. Results suggest that residue inputs (derived from tree biomass pruning), a lack of burning, and high tree densities, lead to conditions that support abundant, diverse soil macrofauna communities under agroforestry, with soil organic carbon content comparable to adjacent forest. Additionally, there is great potential in working with farmers to develop refined soil quality indicators for improved land management. A second line of research explored interactions between residue management and earthworms in the regulation of soil-based ecosystem services. Earthworms are the most prominent ecosystem engineers in these soils. We found that earthworms are key drivers of soil structure maintenance and the stabilization of soil organic matter within soil aggregates, and also had notable impacts on soil nutrient dynamics. However, the impact of earthworms appears to depend on residue management practices, thus indicating the need for an integrated approach for management of soil biological function and ecosystem services in the Quesungual agroforestry system.

Management of Agroforestry Practices in Assosa District, Benishangul Gumuze Region, Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kifle, E. T.; Asfaw, Z.; Abdelkadir, A.

2017-12-01

Trees on farms have evolved from the selective retention of useful trees on agricultural lands following the severe forest destruction and degradation for agriculture and other uses. As a consequence, trees on farms form the main vegetation types in much of rural Ethiopia in general and Assosa district in particular. In order to increase the products and services of these important agroforestry species there is a need to identify and document the species type and their management practices. To this end, this study is intended to:1) identify agroforestry types, species richness, use-diversity and management of the woody and non-woody plant species 2) record on-farm tree management practices and 3) assess the perception and attitude of farmers towards tree management. A combination of assessment methods including species inventory, key informant discussions and questionnaire surveys were employed in the study. The key findings of the study have shown that a) there were four major agroforestry practices namely homrgardens, parklands, alley cropping and farm boundary plantings with homegardens and parklands appearing to be the dominant practices, b) a total of 57 woody and non-woody species were found to form the main vegetation species with about 21 species commonly shared by both homegardens and parklands c)the difference in mean number of stems in homegardens and parklands was significantly different (p<0.05), d) retained trees in the study area are multifunctional with more than six use types and were managed by more than five management practices including slant-cut of mango (Mangifera indica) trees. According to household respondents and key informants land tenure insecurity, prevalence of pests/diseases, scarcity of water and poor survival of seedlings were the major problems. Therefore, land certification, water resource development, integrated pest management(IPM), training of farmers and further research on the cultural management practices are key recommendations for further development of agroforestry in the study area. Keywords: homegardens; parklands; local knowledge; slant-cut; inventory; key informants; questionnaire

The Impact of Policy and Institutional Environment on Costs and Benefits of Sustainable Agricultural Land Uses: The Case of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasul, Golam; Thapa, Gopal B.

2007-08-01

As in other mountain regions of Asia, agricultural lands in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh are undergoing degradation due primarily to environmentally incompatible land-use systems such as shifting cultivation ( jhum) and annual cash crops. The suitable land-use systems such as agroforestry and timber tree plantation provide benefit to the society at large, but they might not provide attractive economic benefits to farmers, eventually constraining a wide-scale adoption of such land-use systems. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate agricultural land-use systems from both societal and private perspectives in the pursuit of promoting particularly environmentally sustainable systems. This article evaluated five major land-use systems being practiced in CHT, namely jhum, annual cash crops, horticulture, agroforestry, and timber plantation. The results of the financial analysis revealed the annual cash crops as the most attractive land use and jhum as the least attractive of the five land-use systems considered under the study. Horticulture, timber plantation, and agroforestry, considered to be suitable land-use systems particularly for mountainous areas, held the middle ground between these two systems. Annual cash crops provided the highest financial return at the cost of a very high rate of soil erosion. When the societal cost of soil erosion is considered, annual cash crops appear to be the most costly land-use system, followed by jhum and horticulture. Although financially less attractive compared to annual cash crops and horticulture, agroforestry and timber plantation are the socially most beneficial land-use systems. Findings of the alternative policy analyses indicate that there is a good prospect for making environmentally sustainable land-use systems, such as agroforestry and timber plantation, attractive for the farmers by eliminating existing legal and institutional barriers, combined with the provision of necessary support services and facilities.

The impact of policy and institutional environment on costs and benefits of sustainable agricultural land uses: the case of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh.

PubMed

Rasul, Golam; Thapa, Gopal B

2007-08-01

As in other mountain regions of Asia, agricultural lands in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh are undergoing degradation due primarily to environmentally incompatible land-use systems such as shifting cultivation (jhum) and annual cash crops. The suitable land-use systems such as agroforestry and timber tree plantation provide benefit to the society at large, but they might not provide attractive economic benefits to farmers, eventually constraining a wide-scale adoption of such land-use systems. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate agricultural land-use systems from both societal and private perspectives in the pursuit of promoting particularly environmentally sustainable systems. This article evaluated five major land-use systems being practiced in CHT, namely jhum, annual cash crops, horticulture, agroforestry, and timber plantation. The results of the financial analysis revealed the annual cash crops as the most attractive land use and jhum as the least attractive of the five land-use systems considered under the study. Horticulture, timber plantation, and agroforestry, considered to be suitable land-use systems particularly for mountainous areas, held the middle ground between these two systems. Annual cash crops provided the highest financial return at the cost of a very high rate of soil erosion. When the societal cost of soil erosion is considered, annual cash crops appear to be the most costly land-use system, followed by jhum and horticulture. Although financially less attractive compared to annual cash crops and horticulture, agroforestry and timber plantation are the socially most beneficial land-use systems. Findings of the alternative policy analyses indicate that there is a good prospect for making environmentally sustainable land-use systems, such as agroforestry and timber plantation, attractive for the farmers by eliminating existing legal and institutional barriers, combined with the provision of necessary support services and facilities.

Projection of Carbon Dynamics in the Marine West Coast Forests under Climate and Land Cover changes Using General Ensemble Biogeochemical Modeling System (GEMS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

WU, Y.; Liu, S.; Li, Z.; Young, C.; Werner, J.; Dahal, D.; Liu, J.; Schmidt, G.

2012-12-01

Climate and land cover changes may influence the capacity of the terrestrial ecosystems to be carbon sinks or sources. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential change of the carbon sequestration in the Marine West Coast Forests ecoregion in the Pacific Northwest United States using the General Ensemble Biogeochemical Modeling System (GEMS). In GEMS, the underlying biogeochemical model, Erosion and Deposition Carbon Model (EDCM), was used and calibrated using MODIS net primary production (NPP) and grain yield data during the baseline period from 2002 to 2005, and then validated with another four-year period from 2006 to 2009. GEMS-EDCM was driven using projected climate from three General Circulation Models (GCMs) under three IPCC scenarios (A2, A1B, and B1) and derived land cover data from the FORecasting SCEnarios (FORE-SCE) model under the same three IPCC scenarios for the period from 2006 to 2050. This ecoregion, two-thirds of which is covered by forest, was projected to continue to gain carbon from 2005 to 2050, with an annual carbon sequestration of about -3 Tg C. It was also predicted that live biomass and soil organic carbon (SOC) would contain about 48% and 33% of the total carbon storage by 2050, respectively. In addition, forest carbon sequestration (-2 Tg C yr-1) demonstrated to be the largest sink among all ecosystems, accounting for 73% of the total, followed by grass/shrub and agriculture. Overall, results about predicted dynamics of carbon storage and sequestration can be informative to policy makers for seeking mitigation plans to reduce greenhouse gases emissions.

Carbon Sequestration in Colorado's Lands: A Spatial and Policy Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandt, N.; Brazeau, A.; Browning, K.; Meier, R.

2017-12-01

Managing landscapes to enhance terrestrial carbon sequestration has significant potential to mitigate climate change. While a previous carbon baseline assessment in Colorado has been published (Conant et al, 2007), our study pulls from the existing literature to conduct an updated baseline assessment of carbon stocks and a unique review of carbon policies in Colorado. Through a multi-level spatial analysis based in GIS and informed by a literature review, we established a carbon stock baseline and ran four land use and carbon stock projection scenarios using Monte Carlo simulations. We identified 11 key policy recommendations for improving Colorado's carbon stocks, and evaluated each using Bardach's policy matrix approach (Bardach, 2012). We utilized a series of case studies to support our policy recommendations. We found that Colorado's lands have a carbon stock of 3,334 MMT CO2eq, with Forests and Woodlands holding the largest stocks, at 1,490 and 774 MMT CO2eq respectively. Avoided conversion of all Grasslands, Forests, and Wetlands in Colorado projected over 40 years would increase carbon stocks by 32 MMT CO2eq, 1,053 MMT CO2eq, and 36 MMT CO2eq, respectively. Over the 40-year study period, Forests and Woodlands areas are projected to shrink while Shrublands and Developed areas are projected to grow. Those projections suggest sizable increases in area of future wildfires and development in Colorado. We found that numerous policy opportunities to sequester carbon exist at different jurisdictional levels and across land cover types. The largest opportunities were found in state-level policies and policies impacting Forests, Grasslands, and Wetlands. The passage of statewide emission reduction legislation has the highest potential to impact carbon sequestration, although political and administrative feasibility of this option are relatively low. This study contributes to the broader field of carbon sequestration literature by examining the nexus of carbon stocks and policy at the state level, and serves as a model for future research on the role of terrestrial carbon stocks in climate change mitigation.

Community perceptions of carbon sequestration: insights from California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong-Parodi, Gabrielle; Ray, Isha

2009-07-01

Over the last decade, many energy experts have supported carbon sequestration as a viable technological response to climate change. Given the potential importance of sequestration in US energy policy, what might explain the views of communities that may be directly impacted by the siting of this technology? To answer this question, we conducted focus groups in two communities who were potentially pilot project sites for California's DOE-funded West Coast Regional Partnership (WESTCARB). We find that communities want a voice in defining the risks to be mitigated as well as the justice of the procedures by which the technology is implemented. We argue that a community's sense of empowerment is key to understanding its range of carbon sequestration opinions, where 'empowerment' includes the ability to mitigate community-defined risks of the technology. This sense of empowerment protects the community against the downside risk of government or corporate neglect, a risk that is rarely identified in risk assessments but that should be factored into assessment and communication strategies.

The Effect of the Agricultural Carbon Sequestration and Agrochemical Reduction on the Regional Water Environment Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leyi, Wang; Baoli, Zhang; Xin, Li; Juan, Du

2018-05-01

This paper analysed the impact of the agricultural carbon reduction and emission reduction measures implementation on the environmental quality of surface water and groundwater in winter and summer in Henan and Anhui Province project areas by using entropy weight fuzzy matter element analysis method. The result showed that the reduction in the application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides had a certain impact on the improvement of the water environment by using agricultural carbon sequestration technologies.

Molecular and Metabolic Mechanisms of Carbon Sequestration in Marine Thrombolites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mobberley, Jennifer

2013-01-01

The overall goal of my dissertation project has been to examine the molecular processes underlying carbon sequestration in lithifying microbial ecosystems, known as thrombolitic mats, and assess their feasibility for use in bioregenerative life support systems. The results of my research and education efforts funded by the Graduate Student Researchers Program can be summarized in four peer-reviewed research publication, one educational publication, two papers in preparation, and six research presentations at local and national science meetings (see below for specific details).

APPLICATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF APPROPRIATE TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR COST-EFFECTIVE CARBON

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bill Stanley; Sandra Brown; Ellen Hawes

2003-09-01

The Nature Conservancy is participating in a Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to explore the compatibility of carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity. The title of the research project is ''Application and Development of Appropriate Tools and Technologies for Cost-Effective Carbon Sequestration''. The objectives of the project are to: (1) improve carbon offset estimates produced in both the planning and implementation phases of projects; (2) build valid and standardized approaches to estimate project carbon benefits at a reasonable cost; and (3) lay the groundwork for implementing cost-effective projects,more » providing new testing ground for biodiversity protection and restoration projects that store additional atmospheric carbon. This Technical Progress Report discusses preliminary results of the six specific tasks that The Nature Conservancy is undertaking to answer research needs while facilitating the development of real projects with measurable greenhouse gas impacts. The research described in this report occurred between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2003. The specific tasks discussed include: Task 1: carbon inventory advancements; Task 2: advanced videography testing; Task 3: baseline method development; Task 4: third-party technical advisory panel meetings; Task 5: new project feasibility studies; and Task 6: development of new project software screening tool.« less

Simulation of regional temperature change effect of land cover change in agroforestry ecotone of Nenjiang River Basin in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Tingxiang; Zhang, Shuwen; Yu, Lingxue; Bu, Kun; Yang, Jiuchun; Chang, Liping

2017-05-01

The Northeast China is one of typical regions experiencing intensive human activities within short time worldwide. Particularly, as the significant changes of agriculture land and forest, typical characteristics of pattern and process of agroforestry ecotone change formed in recent decades. The intensive land use change of agroforestry ecotone has made significant change for regional land cover, which had significant impact on the regional climate system elements and the interactions among them. This paper took agroforestry ecotone of Nenjiang River Basin in China as study region and simulated temperature change based on land cover change from 1950s to 1978 and from 1978 to 2010. The analysis of temperature difference sensitivity to land cover change based on Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model showed that the land cover change from 1950s to 1978 induced warming effect over all the study area, including the change of grassland to agriculture land, grassland to deciduous broad-leaved forest, and deciduous broad-leaved forest to shrub land. The land cover change from 1978 to 2010 induced cooling effect over all the study area, including the change of deciduous broad-leaved forest to agriculture land, grassland to agriculture land, shrub land to agriculture land, and deciduous broad-leaved forest to grassland. In addition, the warming and cooling effect of land cover change was more significant in the region scale than specific land cover change area.

[Effect of mixed edaphic bacterial inoculants in the early development of improved cocoa cultivars (Theobroma cacao L.) in a traditional agroforestry system of Oaxaca, Mexico].

PubMed

Hipólito-Romero, E; Carcaño-Montiel, M G; Ramos-Prado, J M; Vázquez-Cabañas, E A; López-Reyes, L; Ricaño-Rodríguez, J

Cocoa plant (Theobroma cacao L.) is native from South America and it represents one of the most significant "bio-cultural" resources of Mesoamerica, since it is a region where it was domesticated and had a relevance as ritual drink and as currency in many pre-hispanic cultures until the arrival of the Spaniards who spread its use worldwide, and became it one of the most consumed commodity goods. Through this research, an alternative is proposed to address the problem of cultivars through the introduction of a wide variety of cocoa plants in traditional agroforestry systems, in synergy with the inoculation of nitrogen-fixing and insoluble phosphor solubilizing edaphic bacterial consortia. Four cultivars of improved grafted cocoa plants were introduced in a traditional agroforestry plot and three fertilization treatments were applied: application of biofertilizer, application of chemical fertilizer and control. Measurements of height, stem diameter, number of leaves and branches were recorded at 2 and 12 months after planting and rhizosphere microbial populations were characterized. Growth results showed good potential for all studied cultivars and it was observed that biofertilization foresees significant effects in some of the growth indicators of cocoa plant. Thereby, plant associations in an agroforestry system could be favorable to promote fruit development and resistance to pests and diseases. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

FULL SCALE BIOREACTOR LANDFILL FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND GREENHOUSE EMISSION CONTROL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramin Yazdani; Jeff Kieffer; Heather Akau

2003-12-01

The Yolo County Department of Planning and Public Works is constructing a full-scale bioreactor landfill as a part of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Project XL program to develop innovative approaches for carbon sequestration and greenhouse emission control. The overall objective is to manage landfill solid waste for rapid waste decomposition and maximum landfill gas generation and capture for carbon sequestration and greenhouse emission control. Waste decomposition is accelerated by improving conditions for either the aerobic or anaerobic biological processes and involves circulating controlled quantities of liquid (leachate, groundwater, gray water, etc.), and, in the aerobic process, large volumes ofmore » air. The first phase of the project entails the construction of a 12-acre module that contains a 6-acre anaerobic cell, a 3.5-acre anaerobic cell, and a 2.5-acre aerobic cell at the Yolo County Central Landfill near Davis, California. The cells are highly instrumented to monitor bioreactor performance. Liquid addition has commenced in the 3.5-acre anaerobic cell and the 6-acre anaerobic cell. Construction of the 2.5-acre aerobic cell and biofilter has been completed. The remaining task to be completed is to test the biofilter prior to operation, which is currently anticipated to begin in January 2004. The current project status and preliminary monitoring results are summarized in this report.« less

Simulating the Cranfield geological carbon sequestration project with high-resolution static models and an accurate equation of state

DOE PAGES

Soltanian, Mohamad Reza; Amooie, Mohammad Amin; Cole, David R.; ...

2016-10-11

In this study, a field-scale carbon dioxide (CO 2) injection pilot project was conducted as part of the Southeast Regional Sequestration Partnership (SECARB) at Cranfield, Mississippi. We present higher-order finite element simulations of the compositional two-phase CO 2-brine flow and transport during the experiment. High- resolution static models of the formation geology in the Detailed Area Study (DAS) located below the oil- water contact (brine saturated) are used to capture the impact of connected flow paths on breakthrough times in two observation wells. Phase behavior is described by the cubic-plus-association (CPA) equation of state, which takes into account the polarmore » nature of water molecules. Parameter studies are performed to investigate the importance of Fickian diffusion, permeability heterogeneity, relative permeabilities, and capillarity. Simulation results for the pressure response in the injection well and the CO 2 breakthrough times at the observation wells show good agreement with the field data. For the high injection rates and short duration of the experiment, diffusion is relatively unimportant (high P clet numbers), while relative permeabilities have a profound impact on the pressure response. High-permeability pathways, created by fluvial deposits, strongly affect the CO 2 transport and highlight the importance of properly characterizing the formation heterogeneity in future carbon sequestration projects.« less

Watershed development practices for ecorestoration in a tribal area - A case study in Attappady hills, South India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vishnudas, Subha; Savenije, Hubert H. G.; Zaag, Pieter Van der

Attappady is a rural area in Kerala, South India, that has suffered from severe land degradation and which is inhabited by a poor and predominantly tribal population. The combination of severe land degradation, poverty and a tribal population make Attappady hydrologically and socially unique. Ecological degradation and deforestation followed the gradual building up of land pressure resulting from immigration by more wealthy outsiders. The hills of Attappady were once the forest land of Kerala. Recently it was on the verge of complete degradation. This paper explains how an ecorestoration project involving soil and water conservation interventions, the introduction of agro-forestry, nutritional diversification, income generation activities and training was implemented in a participatory manner. The project had positive impacts on both the environment and the livelihoods of the people living in the watershed, but it also suffered from drawbacks. This paper reports on the successes as well as the lessons learned from this unique ecorestoration project.

Recovery Act: Innovative CO 2 Sequestration from Flue Gas Using Industrial Sources and Innovative Concept for Beneficial CO 2 Use

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dando, Neal; Gershenzon, Mike; Ghosh, Rajat

2012-07-31

The overall goal of this DOE Phase 2 project was to further develop and conduct pilot-scale and field testing of a biomimetic in-duct scrubbing system for the capture of gaseous CO 2 coupled with sequestration of captured carbon by carbonation of alkaline industrial wastes. The Phase 2 project, reported on here, combined efforts in enzyme development, scrubber optimization, and sequestrant evaluations to perform an economic feasibility study of technology deployment. The optimization of carbonic anhydrase (CA) enzyme reactivity and stability are critical steps in deployment of this technology. A variety of CA enzyme variants were evaluated for reactivity and stabilitymore » in both bench scale and in laboratory pilot scale testing to determine current limits in enzyme performance. Optimization of scrubber design allowed for improved process economics while maintaining desired capture efficiencies. A range of configurations, materials, and operating conditions were examined at the Alcoa Technical Center on a pilot scale scrubber. This work indicated that a cross current flow utilizing a specialized gas-liquid contactor offered the lowest system operating energy. Various industrial waste materials were evaluated as sources of alkalinity for the scrubber feed solution and as sources of calcium for precipitation of carbonate. Solids were mixed with a simulated sodium bicarbonate scrubber blowdown to comparatively examine reactivity. Supernatant solutions and post-test solids were analyzed to quantify and model the sequestration reactions. The best performing solids were found to sequester between 2.3 and 2.9 moles of CO 2 per kg of dry solid in 1-4 hours of reaction time. These best performing solids were cement kiln dust, circulating dry scrubber ash, and spray dryer absorber ash. A techno-economic analysis was performed to evaluate the commercial viability of the proposed carbon capture and sequestration process in full-scale at an aluminum smelter and a refinery location. For both cases the in-duct scrubber technology was compared to traditional amine- based capture. Incorporation of the laboratory results showed that for the application at the aluminum smelter, the in-duct scrubber system is more economical than traditional methods. However, the reverse is true for the refinery case, where the bauxite residue is not effective enough as a sequestrant, combined with challenges related to contaminants in the bauxite residue accumulating in and fouling the scrubber absorbent. Sensitivity analyses showed that the critical variables by which process economics could be improved are enzyme concentration, efficiency, and half-life. At the end of the first part of the Phase 2 project, a gate review (DOE Decision Zero Gate Point) was conducted to decide on the next stages of the project. The original plan was to follow the pre-testing phase with a detailed design for the field testing. Unfavorable process economics, however, resulted in a decision to conclude the project before moving to field testing. It is noted that CO 2 Solutions proposed an initial solution to reduce process costs through more advanced enzyme management, however, DOE program requirements restricting any technology development extending beyond 2014 as commercial deployment timeline did not allow this solution to be undertaken.« less

40 CFR 146.90 - Testing and monitoring requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... information about the geologic sequestration project, including injection rate and volume, geology, the... site-specific geology, that such methods are not appropriate; (h) The Director may require surface air...

40 CFR 146.90 - Testing and monitoring requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... information about the geologic sequestration project, including injection rate and volume, geology, the... site-specific geology, that such methods are not appropriate; (h) The Director may require surface air...

40 CFR 146.90 - Testing and monitoring requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... information about the geologic sequestration project, including injection rate and volume, geology, the... site-specific geology, that such methods are not appropriate; (h) The Director may require surface air...

40 CFR 146.90 - Testing and monitoring requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... information about the geologic sequestration project, including injection rate and volume, geology, the... site-specific geology, that such methods are not appropriate; (h) The Director may require surface air...

Forest and grassland cover types reduce net greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils.

PubMed

Baah-Acheamfour, Mark; Carlyle, Cameron N; Lim, Sang-Sun; Bork, Edward W; Chang, Scott X

2016-11-15

Western Canada's prairie region is extensively cultivated for agricultural production, which is a large source of greenhouse gas emissions. Agroforestry systems are common land uses across Canada, which integrate trees into the agricultural landscape and could play a substantial role in sequestering carbon and mitigating increases in atmospheric GHG concentrations. We measured soil CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes and the global warming potential of microbe-mediated net greenhouse gas emissions (GWPm) in forest and herbland (areas without trees) soils of three agroforestry systems (hedgerow, shelterbelt and silvopasture) over two growing seasons (May through September in 2013 and 2014). We measured greenhouse gas fluxes and environmental conditions at 36 agroforestry sites (12 sites for each system) located along a south-north oriented soil/climate gradient of increasing moisture availability in central Alberta, Canada. The temperature sensitivity of soil CO2 emissions was greater in herbland (4.4) than in forest (3.1), but was not different among agroforestry systems. Over the two seasons, forest soils had 3.4% greater CO2 emission, 36% higher CH4 uptake, and 66% lower N2O emission than adjacent herbland soils. Combining the CO2 equivalents of soil CH4 and N2O fluxes with the CO2 emitted via heterotrophic (microbial) respiration, forest soils had a smaller GWPm than herbland soils (68 and 89kgCO2ha(-1), respectively). While emissions of total CO2 were silvopasture>hedgerow>shelterbelt, soils under silvopasture had 5% lower heterotrophic respiration, 15% greater CH4 uptake, and 44% lower N2O emission as compared with the other two agroforestry systems. Overall, the GWPm of greenhouse gas emissions was greater in hedgerow (88) and shelterbelt (85) than in the silvopasture system (76kgCO2ha(-1)). High GWPm in the hedgerow and shelterbelt systems reflects the greater contribution from the monoculture annual crops within these systems. Opportunities exist for reducing soil greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change by promoting the establishment of perennial vegetation in the agricultural landscape. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling and validation of directional reflectance for heterogeneous agro-forestry scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yelu, Z.; Jing, L.; Qinhuo, L.; Huete, A. R.

2015-12-01

Landscape heterogeneity is a common natural phenomenon but is seldom considered in current radiative transfer models for predicting the surface reflectance. This paper developed an explicit analytical Radiative Transfer model for heterogeneous Agro-Forestry scenarios (RTAF) by dividing the scenario into non-boundary regions and boundary regions. The scattering contribution of the non-boundary regions that are treated as homogeneous canopies can be estimated from the SAILH model, whereas that of the boundary regions with lengths, widths, canopy heights, and orientations of the field patches, is calculated based on the bidirectional gap probability by considering the interactions and mutual shadowing effects among different patches. The hot spot factor is extended for heterogeneous scenarios, the Hapke model for soil anisotropy is incorporated, and the contributions of the direct and diffuse radiation are separately calculated. The multi-angular airborne observations and the Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) model simulations were used for validating and evaluating the RTAF model over an agro-forestry scenario in Heihe River Basin, China. It indicates that the RTAF model can accurately simulate the hemispherical-directional reflectance factors (HDRFs) of the heterogeneous agro-forestry scenario, with an RMSE of 0.0016 and 0.0179 in the red and near-infrared (NIR) bands, respectively. The RTAF model was compared with two widely used models, the dominant cover type (DCT) model and the spectral linear mixture (SLM) model, which either neglected the interactions and mutual shadowing effects between the shelterbets and crops, or did not account for the contribution of the shelterbets. Results suggest that the boundary effect can significantly influence the angular distribution of the HDRFs, and consequently enlarged the HDRF variations between the backward and forward directions in the principle plane. The RTAF model reduced the maximum relative error from 25.7% (SLM) and 23.0% (DCT) to 9.8% in the red band, and from 19.6% (DCT) and 13.7% (SLM) to 8.7% in the NIR band. According to the findings in this paper, the RTAF model provides a promising way to improve the retrieval of biophysical parameters (e.g. leaf area index) from remote sensing data over heterogeneous agro-forestry scenarios.

Ethnopedology and soil quality of bamboo (Bambusa sp.) based agroforestry system.

PubMed

Arun Jyoti, Nath; Lal, Rattan; Das, Ashesh Kumar

2015-07-15

It is widely recognized that farmers' hold important knowledge of folk soil classification for agricultural land for its uses, yet little has been studied for traditional agroforestry systems. This article explores the ethnopedology of bamboo (Bambusa sp.) based agroforestry system in North East India, and establishes the relationship of soil quality index (SQI) with bamboo productivity. The study revealed four basic folk soil (mati) types: kalo (black soil), lal (red soil), pathal (stony soil) and balu (sandy soil). Of these, lal mati soil was the most predominant soil type (~ 40%) in bamboo-based agroforestry system. Soil physio-chemical parameters were studied to validate the farmers' soil hierarchal classification and also to correlate with productivity of the bamboo stand. Farmers' hierarchal folk soil classification was consistent with the laboratory scientific analysis. Culm production (i.e. measure of productivity of bamboo) was the highest (27culmsclump(-1)) in kalo mati (black soil) and the lowest (19culmsclump(-1)) in balu mati (sandy soil). Linear correlation of individual soil quality parameter with bamboo productivity explained 16 to 49% of the variability. A multiple correlation of the best fitted linear soil quality parameter (soil organic carbon or SOC, water holding capacity or WHC, total nitrogen) with productivity improved explanatory power to 53%. Development of SQI from ten relevant soil quality parameters and its correlation with bamboo productivity explained the 64% of the variation and therefore, suggest SQI as the best determinant of bamboo yield. Data presented indicate that the kalo mati (black soil) is sustainable or sustainable with high input. However, the other three folk soil types (red, stony and sandy soil) are also sustainable but for other land uses. Therefore, ethnopedological studies may move beyond routine laboratory analysis and incorporate SQI for assessing the sustainability of land uses managed by the farmers'. Additional research is required to incorporate principal component analysis for improving the SQI and site potential assessment. It is also important to evaluate the minimum data set (MDS) required for SQI and productivity assessment in agroforestry systems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Soil organic carbon sequestration potential and gap of the sub-tropical region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiti, T.; Santini, M.; Valentini, R.

2012-04-01

A database of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks was created for the sub-tropical belt using existing global SOC databases (WISE3; various SOTER) and new data from an ongoing project (ERC Africa-GHG) specific for the tropical forests of the African continent. The intent of this database is to evaluate the sequestration potential of a critical area of the world where most of the primary rainforests are located, and actually show undoubtedly high SOC losses associated with deforestation. About 4100 profiles, quite well distributed over the entire sub-tropical belt, were used to calculate the actual SOC stock for the 0-30 cm and 30-100 cm depths of mineral soil. First, this actual SOC stock has been related to the current Land Use Systems; successively, it has been interpolated taking into account Homogeneous Land Units (HLUs) in terms of soil type, climate zone and land use. Then, relying on consistent projections, of both climate and land use changes, for the years 2050 and 2100 under extremes IPCC-SRES emission scenarios such as the B1 and the A2, potential SOC stocks for these time frames has been calculated. Soil carbon sequestration gap is calculated by the difference of the actual SOC stock and the future projections. When subtracting potential from the actual SOC stocks, negative values represent a gap in terms of possible SOC losses and so reduced carbon sequestration. The soil carbon gap indicates locations where there will be low soil-carbon levels associated with medium-to-high actual SOC stocks, and medium soil-carbon levels associated with high actual SOC stocks, depending on soil type, climate and land use conditions. On the long term, 2076-2100, a SOC gap is observed under all scenarios in South America, just below the Amazonia basin, where are located open and fragmented forests. However, in the Amazonia basin deforestation decrease since no sensible SOC losses were observed. An important gap is observed also in the Congo basin and West Africa, but the gap is more fragmented in small spots than that observed in South America. Forests of Asia seems to be less interested from SOC losses and the projections show almost no gaps under both scenarios. The soil organic carbon sequestration potential database is intended to provide an indication at the regional level of the potential for policy makers to provide environmental services and drive specific policy to increase sustainable land management.

Carbon Capture and Water Emissions Treatment System (CCWESTRS) at Fossil-Fueled Electric Generating Plants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

P. Alan Mays; Bert R. Bock; Gregory A. Brodie

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and the Department of Energy-National Energy Technologies Laboratory (DOE-NETL) are evaluating and demonstrating integration of terrestrial carbon sequestration techniques at a coal-fired electric power plant through the use of Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) system gypsum as a soil amendment and mulch, and coal fly ash pond process water for periodic irrigation. From January to March 2002, the Project Team initiated the construction of a 40 ha Carbon Capture and Water Emissions Treatment System (CCWESTRS) near TVA's Paradise Fossil Plant on marginally reclaimed surface coal mine lands in Kentucky. Themore » CCWESTRS is growing commercial grade trees and cover crops and is expected to sequester 1.5-2.0 MT/ha carbon per year over a 20-year period. The concept could be used to meet a portion of the timber industry's needs while simultaneously sequestering carbon in lands which would otherwise remain non-productive. The CCWESTRS includes a constructed wetland to enhance the ability to sequester carbon and to remove any nutrients and metals present in the coal fly ash process water runoff. The CCWESTRS project is a cooperative effort between TVA, EPRI, and DOE-NETL, with a total budget of $1,574,000. The proposed demonstration project began in October 2000 and has continued through December 2005. Additional funding is being sought in order to extend the project. The primary goal of the project is to determine if integrating power plant processes with carbon sequestration techniques will enhance carbon sequestration cost-effectively. This goal is consistent with DOE objectives to provide economically competitive and environmentally safe options to offset projected growth in U.S. baseline emissions of greenhouse gases after 2010, achieve the long-term goal of $10/ton of avoided net costs for carbon sequestration, and provide half of the required reductions in global greenhouse gases by 2025. Other potential benefits of the demonstration include developing a passive technology for water treatment for trace metal and nutrient release reductions, using power plant by-products to improve coal mine land reclamation and carbon sequestration, developing wildlife habitat and green-space around production facilities, generating Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) credits for the use of process water, and producing wood products for use by the lumber and pulp and paper industry. Project activities conducted during the five year project period include: Assessing tree cultivation and other techniques used to sequester carbon; Project site assessment; Greenhouse studies to determine optimum plant species and by-product application; Designing, constructing, operating, monitoring, and evaluating the CCWESTRS system; and Reporting (ongoing). The ability of the system to sequester carbon will be the primary measure of effectiveness, measured by accessing survival and growth response of plants within the CCWESTRS. In addition, costs associated with design, construction, and monitoring will be evaluated and compared to projected benefits of other carbon sequestration technologies. The test plan involves the application of three levels each of two types of power plant by-products--three levels of FGD gypsum mulch, and three levels of ash pond irrigation water. This design produces nine treatment levels which are being tested with two species of hardwood trees (sweet gum and sycamore). The project is examining the effectiveness of applications of 0, 8-cm, and 15-cm thick gypsum mulch layers and 0, 13 cm, and 25 cm of coal fly ash water for irrigation. Each treatment combination is being replicated three times, resulting in a total of 54 treatment plots (3 FGD gypsum levels X 3 irrigation water levels x 2 tree species x 3 replicates). Survival and growth response of plant species in terms of sequestering carbon in plant material and soil will be the primary measure of effectiveness of each treatment. Additionally, the ability of the site soils and unsaturated zone subsurface materials will be evaluated for their effectiveness at treating the irrigation water for various pollutants.« less

Time-Lapse Seismic Monitoring and Performance Assessment of CO 2 Sequestration in Hydrocarbon Reservoirs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Datta-Gupta, Akhil

Carbon dioxide sequestration remains an important and challenging research topic as a potentially viable approach for mitigating the effects of greenhouse gases on global warming (e.g., Chu and Majumdar, 2012; Bryant, 2007; Orr, 2004; Hepple and Benson, 2005; Bachu, 2003; Grimston et al., 2001). While CO 2 can be sequestered in oceanic or terrestrial biomass, the most mature and effective technology currently available is sequestration in geologic formations, especially in known hydrocarbon reservoirs (Barrufet et al., 2010; Hepple and Benson, 2005). However, challenges in the design and implementation of sequestration projects remain, especially over long time scales. One problem ismore » that the tendency for gravity override caused by the low density and viscosity of CO 2. In the presence of subsurface heterogeneity, fractures and faults, there is a significant risk of CO 2 leakage from the sequestration site into overlying rock compared to other liquid wastes (Hesse and Woods, 2010; Ennis-King and Patterson, 2002; Tsang et al., 2002). Furthermore, the CO 2 will likely interact chemically with the rock in which it is stored, so that understanding and predicting its transport behavior during sequestration can be complex and difficult (Mandalaparty et al., 2011; Pruess et al., 2003). Leakage of CO 2 can lead to such problems as acidification of ground water and killing of plant life, in addition to contamination of the atmosphere (Ha-Duong, 2003; Gasda et al., 2004). The development of adequate policies and regulatory systems to govern sequestration therefore requires improved characterization of the media in which CO 2 is stored and the development of advanced methods for detecting and monitoring its flow and transport in the subsurface (Bachu, 2003).« less

Population dynamics of earthworms in relation to soil physico-chemical parameters in agroforestry systems of Mizoram, India.

PubMed

Lalthanzara, H; Ramanujam, S N; Jha, L K

2011-09-01

Earthworm population dynamics was studied in two agroforestry systems in the tropical hilly terrain of Mizoram, north-east India, over a period of 24 months, from July 2002 to June 2004. Two sites of agroforestry situated at Sakawrtuichhun (SKT) and Pachhunga University College (PUC) campus, Aizawl, having pineapple as the main crop, were selected for detail studies on population dynamics. Five of the total twelve species of earthworm reported from the state were recorded in the study sites. The density of earthworm ranged from 6 to 243 ind.m(-2) and biomass from 3.2 - 677.64 g.m(-2) in SKT. Comparatively the density and biomass in PUC, which is at relatively higher altitude were lowerwith a range of 0 to 176 ind.m(-2) and biomass from 0 - 391.36 g.m(-2) respectively. Population dynamics of earthworm was significantly correlated with rainfall and physical characters of the soil. Earthworm biomass was significantly affected by rainfall and moisture content of the soil. The influence of chemical factors was relatively less.

[Transpiration of Choerospondias axillaris in agro-forestrial system and its affecting factors].

PubMed

Zhao, Ying; Zhang, Bin; Zhao, Huachun; Wang, Mingzhu

2005-11-01

Measurement of transpiration is essential to assess plant water use efficiency. Applying Grainer method, this paper measured the sap flow of Choerospondias axillaries in an agro-forestrial system, aimed to evaluate the effects of intercropping and pruning on the diurnal variation of transpiration, and to relate the transpiration rate with climatic factors. The results showed that the diurnal variation of Choerospondias arillaries transpiration rate appeared in parabola, low in the morning and evening, and high at noon. The transpiration rate was closely related to leaf stomatal conductivity and soil water potential, especially the water potential in 100 cm soil depth (R = 0.737). The transpiration rate of Choerospondias axillaries was increased by about 40% approximately 160% in agro-forestrial system through the changes in regional environment and in the deep soil water use by tree. Correlation analysis and multi-factor successive regression analysis indicated that the transpiration was controlled by ray radiation intensity, air temperature and ground temperature, followed by the difference between saturated and actual vapor pressure and the wind speed. A statistical model for calculating the sap flow rate by micrometeorological factors was also provided.

CO{sub 2} Sequestration Capacity and Associated Aspects of the Most Promising Geologic Formations in the Rocky Mountain Region: Local-Scale Analyses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Laes, Denise; Eisinger, Chris; Morgan, Craig

2013-07-30

The purpose of this report is to provide a summary of individual local-­scale CCS site characterization studies conducted in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. These site-­ specific characterization analyses were performed as part of the “Characterization of Most Promising Sequestration Formations in the Rocky Mountain Region” (RMCCS) project. The primary objective of these local-­scale analyses is to provide a basis for regional-­scale characterization efforts within each state. Specifically, limits on time and funding will typically inhibit CCS projects from conducting high-­ resolution characterization of a state-­sized region, but smaller (< 10,000 km{sup 2}) site analyses are usually possible, and suchmore » can provide insight regarding limiting factors for the regional-­scale geology. For the RMCCS project, the outcomes of these local-­scale studies provide a starting point for future local-­scale site characterization efforts in the Rocky Mountain region.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peter H. Israelsson; E. Eric Adams

On December 4, 1997, the US Department of Energy (USDOE), the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization of Japan (NEDO), and the Norwegian Research Council (NRC) entered into a Project Agreement for International Collaboration on CO{sub 2} Ocean Sequestration. Government organizations from Japan, Canada, and Australia, and a Swiss/Swedish engineering firm later joined the agreement, which outlined a research strategy for ocean carbon sequestration via direct injection. The members agreed to an initial field experiment, with the hope that if the initial experiment was successful, there would be subsequent field evaluations of increasingly larger scale to evaluate environmental impactsmore » of sequestration and the potential for commercialization. The evolution of the collaborative effort, the supporting research, and results for the International Collaboration on CO{sub 2} Ocean Sequestration were documented in almost 100 papers and reports, including 18 peer-reviewed journal articles, 46 papers, 28 reports, and 4 graduate theses. These efforts were summarized in our project report issued January 2005 and covering the period August 23, 1998-October 23, 2004. An accompanying CD contained electronic copies of all the papers and reports. This report focuses on results of a two-year sub-task to update an environmental assessment of acute marine impacts resulting from direct ocean sequestration. The approach is based on the work of Auerbach et al. [6] and Caulfield et al. [20] to assess mortality to zooplankton, but uses updated information concerning bioassays, an updated modeling approach and three modified injection scenarios: a point release of negatively buoyant solid CO{sub 2} hydrate particles from a moving ship; a long, bottom-mounted diffuser discharging buoyant liquid CO{sub 2} droplets; and a stationary point release of hydrate particles forming a sinking plume. Results suggest that in particular the first two discharge modes could be successfully designed to largely avoid zooplankton mortality. Sub-lethal and ecosystem effects are discussed qualitatively, but not analyzed quantitatively.« less

Stormwater Effects on Heavy Metal Sequestration in a Bioretention System in Culver City, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yousavich, D. J.; Ellis, A. S.; Dorsey, J.; Johnston, K.

2017-12-01

Rain Gardens, also referred to as bioretention or biofilters, are often used to capture or filter urban runoff before it drains into surface or groundwater systems. The Culver City Rain Garden (CCRG) is one such system that is designed to capture and filter runoff from approximately 11 acres of mixed-use commercial and industrial land before it enters Ballona Creek. The EPA has designated Ballona Creek as an impaired waterway and established Total Maximum Daily Loads for heavy metals. Previous research has utilized sequential extractions to establish trends in heavy metal sequestration for Cu, Pb, and Zn in bioretention media. The aim of this project is to evaluate if there is a difference in heavy metal sequestration between dry and wetted bioretention media. To characterize the stormwater at the site, influent and surface water were collected and analyzed for sulfate and heavy metals 3 times during the 2016-2017 storm season. Two soil cores from the CCRG were acquired in the summer of 2017 to analyze soil metal sequestration trends. They will be subjected to different wetting conditions, sectioned into discrete depths, and digested with an established sequential extraction technique. Surface water in the CCRG shows average Dissolved Oxygen during wet conditions of 2.92 mg/L and average pH of 6.1 indicating reducing conditions near the surface and the possible protonation of adsorption sites during wet weather conditions. Influent metal data indicate average dissolved iron levels near 1 ppm and influent Cu, Pb, and Zn levels near 0.05, 0.01, and 0.5 ppm respectively. This coupled with average surface water sulfate levels near 3 ppm indicates the potential for iron oxide and sulfide mineral formation depending on redox conditions. The sequential extraction results will elucidate whether heavy metals are adsorbed or are being sequestered in mineral formation. These results will allow for the inclusion of heavy metal sequestration trends in the design of further bioretention projects and maintenance of current sites.

Cocoa based agroforestry: An economic perspective in resource scarcity conflict era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jumiyati, S.; Arsyad, M.; Rajindra; Pulubuhu, D. A. T.; Hadid, A.

2018-05-01

Agricultural development towards food self-sufficiency based on increasing production alone has caused the occurrence of environmental disasters that are the impact of the exploitation of natural resources resulting in the scarcity of resources. This paper describes the optimization of land area, revenue, cost (production inputs), income and use of production input based on economic and ecological aspects. In order to sustainability farming by integrating environmental and economic consideration can be made through farmers’ decision making with the goal of optimizing revenue based on cost optimization through cocoa based agroforestry model in order to cope with a resource conflict resolution.

The Influence of Seal Properties on Pressure Buildup and Leakage of Carbon Dioxide from Sequestration Reservoirs (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benson, S. M.; Chabora, E.

2009-12-01

The transport properties of seals, namely permeability, relative permeability, and capillary pressure control both migration of carbon dioxide and brine through the seal. Only recently has the the importance of brine migration emerged as key issue in the environmental performance of carbon dioxide sequestration projects. In this study we use numerical simulation to show that brine migration through the seal can be either advantageous or deleterious to the environmental performance of a carbon dioxide sequestration project. Brine migration through the seal can lower the pressure buildup in the storage reservoir, thereby reducing the risk of leakage or geomechanical stresses on the seal. On the other hand, if the seal is penetrated by a permeable fault it can lead to focused flow up a fault, which could lead to brine migration into drinking water aquifers. We also show that as the carbon dioxide plume grows, brine flow undergoes a complex evolution from upward flow to downward flows driven by countercurrent migration of carbon dioxide and brine in the seal and capillary pressure gradients at the base of the seal. Finally, we discuss desirable attributes seals, taking into account both carbon dioxide and brine migration through the seal. In particular, identifying seals that provide an effective capillary barrier to block the flow of carbon dioxide while allowing some brine migration through the seal can help to control pressure buildup and allow more efficient utilization of a sequestration reservoir. This could be particularly important in those settings that may be limited by the maximum allowable pressure buildup.

Climatic implications of Nitrogen constraints on terrestrial C sequestration estimates in CMIP5 model projection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaehle, S.; Jones, C.; Robertson, E.; Lamarque, J.; Houlton, B. Z.

2012-12-01

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for living organisms and a key mediator of carbon cycle processes. An increasing number of global terrestrial ecosystem models has been recently developed. These models show that nitrogen dynamics strongly affect terrestrial carbon budget projections for the 21st century as they tend to significantly reduce the carbon sequestration capacity of the terrestrial biosphere in response to CO2 fertilization and to modify the climate sensitivity of the global carbon cycle. However, only one of these models (included into two Earth system models) has been used in the CMIP5 study. Therefore the effect of C:N interactions on the CMIP5 projections can only be estimated indirectly. Here, we analyze results of 13 Earth system models from four RCP scenarios (RCP 2.6, 4.5, 6.0, 8.5) with respect to the implied nitrogen requirement to afford the simulated terrestrial carbon sequestration. We compare this N demand to scenarios of changes in terrestrial N availability due to natural variability in the N cycle, as well as changes in biological nitrogen fixation, nitrogen deposition, and ecosystem stoichiometry. Unlike previous studies of a similar type, we base our analyses on a grid-cell basis and explicitly track changes in the carbon and nitrogen cycles over time, and analyze multiple scenarios with different rates of climatic and atmospheric CO2 abundance changes. Consistent with current understanding, the emerging geographic pattern shows N limitation that is stronger in temperate/boreal ecosystems than tropical ecosystems and in pristine areas than highly polluted areas. While the extent and distribution of implied N limitation varies widely between the models, all show some nitrogen limitation of the simulated C sequestration. The magnitude of the N limitation is clearly scenario-dependent, mostly due to the different rates of increased atmospheric CO2 abundance and therefore the extend of CO2 fertilization. Under the most extreme scenario (RCP8.5), an implied nitrogen deficit of 1.9-18.8 Pg N would reduce terrestrial C sequestration by 92-400 Pg C. Assuming the average airborne fraction of 0.6 in the RCP 8.5 scenarios (Jones et al. in review) would cause an increase in atmospheric CO2 abundance of 26-113 ppm by the year 2100, implying an added radiative forcing of 0.15-0.61 Wm-2.

Chapter 4: Overview of the vegetation management treatment economic analysis module in the integrated landscape assessment project

Treesearch

Xiaoping Zhou; Miles A. Hemstrom

2014-01-01

Forest land provides various ecosystem services, including timber, biomass, and carbon sequestration. Estimating trends in these ecosystem services is essential for assessing potential outcomes of landscape management scenarios. However, the state-and transition models used in the Integrated Landscape Assessment Project for simulating landscape changes over time do not...

Development of an assessment methodology for hydrocarbon recovery potential using carbon dioxide and associated carbon sequestration-Workshop findings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Verma, Mahendra K.; Warwick, Peter D.

2011-01-01

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-140) authorized the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a national assessment of geologic storage resources for carbon dioxide (CO2) and requested that the USGS estimate the "potential volumes of oil and gas recoverable by injection and sequestration of industrial carbon dioxide in potential sequestration formations" (121 Stat. 1711). The USGS developed a noneconomic, probability-based methodology to assess the Nation's technically assessable geologic storage resources available for sequestration of CO2 (Brennan and others, 2010) and is currently using the methodology to assess the Nation's CO2 geologic storage resources. Because the USGS has not developed a methodology to assess the potential volumes of technically recoverable hydrocarbons that could be produced by injection and sequestration of CO2, the Geologic Carbon Sequestration project initiated an effort in 2010 to develop a methodology for the assessment of the technically recoverable hydrocarbon potential in the sedimentary basins of the United States using enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques with CO2 (CO2-EOR). In collaboration with Stanford University, the USGS hosted a 2-day CO2-EOR workshop in May 2011, attended by 28 experts from academia, natural resource agencies and laboratories of the Federal Government, State and international geologic surveys, and representatives from the oil and gas industry. The geologic and the reservoir engineering and operations working groups formed during the workshop discussed various aspects of geology, reservoir engineering, and operations to make recommendations for the methodology.

Assessing Local Knowledge Use in Agroforestry Management with Cognitive Maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isaac, Marney E.; Dawoe, Evans; Sieciechowicz, Krystyna

2009-06-01

Small-holder farmers often develop adaptable agroforestry management techniques to improve and diversify crop production. In the cocoa growing region of Ghana, local knowledge on such farm management holds a noteworthy role in the overall farm development. The documentation and analysis of such knowledge use in cocoa agroforests may afford an applicable framework to determine mechanisms driving farmer preference and indicators in farm management. This study employed 12 in-depth farmer interviews regarding variables in farm management as a unit of analysis and utilized cognitive mapping as a qualitative method of analysis. Our objectives were (1) to illustrate and describe agroforestry management variables and associated farm practices, (2) to determine the scope of decision making of individual farmers, and (3) to investigate the suitability of cognitive mapping as a tool for assessing local knowledge use. Results from the cognitive maps revealed an average of 16 ± 3 variables and 19 ± 3 links between management variables in the farmer cognitive maps. Farmer use of advantageous ecological processes was highly central to farm management (48% of all variables), particularly manipulation of organic matter, shade and food crop establishment, and maintenance of a tree stratum as the most common, highly linked variables. Over 85% of variables included bidirectional arrows, interpreted as farm management practices dominated by controllable factors, insofar as farmers indicated an ability to alter most farm characteristics. Local knowledge use on cocoa production revealed detailed indicators for site evaluation, thus affecting farm preparation and management. Our findings suggest that amid multisourced information under conditions of uncertainty, strategies for adaptable agroforestry management should integrate existing and localized management frameworks and that cognitive mapping provides a tool-based approach to advance such a management support system.

Assessing local knowledge use in agroforestry management with cognitive maps.

PubMed

Isaac, Marney E; Dawoe, Evans; Sieciechowicz, Krystyna

2009-06-01

Small-holder farmers often develop adaptable agroforestry management techniques to improve and diversify crop production. In the cocoa growing region of Ghana, local knowledge on such farm management holds a noteworthy role in the overall farm development. The documentation and analysis of such knowledge use in cocoa agroforests may afford an applicable framework to determine mechanisms driving farmer preference and indicators in farm management. This study employed 12 in-depth farmer interviews regarding variables in farm management as a unit of analysis and utilized cognitive mapping as a qualitative method of analysis. Our objectives were (1) to illustrate and describe agroforestry management variables and associated farm practices, (2) to determine the scope of decision making of individual farmers, and (3) to investigate the suitability of cognitive mapping as a tool for assessing local knowledge use. Results from the cognitive maps revealed an average of 16 +/- 3 variables and 19 +/- 3 links between management variables in the farmer cognitive maps. Farmer use of advantageous ecological processes was highly central to farm management (48% of all variables), particularly manipulation of organic matter, shade and food crop establishment, and maintenance of a tree stratum as the most common, highly linked variables. Over 85% of variables included bidirectional arrows, interpreted as farm management practices dominated by controllable factors, insofar as farmers indicated an ability to alter most farm characteristics. Local knowledge use on cocoa production revealed detailed indicators for site evaluation, thus affecting farm preparation and management. Our findings suggest that amid multisourced information under conditions of uncertainty, strategies for adaptable agroforestry management should integrate existing and localized management frameworks and that cognitive mapping provides a tool-based approach to advance such a management support system.

[Ants’ higher taxa as surrogates of species richness in a chronosequence of fallows, old-grown forests and agroforestry systems in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil].

PubMed

Muñoz Gutiérrez, Jhonatan Andrés; Roussea, Guillaume Xavier; Andrade-Silva, Joudellys; Delabie, Jacques Hubert Charles

2017-03-01

Deforestation in Amazon forests is one of the main causes for biodiversity loss worldwide. Ants are key into the ecosystem because act like engineers; hence, the loss of ants’ biodiversity may be a guide to measure the loss of essential functions into the ecosystems. The aim of this study was to evaluate soil ant’s richness and to estimate whether higher taxa levels (Subfamily and Genus) can be used as surrogates of species richness in different vegetation types (fallows, old-growth forests and agroforestry systems) in Eastern Amazon. The samples were taken in 65 areas in the Maranhão and Pará States in the period 2011-2014. The sampling scheme followed the procedure of Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility (TSBF). Initially, the vegetation types were characterized according to their age and estimated species richness. Linear and exponential functions were applied to evaluate if higher taxa can be used as surrogates and correlated with the Pearson coefficient. In total, 180 species distributed in 60 genera were identified. The results showed that ant species richness was higher in intermediate fallows (88) and old secondary forest (76), and was lower in agroforestry systems (38) and mature riparian forest (35). The genus level was the best surrogate to estimate the ant’s species richness across the different vegetation types, and explained 72-97 % (P < 0.001) of the total species variability. The results confirmed that the genus level is an excellent surrogate to estimate the ant’s species richness in the region and that both fallows and agroforestry systems may contribute in the conservation of Eastern Amazon ant community.

Patterns in hydraulic architecture from roots to branches in six tropical tree species from cacao agroforestry and their relation to wood density and stem growth.

PubMed

Kotowska, Martyna M; Hertel, Dietrich; Rajab, Yasmin Abou; Barus, Henry; Schuldt, Bernhard

2015-01-01

For decades it has been assumed that the largest vessels are generally found in roots and that vessel size and corresponding sapwood area-specific hydraulic conductivity are acropetally decreasing toward the distal twigs. However, recent studies from the perhumid tropics revealed a hump-shaped vessel size distribution. Worldwide tropical perhumid forests are extensively replaced by agroforestry systems often using introduced species of various biogeographical and climatic origins. Nonetheless, it is unknown so far what kind of hydraulic architectural patterns are developed in those agroforestry tree species and which impact this exerts regarding important tree functional traits, such as stem growth, hydraulic efficiency and wood density (WD). We investigated wood anatomical and hydraulic properties of the root, stem and branch wood in Theobroma cacao and five common shade tree species in agroforestry systems on Sulawesi (Indonesia); three of these were strictly perhumid tree species, and the other three tree species are tolerating seasonal drought. The overall goal of our study was to relate these properties to stem growth and other tree functional traits such as foliar nitrogen content and sapwood to leaf area ratio. Our results confirmed a hump-shaped vessel size distribution in nearly all species. Drought-adapted species showed divergent patterns of hydraulic conductivity, vessel density, and relative vessel lumen area between root, stem and branch wood compared to wet forest species. Confirming findings from natural old-growth forests in the same region, WD showed no relationship to specific conductivity. Overall, aboveground growth performance was better predicted by specific hydraulic conductivity than by foliar traits and WD. Our study results suggest that future research on conceptual trade-offs of tree hydraulic architecture should consider biogeographical patterns underlining the importance of anatomical adaptation mechanisms to environment.

Calculation of hydrocarbon-in-place in gas and gas-condensate reservoirs - Carbon dioxide sequestration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Verma, Mahendra K.

2012-01-01

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-140) authorized the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a national assessment of geologic storage resources for carbon dioxide (CO2), requiring estimation of hydrocarbon-in-place volumes and formation volume factors for all the oil, gas, and gas-condensate reservoirs within the U.S. sedimentary basins. The procedures to calculate in-place volumes for oil and gas reservoirs have already been presented by Verma and Bird (2005) to help with the USGS assessment of the undiscovered resources in the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska, but there is no straightforward procedure available for calculating in-place volumes for gas-condensate reservoirs for the carbon sequestration project. The objective of the present study is to propose a simple procedure for calculating the hydrocarbon-in-place volume of a condensate reservoir to help estimate the hydrocarbon pore volume for potential CO2 sequestration.

Recovery Act: Develop a Modular Curriculum for Training University Students in Industry Standard CO{sub 2} Sequestration and Enhanced Oil Recovery Methodologies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Trentham, R. C.; Stoudt, E. L.

CO{sub 2} Enhanced Oil Recovery, Sequestration, & Monitoring Measuring & Verification are topics that are not typically covered in Geoscience, Land Management, and Petroleum Engineering curriculum. Students are not typically exposed to the level of training that would prepare them for CO{sub 2} reservoir and aquifer sequestration related projects when they begin assignments in industry. As a result, industry training, schools & conferences are essential training venues for new & experienced personnel working on CO{sub 2} projects for the first time. This project collected and/or generated industry level CO{sub 2} training to create modules which faculties can utilize as presentations,more » projects, field trips and site visits for undergrad and grad students and prepare them to "hit the ground running" & be contributing participants in CO{sub 2} projects with minimal additional training. In order to create the modules, UTPB/CEED utilized a variety of sources. Data & presentations from industry CO{sub 2} Flooding Schools & Conferences, Carbon Management Workshops, UTPB Classes, and other venues was tailored to provide introductory reservoir & aquifer training, state-of-the-art methodologies, field seminars and road logs, site visits, and case studies for students. After discussions with faculty at UTPB, Sul Ross, Midland College, other universities, and petroleum industry professionals, it was decided to base the module sets on a series of road logs from Midland to, and through, a number of Permian Basin CO{sub 2} Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) projects, CO{sub 2} Carbon Capture and Storage (CCUS) projects and outcrop equivalents of the formations where CO{sub 2} is being utilized or will be utilized, in EOR projects in the Permian Basin. Although road logs to and through these projects exist, none of them included CO{sub 2} specific information. Over 1400 miles of road logs were created, or revised specifically to highlight CO{sub 2} EOR projects. After testing a number of different entry points into the data set with students and faculty form a number of different universities, it was clear that a standard website presentation with a list of available power point presentations, excel spreadsheets, word documents and pdf's would not entice faculty, staff, and students at universities to delve deeper into the website http://www.utpb.edu/ceed/student modules.« less

Projection of U.S. forest sector carbon sequestration under U.S. and global timber market and wood energy consumption scenarios, 2010-2060

Treesearch

Prakash Nepal; Peter J. Ince; Kenneth E. Skog; Sun J. Chang

2012-01-01

This study provides a modeling framework to examine change over time in U.S. forest sector carbon inventory (in U.S. timberland tree biomass and harvested wood products) for alternative projections of U.S. and global timber markets, including wood energy consumption, based on established IPCC/RPA scenarios. Results indicated that the U.S. forest sector’s projected...

Fuelwood, agro-forestry, and natural resource management: the development significance of land tenure and other resource management/utilization systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brokensha, D.; Castro, A.P.; Kundu, M.

1984-04-01

Using a systems approach and focusing on the social context, the study examines natural resource management in relation to fuelwood production and agroforestry. An initial section describing the use and interlinkage of the concepts of ecozone and ecosystem is followed by a discussion of problem ecozones, human use of ecozones, agricultural ecosystems, resource competition, uses of trees and forest products, and tree planting. Rural resource management strategies at the household, community, local, and state levels are discussed in the context of political economy, land tenure and rights, tenancy and sharecropping, group or public landholding, and acquisition and transfer of land.

Investigation on effect of Populus alba stands distance on density of pests and their natural enemies population under poplar/alfalfa agroforestry system.

PubMed

Khabir, Z H; Sadeghi, S E; Hanifeh, S; Eivazi, A

2009-01-15

This study was carried out in order to distinguish the effect of agroforestry system (combination of agriculture and forestry) on pests and natural enemy's population in poplar research station. Wood is one of the first substances that naturally was used for a long period of time. Forage is an important production of natural resources too. Some factors such as proper lands deficit, lack of economy, pest and disease attacks and faced production of these materials with serious challenges. Agroforestry is a method for decrease of the mentioned problems. The stands of poplar had have planted by complete randomized design with 4 treatments (stand distance) of poplar/alfalfa include 3x4, 3x6.7, 3x8, 3x10 m and 2 control treatments, alfalfa and poplar. The results showed that Chaitophorus populeti had the highest density in poplar and 3x10 m treatments. Monosteira unicostata is another insect pest that had most density in 3x10 m treatment. And alfalfa had high density of Chrysoperla carnea. The density of Coccinella septempunctata, were almost equal in all treatments.

Development of an Intelligent Monitoring System for Geological Carbon Sequestration (GCS) Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, A. Y.; Jeong, H.; Xu, W.; Hovorka, S. D.; Zhu, T.; Templeton, T.; Arctur, D. K.

2016-12-01

To provide stakeholders timely evidence that GCS repositories are operating safely and efficiently requires integrated monitoring to assess the performance of the storage reservoir as the CO2 plume moves within it. As a result, GCS projects can be data intensive, as a result of proliferation of digital instrumentation and smart-sensing technologies. GCS projects are also resource intensive, often requiring multidisciplinary teams performing different monitoring, verification, and accounting (MVA) tasks throughout the lifecycle of a project to ensure secure containment of injected CO2. How to correlate anomaly detected by a certain sensor to events observed by other devices to verify leakage incidents? How to optimally allocate resources for task-oriented monitoring if reservoir integrity is in question? These are issues that warrant further investigation before real integration can take place. In this work, we are building a web-based, data integration, assimilation, and learning framework for geologic carbon sequestration projects (DIAL-GCS). DIAL-GCS will be an intelligent monitoring system (IMS) for automating GCS closed-loop management by leveraging recent developments in high-throughput database, complex event processing, data assimilation, and machine learning technologies. Results will be demonstrated using realistic data and model derived from a GCS site.

Carbon sequestration, optimum forest rotation and their environmental impact

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kula, Erhun, E-mail: erhun.kula@bahcesehir.edu.tr; Gunalay, Yavuz, E-mail: yavuz.gunalay@bahcesehir.edu.tr

2012-11-15

Due to their large biomass forests assume an important role in the global carbon cycle by moderating the greenhouse effect of atmospheric pollution. The Kyoto Protocol recognises this contribution by allocating carbon credits to countries which are able to create new forest areas. Sequestrated carbon provides an environmental benefit thus must be taken into account in cost-benefit analysis of afforestation projects. Furthermore, like timber output carbon credits are now tradable assets in the carbon exchange. By using British data, this paper looks at the issue of identifying optimum felling age by considering carbon sequestration benefits simultaneously with timber yields. Themore » results of this analysis show that the inclusion of carbon benefits prolongs the optimum cutting age by requiring trees to stand longer in order to soak up more CO{sub 2}. Consequently this finding must be considered in any carbon accounting calculations. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Carbon sequestration in forestry is an environmental benefit. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It moderates the problem of global warming. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It prolongs the gestation period in harvesting. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This paper uses British data in less favoured districts for growing Sitka spruce species.« less

Design of a perfluorocarbon tracer based monitoring network to support monitoring verification and accounting of sequestered CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, T.; Sullivan, T.

2013-05-01

The levels of CO2 in the atmosphere have been growing since the beginning of the industrial revolution. The current level is 391 ppm. If there are no efforts to mitigate CO2 emissions, the levels will rise to 750 ppm by 2100. Geologic carbon sequestration is one strategy that may be used to begin to reduce emissions. Sequestration will not be effective unless reservoir leak rates are significantly less than 1%. There must be rigorous monitoring protocols in place to ensure sequestration projects meet regulatory and environmental goals. Monitoring for CO2 leakage directly is difficult because of the large background levels and variability of CO2 in the atmosphere. Using tracers to tag the sequestered CO2 can mitigate some of the difficulties of direct measurement but a tracer monitoring network and the levels of tagging need to be carefully designed. Simple diffusion and dispersion models are used to predict the surface and atmospheric concentrations that would be seen by a network monitoring a sequestration site. Levels of tracer necessary to detect leaks from 0.01 to 1% are presented and suggestions for effective monitoring and protection of global tracer utility are presented.

W.A. Parish Post-Combustion CO{sub 2} Capture and Sequestration Project Phase 1 Definition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Armpriester, Anthony; Smith, Roger; Scheriffius, Jeff

2014-02-01

For a secure and sustainable energy future, the United States (U.S.) must reduce its dependence on imported oil and reduce its emissions of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs). To meet these strategic challenges, the U.S. wiU have to create fundamentally new technologies with performance levels far beyond what is now possible. Developing advanced post-combustion clean coal technologies for capturing CO{sub 2} from existing coal-fired power plants can play a major role in the country's transition to a sustainable energy future, especially when coupled with CO{sub 2}-enhanced oil recovery (CO{sub 2}-EOR). Pursuant to these goals, NRG Energy,more » Inc. (NRG) submitted an application and entered into a cost-shared collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Round 3 of the Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) to advance low-emission coal technologies. The objective of the NRG W A Parish Post-Combustion CO{sub 2} Capture and Sequestration Demonstration Project is to establish the technical feasibility and economic viability of post-combustion CO{sub 2} capture using flue gas from an existing pulverized coal-fired boiler integrated with geologic sequestration via an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process. To achieve these objectives, the project will be executed in three phases. Each phase represents a distinct aspect of the project execution. The project phases are: • Phase I. Project Definition/Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) • Phase ll. Detailed Engineering, Procurement & Construction • Phase III. Demonstration and Monitoring The purpose of Phase I is to develop the project in sufficient detail to facilitate the decision-making process in progressing to the next stage of project delivery. Phase n. This report provides a complete summary of the FEED study effort, including pertinent project background information, the scope of facilities covered, decisions, challenges, and considerations made regarding configuration and performance of the facility, along with the conceptual design and estimate results. The findings of this report should be considered conceptual in nature and are conditioned on the statements contained herein. The cost of preparing this report (including the FEED study described herein) was funded in part by a $167-million grant provided by the U.S. DOE.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brian McPherson

The Southwest Partnership on Carbon Sequestration completed its Phase I program in December 2005. The main objective of the Southwest Partnership Phase I project was to evaluate and demonstrate the means for achieving an 18% reduction in carbon intensity by 2012. Many other goals were accomplished on the way to this objective, including (1) analysis of CO{sub 2} storage options in the region, including characterization of storage capacities and transportation options, (2) analysis and summary of CO{sub 2} sources, (3) analysis and summary of CO{sub 2} separation and capture technologies employed in the region, (4) evaluation and ranking of themore » most appropriate sequestration technologies for capture and storage of CO{sub 2} in the Southwest Region, (5) dissemination of existing regulatory/permitting requirements, and (6) assessing and initiating public knowledge and acceptance of possible sequestration approaches. Results of the Southwest Partnership's Phase I evaluation suggested that the most convenient and practical ''first opportunities'' for sequestration would lie along existing CO{sub 2} pipelines in the region. Action plans for six Phase II validation tests in the region were developed, with a portfolio that includes four geologic pilot tests distributed among Utah, New Mexico, and Texas. The Partnership will also conduct a regional terrestrial sequestration pilot program focusing on improved terrestrial MMV methods and reporting approaches specific for the Southwest region. The sixth and final validation test consists of a local-scale terrestrial pilot involving restoration of riparian lands for sequestration purposes. The validation test will use desalinated waters produced from one of the geologic pilot tests. The Southwest Regional Partnership comprises a large, diverse group of expert organizations and individuals specializing in carbon sequestration science and engineering, as well as public policy and outreach. These partners include 21 state government agencies and universities, five major electric utility companies, seven oil, gas and coal companies, three federal agencies, the Navajo Nation, several NGOs, and the Western Governors Association. This group is continuing its work in the Phase II Validation Program, slated to conclude in 2009.« less

78 FR 15011 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-08

..., Final EIS, DOE, TX, W.A. Parish Post-Combustion CO 2 Capture and Sequestration Project, Review Period.... 20130055, Final EIS, NPS, IA, Effigy Mounds National Monument Final General Management Plan, Review Period...] BILLING CODE 6560-50-P ...

Participation in social forestry re-examined: a case-study from Bangladesh.

PubMed

Khan, N A; Begum, S A

1997-08-01

Bangladesh has enthusiastically launched social forestry projects that make grandiose promises of seeking local community involvement and participation in the management of forest resources. This study examines the functioning of the Chandra Agroforestry Research and Demonstration Project to evaluate the actual extent and nature of popular participation it entails. After discussing the project and its locale, the methodology of the study is described as an analysis of qualitative and quantitative data collected in the period February-August 1994. The theoretical framework was based on a modified version of Zaman's framework that uses prevalence and opportunity as the indicators of participation. Analysis of prevalence indicators reveals that professional foresters make all major decisions for the project without consulting the farmers involved. The government also has sole responsibility for monitoring and evaluating the project, and the farmers are skeptical that the government will allow them to profit from the benefits arising from the project. Analysis of opportunity indicators shows that the project is not decentralized, cooperative and collaborative linkages have not been made, project flexibility has been sacrificed to bureaucracy, and the incentives promised to the farmers have not materialized. It is concluded that the participation of local residents in the Chandra project has been insignificant but that the project has succeeded in reducing 1) the historical distrust and conflict between forestry officials and local farmers, 2) encroachment on government lands, and 3) the rate of deforestation. In addition, the project has given participating farmers a sense of security.

Recovery Act: Web-based CO{sub 2} Subsurface Modeling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Paolini, Christopher; Castillo, Jose

2012-11-30

The Web-based CO{sub 2} Subsurface Modeling project focused primarily on extending an existing text-only, command-line driven, isothermal and isobaric, geochemical reaction-transport simulation code, developed and donated by Sienna Geodynamics, into an easier-to-use Web-based application for simulating long-term storage of CO{sub 2} in geologic reservoirs. The Web-based interface developed through this project, publically accessible via URL http://symc.sdsu.edu/, enables rapid prototyping of CO{sub 2} injection scenarios and allows students without advanced knowledge of geochemistry to setup a typical sequestration scenario, invoke a simulation, analyze results, and then vary one or more problem parameters and quickly re-run a simulation to answer what-if questions.more » symc.sdsu.edu has 2x12 core AMD Opteron™ 6174 2.20GHz processors and 16GB RAM. The Web-based application was used to develop a new computational science course at San Diego State University, COMP 670: Numerical Simulation of CO{sub 2} Sequestration, which was taught during the fall semester of 2012. The purpose of the class was to introduce graduate students to Carbon Capture, Use and Storage (CCUS) through numerical modeling and simulation, and to teach students how to interpret simulation results to make predictions about long-term CO{sub 2} storage capacity in deep brine reservoirs. In addition to the training and education component of the project, significant software development efforts took place. Two computational science doctoral and one geological science masters student, under the direction of the PIs, extended the original code developed by Sienna Geodynamics, named Sym.8. New capabilities were added to Sym.8 to simulate non-isothermal and non-isobaric flows of charged aqueous solutes in porous media, in addition to incorporating HPC support into the code for execution on many-core XSEDE clusters. A successful outcome of this project was the funding and training of three new computational science students and one geological science student in technologies relevant to carbon sequestration and problems involving flow in subsurface media. The three computational science students are currently finishing their doctorial studies on different aspects of modeling CO{sub 2} sequestration, while the geological science student completed his master’s thesis in modeling the thermal response of CO{sub 2} injection in brine and, as a direct result of participation in this project, is now employed at ExxonMobil as a full-time staff geologist.« less

Comprehensive monitoring of Bangladesh tree cover inside and outside of forests, 2000-2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potapov, P.; Siddiqui, B. N.; Iqbal, Z.; Aziz, T.; Zzaman, B.; Islam, A.; Pickens, A.; Talero, Y.; Tyukavina, A.; Turubanova, S.; Hansen, M. C.

2017-10-01

A novel approach for satellite-based comprehensive national tree cover change assessment was developed and applied in Bangladesh, a country where trees outside of forests play an important role in the national economy and carbon sequestration. Tree cover change area was quantified using the integration of wall-to-wall Landsat-based mapping with a higher spatial resolution sample-based assessment. The total national tree canopy cover area was estimated as 3165 500 ± 186 600 ha in the year 2000, with trees outside forests making up 54% of total canopy cover. Total tree canopy cover increased by 135 700 (± 116 600) ha (4.3%) during the 2000-2014 time interval. Bangladesh exhibits a national tree cover dynamic where net change is rather small, but gross dynamics significant and variable by forest type. Despite the overall gain in tree cover, results revealed the ongoing clearing of natural forests, especially within the Chittagong hill tracts. While forests decreased their tree cover area by 83 600 ha, the trees outside forests (including tree plantations, village woodlots, and agroforestry) increased their canopy area by 219 300 ha. Our results demonstrated method capability to quantify tree canopy cover dynamics within a fine-scale agricultural landscape. Our approach for comprehensive monitoring of tree canopy cover may be recommended for operational implementation in Bangladesh and other countries with significant tree cover outside of forests.

Separation and capture of CO2 from large stationary sources and sequestration in geological formations--coalbeds and deep saline aquifers.

PubMed

White, Curt M; Strazisar, Brian R; Granite, Evan J; Hoffman, James S; Pennline, Henry W

2003-06-01

The topic of global warming as a result of increased atmospheric CO2 concentration is arguably the most important environmental issue that the world faces today. It is a global problem that will need to be solved on a global level. The link between anthropogenic emissions of CO2 with increased atmospheric CO2 levels and, in turn, with increased global temperatures has been well established and accepted by the world. International organizations such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have been formed to address this issue. Three options are being explored to stabilize atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and global temperatures without severely and negatively impacting standard of living: (1) increasing energy efficiency, (2) switching to less carbon-intensive sources of energy, and (3) carbon sequestration. To be successful, all three options must be used in concert. The third option is the subject of this review. Specifically, this review will cover the capture and geologic sequestration of CO2 generated from large point sources, namely fossil-fuel-fired power gasification plants. Sequestration of CO2 in geological formations is necessary to meet the President's Global Climate Change Initiative target of an 18% reduction in GHG intensity by 2012. Further, the best strategy to stabilize the atmospheric concentration of CO2 results from a multifaceted approach where sequestration of CO2 into geological formations is combined with increased efficiency in electric power generation and utilization, increased conservation, increased use of lower carbon-intensity fuels, and increased use of nuclear energy and renewables. This review covers the separation and capture of CO2 from both flue gas and fuel gas using wet scrubbing technologies, dry regenerable sorbents, membranes, cryogenics, pressure and temperature swing adsorption, and other advanced concepts. Existing commercial CO2 capture facilities at electric power-generating stations based on the use of monoethanolamine are described, as is the Rectisol process used by Dakota Gasification to separate and capture CO2 from a coal gasifier. Two technologies for storage of the captured CO2 are reviewed--sequestration in deep unmineable coalbeds with concomitant recovery of CH4 and sequestration in deep saline aquifers. Key issues for both of these techniques include estimating the potential storage capacity, the storage integrity, and the physical and chemical processes that are initiated by injecting CO2 underground. Recent studies using computer modeling as well as laboratory and field experimentation are presented here. In addition, several projects have been initiated in which CO2 is injected into a deep coal seam or saline aquifer. The current status of several such projects is discussed. Included is a commercial-scale project in which a million tons of CO2 are injected annually into an aquifer under the North Sea in Norway. The review makes the case that this can all be accomplished safely with off-the-shelf technologies. However, substantial research and development must be performed to reduce the cost, decrease the risks, and increase the safety of sequestration technologies. This review also includes discussion of possible problems related to deep injection of CO2. There are safety concerns that need to be addressed because of the possibilities of leakage to the surface and induced seismic activity. These issues are presented along with a case study of a similar incident in the past. It is clear that monitoring and verification of storage will be a crucial part of all geological sequestration practices so that such problems may be avoided. Available techniques include direct measurement of CO2 and CH4 surface soil fluxes, the use of chemical tracers, and underground 4-D seismic monitoring. Ten new hypotheses were formulated to describe what happens when CO2 is pumped into a coal seam. These hypotheses provide significant insight into the fundamental chemical, physical, and thermodynamic phenomena that occur during coal seam sequestration of CO2.

HURRICANE IMPACTS ON U.S. FOREST CARBON SEQUESTRATION. (R828785)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

MOLYBDENUM SEQUESTRATION IN BRASSICA: A ROLE FOR ANTHOCYANINS? (R827104)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

Training Students to Analyze Spatial and Temporal Heterogeneities in Reservoir and Seal Petrology, Mineralogy, and Geochemistry: Implications for CO{sub 2} Sequestration Prediction, Simulation, and Monitoring

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bowen, Brenda

The objective of this project was to expose and train multiple students in geological tools that are essential to reservoir characterization and geologic sequestration including but not limited to advanced petrological methods, mineralogical methods, and geochemical methods; core analysis, and geophysical well-log interpretation. These efforts have included training of multiple students through geologically based curriculum and research using advanced petrological, mineralogical, and geochemical methods. In whole, over the last 3+ years, this award has supported 5,828 hours of student research, supporting the work of several graduate and undergraduate students. They have all received training directly related to ongoing CO{sub 2}more » sequestration demonstrations. The students have all conducted original scientific research on topics related to understanding the importance of lithological, textural, and compositional variability in formations that are being targeted as CO{sub 2} sequestration reservoirs and seals. This research was linked to the Mount Simon Sandstone reservoir and overlying Eau Claire Formation seal in the Illinois Basin- a system where over one million tons of CO{sub 2} are actively being injected with the first large-scale demonstration of anthropogenic CO{sub 2} storage in the U.S. Student projects focused specifically on 1) reservoir porosity characterization and evaluation, 2) petrographic, mineralogical, and geochemical evidence of fluid-related diagenesis in the caprock, 3) textural changes in reservoir samples exposed to experimental CO{sub 2} + brine conditions, 4) controls on spatial heterogeneity in composition and texture in both the reservoir and seal, 5) the implications of small-scale fractures within the reservoir, and 6) petrographic and stable isotope analyses of carbonates in the seal to understand the burial history of the system. The student-led research associated with this project provided real-time and hands-on experience with a relevant CO{sub 2} system, provided relevant information to the regional partnerships who are working within these formations, and provides more broadly applicable understanding and method development for other carbon capture and storage systems.« less

The contribution of China's Grain to Green Programto carbon and water cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, W.

2017-12-01

The Chinese government started implementation of the Grain for Green Project (GGP) in 1999, aiming to convert cropland to forestland to mitigate soil erosion problems in areas across the country. Although the project has generated substantial environmental benefits, such as erosion reduction, carbon sequestration and water quality improvements, the magnitude of these benefits has not yet been well quantified due to the lack of location specific data describing the afforestation efforts. Remote sensing is well suited to detect afforestation locations, a prerequisite for estimating the impacts of the project on carbon and water cycles. In this study, we first examined the practicability of using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land cover product to detect afforestation locations; however, the results showed that the MODIS product failed to distinguish the afforestation areas of GGP. Then, we used a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series analysis approach for detecting afforestation locations, applying statistical data to determine the NDVI threshold of converted croplands. The technique provided the necessary information for location of afforestation implemented under GGP, explaining 85% of conversion from cropland to forestlands across all provinces. Second, we estimated the changes in carbon fluxes and stocks caused by forests converted from croplands under the GGP using a process-based ecosystem model (i.e., IBIS). Our results showed that the converted areas from croplands to forests under the GGP program could sequester 110.45 Tg C by 2020, and 524.36 Tg C by the end of this century. The sequestration capacity showed substantial spatial variations with large sequestration in southern China. The economic benefits of carbon sequestration from the GGP were also estimated according to the current carbon price. The estimated economic benefits ranged from 8.84 to 44.20 billion from 2000 through 2100, which may exceed the current total investment ($38.99 billion) on the program. As the GGP program continues and forests grow, the impact of this program will be even larger in the future, making a more considerable contribution to China's carbon sink over the upcoming decades.

Experimental design applications for modeling and assessing carbon dioxide sequestration in saline aquifers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rogers, John

2014-11-29

This project was a computer modeling effort to couple reservoir simulation and ED/RSM using Sensitivity Analysis, Uncertainty Analysis, and Optimization Methods, to assess geologic, geochemical, geomechanical, and rock-fluid effects and factors on CO 2 injectivity, capacity, and plume migration. The project objective was to develop proxy models to simplify the highly complex coupled geochemical and geomechanical models in the utilization and storage of CO 2 in the subsurface. The goals were to investigate and prove the feasibility of the ED/RSM processes and engineering development, and bridge the gaps regarding the uncertainty and unknowns of the many geochemical and geomechanical interactingmore » parameters in the development and operation of anthropogenic CO 2 sequestration and storage sites. The bottleneck in this workflow is the high computational effort of reactive transport simulation models and large number of input variables to optimize with ED/RSM techniques. The project was not to develop the reactive transport, geomechanical, or ED/RSM software, but was to use what was commercially and/or publically available as a proof of concept to generate proxy or surrogate models. A detailed geologic and petrographic mineral assemblage and geologic structure of the doubly plunging anticline was defined using the USDOE RMOTC formations of interest data (e.g., Lower Sundance, Crow Mountain, Alcova Limestone, and Red Peak). The assemblage of 23 minerals was primarily developed from literature data and petrophysical (well log) analysis. The assemblage and structure was input into a commercial reactive transport simulator to predict the effects of CO 2 injection and complex reactions with the reservoir rock. Significant impediments were encountered during the execution phase of the project. The only known commercial reactive transport simulator was incapable of simulating complex geochemistry modeled in this project. Significant effort and project funding was expended to determine the limitations of both the commercial simulator and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) R&D simulator, TOUGHREACT available to the project. A simplified layer cake model approximating the volume of the RMOTC targeted reservoirs was defined with 1-3 minerals eventually modeled with limited success. Modeling reactive transport in porous media requires significant computational power. In this project, up to 24 processors were used to model a limited mineral set of 1-3 minerals. In addition, geomechanical aspects of injecting CO 2 into closed, semi-open, and open systems in various well completion methods was simulated. Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) as a storage method was not modeled. A robust and stable simulation dataset or base case was developed and used to create a master dataset with embedded instructions for input to the ED/RSM software. Little success was achieved toward the objective of the project using the commercial simulator or the LBNL simulator versions available during the time of this project. Several hundred realizations were run with the commercial simulator and ED/RSM software, most having convergence problems and terminating prematurely. A proxy model for full field CO 2 injection sequestration utilization and storage was not capable of being developed with software available for this project. Though the chemistry is reasonably known and understood, based on the amount of effort and huge computational time required, predicting CO 2 sequestration storage capacity in geologic formations to within the program goals of ±30% proved unsuccessful.« less

Carbon Capture and Sequestration from a Hydrogen Production Facility in an Oil Refinery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Engels, Cheryl; Williams, Bryan, Valluri, Kiranmal; Watwe, Ramchandra

2010-06-21

The project proposed a commercial demonstration of advanced technologies that would capture and sequester CO2 emissions from an existing hydrogen production facility in an oil refinery into underground formations in combination with Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). The project is led by Praxair, Inc., with other project participants: BP Products North America Inc., Denbury Onshore, LLC (Denbury), and Gulf Coast Carbon Center (GCCC) at the Bureau of Economic Geology of The University of Texas at Austin. The project is located at the BP Refinery at Texas City, Texas. Praxair owns and operates a large hydrogen production facility within the refinery. Asmore » part of the project, Praxair would construct a CO2 capture and compression facility. The project aimed at demonstrating a novel vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) based technology to remove CO2 from the Steam Methane Reformers (SMR) process gas. The captured CO2 would be purified using refrigerated partial condensation separation (i.e., cold box). Denbury would purchase the CO2 from the project and inject the CO2 as part of its independent commercial EOR projects. The Gulf Coast Carbon Center at the Bureau of Economic Geology, a unit of University of Texas at Austin, would manage the research monitoring, verification and accounting (MVA) project for the sequestered CO2, in conjunction with Denbury. The sequestration and associated MVA activities would be carried out in the Hastings field at Brazoria County, TX. The project would exceed DOE?s target of capturing one million tons of CO2 per year (MTPY) by 2015. Phase 1 of the project (Project Definition) is being completed. The key objective of Phase 1 is to define the project in sufficient detail to enable an economic decision with regard to proceeding with Phase 2. This topical report summarizes the administrative, programmatic and technical accomplishments completed in Phase 1 of the project. It describes the work relative to project technical and design activities (associated with CO2 capture technologies and geologic sequestration MVA), and Environmental Information Volume. Specific accomplishments of this Phase include: 1. Finalization of the Project Management Plan 2. Development of engineering designs in sufficient detail for defining project performance and costs 3. Preparation of Environmental Information Volume 4. Completion of Hazard Identification Studies 5. Completion of control cost estimates and preparation of business plan During the Phase 1 detailed cost estimate, project costs increased substantially from the previous estimate. Furthermore, the detailed risk assessment identified integration risks associated with potentially impacting the steam methane reformer operation. While the Phase 1 work identified ways to mitigate these integration risks satisfactorily from an operational perspective, the associated costs and potential schedule impacts contributed to the decision not to proceed to Phase 2. We have concluded that the project costs and integration risks at Texas City are not commensurate with the potential benefits of the project at this time.« less

Species variation in home garden agroforestry system in South Sulawesi, Indonesia and its contribution to farmers’ income

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paembonan, S. A.; Millang, S.; Dassir, M.; Ridwan, M.

2018-05-01

Home-garden is one of the types of agroforestry which is commonly practiced by rural communities in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The study aimed to determine the diversity levels of the species constituting the home-gardens and their contribution to the farmers’ incomes. The variables used in the study were the widths variation of the land owned as the home-gardens and the socioeconomic backgrounds of the community. The study results indicated that in small land, the community cultivated annual crop plants interspersed with agricultural commodities, and the trees as the boundary, while in the wider land they integrated various species plants within the area. The diversity index of the home-gardens was categorized as moderate with a value of 1.25 to 2.18, while species uniformity index was ranging from moderate to high with values of 0.49 to 0.77. The total incomes from home gardens varied greatly from one community to another, and it was largely determined by the composition and density of the constituent species. The contribution of the home-gardens to the income of the farmers amounted to 43.27%–49.06%. The sustainable management of the home-garden agroforestry can give a significant contribution to the farmers’ incomes and the preservation of biodiversity and environment.

Coffee agroforestry for sustainability of Upper Sekampung Watershed management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitriani; Arifin, Bustanul; Zakaria, Wan Abbas; Hanung Ismono, R.

2018-03-01

The main objective of watershed management is to ensure the optimal hydrological and natural resource use for ecological, social and economic importance. One important adaptive management step in dealing with the risk of damage to forest ecosystems is the practice of agroforestry coffee. This study aimed to (1) assess the farmer's response to ecological service responsibility and (2) analyze the Sekampung watersheds management by providing environmental services. The research location was Air Naningan sub-district, Tanggamus, Lampung Province, Indonesia. The research was conducted from July until November 2016. Stratification random sampling based on the pattern of ownership of land rights is used to determine the respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. Based on the analysis, it was concluded that coffee farmers' participation in the practice of coffee agroforestry in the form of 38% shade plants and multiple cropping (62%). The logistic regression analysis indicated that the variables of experience and status of land ownership, and incentive-size plans were able to explain variations in the willingness of coffee growers to follow the scheme of providing environmental services. The existence of farmer with partnership and CBFM scheme on different land tenure on upper Sekampung has a strategic position to minimize the deforestation and recovery watersheds destruction.

Integrated production of warm season grasses and agroforestry for biomass production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Samson, R.; Omielan, J.; Girouard, P.

1993-12-31

Increased research on C{sub 3} and C{sub 4} perennial biomass crops is generating a significant amount of information on the potential of these crops to produce large quantities of low cost biomass. In many parts of North America it appears that both C{sub 3} and C{sub 4} species are limited by water availability particularly on marginal soils. In much of North America, rainfall is exceeded by evaporation. High transpiration rates by fast growing trees and rainfall interception by the canopy appear to indicate that this can further exacerbate the problem of water availability. C{sub 4} perennial grasses appear to havemore » distinct advantages over C{sub 3} species planted in monoculture systems particularly on marginal soils. C{sub 4} grasses historically predominated over much of the land that is now available for biomass production because of their adaptation to low humidity environments and periods of low soil moisture. The planting of short rotation forestry (SRF) species in an energy agroforestry system is proposed as an alternative production strategy which could potentially alleviate many of the problems associated with SRF monocultures. Energy agroforestry would be complementary to both production of conventional farm crops and C{sub 4} perennial biomass crops because of beneficial microclimatic effects.« less

Assessment of agroforestry residue potentials for the bioeconomy in the European Union.

PubMed

Thorenz, Andrea; Wietschel, Lars; Stindt, Dennis; Tuma, Axel

2018-03-01

The biobased chemical industry is characterised by strong growth. Innovative products and materials such as biopolymers have been developed, and current European demand for biopolymers exceeds the domestic supply. Agroforestry residues can serve as main sources of the basic building blocks for chemicals and materials. This work assesses sustainably available agroforestry residues to feed a high added-value materials and product bioeconomy. To evaluate bioeconomic potential, a structured three-step approach is applied. Cultivation practices, sustainability issues, legislative restrictions, technical limitations and competitive applications are considered. All data regarding bioeconomic potential are processed on a regional level and mapped by ArcGIS. Our results identify wheat straw as the most promising source in the agricultural sector, followed by maize stover, barley straw and rape straw, which all contain a total concentration of lignocellulose of more than 80% of dry matter. In the forestry sector, residue bark from two coniferous species, spruce and pine, is the most promising source, with approximately 70% lignocellulose. Additionally, coniferous bark contains considerable amounts of tannin, which has attracted increasing interest for industrial utilisation. A sensitivity analysis concerning removal rates, residue-to-crop ratios, changes in farming technologies and competing applications is applied at the end of the study to consolidate our results.

Climate-resilient agroforestry: physiological responses to climate change and engineering of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) as a mitigation strategy.

PubMed

Borland, Anne M; Wullschleger, Stan D; Weston, David J; Hartwell, James; Tuskan, Gerald A; Yang, Xiaohan; Cushman, John C

2015-09-01

Global climate change threatens the sustainability of agriculture and agroforestry worldwide through increased heat, drought, surface evaporation and associated soil drying. Exposure of crops and forests to warmer and drier environments will increase leaf:air water vapour-pressure deficits (VPD), and will result in increased drought susceptibility and reduced productivity, not only in arid regions but also in tropical regions with seasonal dry periods. Fast-growing, short-rotation forestry (SRF) bioenergy crops such as poplar (Populus spp.) and willow (Salix spp.) are particularly susceptible to hydraulic failure following drought stress due to their isohydric nature and relatively high stomatal conductance. One approach to sustaining plant productivity is to improve water-use efficiency (WUE) by engineering crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) into C3 crops. CAM improves WUE by shifting stomatal opening and primary CO2 uptake and fixation to the night-time when leaf:air VPD is low. CAM members of the tree genus Clusia exemplify the compatibility of CAM performance within tree species and highlight CAM as a mechanism to conserve water and maintain carbon uptake during drought conditions. The introduction of bioengineered CAM into SRF bioenergy trees is a potentially viable path to sustaining agroforestry production systems in the face of a globally changing climate. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

THE SEQUESTRATION OF HYDROPHOBIC MICROPOLLUTANTS BY DISSOLVED HUMIC ACIDS (R822832)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

More than carbon price

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2012-04-01

In collaboration with experts in agroforestry, agricultural economics and policy, development economist Utkur Djanibekov estimated the viability of small-scale Clean Development Mechanism afforestation in Uzbekistan.

Enhancement of Terrestrial Carbon Sinks through the Reclamation of Abandoned Mined Lands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gary Kronrad

2004-10-31

This project will determine the optimal forest management method to employ for each of the major commercial tree species so that profitability of timber production only or the combination of timber production and carbon sequestration is maximized. The goal of this project is to achieve DOE's long-term cost goal of sequestering carbon at $10 or less per ton. Because the potential of a forest ecosystem to sequester carbon depends on the species, site quality and management regimes utilized, this project will determine how to optimize carbon sequestration by determining how to optimally manage each species, given a range of sitemore » qualities and economic variables. This project also will determine the effects of a carbon credit market on the method and profitability of forest management, the cost of sequestering carbon, and the amount of carbon that can be sequestered. Information from this project will be used to produce user-friendly manuals which will contain economic and biological data for each of the species. These manuals will inform landowners and forest managers how to manage forests for timber and/or carbon credits, how to maximize financial returns, how much money can be earned, and how much carbon can be stored. Manuals will be disseminated through state and federal agricultural extension services and the forest service of each state, and will be published in forest landowner magazines.« less

Enhancement of Terrestrial Carbon Sinks through the Reclamation of Abandoned Mined Lands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gary Kronrad

2006-01-31

This project will determine the optimal forest management method to employ for each of the major commercial tree species so that profitability of timber production only or the combination of timber production and carbon sequestration is maximized. The goal of this project is to achieve DOE's long-term cost goal of sequestering carbon at $10 or less per ton. Because the potential of a forest ecosystem to sequester carbon depends on the species, site quality and management regimes utilized, this project will determine how to optimize carbon sequestration by determining how to optimally manage each species, given a range of sitemore » qualities and economic variables. This project also will determine the effects of a carbon credit market on the method and profitability of forest management, the cost of sequestering carbon, and the amount of carbon that can be sequestered. Information from this project will be used to produce user-friendly manuals which will contain economic and biological data for each of the species. These manuals will inform landowners and forest managers how to manage forests for timber and/or carbon credits, how to maximize financial returns, how much money can be earned, and how much carbon can be stored. Manuals will be disseminated through state and federal agricultural extension services and the forest service of each state, and will be published in forest landowner magazines.« less

Enhancement of Terrestrial Carbon Sinks through the Reclamation of Abandoned Mined Lands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gary Kronrad

2005-04-30

This project will determine the optimal forest management method to employ for each of the major commercial tree species so that profitability of timber production only or the combination of timber production and carbon sequestration is maximized. The goal of this project is to achieve DOE's long-term cost goal of sequestering carbon at $10 or less per ton. Because the potential of a forest ecosystem to sequester carbon depends on the species, site quality and management regimes utilized, this project will determine how to optimize carbon sequestration by determining how to optimally manage each species, given a range of sitemore » qualities and economic variables. This project also will determine the effects of a carbon credit market on the method and profitability of forest management, the cost of sequestering carbon, and the amount of carbon that can be sequestered. Information from this project will be used to produce user-friendly manuals which will contain economic and biological data for each of the species. These manuals will inform landowners and forest managers how to manage forests for timber and/or carbon credits, how to maximize financial returns, how much money can be earned, and how much carbon can be stored. Manuals will be disseminated through state and federal agricultural extension services and the forest service of each state, and will be published in forest landowner magazines.« less

Enhancement of Terrestrial Carbon Sinks throught the Reclamation of Abandoned Mined Lands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gary Kronrad

2006-06-30

This project will determine the optimal forest management method to employ for each of the major commercial tree species so that profitability of timber production only or the combination of timber production and carbon sequestration is maximized. The goal of this project is to achieve DOE's long-term cost goal of sequestering carbon at $10 or less per ton. Because the potential of a forest ecosystem to sequester carbon depends on the species, site quality and management regimes utilized, this project will determine how to optimize carbon sequestration by determining how to optimally manage each species, given a range of sitemore » qualities and economic variables. This project also will determine the effects of a carbon credit market on the method and profitability of forest management, the cost of sequestering carbon, and the amount of carbon that can be sequestered. Information from this project will be used to produce user-friendly manuals which will contain economic and biological data for each of the species. These manuals will inform landowners and forest managers how to manage forests for timber and/or carbon credits, how to maximize financial returns, how much money can be earned, and how much carbon can be stored. Manuals will be disseminated through state and federal agricultural extension services and the forest service of each state, and will be published in forest landowner magazines.« less

Trees, soils, and food security

PubMed Central

Sanchez, P. A.; Buresh, R. J.; Leakey, R. R. B.

1997-01-01

Trees have a different impact on soil properties than annual crops, because of their longer residence time, larger biomass accumulation, and longer-lasting, more extensive root systems. In natural forests nutrients are efficiently cycled with very small inputs and outputs from the system. In most agricultural systems the opposite happens. Agroforestry encompasses the continuum between these extremes, and emerging hard data is showing that successful agroforestry systems increase nutrient inputs, enhance internal flows, decrease nutrient losses and provide environmental benefits: when the competition for growth resources between the tree and the crop component is well managed. The three main determinants for overcoming rural poverty in Africa are (i) reversing soil fertility depletion, (ii) intensifying and diversifying land use with high-value products, and (iii) providing an enabling policy environment for the smallholder farming sector. Agroforestry practices can improve food production in a sustainable way through their contribution to soil fertility replenishment. The use of organic inputs as a source of biologically-fixed nitrogen, together with deep nitrate that is captured by trees, plays a major role in nitrogen replenishment. The combination of commercial phosphorus fertilizers with available organic resources may be the key to increasing and sustaining phosphorus capital. High-value trees, 'Cinderella' species, can fit in specific niches on farms, thereby making the system ecologically stable and more rewarding economically, in addition to diversifying and increasing rural incomes and improving food security. In the most heavily populated areas of East Africa, where farm size is extremely small, the number of trees on farms is increasing as farmers seek to reduce labour demands, compatible with the drift of some members of the family into the towns to earn off-farm income. Contrary to the concept that population pressure promotes deforestation, there is evidence that demonstrates that there are conditions under which increasing tree planting is occurring on farms in the tropics through successful agroforestry as human population density increases.

Cadmium uptake by cocoa trees in agroforestry and monoculture systems under conventional and organic management.

PubMed

Gramlich, A; Tandy, S; Andres, C; Chincheros Paniagua, J; Armengot, L; Schneider, M; Schulin, R

2017-02-15

Cadmium (Cd) uptake by cocoa has recently attracted attention, after the European Union (EU) decided to establish values for tolerable Cd concentrations in cocoa products. Bean Cd concentrations from some cocoa provenances, especially from Latin America, were found to exceed these values. Cadmium uptake by cocoa is expected not only to depend on a variety of soil factors, but also on plant and management factors. In this study, we investigated the influence of different production systems on Cd uptake by cocoa in a long-term field trial in the Alto Beni Region of Bolivia, where cocoa trees are grown in monocultures and in agroforestry systems, both under organic and conventional management. Leaf, fruits and roots of two cultivars were sampled from each production system along with soil samples collected around these trees. Leaf, pod husk and bean samples were analysed for Cd, iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), the roots for mycorrhizal abundance and the soil samples for 'total' and 'available' Cd, Fe and Zn as well as DGT-available Cd and Zn, pH, organic matter, texture, 'available' phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Only a small part of the variance in bean and pod husk Cd was explained by management, soil and plant factors. Furthermore, the production systems and cultivars alone had no significant influence on leaf Cd. However, we found lower Cd leaf contents in agroforestry systems than in monocultures when analysed in combination with DGT-available soil Cd, cocoa cultivar and soil organic matter. Overall, this model explained 60% of the variance of the leaf Cd concentrations. We explain lower leaf Cd concentrations in agroforestry systems by competition for Cd uptake with other plants. The cultivar effect may be explained by cultivar specific uptake capacities or by a growth effect translating into different uptake rates, as the cultivars were of different size. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Entomofauna Associated with Agroforestry Systems of Timber Species and Cacao in the Southern Region of the Maracaibo Lake Basin (Mérida, Venezuela).

PubMed

Mazón, Marina; Sánchez-Angarita, Daniel; Díaz, Francisco A; Gutiérrez, Néstor; Jaimez, Ramón

2018-04-20

Agroforestry systems are environment-friendly production systems which help to preserve biodiversity while providing people with a way of earning a living. Cacao is a historically important crop in Venezuela that traditionally has been produced in agroforestry systems. However, few studies have evaluated how different trees used in those systems affect the dynamics and abundance of insects. The present study evaluated the entomofauna assemblages associated with different combinations of four timber-yielding trees and four Criollo cacao cultivars established in a lowland tropical ecosystem in Venezuela. A randomized block design with two replicates was used, each block having 16 plots which included all 16 possible combinations of four native timber trees ( Cordia thaisiana , Cedrela odorata , Swietenia macrophylla , and Tabebuia rosea ) and four Criollo cacao cultivars (Porcelana, Guasare, Lobatera and Criollo Merideño). Insects were collected with yellow pan traps and sorted to order. Coleoptera and parasitoid Hymenoptera were determined to the family level. In total, 49,538 individuals of seven orders were collected, with Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Hemiptera being the most abundant, although only Lepidoptera and Coleoptera abundances were significantly influenced by the timber tree species. Twenty-three families of parasitoid Hymenoptera and 26 of Coleoptera were found. Significant differences in insects’ assemblages were found both in parasitoid Hymenoptera and Coleoptera families associated to every shade tree, with the families Eulophidae and Lycidae being indicators for Cordia , and Chalcididae for Swietenia . The entomofauna relationship with the cacao cultivar was barely significant, although Scydmaenidae and Scarabaeidae were indicators for Lobatera and Merideño, respectively. No significant effects were found for interaction with cacao cultivars and native trees. We concluded that the particular insect assemblages found in Cedrela odorata and Cordia thaisiana , together with their high growing rates, make these two species an optimal choice for cacao agroforestry systems.

Patterns in hydraulic architecture from roots to branches in six tropical tree species from cacao agroforestry and their relation to wood density and stem growth

PubMed Central

Kotowska, Martyna M.; Hertel, Dietrich; Rajab, Yasmin Abou; Barus, Henry; Schuldt, Bernhard

2015-01-01

For decades it has been assumed that the largest vessels are generally found in roots and that vessel size and corresponding sapwood area-specific hydraulic conductivity are acropetally decreasing toward the distal twigs. However, recent studies from the perhumid tropics revealed a hump-shaped vessel size distribution. Worldwide tropical perhumid forests are extensively replaced by agroforestry systems often using introduced species of various biogeographical and climatic origins. Nonetheless, it is unknown so far what kind of hydraulic architectural patterns are developed in those agroforestry tree species and which impact this exerts regarding important tree functional traits, such as stem growth, hydraulic efficiency and wood density (WD). We investigated wood anatomical and hydraulic properties of the root, stem and branch wood in Theobroma cacao and five common shade tree species in agroforestry systems on Sulawesi (Indonesia); three of these were strictly perhumid tree species, and the other three tree species are tolerating seasonal drought. The overall goal of our study was to relate these properties to stem growth and other tree functional traits such as foliar nitrogen content and sapwood to leaf area ratio. Our results confirmed a hump-shaped vessel size distribution in nearly all species. Drought-adapted species showed divergent patterns of hydraulic conductivity, vessel density, and relative vessel lumen area between root, stem and branch wood compared to wet forest species. Confirming findings from natural old-growth forests in the same region, WD showed no relationship to specific conductivity. Overall, aboveground growth performance was better predicted by specific hydraulic conductivity than by foliar traits and WD. Our study results suggest that future research on conceptual trade-offs of tree hydraulic architecture should consider biogeographical patterns underlining the importance of anatomical adaptation mechanisms to environment. PMID:25873922

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doug Cathro

The Lake Charles CCS Project is a large-scale industrial carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project which will demonstrate advanced technologies that capture and sequester carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) emissions from industrial sources into underground formations. Specifically the Lake Charles CCS Project will accelerate commercialization of large-scale CO{sub 2} storage from industrial sources by leveraging synergy between a proposed petroleum coke to chemicals plant (the LCC Gasification Project) and the largest integrated anthropogenic CO{sub 2} capture, transport, and monitored sequestration program in the U.S. Gulf Coast Region. The Lake Charles CCS Project will promote the expansion of EOR in Texas andmore » Louisiana and supply greater energy security by expanding domestic energy supplies. The capture, compression, pipeline, injection, and monitoring infrastructure will continue to sequester CO{sub 2} for many years after the completion of the term of the DOE agreement. The objectives of this project are expected to be fulfilled by working through two distinct phases. The overall objective of Phase 1 was to develop a fully definitive project basis for a competitive Renewal Application process to proceed into Phase 2 - Design, Construction and Operations. Phase 1 includes the studies attached hereto that will establish: the engineering design basis for the capture, compression and transportation of CO{sub 2} from the LCC Gasification Project, and the criteria and specifications for a monitoring, verification and accounting (MVA) plan at the Hastings oil field in Texas. The overall objective of Phase 2, provided a successful competitive down-selection, is to execute design, construction and operations of three capital projects: (1) the CO{sub 2} capture and compression equipment, (2) a Connector Pipeline from the LLC Gasification Project to the Green Pipeline owned by Denbury and an affiliate of Denbury, and (3) a comprehensive MVA system at the Hastings oil field.« less

Potential contribution of the forestry sector in Bangladesh to carbon sequestration.

PubMed

Yong Shin, Man; Miah, Danesh M; Lee, Kyeong Hak

2007-01-01

The Kyoto Protocol provides for the involvement of developing countries in an atmospheric greenhouse gas reduction regime under its Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Carbon credits are gained from reforestation and afforestation activities in developing countries. Bangladesh, a densely populated tropical country in South Asia, has a huge degraded forestland which can be reforested by CDM projects. To realize the potential of the forestry sector in developing countries for full-scale emission mitigation, the carbon sequestration potential of different species in different types of plantations should be integrated with the carbon trading system under the CDM of the Kyoto Protocol. This paper discusses the prospects and problems of carbon trading in Bangladesh, in relation to the CDM, in the context of global warming and the potential associated consequences. The paper analyzes the effects of reforestation projects on carbon sequestration in Bangladesh, in general, and in the hilly Chittagong region, in particular, and concludes by demonstrating the carbon trading opportunities. Results showed that tree tissue in the forests of Bangladesh stored 92tons of carbon per hectare (tC/ha), on average. The results also revealed a gross stock of 190tC/ha in the plantations of 13 tree species, ranging in age from 6 to 23 years. The paper confirms the huge atmospheric CO(2) offset by the forests if the degraded forestlands are reforested by CDM projects, indicating the potential of Bangladesh to participate in carbon trading for both its economic and environmental benefit. Within the forestry sector itself, some constraints are identified; nevertheless, the results of the study can expedite policy decisions regarding Bangladesh's participation in carbon trading through the CDM.

Land use change effects on trace gas fluxes in the forest margins of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veldkamp, Edzo; Purbopuspito, Joko; Corre, Marife D.; Brumme, Rainer; Murdiyarso, Daniel

2008-06-01

Land use changes and land use intensification are considered important processes contributing to the increasing concentrations of the greenhouse gases nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) and of nitric oxide (NO), a precursor of ozone. Studies on the effects of land use changes and land use intensification on soil trace gas emissions were mostly conducted in Latin America and only very few in Asia. Here we present results from Central Sulawesi where profound changes in land use and cultivation practices take place: traditional agricultural practices like shifting cultivation and slash-and-burn agriculture are replaced by permanent cultivation systems and introduction of income-generating cash crops like cacao. Our results showed that N2O emissions were higher from cacao agroforestry (35 ± 10 μg N m-2 h-1) than maize (9 ± 2 μg N m-2 h-1), whereas intermediate rates were observed from secondary forests (25 ± 11 μg N m-2 h-1). NO emissions did not differ among land use systems, ranging from 12 ± 2 μg N m-2 h-1 for cacao agroforestry and secondary forest to 18 ± 2 μg N m-2 h-1 for maize. CH4 uptake was higher for maize (-30 ± 4 μg C m-2 h-1) than cacao agroforestry (-18 ± 2 μg C m-2 h-1) and intermediate rates were measured from secondary forests (-25 ± 4 μg C m-2 h-1). Combining these data with results from other studies in this area, we present chronosequence effects of land use change on trace gas emissions from natural forest, through maize cultivation, to cacao agroforestry (with or without fertilizer). Compared to the original forests, this typical land use change in the study area clearly led to higher N2O emissions and lower CH4 uptake with age of cacao agroforestry systems. We conclude that this common land use sequence in the area combined with the increasing use of fertilizer will strongly increase soil trace gas emissions. We suggest that the future hot spot regions of high N2O (and to a lesser extend NO) emissions in the tropics are those areas where climatic and edaphic conditions allow for intensive agriculture. This scenario is probably preferable over the alternative of agriculture extensification, which would imply a dramatic increase in deforestation rates with accompanying CO2 emissions.

Geomorphological impact on agroforestry systems in the interior highlands of Nicaragua, Central America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mentler, Axel; Wriessnig, Karin; Ottner, Franz; Schomakers, Jasmin; Benavides González, Álvaro; Cisne Contreras, José Dolores; Querol Lipcovich, Daniel

2013-04-01

Cerro el Castillo is located in the NW of Nicaragua, Central America, close to the border of Honduras (Provincia Central de las Cordilleras) at 1000-1200m above sea level. In this region, small and medium-sized farms are agroforestry systems with mangos, avocados, coffee, papayas, bananas, strawberries, maize, pumpkins, beans and other vegetables. The production systems are strongly linked to facilities for raising small domestic animals and cows. Main regional agricultural production problems are steep slopes, soil erosion, varying precipitation and distribution, water management and the unstable family income. An investigation of topsoil properties with comparable management systems showed on small scales significant differences in key values of soil chemistry and mineralogy. The outline of the analytical parameters included determination of pH, electrical conductivity (EC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic carbon (TOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total nitrogen (TN) and dissolved nitrogen (DN) in soil solution, and plant available nutrients (P and K). The soil's mineralogical composition was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The area is a highly weathered karst landscape within a tropical limestone region displaying different amounts of volcanic pyroclastic parent material. The dominant Nitisoils and Andosols show degraded argic and andic horizons along the upper half of the mountainside. The pH values in the topsoil are moderate from pH 5.0 to 5.6. The upland topsoil is decalcified and the amount of plant available phosphorous is very low with significant low Ca concentration at the sorption complex. The mineralogical composition points to the high weathering intensity of this area (high content of kaolinite and a lower concentration of potassium and plagioclase feldspars and andesite). Along the upper half of the mountain, the soil profiles show wider C:N ratios and lower amounts of organic matter. Topsoil at lower altitude and with a lower slope is influenced by accumulation of pyroclastic material. Theses soils can be characterized through a closer C:N ratio, higher pH (5.7-6.2) values, and plant available phosphorus reach values of 23 mg/kg. The mineralogical analyses illustrated less weathered volcanic material here and in the investigated samples zeolithe, smectite and a higher amount of plagioclase could be found. Cristobalite und pyroxene could be detected in all samples and indicate the influence of volcanic activity. Smectite und zeolithe are reason for the higher CEC values of these soils. Erosion and intensive tropical weathering processes including solutional weathering of limestones decline production potential at higher altitudes. Agroforestry systems are the most adapted systems for sustainable plant production systems in this area. Phosphorus release of soil is strongly influenced by the geomorphology of this landscape. Limiting parameters of this production system is the amount and the distribution of precipitation. The impact of global change to this specific area of Nicaragua will lead to extreme values of local precipitation events and an increase in temperature. If these events continue important production areas for optimum coffee production in agroforestry systems in Central America will be lost. Acknowledgement: This project was financed through the Austrian APPEAR program (OEAD).

Sector-specific issues and reporting methodologies supporting the General Guidelines for the voluntary reporting of greenhouse gases under Section 1605(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Volume 2: Part 4, Transportation sector; Part 5, Forestry sector; Part 6, Agricultural sector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

This volume, the second of two such volumes, contains sector-specific guidance in support of the General Guidelines for the voluntary reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration. This voluntary reporting program was authorized by Congress in Section 1605(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. The General Guidelines, bound separately from this volume, provide the overall rationale for the program, discuss in general how to analyze emissions and emission reduction/carbon sequestration projects, and address programmatic issues such as minimum reporting requirements, time parameters, international projects, confidentiality, and certification. Together, the General Guidelines and the guidance in these supporting documentsmore » will provide concepts and approaches needed to prepare the reporting forms. This second volume of sector-specific guidance covers the transportation sector, the forestry sector, and the agricultural sector.« less

Protected areas' role in climate-change mitigation.

PubMed

Melillo, Jerry M; Lu, Xiaoliang; Kicklighter, David W; Reilly, John M; Cai, Yongxia; Sokolov, Andrei P

2016-03-01

Globally, 15.5 million km(2) of land are currently identified as protected areas, which provide society with many ecosystem services including climate-change mitigation. Combining a global database of protected areas, a reconstruction of global land-use history, and a global biogeochemistry model, we estimate that protected areas currently sequester 0.5 Pg C annually, which is about one fifth of the carbon sequestered by all land ecosystems annually. Using an integrated earth systems model to generate climate and land-use scenarios for the twenty-first century, we project that rapid climate change, similar to high-end projections in IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report, would cause the annual carbon sequestration rate in protected areas to drop to about 0.3 Pg C by 2100. For the scenario with both rapid climate change and extensive land-use change driven by population and economic pressures, 5.6 million km(2) of protected areas would be converted to other uses, and carbon sequestration in the remaining protected areas would drop to near zero by 2100.

[Variation of forest vegetation carbon storage and carbon sequestration rate in Liaoning Province, Northeast China].

PubMed

Zhen, Wei; Huang, Mei; Zhai, Yin-Li; Chen, Ke; Gong, Ya-Zhen

2014-05-01

The forest vegetation carbon stock and carbon sequestration rate in Liaoning Province, Northeast China, were predicted by using Canadian carbon balance model (CBM-CFS3) combining with the forest resource data. The future spatio-temporal distribution and trends of vegetation carbon storage, carbon density and carbon sequestration rate were projected, based on the two scenarios, i. e. with or without afforestation. The result suggested that the total forest vegetation carbon storage and carbon density in Liaoning Province in 2005 were 133.94 Tg and 25.08 t x hm(-2), respectively. The vegetation carbon storage in Quercus was the biggest, while in Robinia pseudoacacia was the least. Both Larix olgensis and broad-leaved forests had higher vegetation carbon densities than others, and the vegetation carbon densities of Pinus tabuliformis, Quercus and Robinia pseudoacacia were close to each other. The spatial distribution of forest vegetation carbon density in Liaoning Province showed a decrease trend from east to west. In the eastern forest area, the future increase of vegetation carbon density would be smaller than those in the northern forest area, because most of the forests in the former part were matured or over matured, while most of the forests in the later part were young. Under the scenario of no afforestation, the future increment of total forest vegetation carbon stock in Liaoning Province would increase gradually, and the total carbon sequestration rate would decrease, while they would both increase significantly under the afforestation scenario. Therefore, afforestation plays an important role in increasing vegetation carbon storage, carbon density and carbon sequestration rate.

Comparaison de la performance environnementale de la production thermique d'electricite avec et sans sequestration geologique du dioxyde de carbone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellerive, Nathalie

The research project hypothesis is that CO2 capture and sequestration technologies (CSC) leads to a significant decrease in global warming, but increases the impact of all other aspects of the study. This is because other processes used for CO2 capture and sequestration require additional quantities of raw materials and energy. Two other objectives are described in this project. The first is the modeling of an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle power plant for which there is no known generic data. The second is to select the right hypothesis regarding electrical production technologies, CO2 capture, compression and transportation by pipeline and finally sequestration. "Life Cycle Assessment" (LCA) analyses were chosen for this research project. LCA is an exhaustive quantitative method used to evaluate potential environmental impacts associated with a product, a service or an activity from resource extraction to waste elimination. This tool is governed by ISO 14 040 through ISO 14 049 and is sustained by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Two power plants were studied, the Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plant and the Natural Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC) power plant. In order to sequester CO2 in geological formation, it is necessary to extract CO2from emission flows. For the IGCC power plant, CO 2 was captured before the burning phase. For the NGCC power plant, the capture was done during the afterburning phase. Once the CO2 was isolated, it was compressed and directed through a transportation pipe 1 000 km in length on the ground surface and in the sea. It is hypothesized that the power plant is 300 km from the shore and the sequestration platform 700 km from France's shore, in the North Sea. The IGCC power plant modeling and data selection regarding CO2 capture and sequestration were done by using primary data from the industry and the Ecoinvent generic database (Version 1.2). This database was selected due to its European source. Finally, technical calculations and literature were used to complete the data inventory. This was validated by electrical experts in order to increase data and modeling precision. Results were similar for IGCC and NGCC power plants using Impact 2002+, an impacts analysis method. Global warming potential decreased by 67% with the implementation of CO2 capture and sequestration compared to systems without CSC. Results for all others impacts categories, demonstrated an increase from 16% to 116% in relative proportions compared to systems without CSC. The main contributor was the additional quantity of energy required to operate CO2 capture and compression facilities. This additional energy negatively affected the power plant's global efficiency because of the increase in the quantity of fossil fuel that needed to be extracted and consumed. The increase in other impacts was mainly due to additional electricity, fossil fuel (for extracting, treatment and transportation) and additional emissions generated during power plant operations. A scenario analysis was done to study the sensitivity and variability of uncertain data during the software modeling process of a power plant. Data on power plant efficiency is the most variable and sensitive during modeling, followed by the length of the transportation pipe and the leaking rate during CO2 sequestration. This result analysis is interesting because it led to the maximum efficiency scenario with capture (with a short CO 2 transportation distance and a low leaking rate) obtaining better results on all impact category indicators, compared to the minimum efficiency scenario without capture. In fact, positive results on all category indicators were possible during the system comparison between the two cases (with and without capture). (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Apatite Investigation at the 100-NR-2 Quality Assurance Project Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fix, N. J.

This Quality Assurance Project Plan provides the quality assurance requirements and processes that will be followed by staff working on the 100-NR-2 Apatite Project. The U.S. Department of Energy, Fluor Hanford, Inc., Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the Washington Department of Ecology agreed that the long-term strategy for groundwater remediation at 100-N would include apatite sequestration as the primary treatment, followed by a secondary treatment. The scope of this project covers the technical support needed before, during, and after treatment of the targeted subsurface environment using a new high-concentration formulation.

Project CLIMPEAT - Influence of global warming and drought on the carbon sequestration and biodiversity of Sphagnum peatlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamentowicz, M.; Buttler, A.; Mitchell, E. A. D.; Chojnicki, B.; Słowińska, S.; Słowiński, M.

2012-04-01

Northern peatlands represent a globally significant pool of carbon and are subject to the highest rates of climate warming, and most of these peatlands are in continental settings. However, it is unclear if how fast peatlands respond to past and present changes in temperature and surface moisture in continental vs. oceanic climate settings. The CLIMPEAT project brings together scientists from Poland and Switzerland. Our goal is to assess the past and present vulnerability to climate change of Sphagnum peatland plant and microbial communities, peat organic matter transformations and carbon sequestration using a combination of field and mesocosm experiments simulating warming and water table changes and palaeoecological studies. Warming will be achieved using ITEX-type "Open-Top Chambers". The field studies are conducted in Poland, at the limit between oceanic and continental climates, and are part of a network of projects also including field experiments in the French Jura (sub-oceanic) and in Siberia (continental). We will calibrate the response of key biological (plants, testate amoebae) and geochemical (isotopic composition of organic compounds, organic matter changes) proxies to warming and water table changes and use these proxies to reconstruct climate changes during the last 1000 years.

Social and economic impacts of carbon sequestration and land use change on peasant households in rural China: a case study of Liping, Guizhou Province.

PubMed

Xu, W; Yin, Y; Zhou, S

2007-11-01

Numerous innovative approaches to mitigate effects of excessive emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) on global climate change are being proposed and formulated. Sequestering carbon to terrestrial ecosystems represents one of the important clean development mechanisms. Reforestation through converting various non-forest lands to forests is undoubtedly an important dimension of carbon sequestration. Using Liping County in Guizhou Province as a case region, this study examines the perceived change in social and economic livelihoods of peasants and the factors responsible for the variations in the changes. The results of the study reveal that socio-economic changes associated with the government-financed project are multifaceted and profound. Because of the financial subsidies provided by the central government, this environmental action in many aspects can be regarded as a poverty reduction measure in the underdeveloped area where rural poverty is widespread. A majority of peasant households have benefited from project participation. The land conversion project with continued financial support also contributes to the social transformations of traditional rural society in remote areas to a more mobile, less subsistence agriculture-based, and open society.

Ecological carbon sequestration via wood harvest and storage (WHS): Can it be a viable climate and energy strategy?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, N.; Zaitchik, B. F.; King, A. W.; Wullschleger, S. D.

2016-12-01

A carbon sequestration strategy is proposed in which forests are sustainably managed to optimal carbon productivity, and a fraction of the wood is selectively harvested and stored to prevent decomposition under anaerobic, dry or cold conditions. Because a large flux of CO2 is constantly assimilated into the world's forests via photosynthesis, cutting off its return pathway to the atmosphere forms an effective carbon sink. The live trees serve as a `carbon scrubber' or `carbon remover' that provides continuous sequestration (negative emissions). The stored wood is a semi-permanent carbon sink, but also serves as a `biomass/bioenergy reserve' that could be utilized in the future.Based on forest coarse wood production rate, land availability, bioconservation and other practical constraints, we estimate a carbon sequestration potential for wood harvest and storage (WHS) 1-3 GtC y-1. The implementation of such a scheme at our estimated lower value of 1 GtC y-1 would imply a doubling of the current world wood harvest rate. This can be achieved by harvesting wood at a modest harvesting intensity of 1.2 tC ha-1 y-1, over a forest area of 8 Mkm2 (800 Mha). To achieve the higher value of 3 GtC y-1, forests need to be managed this way on half of the world's forested land, or on a smaller area but with higher harvest intensity. However, the actual implementation may face challenges that vary regionally. We propose `carbon sequestration and biomass farms' in the tropical deforestation frontiers with mixed land use for carbon, energy, agriculture, as well as conservation. In another example, the forests damaged by insect infestation could be thinned to reduce fire and harvested for carbon sequestration.We estimate a cost of $10-50/tCO2 for harvest and storage around the landing site. The technique is low tech, distributed and reversible. We compare the potential of WHS with a number of other carbon sequestration methods. We will also show its impact on future land carbon sink and climate target using carbon-cliamte model projections.

SOIL FERTILITY LIMITS CARBON SEQUESTRATION BY FOREST ECOSYSTEMS IN A CO2-ENRICHED ATMOSPHERE. (R828785)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

SUBSURFACE PROPERTY RIGHTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR GEOLOGIC CO2 STORAGE

EPA Science Inventory

The paper discusses subsurface property rights as they apply to geologic sequestration (GS) of carbon dioxide (CO2). GS projects inject captured CO2 into deep (greater than ~1 km) geologic formations for the explicit purpose of avoiding atmospheric emission of CO2. Because of the...

Bird response to future climate and forest management focused on mitigating climate change

Treesearch

Jaymi J. LeBrun; Jeffrey E. Schneiderman; Frank R. Thompson; William D. Dijak; Jacob S. Fraser; Hong S. He; Joshua J. Millspaugh

2016-01-01

Context. Global temperatures are projected to increase and affect forests and wildlife populations. Forest management can potentially mitigate climateinduced changes through promoting carbon sequestration, forest resilience, and facilitated change. Objectives. We modeled direct and indirect effects of climate change on avian...

40 CFR 146.81 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM: CRITERIA AND STANDARDS Criteria and Standards Applicable to Class VI Wells § 146... control programs to regulate any Class VI carbon dioxide geologic sequestration injection wells. (b) This...-authorized Class I, Class II, or Class V experimental carbon dioxide injection projects who seek to apply for...

40 CFR 146.81 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM: CRITERIA AND STANDARDS Criteria and Standards Applicable to Class VI Wells § 146... control programs to regulate any Class VI carbon dioxide geologic sequestration injection wells. (b) This...-authorized Class I, Class II, or Class V experimental carbon dioxide injection projects who seek to apply for...

40 CFR 146.81 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM: CRITERIA AND STANDARDS Criteria and Standards Applicable to Class VI Wells § 146... control programs to regulate any Class VI carbon dioxide geologic sequestration injection wells. (b) This...-authorized Class I, Class II, or Class V experimental carbon dioxide injection projects who seek to apply for...

40 CFR 146.81 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM: CRITERIA AND STANDARDS Criteria and Standards Applicable to Class VI Wells § 146... control programs to regulate any Class VI carbon dioxide geologic sequestration injection wells. (b) This...-authorized Class I, Class II, or Class V experimental carbon dioxide injection projects who seek to apply for...

Advanced CO 2 Leakage Mitigation using Engineered Biomineralization Sealing Technologies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spangler, Lee; Cunningham, Alfred; Phillips, Adrienne

2015-03-31

This research project addresses one of the goals of the DOE Carbon Sequestration Program (CSP). The CSP core R&D effort is driven by technology and is accomplished through laboratory and pilot scale research aimed at new technologies for greenhouse gas mitigation. Accordingly, this project was directed at developing novel technologies for mitigating unwanted upward leakage of carbon dioxide (CO 2) injected into the subsurface as part of carbon capture and storage (CCS) activities. The technology developed by way of this research project is referred to as microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP).

The new Wallula CO2 project may revive the old Columbia River Basalt (western USA) nuclear-waste repository project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, Michael O.

2018-02-01

A novel CO2 sequestration project at Wallula, Washington, USA, makes ample use of the geoscientific data collection of the old nuclear waste repository project at the Hanford Site nearby. Both projects target the Columbia River Basalt (CRB). The new publicity for the old project comes at a time when the approach to high-level nuclear waste disposal has undergone fundamental changes. The emphasis now is on a technical barrier that is chemically compatible with the host rock. In the ideal case, the waste container is in thermodynamic equilibrium with the host-rock groundwater regime. The CRB groundwater has what it takes to represent the ideal case.

Field-based simulation of a demonstration site for carbon dioxide sequestration in low-permeability saline aquifers in the Ordos Basin, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Jian; Zhang, Keni; Hu, Litang; Pavelic, Paul; Wang, Yongsheng; Chen, Maoshan

2015-11-01

Saline formations are considered to be candidates for carbon sequestration due to their great depths, large storage volumes, and widespread occurrence. However, injecting carbon dioxide into low-permeability reservoirs is challenging. An active demonstration project for carbon dioxide sequestration in the Ordos Basin, China, began in 2010. The site is characterized by a deep, multi-layered saline reservoir with permeability mostly below 1.0 × 10-14 m2. Field observations so far suggest that only small-to-moderate pressure buildup has taken place due to injection. The Triassic Liujiagou sandstone at the top of the reservoir has surprisingly high injectivity and accepts approximately 80 % of the injected mass at the site. Based on these key observations, a three-dimensional numerical model was developed and applied, to predict the plume dynamics and pressure propagation, and in the assessment of storage safety. The model is assembled with the most recent data and the simulations are calibrated to the latest available observations. The model explains most of the observed phenomena at the site. With the current operation scheme, the CO2 plume at the uppermost reservoir would reach a lateral distance of 658 m by the end of the project in 2015, and approximately 1,000 m after 100 years since injection. The resulting pressure buildup in the reservoir was below 5 MPa, far below the threshold to cause fracturing of the sealing cap (around 33 MPa).

Uncertainty In Greenhouse Gas Emissions On Carbon Sequestration In Coastal and Freshwater Wetlands of the Mississippi River Delta: A Subsiding Coastline as a Proxy for Future Global Sea Level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, J. R.; DeLaune, R. D.; Roy, E. D.; Corstanje, R.

2014-12-01

The highly visible phenomenon of wetland loss in coastal Louisiana (LA) is examined through the prism of carbon accumulation, wetland loss and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Mississippi River Deltaic region experiences higher relative sea level rise due to coupled subsidence and eustatic sea level rise allowing this region to serve as a proxy for future projected golbal sea level rise. Carbon storage or sequestration in rapidly subsiding LA coastal marsh soils is based on vertical marsh accretion and areal change data. While coastal marshes sequester significant amount of carbon through vertical accretion, large amounts of carbon, previously sequested in the soil profile is lost through annual deterioration of these coastal marshes as well as through GHG emissions. Efforts are underway in Louisiana to access the carbon credit market in order to provide significant funding for coastal restoration projects. However, there is very large uncertainty on GHG emission rates related to both marsh type and temporal (daily and seasonal) effects. Very little data currently exists which addresses this uncertainty which can significantly affect the carbon credit value of a particular wetland system. We provide an analysis of GHG emission rates for coastal freshwater, brackish and and salt marshes compared to the net soil carbon sequestration rate. Results demonstrate that there is very high uncertainty on GHG emissions which can substantially alter the carbon credit value of a particular wetland system.

Climate-resilient agroforestry: physiological responses to climate change and engineering of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) as a mitigation strategy: CAM engineering in trees

DOE PAGES

Borland, Anne M.; Wullschleger, Stan D.; Weston, David J.; ...

2014-12-15

We know that global climate change threatens the sustainability of agriculture and agroforestry worldwide through increased heat, drought, surface evaporation and associated soil drying. Exposure of crops and forests to warmer and drier environments will increase leaf:air water vapour–pressure deficits (VPD), and will result in increased drought susceptibility and reduced productivity, not only in arid regions but also in tropical regions with seasonal dry periods. Fast-growing, short-rotation forestry (SRF) bioenergy crops such as poplar (Populus spp.) and willow (Salix spp.) are particularly susceptible to hydraulic failure following drought stress due to their isohydric nature and relatively high stomatal conductance. Onemore » approach to sustaining plant productivity is to improve water-use efficiency (WUE) by engineering crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) into C3 crops. CAM improves WUE by shifting stomatal opening and primary CO 2 uptake and fixation to the night-time when leaf:air VPD is low. CAMmembers of the tree genus Clusia exemplify the compatibility of CAM performance within tree species and highlight CAM as a mechanism to conserve water and maintain carbon uptake during drought conditions. Moreover, the introduction of bioengineered CAM into SRF bioenergy trees is a potentially viable path to sustaining agroforestry production systems in the face of a globally changing climate.« less

Climate-resilient agroforestry: physiological responses to climate change and engineering of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) as a mitigation strategy: CAM engineering in trees

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Borland, Anne M.; Wullschleger, Stan D.; Weston, David J.

We know that global climate change threatens the sustainability of agriculture and agroforestry worldwide through increased heat, drought, surface evaporation and associated soil drying. Exposure of crops and forests to warmer and drier environments will increase leaf:air water vapour–pressure deficits (VPD), and will result in increased drought susceptibility and reduced productivity, not only in arid regions but also in tropical regions with seasonal dry periods. Fast-growing, short-rotation forestry (SRF) bioenergy crops such as poplar (Populus spp.) and willow (Salix spp.) are particularly susceptible to hydraulic failure following drought stress due to their isohydric nature and relatively high stomatal conductance. Onemore » approach to sustaining plant productivity is to improve water-use efficiency (WUE) by engineering crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) into C3 crops. CAM improves WUE by shifting stomatal opening and primary CO 2 uptake and fixation to the night-time when leaf:air VPD is low. CAMmembers of the tree genus Clusia exemplify the compatibility of CAM performance within tree species and highlight CAM as a mechanism to conserve water and maintain carbon uptake during drought conditions. Moreover, the introduction of bioengineered CAM into SRF bioenergy trees is a potentially viable path to sustaining agroforestry production systems in the face of a globally changing climate.« less

Coptis teeta-based agroforestry system and its conservation potential: a case study from northwest Yunnan.

PubMed

Huang, Ji; Long, Chunlin

2007-06-01

Coptis teeta (Ranunculaceae), is a nontimber forest product (NTFP) that only grows in northwest Yunnan and northeast India. Its tenuous rhizome, known as "Yunnan goldthread" in the traditional Chinese medicine system, has been used as an antibacterial and as an antiinflammatory medicine for a long time. The increasing demand has resulted in commercial harvesting pressure on wild populations that were already dwindling as a result of deforestation, and wild populations are at risk of extinction. Fortunately, there exists at least 2000 hectares of a C. teeta-based agroforestry system initiated by the Lisu people in Nujiang, northwest Yunnan. This cultivation supplies us with a valuable study case for the balance between conservation and sustainable use. This case study investigated the traditional management system and history of C. teeta in Nujiang through ethnobotanical methods and field investigation. We also contrasted initial costs, economic returns, and labor demands for C. teeta cultivation with other major land uses in the region. Compared with swidden agriculture, the major land-use type in the region, C. teeta cultivation offers high economic returns and low labor and initial costs; moreover, C. teeta cultivation does not interfere with subsistence agricultural duties. This agroforestry system reflected that the cultivation of NTFPs is a conservation strategy for maintaining forest diversity, while providing a stable economic return to local forest communities, and indicates how local people manage biodiversity effectively.

Agroforestry management and phytoseiid communities in vineyards in the South of France.

PubMed

Liguori, Marialivia; Tixier, Marie-Stéphane; Hernandes, Akashi Fabio; Douin, Martial; Kreiter, Serge

2011-10-01

This study deals with the long-term effect of agroforestry management (trees within vine crops) on communities of phytoseiid mites. Several plots were considered: vineyards co-planted with Sorbus domestica or Pinus pinea, monocultures of vines and monocultures of S. domestica or P. pinea. All vine plots included two vine cultivars, Syrah and Grenache. Phytoseiid mites have been surveyed in these plots during several years within the previous 10 years. In 2010, samplings were again carried out in these same plots, from May to September, twice a month. Significantly higher densities of Phytoseiidae were observed on the cultivar Syrah (0.85 phytoseiids per leaf) than on Grenache (0.26 phytoseiids per leaf). Furthermore, significantly higher phytoseiid mite densities were observed in the monocultural grapevine plot than in the two co-planted ones. The main species found was Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) exhilaratus in all vine plots considered. However, Kampimodromus aberrans was observed in the grapevine plots co-planted with the two trees, but never in the monocultural vine plot. Surprisingly, this phytoseiid species was not found on the co-planted trees, nor in the neighbouring uncultivated vegetation. Several hypotheses are discussed to explain such an unexpected distribution. Furthermore, contrary to what has been observed previously, agroforestry management did not seem to favour phytoseiid mite development, especially on the Grenache cultivar. Again, some hypotheses are developed to explain such observations and density modifications.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Christopher Liner

The objective of our work is graduate and undergraduate student training related to improved 3D seismic technology that addresses key challenges related to monitoring movement and containment of CO{sub 2}, specifically better quantification and sensitivity for mapping of caprock integrity, fractures, and other potential leakage pathways. We utilize data and results developed through previous DOE-funded CO{sub 2} characterization project (DE-FG26-06NT42734) at the Dickman Field of Ness County, KS. Dickman is a type locality for the geology that will be encountered for CO{sub 2} sequestration projects from northern Oklahoma across the U.S. midcontinent to Indiana and Illinois. Since its discovery inmore » 1962, the Dickman Field has produced about 1.7 million barrels of oil from porous Mississippian carbonates with a small structural closure at about 4400 ft drilling depth. Project data includes 3.3 square miles of 3D seismic data, 142 wells, with log, some core, and oil/water production data available. Only two wells penetrate the deep saline aquifer. In a previous DOE-funded project, geological and seismic data were integrated to create a geological property model and a flow simulation grid. We believe that sequestration of CO{sub 2} will largely occur in areas of relatively flat geology and simple near surface, similar to Dickman. The challenge is not complex geology, but development of improved, lower-cost methods for detecting natural fractures and subtle faults. Our project used numerical simulation to test methods of gathering multicomponent, full azimuth data ideal for this purpose. Our specific objectives were to apply advanced seismic methods to aide in quantifying reservoir properties and lateral continuity of CO{sub 2} sequestration targets. The purpose of the current project is graduate and undergraduate student training related to improved 3D seismic technology that addresses key challenges related to monitoring movement and containment of CO{sub 2}, specifically better quantification and sensitivity for mapping of caprock integrity, fractures, and other potential leakage pathways. Specifically, our focus is fundamental research on (1) innovative narrow-band seismic data decomposition and interpretation, and (2) numerical simulation of advanced seismic data (multi-component, high density, full azimuth data) ideal for mapping of cap rock integrity and potential leakage pathways.« less

Utilization of the St. Peter Sandstone in the Illinois Basin for CO2 Sequestration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Will, Robert; Smith, Valerie; Leetaru, Hannes

2014-09-30

This project is part of a larger project co-funded by the United States Department of Energy (US DOE) under cooperative agreement DE-FE0002068 from 12/08/2009 through 9/31/2014. The study is to evaluate the potential of formations within the Cambro-Ordovician strata above the Mt. Simon Sandstone as potential targets for carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in the Illinois and Michigan Basins. This report evaluates the potential injectivity of the Ordovician St. Peter Sandstone. The evaluation of this formation was accomplished using wireline data, core data, pressure data, and seismic data acquired through funding in this project as well as existing data from twomore » additional, separately funded projects: the US DOE funded Illinois Basin – Decatur Project (IBDP) being conducted by the Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium (MGSC) in Macon County, Illinois, and the Illinois Industrial Carbon Capture and Sequestration (ICCS) Project funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which received a phase two award from DOE. This study addresses the question of whether or not the St. Peter Sandstone may serve as a suitable target for CO2 sequestration at locations within the Illinois Basin where it lies at greater depths (below the underground source of drinking water (USDW)) than at the IBDP site. The work performed included numerous improvements to the existing St. Peter reservoir model created in 2010. Model size and spatial resolution were increased resulting in a 3 fold increase in the number of model cells. Seismic data was utilized to inform spatial porosity distribution and an extensive core database was used to develop porosity-permeability relationships. The analysis involved a Base Model representative of the St. Peter at “in-situ” conditions, followed by the creation of two hypothetical models at in-situ + 1,000 feet (ft.) (300 m) and in-situ + 2,000 ft. (600 m) depths through systematic depthdependent adjustment of the Base Model parameters. Properties for the depth shifted models were based on porosity versus depth relationship extracted from the core database followed by application of the porosity-permeability relationship. Each of the three resulting models were used as input to dynamic simulations with the single well injection target of 3.2 million tons per annum (MTPA) for 30 years using an appropriate fracture gradient based bottom hole pressure limit for each injection level. Modeling results are presented in terms of well bottomhole pressure (BHP), injection rate profiles, and three-dimensional (3D) saturation and differential pressure volumes at selected simulation times. Results suggest that the target CO2 injection rate of 3.2 MTPA may be achieved in the St. Peter Sandstone at in-situ conditions and at the in-situ +1,000 ft. (300 m) depth using a single injector well. In the latter case the target injection rate is achieved after a ramp up period which is caused by multi-phase flow effects and thus subject to increased modeling uncertainty. Results confirm that the target rate may not be achieved at the in-situ +2,000 ft. (600 m) level even with multiple wells. These new modeling results for the in-situ case are more optimistic than previous modeling results. This difference is attributed to the difference in methods and data used to develop model permeability distributions. Recommendations for further work include restriction of modeling activity to the in-situ +1,000 ft. (300 m) and shallower depth interval, sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, and refinement of porosity and permeability estimates through depth and area selective querying of the available core database. It is also suggested that further modeling efforts include scope for evaluating project performance in terms of metrics directly related to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Class VI permit requirements for the area of review (AoR) definition and post injection site closure monitoring.« less

DISTRIBUTED SEQUESTRATION AND RELEASE OF PAHS IN WEATHERED SEDIMENT: THE ROLE OF SEDIMENT STRUCTURE AND ORGANIC CARBON PROPERTIES. (R825303)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

Overview of global climate change and carbon sequestration

Treesearch

Kurt Johnsen

2004-01-01

The potential influence of global climate change on southern forests is uncertain. Outputs of climate change models differ considerably in their projections for precipitation and other variables that affect forests. Forest responses, particularly effects on competition among species, are difficult to assess. Even the responses of relatively simple ecosystems, such as...

Runoff and sediment reduction from integration of native prairie filter strips into row-crop agriculture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agroecosystems provide multiple benefits including food, fiber, fuel, clean water and air, habitat, carbon sequestration, recreation, and aesthetics. But most agricultural landscapes are managed for only a few of these benefits. This project aimed to evaluate how the integration of diverse perennial...

Feasibility Study of Carbon Sequestration Through Reforestation in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed of Virginia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andy Lacatell; David Shoch; Bill Stanley

The Chesapeake Rivers conservation area encompasses approximately 2,000 square miles of agricultural and forest lands in four Virginia watersheds that drain to the Chesapeake Bay. Consulting a time series of classified Landsat imagery for the Chesapeake Rivers conservation area, the project team developed a GIS-based protocol for identifying agricultural lands that could be reforested, specifically agricultural lands that had been without forest since 1990. Subsequent filters were applied to the initial candidate reforestation sites, including individual sites > 100 acres and sites falling within TNC priority conservation areas. The same data were also used to produce an analysis of baselinemore » changes in forest cover within the study period. The Nature Conservancy and the Virginia Department of Forestry identified three reforestation/management models: (1) hardwood planting to establish old-growth forest, (2) loblolly pine planting to establish working forest buffer with hardwood planting to establish an old-growth core, and (3) loblolly pine planting to establish a working forest. To assess the relative carbon sequestration potential of these different strategies, an accounting of carbon and total project costs was completed for each model. Reforestation/management models produced from 151 to 171 tons carbon dioxide equivalent per acre over 100 years, with present value costs of from $2.61 to $13.28 per ton carbon dioxide equivalent. The outcome of the financial analysis was especially sensitive to the land acquisition/conservation easement cost, which represented the most significant, and also most highly variable, single cost involved. The reforestation/management models explored all require a substantial upfront investment prior to the generation of carbon benefits. Specifically, high land values represent a significant barrier to reforestation projects in the study area, and it is precisely these economic constraints that demonstrate the economic additionality of any carbon benefits produced via reforestation--these are outcomes over and above what is currently possible given existing market opportunities. This is reflected and further substantiated in the results of the forest cover change analysis, which demonstrated a decline in area of land in forest use in the study area for the 1987/88-2001 period. The project team collected data necessary to identify sites for reforestation in the study area, environmental data for the determining site suitability for a range of reforestation alternatives and has identified and addressed potential leakage and additionality issues associated with implementing a carbon sequestration project in the Chesapeake Rivers Conservation Area. Furthermore, carbon emissions reductions generated would have strong potential for recognition in existing reporting systems such as the U.S. Department of Energy 1605(b) voluntary reporting requirements and the Chicago Climate Exchange. The study identified 384,398 acres on which reforestation activities could potentially be sited. Of these candidate sites, sites totaling 26,105 acres are an appropriate size for management (> 100 acres) and located in priority conservation areas identified by The Nature Conservancy. Total carbon sequestration potential of reforestation in the study area, realized over a 100 year timeframe, ranges from 58 to 66 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, and on the priority sites alone, potential for carbon sequestration approaches or exceeds 4 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. In the absence of concerted reforestation efforts, coupled with policy strategies, the region will likely face continued declines in forest land.« less

Restoring Sustainable Forests on Appalachian Mined Lands for Wood Products, Renewable Energy, Carbon Sequestration, and Other Ecosystem Services

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burger, James A

2005-07-20

The overall purpose of this project is to evaluate the biological and economic feasibility of restoring high-quality forests on mined land, and to measure carbon sequestration and wood production benefits that would be achieved from forest restoration procedures. We are currently estimating the acreage of lands in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania mined under SMCRA and reclaimed to non-forested post-mining land uses that are not currently under active management, and therefore can be considered as available for carbon sequestration. To determine actual sequestration under different forest management scenarios, a field study was installed as a 3 x 3 factorial in a random complete block design with three replications at each of three locations, one each in Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia. The treatments included three forest types (white pine, hybrid poplar, mixed hardwood) and three silvicultural regimes (competition control, competition control plus tillage, competition control plus tillage plus fertilization). Each individual treatment plot is 0.5 acres. Each block of nine plots is 4.5 acres, and the complete installation at each site is 13.5 acres. During the reporting period we determined that by grinding the soil samples to a finer particle size of less than 250 μm (sieve No. 60), the effect of mine soil coal particle size on the extent to which these particles will be oxidized during the thermal treatment of the carbon partitioning procedure will be eliminated, thus making the procedure more accurate and precise. In the second phase of the carbon sequestration project, we focused our attention on determining the sample size required for carbon accounting on grassland mined fields in order to achieve a desired accuracy and precision of the final soil organic carbon (SOC) estimate. A mine land site quality classification scheme was developed and some field-testing of the methods of implementation was completed. The classification model has been validated for softwoods (white pine) on several reclaimed mine sites in the southern Appalachian coal region. The classification model is a viable method for classifying post-SMCRA abandoned mined lands into productivity classes for white pine. A thinning study was established as a random complete block design to evaluate the response to thinning of a 26-year-old white pine stand growing on a reclaimed surface mine in southwest Virginia. Stand parameters were projected to age 30 using a stand table projection. Site index of the stand was found to be 32.3 m at base age 50 years. Thinning rapidly increased the diameter growth of the residual trees to 0.84 cm yr{sup -1} compared to 0.58 cm yr{sup -1} for the unthinned treatment; however, at age 26, there was no difference in volume or value per hectare. At age 30, the unthinned treatment had a volume of 457.1 m{sup 3} ha{sup -1} but was only worthmore » $$8807 ha{sup -1}, while the thinned treatment was projected to have 465.8 m{sup 3} ha{sup -1}, which was worth $$11265 ha{sup -1} due to a larger percentage of the volume being in sawtimber size classes.« less

Federal R&D Funding: Trends and Projections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, K. S.

2014-12-01

Between sequestration, shutdowns, and budget "cliffs," the federal budget process has experienced many challenges in recent years. Budgets for research and development (R&D) have mirrored these larger fiscal constraints. Over the past decade, many agencies and programs have seen flat or declining budgets, particularly when inflation is considered. This talk will examine recent geoscience R&D funding in the historical context and examine projections of future science funding in the framework of the Budget Control Act and other initiatives.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

James P. Barry; Peter G. Brewer

OAK-B135 This report summarizes activities and results of investigations of the potential environmental consequences of direct injection of carbon dioxide into the deep-sea as a carbon sequestration method. Results of field experiments using small scale in situ releases of liquid CO2 are described in detail. The major conclusions of these experiments are that mortality rates of deep sea biota will vary depending on the concentrations of CO2 in deep ocean waters that result from a carbon sequestration project. Large changes in seawater acidity and carbon dioxide content near CO2 release sites will likely cause significant harm to deep-sea marine life.more » Smaller changes in seawater chemistry at greater distances from release sites will be less harmful, but may result in significant ecosystem changes.« less

U.S. Geological Survey Methodology Development for Ecological Carbon Assessment and Monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhu, Zhi-Liang; Stackpoole, S.M.

2009-01-01

Ecological carbon sequestration refers to transfer and storage of atmospheric carbon in vegetation, soils, and aquatic environments to help offset the net increase from carbon emissions. Understanding capacities, associated opportunities, and risks of vegetated ecosystems to sequester carbon provides science information to support formulation of policies governing climate change mitigation, adaptation, and land-management strategies. Section 712 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 mandates the Department of the Interior to develop a methodology and assess the capacity of our nation's ecosystems for ecological carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas (GHG) flux mitigation. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) LandCarbon Project is responding to the Department of Interior's request to develop a methodology that meets specific EISA requirements.

Eddy Covariance Method for CO2 Emission Measurements: CCS Applications, Principles, Instrumentation and Software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burba, George; Madsen, Rod; Feese, Kristin

2013-04-01

The Eddy Covariance method is a micrometeorological technique for direct high-speed measurements of the transport of gases, heat, and momentum between the earth's surface and the atmosphere. Gas fluxes, emission and exchange rates are carefully characterized from single-point in-situ measurements using permanent or mobile towers, or moving platforms such as automobiles, helicopters, airplanes, etc. Since the early 1990s, this technique has been widely used by micrometeorologists across the globe for quantifying CO2 emission rates from various natural, urban and agricultural ecosystems [1,2], including areas of agricultural carbon sequestration. Presently, over 600 eddy covariance stations are in operation in over 120 countries. In the last 3-5 years, advancements in instrumentation and software have reached the point when they can be effectively used outside the area of micrometeorology, and can prove valuable for geological carbon capture and sequestration, landfill emission measurements, high-precision agriculture and other non-micrometeorological industrial and regulatory applications. In the field of geological carbon capture and sequestration, the magnitude of CO2 seepage fluxes depends on a variety of factors. Emerging projects utilize eddy covariance measurement to monitor large areas where CO2 may escape from the subsurface, to detect and quantify CO2 leakage, and to assure the efficiency of CO2 geological storage [3,4,5,6,7,8]. Although Eddy Covariance is one of the most direct and defensible ways to measure and calculate turbulent fluxes, the method is mathematically complex, and requires careful setup, execution and data processing tailor-fit to a specific site and a project. With this in mind, step-by-step instructions were created to introduce a novice to the conventional Eddy Covariance technique [9], and to assist in further understanding the method through more advanced references such as graduate-level textbooks, flux networks guidelines, journals and technical papers. A free open-source software package with a user-friendly interface was developed accordingly for computing final fully corrected CO2 emission numbers [10]. The presentation covers highlights of the eddy covariance method, its application to geological carbon sequestration, key requirements, instrumentation and software, and reviews educational resources particularly useful for carbon sequestration research. References: [1] Aubinet, M., T. Vesala, and D. Papale (Eds.), 2012. Eddy Covariance: A Practical Guide to Measurement and Data Analysis. Springer-Verlag, 442 pp. [2] Foken T., 2008. Micrometeorology. Springer-Verlag, 308 pp. [4] Finley, R., 2009. An Assessment of Geological Carbon Sequestration in the Illinois Basin Overview of the Decatur-Illinois Basin Site. MGSC, http://www.istc.illinois.edu/info/govs_awards_docs/2009-GSA-1100-Finley.pdf [5] Liu, G. (Ed.), 2012. Greenhouse Gases: Capturing, Utilization and Reduction. Intech, 338 pp. [6] LI-COR Biosciences, 2011. Surface Monitoring for Geologic Carbon Sequestration Monitoring: Methods, Instrumentation, and Case Studies. LI-COR Biosciences, Pub. 980-11916, 15 pp. [7] Benson, S., 2006. Monitoring carbon dioxide sequestration in deep geological formations for inventory verification and carbon credits, SPE-102833, Presentation [8] Lewicki, J., G. Hilley, M. Fischer, L. Pan, C. Olden-burg, C. Dobeck, and L. Spangler, 2009.Eddy covariance observations of leakage during shallow subsurface CO2 releases. Journal of Geophys Res, 114: D12302 [9] Burba, G., 2013. Eddy Covariance Method for Scientific, Industrial, Agricultural and Regulatory Applications. LI-COR Biosciences, 328 pp. [10] LI-COR Biosciences, 2012. EddyPro 4.0: Help and User's Guide. Lincoln, NE, 208 pp.

Soil hydrology of agroforestry systems: Competition for water or positive tree-crops interactions?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerjets, Rowena; Richter, Falk; Jansen, Martin; Carminati, Andrea

2017-04-01

In dry periods during the growing season crops may suffer from severe water stress. The question arises whether the alternation of crop and tree strips might enhance and sustain soil water resources available for crops during drought events. Trees reduce wind exposure, decreasing the potential evapotranspiration of crops and soils; additionally hydraulic lift from the deep roots of trees to the drier top soil might provide additional water for shallow-rooted crops. To understand the above and belowground water relations of agroforestry systems, we measured soil moisture and soil water potential in crop strips as a function of distance to the trees at varying depth as well as meteorological parameters. At the agroforestry site Reiffenhausen, Lower Saxony, Germany, two different tree species are planted, each in one separated tree strip: willow breed Tordis ((Salix viminalis x Salix Schwerinii) x Salix viminalis) and poplar clone Max 1 (Populus nigra x Populus maximowiczii). In between the tree strips a crop strip of 24 m width was established with annual crop rotation, managed the same way as the reference site. During a drought period in May 2016 with less than 2 mm rain in four weeks, an overall positive effect on hydrological conditions of the agroforestry system was observed. The results show that trees shaded the soil surface, lowering the air temperature and further increasing the soil moisture in the crop strips compared to the reference site, which was located far from the trees. At the reference site the crops took up water in the upper soil (<20 cm depth); after the soil reached water potentials below -100 kPa, root water uptake moved to deeper soil layers (<40 cm). Because of the higher wind and solar radiation exposure the reference soil profile was severely dried out. Also in the crop strips of the agroforestry system, crops took up water in the upper soil. However, the lower soil layers remained wet for an extended period of time. The tree strips reduced the wind speed, hence lowering evapotranspiration in the crop strip. The plot was not aligned directly to North and we observed steeper soil water potential gradients in the part of the crop strip more exposed to sunlight. The two tree species behaved differently. The poplar strips showed more marked diurnal changes in soil water potential, with fast drying during daytime and rewetting during nighttime. We suppose that the rewetting during nighttime was caused by hydraulic lift, which supports passively the drier upper soil with water from the wetter, lower soil layers. This experimental study shows the importance of above- and belowground tree-crop interactions and demonstrate the positive effect of tree strips in reducing drought stress in crops.

A land-use and land-cover modeling strategy to support a national assessment of carbon stocks and fluxes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sohl, Terry L.; Sleeter, Benjamin M.; Zhu, Zhiliang; Sayler, Kristi L.; Bennett, Stacie; Bouchard, Michelle; Reker, Ryan R.; Hawbaker, Todd J.; Wein, Anne M.; Liu, Shuguang; Kanengieter, Ronald L.; Acevedo, William

2012-01-01

Changes in land use, land cover, disturbance regimes, and land management have considerable influence on carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes within ecosystems. Through targeted land-use and land-management activities, ecosystems can be managed to enhance carbon sequestration and mitigate fluxes of other GHGs. National-scale, comprehensive analyses of carbon sequestration potential by ecosystem are needed, with a consistent, nationally applicable land-use and land-cover (LULC) modeling framework a key component of such analyses. The U.S. Geological Survey has initiated a project to analyze current and projected future GHG fluxes by ecosystem and quantify potential mitigation strategies. We have developed a unique LULC modeling framework to support this work. Downscaled scenarios consistent with IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) were constructed for U.S. ecoregions, and the FORE-SCE model was used to spatially map the scenarios. Results for a prototype demonstrate our ability to model LULC change and inform a biogeochemical modeling framework for analysis of subsequent GHG fluxes. The methodology was then successfully used to model LULC change for four IPCC SRES scenarios for an ecoregion in the Great Plains. The scenario-based LULC projections are now being used to analyze potential GHG impacts of LULC change across the U.S.

A land-use and land-cover modeling strategy to support a national assessment of carbon stocks and fluxes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sohl, Terry L.; Sleeter, Benjamin M.; Zhu, Zhi-Liang; Sayler, Kristi L.; Bennett, Stacie; Bouchard, Michelle; Reker, Ryan R.; Hawbaker, Todd; Wein, Anne; Liu, Shu-Guang; Kanengleter, Ronald; Acevedo, William

2012-01-01

Changes in land use, land cover, disturbance regimes, and land management have considerable influence on carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes within ecosystems. Through targeted land-use and landmanagement activities, ecosystems can be managed to enhance carbon sequestration and mitigate fluxes of other GHGs. National-scale, comprehensive analyses of carbon sequestration potential by ecosystem are needed, with a consistent, nationally applicable land-use and land-cover (LULC) modeling framework a key component of such analyses. The U.S. Geological Survey has initiated a project to analyze current and projected future GHG fluxes by ecosystem and quantify potential mitigation strategies. We have developed a unique LULC modeling framework to support this work. Downscaled scenarios consistent with IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) were constructed for U.S. ecoregions, and the FORE-SCE model was used to spatially map the scenarios. Results for a prototype demonstrate our ability to model LULC change and inform a biogeochemical modeling framework for analysis of subsequent GHG fluxes. The methodology was then successfully used to model LULC change for four IPCC SRES scenarios for an ecoregion in the Great Plains. The scenario-based LULC projections are now being used to analyze potential GHG impacts of LULC change across the U.S.

The Economic Value of the Greater Montreal Blue Network (Quebec, Canada): A Contingent Choice Study Using Real Projects to Estimate Non-Market Aquatic Ecosystem Services Benefits

PubMed Central

Dupras, Jérôme; Fetue Ndefo, Franck; He, Jie

2016-01-01

This study used a contingent choice method to determine the economic value of improving various ecosystem services (ESs) of the Blue Network of Greater Montreal (Quebec, Canada). Three real projects were used and the evaluation focused on six ESs that are related to freshwater aquatic ecosystems: biodiversity, water quality, carbon sequestration, recreational activities, landscape aesthetics and education services. We also estimated the value associated with the superficies of restored sites. We calculated the monetary value that a household would be willing to pay for each additional qualitative or quantitative unit of different ESs, and these marginal values range from $0.11 to $15.39 per household per unit. Thus, under certain assumptions, we determined the monetary values that all Quebec households would allocate to improve each ES in Greater Montreal by one unit. The most valued ES was water quality ($13.5 million), followed by education services ($10.7 million), recreational activities ($8.9 million), landscape aesthetics ($4.1 million), biodiversity ($1.2 million), and carbon sequestration ($0.1 million). Our results ascribe monetary values to improved (or degraded) aquatic ecosystems in the Blue Network of Greater Montreal, but can also enhance economic analyses of various aquatic ecosystem restoration and management projects. PMID:27513558

The Economic Value of the Greater Montreal Blue Network (Quebec, Canada): A Contingent Choice Study Using Real Projects to Estimate Non-Market Aquatic Ecosystem Services Benefits.

PubMed

Poder, Thomas G; Dupras, Jérôme; Fetue Ndefo, Franck; He, Jie

2016-01-01

This study used a contingent choice method to determine the economic value of improving various ecosystem services (ESs) of the Blue Network of Greater Montreal (Quebec, Canada). Three real projects were used and the evaluation focused on six ESs that are related to freshwater aquatic ecosystems: biodiversity, water quality, carbon sequestration, recreational activities, landscape aesthetics and education services. We also estimated the value associated with the superficies of restored sites. We calculated the monetary value that a household would be willing to pay for each additional qualitative or quantitative unit of different ESs, and these marginal values range from $0.11 to $15.39 per household per unit. Thus, under certain assumptions, we determined the monetary values that all Quebec households would allocate to improve each ES in Greater Montreal by one unit. The most valued ES was water quality ($13.5 million), followed by education services ($10.7 million), recreational activities ($8.9 million), landscape aesthetics ($4.1 million), biodiversity ($1.2 million), and carbon sequestration ($0.1 million). Our results ascribe monetary values to improved (or degraded) aquatic ecosystems in the Blue Network of Greater Montreal, but can also enhance economic analyses of various aquatic ecosystem restoration and management projects.

76 FR 56982 - Announcement of Federal Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class VI Program for Carbon Dioxide (CO2

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-15

... and Administration priorities for developing and deploying CCS projects in the next few years as... VI rule finalized on December 10, 2010. Direct Federal implementation of the final Class VI... on the final Class VI rule, visit the Underground Injection Control Geologic Sequestration Web site...

Mapping and imputing potential productivity of Pacific Northwest forests using climate variables

Treesearch

Gregory Latta; Hailemariam Temesgen; Tara Barrett

2009-01-01

Regional estimation of potential forest productivity is important to diverse applications, including biofuels supply, carbon sequestration, and projections of forest growth. Using PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model) climate and productivity data measured on a grid of 3356 Forest Inventory and Analysis plots in Oregon and Washington, we...

Addressing multi-use issues in sustainable forest management with signal-transfer modeling

Treesearch

Robert J. Luxmoore; William W. Hargrove; M. Lynn Tharp; W. Mac Post; Michael W. Berry; Karen S. Minser; Wendell P. Cropper; Dale W. Johnson; Boris Zeide; Ralph L. Amateis; Harold E. Burkhart; V. Clark Baldwin; Kelly D. Peterson

2002-01-01

Management decisions concerning impacts of projected changes in environmental and social conditions on multi-use forest products and services, such as productivity, water supply or carbon sequestration, may be facilitated with signal-transfer modeling. This simulation method utilizes a hierarchy of simulators in which the integrated responses (signals) from smaller-...

CO2 Capture Project: An Integrated, Collaborative Technology Development Project For CO2 Separation, Capture And Geologic Sequestration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Helen Kerr

2002-01-10

This report (which forms part of the requirements of the Statement of Work Task 0, subtask 0.4) records progress towards defining a detailed Work Plan for the CCP 30 days after contract initiation. It describes the studies planned, workscope development and technology provider bid evaluation status at that time. Business sensitive information is provided separately in Appendix 1. Contract negotiations are on hold pending award of patent waiver status to the CCP.

Geochemical behavior of ultramafic waste rocks with carbon sequestration potential: a case study of the Dumont Nickel Project, Amos, Québec.

PubMed

Kandji, El Hadji Babacar; Plante, Benoit; Bussière, Bruno; Beaudoin, Georges; Dupont, Pierre-Philippe

2017-04-01

The geochemical behavior of ultramafic waste rocks and the effect of carbon sequestration by these waste rocks on the water drainage quality were investigated using laboratory-scale kinetic column tests on samples from the Dumont Nickel Project (RNC Minerals, QC, Canada). The test results demonstrated that atmospheric CO 2 dissolution induced the weathering of serpentine and brucite within the ultramafic rocks, generating high concentrations of Mg and HCO 3 - with pH values ranging between 9 and 10 in the leachates that promote the precipitation of secondary Mg carbonates. These alkaline pH values appear to have prevented the mobilization of many metals; Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn were found at negligible concentrations in the leachates. Posttesting characterization using chemical analyses, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations confirmed the precipitation of secondary hydrated Mg carbonates as predicted by thermodynamic calculations. The formation of secondary Mg carbonates induced cementation of the waste particles, resulting in the development of a hardpan.

Partitioning CO 2 fluxes with isotopologue measurements and modeling to understand mechanisms of forest carbon sequestration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davidson, Eric A.; Saleska, Scott; Savage, Kathleen

1. Project Summary and Objectives This project combines automated in situ observations of the isotopologues of CO 2 with root observations, novel experimental manipulations of belowground processes, and isotope-enabled ecosystem modeling to investigate mechanisms of below- vs. aboveground carbon sequestration at the Harvard Forest Environmental Measurements Site (EMS). The proposed objectives, which have now been largely accomplished, include: A. Partitioning of net ecosystem CO 2 exchange (NEE) into photosynthesis and respiration using long-term continuous observations of the isotopic composition of NEE, and analysis of their dynamics ; B. Investigation of the influence of vegetation phenology on the timing and magnitudemore » of carbon allocated belowground using measurements of root growth and indices of belowground autotrophic vs. heterotrophic respiration (via trenched plots and isotope measurements); C. Testing whether plant allocation of carbon belowground stimulates the microbial decomposition of soil organic matter, using in situ rhizosphere simulation experiments wherein realistic quantities of artificial isotopically-labeled exudates are released into the soil; and D. Synthesis and interpretation of the above data using the Ecosystem Demography Model 2 (ED2).« less

Analysis of vegetation changes in Cidanau watershed, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khairiah, R. N.; Kunihiko, Y.; Prasetyo, L. B.; Setiawan, Y.

2018-05-01

Vegetation change detection is needed for conserve of quality and water cycle in Cidanau watershed. The NDVI was applied to quantify the vegetation changes of Cidanau watershed for three different years 1989, 2001, and 2015. Using NDVI we mapped the reflectance from chlorophyll and distinguished varying amounts of vegetation at the pixel level by index. In the present study, as a preliminary study, we proposed a vegetation change detection analysis based on the NDVI from 1989 through 2015. Multi-temporal satellite data i.e. Landsat imagery with 30 m spatial resolution are used in the present study. It is reported that agroforestry land exhibited the greatest reductions in highly dense vegetation class in 1989-2001 and also moderate vegetation class in 2001-2015. It’s mean that amount of vegetation present in agroforestry land is getting lower year by year.

Intercropping Competition between Apple Trees and Crops in Agroforestry Systems on the Loess Plateau of China

PubMed Central

Gao, Lubo; Xu, Huasen; Bi, Huaxing; Xi, Weimin; Bao, Biao; Wang, Xiaoyan; Bi, Chao; Chang, Yifang

2013-01-01

Agroforestry has been widely practiced in the Loess Plateau region of China because of its prominent effects in reducing soil and water losses, improving land-use efficiency and increasing economic returns. However, the agroforestry practices may lead to competition between crops and trees for underground soil moisture and nutrients, and the trees on the canopy layer may also lead to shortage of light for crops. In order to minimize interspecific competition and maximize the benefits of tree-based intercropping systems, we studied photosynthesis, growth and yield of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) by measuring photosynthetically active radiation, net photosynthetic rate, soil moisture and soil nutrients in a plantation of apple (Malus pumila M.) at a spacing of 4 m × 5 m on the Loess Plateau of China. The results showed that for both intercropping systems in the study region, soil moisture was the primary factor affecting the crop yields followed by light. Deficiency of the soil nutrients also had a significant impact on crop yields. Compared with soybean, peanut was more suitable for intercropping with apple trees to obtain economic benefits in the region. We concluded that apple-soybean and apple-peanut intercropping systems can be practical and beneficial in the region. However, the distance between crops and tree rows should be adjusted to minimize interspecies competition. Agronomic measures such as regular canopy pruning, root barriers, additional irrigation and fertilization also should be applied in the intercropping systems. PMID:23936246

A participative approach to develop sustainability indicators for dehesa agroforestry farms.

PubMed

Escribano, M; Díaz-Caro, C; Mesias, F J

2018-05-29

This paper provides a list of specific indicators that will allow the managers of dehesa farms to assess their sustainability in an easy and reliable way. To this end a Delphi analysis has been carried out with a group of experts in agroforestry systems and sustainability. A total of 30 experts from public institutions, farming, research bodies, environmental and rural development associations, agricultural organizations and companies took part in the study which intended to design a set of sustainability indicators adapted to dehesa agroforestry systems. The experts scored 83 original indicators related to the basic pillars of sustainability (environmental, social and economic) through a two-round procedure. Finally, 24 indicators were selected based on their importance and the consensus achieved. From an environmental point of view, and in line with its significance for dehesa ecosystems, it has been observed that "Stocking rate" is the indicator with greater relevance. Within the economic pillar, "Farm profitability" is the most important indicator, while regarding the technical indicators "Percentage of animal diet based on grazing" is the one that got the highest score. Finally, the "Degree of job satisfaction" and the "Generational renewal" were the most relevant labor indicators. It is considered that the Delphi approach used in this research settles some of the flaws of other sustainability models, such as the adaptation to the system to be studied and the involvement of stakeholders in the design. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intercropping competition between apple trees and crops in agroforestry systems on the Loess Plateau of China.

PubMed

Gao, Lubo; Xu, Huasen; Bi, Huaxing; Xi, Weimin; Bao, Biao; Wang, Xiaoyan; Bi, Chao; Chang, Yifang

2013-01-01

Agroforestry has been widely practiced in the Loess Plateau region of China because of its prominent effects in reducing soil and water losses, improving land-use efficiency and increasing economic returns. However, the agroforestry practices may lead to competition between crops and trees for underground soil moisture and nutrients, and the trees on the canopy layer may also lead to shortage of light for crops. In order to minimize interspecific competition and maximize the benefits of tree-based intercropping systems, we studied photosynthesis, growth and yield of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) by measuring photosynthetically active radiation, net photosynthetic rate, soil moisture and soil nutrients in a plantation of apple (Malus pumila M.) at a spacing of 4 m × 5 m on the Loess Plateau of China. The results showed that for both intercropping systems in the study region, soil moisture was the primary factor affecting the crop yields followed by light. Deficiency of the soil nutrients also had a significant impact on crop yields. Compared with soybean, peanut was more suitable for intercropping with apple trees to obtain economic benefits in the region. We concluded that apple-soybean and apple-peanut intercropping systems can be practical and beneficial in the region. However, the distance between crops and tree rows should be adjusted to minimize interspecies competition. Agronomic measures such as regular canopy pruning, root barriers, additional irrigation and fertilization also should be applied in the intercropping systems.

Woodland carbon code: building an evidence base for the "4 per mil" initiative in land converted to forestry.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hannam, Jacqueline; Vanguelova, Elena; West, Vicky

2017-04-01

The Woodland Carbon Code is a voluntary standard for woodland creation projects in the UK. Carbon sequestration resulting from certified projects will contribute directly to the UK's national targets for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). Whilst this is concerned primarily with above ground capture there is little empirical evidence of the longer term carbon sequestration potential of soils under this land use change in the UK. We present preliminary results from a resurvey of 20 sites originally sampled as part of the soil survey of England and Wales. It includes soil carbon stocks assessed within the soil profile (up to 1m depth) where sites have been converted to forestry in the last 40 years. The small number of sites (n=20) and high variability in soil type, forest type and original land use prevented detailed analysis between these different factors, but overall there was an increase in carbon concentration in the whole profile, driven primarily by an increase the surface organic layers. For all sites combined there was no significant difference in the C stocks between the two survey periods. The increase in carbon stock in the surface organic horizons tended to be offset by a decrease in the mineral subsoils (specifically in Brown Earth soils) primarily as a result of bulk density changes. There are presently insufficient measured data from a range of UK climate, land-use and soil type conditions to quantify with confidence soil C changes during afforestation. This is partly because of the difficulties of detecting relatively slow changes in spatially heterogeneous soils and also obtaining good examples of sites that have undergone documented land use change. Reviewing results from all ongoing afforestation projects in the UK will provide better quantification of the C sequestration potential of forest soils to be accounted for in the Woodland Carbon Code's overall GHG mitigation potential.

U.S. Department of Energy's site screening, site selection, and initial characterization for storage of CO2 in deep geological formations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rodosta, T.D.; Litynski, J.T.; Plasynski, S.I.; Hickman, S.; Frailey, S.; Myer, L.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is the lead Federal agency for the development and deployment of carbon sequestration technologies. As part of its mission to facilitate technology transfer and develop guidelines from lessons learned, DOE is developing a series of best practice manuals (BPMs) for carbon capture and storage (CCS). The "Site Screening, Site Selection, and Initial Characterization for Storage of CO2 in Deep Geological Formations" BPM is a compilation of best practices and includes flowchart diagrams illustrating the general decision making process for Site Screening, Site Selection, and Initial Characterization. The BPM integrates the knowledge gained from various programmatic efforts, with particular emphasis on the Characterization Phase through pilot-scale CO2 injection testing of the Validation Phase of the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) Initiative. Key geologic and surface elements that suitable candidate storage sites should possess are identified, along with example Site Screening, Site Selection, and Initial Characterization protocols for large-scale geologic storage projects located across diverse geologic and regional settings. This manual has been written as a working document, establishing a framework and methodology for proper site selection for CO2 geologic storage. This will be useful for future CO2 emitters, transporters, and storage providers. It will also be of use in informing local, regional, state, and national governmental agencies of best practices in proper sequestration site selection. Furthermore, it will educate the inquisitive general public on options and processes for geologic CO2 storage. In addition to providing best practices, the manual presents a geologic storage resource and capacity classification system. The system provides a "standard" to communicate storage and capacity estimates, uncertainty and project development risk, data guidelines and analyses for adequate site characterization, and guidelines for reporting estimates within the classification based on each project's status. 

Aquifer disposal of carbon dioxide for greenhouse effect mitigation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gupta, N.; Naymik, T.G.; Bergman, P.

1998-07-01

Deep aquifer sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO{sup 2}), generated from power plant and other industrial emissions, is being evaluated as one of the potential options for the reduction of atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions. The major advantages of using deep aquifers are that the disposal facilities may be located close to the sources, thus reducing the CO{sub 2} transport costs. The potential capacity is much larger than the projected CO{sub 2} emissions over the next century, and it is a long-term/permanent sequestration option, because a large portion of the injected CO{sub 2} may be fixed into the aquifer by dissolution ormore » mineralization. The major limitations include the potentially high cost, the risk of upward migration, and the public perception of risk. Most of the cost is due to the need to separate CO{sub 2} from other flue gases, rather than the actual cost of disposal. Hazardous liquid waste and acid gas disposal in deep sedimentary formations is a well-established practice. There are also numerous facilities for storage of natural gases in depleted oil and gas reservoirs. The only current facility for aquifer disposal of CO{sub 2} is the offshore injection well at Sleipner Vest in the North Sea in Norway operated by Statoil. Exxon and Pertamina are planning an offshore aquifer disposal facility at Natuna gas field in Indonesia. A major evaluation of the feasibility of CO{sub 2} disposal in the European Union and Norway has been conducted under project Joule II. The data and experience obtained from the existing deep-waste disposal facilities and from the Sleipner Vest site form a strong foundation for further research and development on CO{sub 2} sequestration. Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC) is currently leading a project that uses data from an existing hazardous waste disposal facility injecting in the Mt. Simon Sandstone aquifer in Ohio to evaluate hydrogeologic, geochemical, and social issues related to CO{sub 2} disposal.« less

Aquifer disposal of carbon dioxide for greenhouse effect mitigation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gupta, N.; Naymik, T.G.; Bergman, P.

1998-04-01

Deep aquifer sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) generated from power plant and other industrial emissions, is being evaluated as one of the potential options for the reduction of atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions. The major advantages of using deep aquifers are that the disposal facilities may be located close to the sources, thus reducing the CO{sub 2} transport costs. The potential capacity is much larger than the projected CO{sub 2} emissions over the next century, and it is a long-term/permanent sequestration option, because a large portion of the injected CO{sub 2} may be fixed into the aquifer by dissolution ormore » mineralization. The major limitations include the potentially high cost, the risk of upward migration, and the public perception of risk. Most of the cost is due to the need to separate CO{sub 2} from other flue gases, rather than the actual cost of disposal. Hazardous liquid waste and acid gas disposal in deep sedimentary formations is a well-established practice. There are also numerous facilities for storage of natural gases in depleted oil and gas reservoirs. The only current facility for aquifer disposal of CO{sub 2} is the offshore injection well at Sleipner Vest in the North Sea in Norway operated by Statoil. Exxon and Pertamina are planning an offshore aquifer disposal facility at Natuna gas field in Indonesia. A major evaluation of the feasibility of CO{sub 2} disposal in the European Union and Norway has been conducted under project Joule II. The data and experience obtained from the existing deep-waste disposal facilities and from the Sleipner Vest site form a strong foundation for further research and development on CO{sub 2} sequestration. Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC) is currently leading a project that uses data from an existing hazardous waste disposal facility injecting in the Mt. Simon Sandstone aquifer in Ohio to evaluate hydrogeologic, geochemical, and social issues related to CO{sub 2} disposal.« less

Optimization of a Time-Lapse Gravity Network for Carbon Sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Appriou, D.; Strickland, C. E.; Ruprecht Yonkofski, C. M.

2017-12-01

The objective of this study is to evaluate what could be a comprehensive and optimal state of the art gravity monitoring network that would meet the UIC class VI regulation and insure that 90% of the CO2 injected remain underground. Time-lapse gravity surveys have a long history of effective applications of monitoring temporal density changes in the subsurface. For decades, gravity measurements have been used for a wide range of applications. The interest of time-lapse gravity surveys for monitoring carbon sequestration sites started recently. The success of their deployment in such sites depends upon a combination of favorable conditions, such as the reservoir geometry, depth, thickness, density change over time induced by the CO2 injection and the location of the instrument. In most cases, the density changes induced by the CO2 plume in the subsurface are not detectable from the surface but the use of borehole gravimeters can provide excellent results. In the framework of the National Assessment and Risk Partnership (NRAP) funded by the Department of Energy, the evaluation of the effectiveness of the gravity monitoring of a CO2 storage site has been assessed using multiple synthetic scenarios implemented on a community model developed for the Kimberlina site (e.g., fault leakage scenarios, borehole leakage). The Kimberlina carbon sequestration project was a pilot project located in southern San Joaquin Valley, California, aimed to safely inject 250,000 t CO2/yr for four years. Although the project was cancelled in 2012, the site characterization efforts resulted in the development of a geologic model. In this study, we present the results of the time-lapse gravity monitoring applied on different multiphase flow and reactive transport models developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (i.e., no leakage, permeable fault zone, wellbore leakage). Our monitoring approach considers an ideal network, consisting of multiple vertical and horizontal instrumented boreholes that could be used to track the CO2 plume and potential leaks. A preliminary cost estimate will also be provided.

Nitrogen deposition and soil carbon sequestration: enzymes, experiments, and model estimates (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodale, C. L.; Weiss, M.; Tonitto, C.; Stone, M.

2010-12-01

Atmospheric nitrogen has long been expected to increase forest carbon sequestration, by means of enhanced productivity and litter production. More recently, N deposition has received attention for its potential for inducing soil C sequestration by suppressing microbial decomposition. Here, we present a range of measurements and model projections of the effects of N additions on soil C dynamics in forest soils of the northeastern U.S. A review of field-scale measurements of soil C stocks suggests modest enhancements of soil C storage in long-term N addition studies. Measurements of forest floor material from six long-term N addition studies showed that N additions suppressed microbial biomass and oxidative enzyme activity across sites. Additional analyses on soils from two of these sites are exploring the interactive effects of temperature and N addition on the activity of a range of extracellular enzymes used for decomposition of a range of organic matter. Incubations of forest floor material from four of these sites showed inhibition of heterotrophic respiration by an average of 28% during the first week of incubation, although this inhibition disappeared after 2 to 11 months. Nitrogen additions had no significant effect on DOC loss or on the partitioning of soil C into light or heavy (mineral-associated) organic matter. Last, we have adapted a new model of soil organic matter decomposition for the PnET-CN model to assess the long-term impact of suppressed decomposition on C sequestration in various soil C pools.

Neutron Scattering Measurements of Carbon Dioxide Adsorption in Pores within the Marcellus Shale: Implications for Sequestration.

PubMed

Stefanopoulos, Konstantinos L; Youngs, Tristan G A; Sakurovs, Richard; Ruppert, Leslie F; Bahadur, Jitendra; Melnichenko, Yuri B

2017-06-06

Shale is an increasingly viable source of natural gas and a potential candidate for geologic CO 2 sequestration. Understanding the gas adsorption behavior on shale is necessary for the design of optimal gas recovery and sequestration projects. In the present study neutron diffraction and small-angle neutron scattering measurements of adsorbed CO 2 in Marcellus Shale samples were conducted on the Near and InterMediate Range Order Diffractometer (NIMROD) at the ISIS Pulsed Neutron and Muon Source, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory along an adsorption isotherm of 22 °C and pressures of 25 and 40 bar. Additional measurements were conducted at approximately 22 and 60 °C at the same pressures on the General-Purpose Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (GP-SANS) instrument at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The structures investigated (pores) for CO 2 adsorption range in size from Å level to ∼50 nm. The results indicate that, using the conditions investigated densification or condensation effects occurred in all accessible pores. The data suggest that at 22 °C the CO 2 has liquid-like properties when confined in pores of around 1 nm radius at pressures as low as 25 bar. Many of the 2.5 nm pores, 70% of 2 nm pores, most of the <1 nm pores, and all pores <0.25 nm, are inaccessible or closed to CO 2 , suggesting that despite the vast numbers of micropores in shale, the micropores will be unavailable for storage for geologic CO 2 sequestration.

Leakage Risk Assessment for a Potential CO2 Storage Project in Saskatchewan, Canada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Houseworth, J.E.; Oldenburg, C.M.; Mazzoldi, A.

2011-05-01

A CO{sub 2} sequestration project is being considered to (1) capture CO{sub 2} emissions from the Consumers Cooperative Refineries Limited at Regina, Saskatchewan and (2) geologically sequester the captured CO{sub 2} locally in a deep saline aquifer. This project is a collaboration of several industrial and governmental organizations, including the Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC), Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), SaskEnvironment Go Green Fund, SaskPower, CCRL, Schlumberger Carbon Services, and Enbridge. The project objective is to sequester 600 tonnes CO{sub 2}/day. Injection is planned to start in 2012 or 2013 for a period of 25 years for a total storagemore » of approximately 5.5 million tonnes CO{sub 2}. This report presents an assessment of the leakage risk of the proposed project using a methodology known as the Certification Framework (CF). The CF is used for evaluating CO{sub 2} leakage risk associated with geologic carbon sequestration (GCS), as well as brine leakage risk owing to displacement and pressurization of brine by the injected CO{sub 2}. We follow the CF methodology by defining the entities (so-called Compartments) that could be impacted by CO{sub 2} leakage, the CO{sub 2} storage region, the potential for leakage along well and fault pathways, and the consequences of such leakage. An understanding of the likelihood and consequences of leakage forms the basis for understanding CO{sub 2} leakage risk, and forms the basis for recommendations of additional data collection and analysis to increase confidence in the risk assessment.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hite, Roger

The project site is located in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, approximately 26 miles due east of Baton Rouge. This project proposed to evaluate an early Eocene-aged Wilcox oil reservoir for permanent storage of CO 2. Blackhorse Energy, LLC planned to conduct a parallel CO 2 oil recovery project in the First Wilcox Sand. The primary focus of this project was to examine and prove the suitability of South Louisiana geologic formations for large-scale geologic sequestration of CO 2 in association with enhanced oil recovery applications. This was to be accomplished through the focused demonstration of small-scale, permanent storage of CO 2more » in the First Wilcox Sand. The project was terminated at the request of Blackhorse Energy LLC on October 22, 2014.« less

A measure for the promotion of mountain ecological villages in South Korea: focus on the national mountain ecological village investigation of 2014.

PubMed

Choi, Soo Im; Kang, Hag Mo; Kim, Hyun; Lee, Chang Heon; Lee, Chong Kyu

2016-01-01

Although South Korean mountain villages occupy 44 and 55 % of land and forest areas, respectively, these villages account for only 3 % of the national population and they suffer from a declining workforce owing to aging, wage inflation, and low forestry productivity. As a result, the South Korean government implemented a mountain ecological village development project from 1995 to 2013 in 312 of the 4972 mountain villages and investigated project performance in 2014. The present study establishes a measure for the promotion of mountain ecological villages by comparing the situation before and after the project. The analysis found a threefold increase in the inflow of farm/rural-returning and multicultural households compared with before the project, while the average income per farm, local product sales, and experience tourism revenue also grew remarkably every year. In addition, households utilizing forest resources increased by about 30 %, but 45.8 % of the 312 villages had no long-term plan for village development and villagers experienced low satisfaction with job creation and village income. A systematic revision of agroforestry production and forest administration is needed to define the characteristics of farm/rural-returning populations clearly, reorganize urban-rural exchange and experience programs, and reinforce tangible/intangible cultural assets and religious traditions.

Integrity of Pre-existing Wellbores in Geological Sequestration of CO 2 – Assessment Using a Coupled Geomechanics-fluid Flow Model

DOE PAGES

Kelkar, Sharad; Carey, J. William; Dempsey, David; ...

2014-12-31

Assessment of potential CO 2 and brine leakage from wellbores is central to any consideration of the viability of geological CO 2 sequestration. Depleted oil and gas reservoirs are some of the potential candidates for consideration as sequestration sites. The sequestration sites are expected to cover laterally extensive areas to be of practical interest. Hence there is a high likelihood that such sites will contain many pre-existing abandoned wells. Most existing work on wellbore integrity has focused on field and laboratory studies of chemical reactivity. Very little work has been done on the impacts of mechanical stresses on wellbore performance.more » This study focuses on the potential enhancement of fluid flow pathways in the near-wellbore environment due to modifications in the geomechanical stress field resulting from the CO 2 injection operations. The majority of the operational scenarios for CO 2 sequestration lead to significant rise in the formation pore pressure. This is expected to lead to an expansion of the reservoir rock and build-up of shear stresses near wellbores where the existence of cement and casing are expected to constrain the expansion. If the stress buildup is large enough, this can lead to failure with attendant permeability enhancement that can potentially provide leakage pathways to shallower aquifers and the surface. In this study, we use a numerical model to simulate key features of a wellbore (casing, annulus and cement) embedded in a system that includes the upper aquifer, caprock, and storage aquifer. We present the sensitivity of damage initiation and propagation to various operational and formation parameters. We consider Mohr-Coulomb shear-failure models; tensile failure is also likely to occur but will require higher stress changes and will be preceded by shear failure. The modeling is performed using the numerical simulator FEHM developed at LANL that models coupled THM processes during multi-phase fluid flow and deformation in fractured porous media. FEHM has been developed extensively under projects on conventional/unconventional energy extraction (geothermal, oil, and gas), radionuclide and contaminant transport, watershed management, and CO 2 sequestration.« less

Geologic Carbon Sequestration in a Lightly Explored Basin: the Puget-Willamette Lowland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, J. S.

2007-12-01

The Puget-Willamette Lowland is located between the Cascade Range and Olympic Mountains-Coast Range. Exploration for oil and gas there commenced in 1890. Over 700 wells subsequently drilled yield one commercial gas discovery. Eocene sediments deposited west of an ancestral Cascade Range include a coal-bearing sequence covering much of the Puget-Willamette Lowland. The terrestrial deposits pass into marine deposits to the west. Syn- depositional normal faulting and strike-slip faulting are evident in several sub-basins. In the southern Lowland, normal faults were modified by episodes of late Eocene and Miocene transpression, which resulted in mild inversion of older normal faults Preserved sediments indicate that local subsidence continued into Miocene- Pliocene time, and was followed in the northern Lowland by extensive Pleistocene glaciation. In the northern Lowland, Holocene faulting is recognized in outcrop and is interpreted on seismic data acquired in Puget Sound. Structures formed by early Miocene or earlier events may have trapped migrating hydrocarbons. Structures formed or modified by Holocene faulting very probably post-date hydrocarbon generation and migration. The region appears to host potential geologic sequestration targets, including coals, sandstones, and vesicular basalt flows. The size and location of potential traps is poorly constrained by present data. Experience in better explored fore arc basins suggests 10 to 30 percent of the basin may be deformed into suitable trapping geometries. Modern seismic data is required to identify potential sequestration traps. More than one well will be required to confirm the presence and size of these traps. The present boom in oil and gas drilling has created a robust environment for seismic and drilling companies, who command unprecedented rates for their services. Only one seismic crew is presently active on the West Coast, and only a few exploration drilling rigs are available. If this environment persists, then sequestration efforts will compete directly with the hydrocarbon industry for these services, leading to higher service company prices as well as delayed schedules. Carbon sequestration policy thus entails financial incentives that allow geologic sequestration projects to compete for exploration services.

Needs and priorities in agroforestry research in the Pacific

Treesearch

Roger R. Bay

1993-01-01

This paper summarizes a longer presentation of research needs identified by two working groups commissioned by the Land Grant Colleges of the Pacific. Major discussion points by the workshop participants are also summarized.

Influence of nutrient availability, stand age, and canopy structure on isoprene flux in a Eucalyptus saligna experimental forest

Treesearch

Jennifer L. Funk; Christian P. Giardina; Alexander Knohl; Manuel T. Lerdau

2006-01-01

Eucalyptus plantations occupy approximately 10 million ha of land in the tropics and, increasingly, afforestation and reforestation projects are relying on this genus to provide rapid occupation of degraded sites, large quantities of high-quality wood products, and high rates of carbon sequestration. Members of the genus Eucalyptus...

Geochemical Impacts of CO2 Intrusion into Ground Water due to Carbon Dioxide Release from Geologic Sequestration Projects: Overview of ORD Research

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract: Even with the large physical separation between storage reservoirs and surficial environments, there is concern that CO2 stored in reservoirs may eventually leak back to the surface through abandoned wells or along geological features such as faults. Leakage of CO2 into...

PATCH-BURN GRAZING AS A TOOL FOR THE ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT OF INVASIVE SPECIES AND RESTORATION OF CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES IN WORKING LANDSCAPES

EPA Science Inventory

Short term - The results of the project will increase information on carbon dynamics under working grassland, and provide a low-input dual conservation/production practice that increases perennial cover and net income while reducing herbicide used to control invasive ...

Carbon Stocks and Projections on Public Forestlands in the United States, 1952-2040

Treesearch

James E. Smith; Linda S. Heath

2004-01-01

Approximately 37% of forestlands in the conterminous United States are publicly owned; they represent a substantial area of potential carbon sequestration in US forests and in forest products. However, large areas of public forestlands traditionally have been less intensively inventoried than privately owned forests. Thus, less information is available about their role...

Optimisation of biomass productivity of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) on marginal lands - a case study in Lower Lusatia, NE Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seserman, Diana-Maria; Veste, Maik; Freese, Dirk

2017-04-01

The profitability of reclaiming post-mining areas depends on the tree biomass productivity and the restoration of ecosystem functions, such as improving soil and water quality. Agroforestry systems, regarded as combined land-use systems of trees and crops, have the ability to facilitate soil development while reducing wind speed, soil erosion and evaporation. Achieving the maximum biomass productivity of the tree stands depends on the corresponding soil conditions and water availability, but is also influenced by stand structure and the competition between individual trees. For this purpose, black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) trees were planted in a Nelder design in 2010, on a reclaimed post-mining site of the open-cast lignite mining in Welzow Süd (Brandenburg, Germany). Black locust is regarded as a drought-adapted tree species and commonly used for the reclamation of former lignite mining sites in Lower Lusatia, Germany. The Nelder design encompasses angles of arc of equal measure and with the same origin traversed by successive circumferences set at a predefined radial distance. Accordingly, a total of 1071 trees were planted in Welzow Süd at the intersection between 63 spokes and 17 circumferences and at densities ranging from 0.4 to 8.0 m2, with the aim of examining the influence of stand density on the tree growth in a timeframe of six years. In order to evaluate the biomass production of the trees and to determine an optimal planting density on a marginal land, various scenarios were assessed with the help of the Yield-SAFE model, a parameter-sparse process-based agroforestry model. The study revealed the consequences of choosing different tree densities on the tree biomass productivity and water use of trees in relation to the competition for light and water. References Keesman KJ, van der Werf W, van Keulen H, 2007. Production ecology of agroforestry systems: A minimal mechanistic model and analytical derivation of the land equivalent ratio. Mathematical Biosciences, vol. 209, pp. 608-623. Mantovani D, Veste M, Böhm C, Vignudelli M, Freese D, 2015. Drought impact on the spatial and temporal variation of growth performance and plant water status of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) in agroforestry systems in Lower Lusatia (Germany). iForest 8, 743-757. Mantovani D, Veste M, Freese D, 2014. Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) ecophysiological and morphological adaptations to drought and their consequence on biomass production and water use efficiency. New Zealand Journal of Forestry 44, 29. van der Werf W, Keesman K, Burgess PJ, Graves AR, Pilbeam D, Incoll LD, Metselaar K, Mayus M, Stappers R, van Keulen H, Palma JHN, Dupraz C, 2007. Yield-SAFE: a parameter-sparse process-based dynamic model for predicting resource capture, growth and production in agroforestry systems. Ecological Engineering, vol. 29, pp. 419-433.

RESTORING SUSTAINABLE FORESTS ON APPALACHIAN MINED LANDS FOR WOOD PRODUCTS, RENEWABLE ENERGY, CARBON SEQUESTRATION, AND OTHER ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

James A. Burger; J. Galbraith; T. Fox

2005-06-08

The overall purpose of this project is to evaluate the biological and economic feasibility of restoring high-quality forests on mined land, and to measure carbon sequestration and wood production benefits that would be achieved from forest restoration procedures. We are currently estimating the acreage of lands in VA, WV, KY, OH, and PA mined under SMCRA and reclaimed to non-forested post-mining land uses that are not currently under active management, and therefore can be considered as available for carbon sequestration. To determine actual sequestration under different forest management scenarios, a field study was installed as a 3 x 3 factorialmore » in a random complete block design with three replications at each of three locations, Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia. The treatments included three forest types (white pine, hybrid poplar, mixed hardwood) and three silvicultural regimes (competition control, competition control plus tillage, competition control plus tillage plus fertilization). Each individual treatment plot is 0.5 acres. Each block of nine plots is 4.5 acres, and the complete installation at each site is 13.5 acres. During the reporting period we compiled and evaluated all soil properties measured on the study sites. Statistical analysis of the properties was conducted, and first year survival and growth of white pine, hybrid poplars, and native hardwoods was assessed. Hardwood species survived better at all sites than white pine or hybrid poplar. Hardwood survival across treatments was 80%, 85%, and 50% for sites in Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio, respectively, while white pine survival was 27%, 41%, and 58%, and hybrid poplar survival was 37%, 41%, and 72% for the same sites, respectively. Hybrid poplar height and diameter growth were superior to those of the other species tested, with the height growth of this species reaching 126.6cm after one year in the most intensive treatment at the site in Virginia. To determine carbon in soils on these sites, we developed a cost-effective method for partitioning total soil carbon to pedogenic carbon and geogenic carbon in mine soils. We are in the process of evaluating the accuracy and precision of the proposed carbon partitioning technique for which we are designing an experiment with carefully constructed mine soil samples. In a second effort, as part of a mined land reforestation project for carbon sequestration in southwestern Virginia we implemented the first phase of the carbon monitoring protocol that was recently delivered to DOE.« less

Sulfamethazine transport in agroforestry and cropland soils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Knowledge of veterinary antibiotic transport and persistence is critical to understanding environmental risks associated with these potential contaminants. To understand mobility of sulfamethazine (SMZ) and sorption processes involved during SMZ transport in soil, column leaching experiments were p...

Response and potential of agroforestry crops under global change.

PubMed

Calfapietra, C; Gielen, B; Karnosky, D; Ceulemans, R; Scarascia Mugnozza, G

2010-04-01

The use of agroforestry crops is a promising tool for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration through fossil fuel substitution. In particular, plantations characterised by high yields such as short rotation forestry (SRF) are becoming popular worldwide for biomass production and their role acknowledged in the Kyoto Protocol. While their contribution to climate change mitigation is being investigated, the impact of climate change itself on growth and productivity of these plantations needs particular attention, since their management might need to be modified accordingly. Besides the benefits deriving from the establishment of millions of hectares of these plantations, there is a risk of increased release into the atmosphere of volatile organic compounds (VOC) emitted in large amounts by most of the species commonly used. These hydrocarbons are known to play a crucial role in tropospheric ozone formation. This might represent a negative feedback, especially in regions already characterized by elevated ozone level. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Final Technical Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sobecky, Patricia A; Taillefert, Martial

This final technical report describes results and findings from a research project to examine the role of microbial phosphohydrolase enzymes in naturally occurring subsurface microorganisms for the purpose of promoting the immobilization of the radionuclide uranium through the production of insoluble uranium phosphate minerals. The research project investigated the microbial mechanisms and the physical and chemical processes promoting uranium biomineralization and sequestration in oxygenated subsurface soils. Uranium biomineralization under aerobic conditions can provide a secondary biobarrier strategy to immobilize radionuclides should the metal precipitates formed by microbial dissimilatory mechanisms remobilize due to a change in redox state.

Homegardens as a multi-functional land-use strategy in Sri Lanka with focus on carbon sequestration.

PubMed

Mattsson, Eskil; Ostwald, Madelene; Nissanka, S P; Marambe, Buddhi

2013-11-01

This paper explores the concept of homegardens and their potential functions as strategic elements in land-use planning, and adaptation and mitigation to climate change in Sri Lanka. The ancient and locally adapted agroforestry system of homegardens is presently estimated to occupy nearly 15 % of the land area in Sri Lanka and is described in the scientific literature to offer several ecosystem services to its users; such as climate regulation, protection against natural hazards, enhanced land productivity and biological diversity, increased crop diversity and food security for rural poor and hence reduced vulnerability to climate change. Our results, based on a limited sample size, indicate that the homegardens also store significant amount of carbon, with above ground biomass carbon stocks in dry zone homegardens (n = 8) ranging from 10 to 55 megagrams of carbon per hectare (Mg C ha(-1)) with a mean value of 35 Mg C ha(-1), whereas carbon stocks in wet zone homegardens (n = 4) range from 48 to 145 Mg C ha(-1) with a mean value of 87 Mg C ha(-1). This implies that homegardens may contain a significant fraction of the total above ground biomass carbon stock in the terrestrial system in Sri Lanka, and from our estimates its share has increased from almost one-sixth in 1992 to nearly one-fifth in 2010. In the light of current discussions on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), the concept of homegardens in Sri Lanka provides interesting aspects to the debate and future research in terms of forest definitions, setting reference levels, and general sustainability.

The value of carbon sequestration and storage in coastal habitats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaumont, N. J.; Jones, L.; Garbutt, A.; Hansom, J. D.; Toberman, M.

2014-01-01

Coastal margin habitats are globally significant in terms of their capacity to sequester and store carbon, but their continuing decline, due to environmental change and human land use decisions, is reducing their capacity to provide this ecosystem service. In this paper the UK is used as a case study area to develop methodologies to quantify and value the ecosystem service of blue carbon sequestration and storage in coastal margin habitats. Changes in UK coastal habitat area between 1900 and 2060 are documented, the long term stocks of carbon stored by these habitats are calculated, and the capacity of these habitats to sequester CO2 is detailed. Changes in value of the carbon sequestration service of coastal habitats are then projected for 2000-2060 under two scenarios, the maintenance of the current state of the habitat and the continuation of current trends of habitat loss. If coastal habitats are maintained at their current extent, their sequestration capacity over the period 2000-2060 is valued to be in the region of £1 billion UK sterling (3.5% discount rate). However, if current trends of habitat loss continue, the capacity of the coastal habitats both to sequester and store CO2 will be significantly reduced, with a reduction in value of around £0.25 billion UK sterling (2000-2060; 3.5% discount rate). If loss-trends due to sea level rise or land reclamation worsen, this loss in value will be greater. This case study provides valuable site specific information, but also highlights global issues regarding the quantification and valuation of carbon sequestration and storage. Whilst our ability to value ecosystem services is improving, considerable uncertainty remains. If such ecosystem valuations are to be incorporated with confidence into national and global policy and legislative frameworks, it is necessary to address this uncertainty. Recommendations to achieve this are outlined.

Carbon Storage in Soil Size Fractions Under Two Cacao Agroforestry Systems in Bahia, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gama-Rodrigues, Emanuela F.; Ramachandran Nair, P. K.; Nair, Vimala D.; Gama-Rodrigues, Antonio C.; Baligar, Virupax C.; Machado, Regina C. R.

2010-02-01

Shaded perennial agroforestry systems contain relatively high quantities of soil carbon (C) resulting from continuous deposition of plant residues; however, the extent to which the C is sequestered in soil will depend on the extent of physical protection of soil organic C (SOC). The main objective of this study was to characterize SOC storage in relation to soil fraction-size classes in cacao ( Theobroma cacao L.) agroforestry systems (AFSs). Two shaded cacao systems and an adjacent natural forest in reddish-yellow Oxisols in Bahia, Brazil were selected. Soil samples were collected from four depth classes to 1 m depth and separated by wet-sieving into three fraction-size classes (>250 μm, 250-53 μm, and <53 μm)—corresponding to macroaggregate, microaggregate, and silt-and-clay size fractions—and analyzed for C content. The total SOC stock did not vary among systems (mean: 302 Mg/ha). On average, 72% of SOC was in macroaggregate-size, 20% in microaggregate-size, and 8% in silt-and-clay size fractions in soil. Sonication of aggregates showed that occlusion of C in soil aggregates could be a major mechanism of C protection in these soils. Considering the low level of soil disturbances in cacao AFSs, the C contained in the macroaggregate fraction might become stabilized in the soil. The study shows the role of cacao AFSs in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emission through accumulation and retention of high amounts of organic C in the soils and suggests the potential benefit of this environmental service to the nearly 6 million cacao farmers worldwide.

Effect of selective logging on genetic diversity and gene flow in Cariniana legalis sampled from a cacao agroforestry system.

PubMed

Leal, J B; Santos, R P; Gaiotto, F A

2014-01-28

The fragments of the Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia have a long history of intense logging and selective cutting. Some tree species, such as jequitibá rosa (Cariniana legalis), have experienced a reduction in their populations with respect to both area and density. To evaluate the possible effects of selective logging on genetic diversity, gene flow, and spatial genetic structure, 51 C. legalis individuals were sampled, representing the total remaining population from the cacao agroforestry system. A total of 120 alleles were observed from the 11 microsatellite loci analyzed. The average observed heterozygosity (0.486) was less than the expected heterozygosity (0.721), indicating a loss of genetic diversity in this population. A high fixation index (FIS = 0.325) was found, which is possibly due to a reduction in population size, resulting in increased mating among relatives. The maximum (1055 m) and minimum (0.095 m) distances traveled by pollen or seeds were inferred based on paternity tests. We found 36.84% of unique parents among all sampled seedlings. The progenitors of the remaining seedlings (63.16%) were most likely out of the sampled area. Positive and significant spatial genetic structure was identified in this population among classes 10 to 30 m away with an average coancestry coefficient between pairs of individuals of 0.12. These results suggest that the agroforestry system of cacao cultivation is contributing to maintaining levels of diversity and gene flow in the studied population, thus minimizing the effects of selective logging.

Diagnosis of nutrient imbalances with vector analysis in agroforestry systems.

PubMed

Isaac, Marney E; Kimaro, Anthony A

2011-01-01

Agricultural intensification has had unintended environmental consequences, including increased nutrient leaching and surface runoff and other agrarian-derived pollutants. Improved diagnosis of on-farm nutrient dynamics will have the advantage of increasing yields and will diminish financial and environmental costs. To achieve this, a management support system that allows for site-specific rapid evaluation of nutrient production imbalances and subsequent management prescriptions is needed for agroecological design. Vector diagnosis, a bivariate model to depict changes in yield and nutritional response simultaneously in a single graph, facilitates identification of nutritional status such as growth dilution, deficiency, sufficiency, luxury uptake, and toxicity. Quantitative data from cocoa agroforestry systems and pigeonpea intercropping trials in Ghana and Tanzania, respectively, were re-evaluated with vector analysis. Relative to monoculture, biomass increase in cocoa ( L.) under shade (35-80%) was accompanied by a 17 to 25% decline in P concentration, the most limiting nutrient on this site. Similarly, increasing biomass with declining P concentrations was noted for pigeonpea [ (L). Millsp.] in response to soil moisture availability under intercropping. Although vector analysis depicted nutrient responses, the current vector model does not consider non-nutrient resource effects on growth, such as ameliorated light and soil moisture, which were particularly active in these systems. We revisit and develop vector analysis into a framework for diagnosing nutrient and non-nutrient interactions in agroforestry systems. Such a diagnostic technique advances management decision-making by increasing nutrient precision and reducing environmental issues associated with agrarian-derived soil contamination. American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Carbon storage in soil size fractions under two cacao agroforestry systems in Bahia, Brazil.

PubMed

Gama-Rodrigues, Emanuela F; Ramachandran Nair, P K; Nair, Vimala D; Gama-Rodrigues, Antonio C; Baligar, Virupax C; Machado, Regina C R

2010-02-01

Shaded perennial agroforestry systems contain relatively high quantities of soil carbon (C) resulting from continuous deposition of plant residues; however, the extent to which the C is sequestered in soil will depend on the extent of physical protection of soil organic C (SOC). The main objective of this study was to characterize SOC storage in relation to soil fraction-size classes in cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) agroforestry systems (AFSs). Two shaded cacao systems and an adjacent natural forest in reddish-yellow Oxisols in Bahia, Brazil were selected. Soil samples were collected from four depth classes to 1 m depth and separated by wet-sieving into three fraction-size classes (>250 microm, 250-53 microm, and <53 microm)-corresponding to macroaggregate, microaggregate, and silt-and-clay size fractions-and analyzed for C content. The total SOC stock did not vary among systems (mean: 302 Mg/ha). On average, 72% of SOC was in macroaggregate-size, 20% in microaggregate-size, and 8% in silt-and-clay size fractions in soil. Sonication of aggregates showed that occlusion of C in soil aggregates could be a major mechanism of C protection in these soils. Considering the low level of soil disturbances in cacao AFSs, the C contained in the macroaggregate fraction might become stabilized in the soil. The study shows the role of cacao AFSs in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emission through accumulation and retention of high amounts of organic C in the soils and suggests the potential benefit of this environmental service to the nearly 6 million cacao farmers worldwide.

Projection of corn production and stover-harvesting impacts on soil organic carbon dynamics in the U.S. Temperate Prairies.

PubMed

Wu, Yiping; Liu, Shuguang; Young, Claudia J; Dahal, Devendra; Sohl, Terry L; Davis, Brian

2015-06-01

Terrestrial carbon sequestration potential is widely considered as a realistic option for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. However, this potential may be threatened by global changes including climate, land use, and management changes such as increased corn stover harvesting for rising production of cellulosic biofuel. Therefore, it is critical to investigate the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) at regional or global scale. This study simulated the corn production and spatiotemporal changes of SOC in the U.S. Temperate Prairies, which covers over one-third of the U.S. corn acreage, using a biogeochemical model with multiple climate and land-use change projections. The corn production (either grain yield or stover biomass) could reach 88.7-104.7 TgC as of 2050, 70-101% increase when compared to the base year of 2010. A removal of 50% stover at the regional scale could be a reasonable cap in view of maintaining SOC content and soil fertility especially in the beginning years. The projected SOC dynamics indicated that the average carbon sequestration potential across the entire region may vary from 12.7 to 19.6 g C/m(2)/yr (i.e., 6.6-10.2 g TgC/yr). This study not only helps understand SOC dynamics but also provides decision support for sustainable biofuel development.

Projection of corn production and stover-harvesting impacts on soil organic carbon dynamics in the U.S. Temperate Prairies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wu, Yiping; Liu, Shuguang; Young, Claudia J.; Dahal, Devendra; Sohl, Terry L.; Davis, Brian

2015-01-01

Terrestrial carbon sequestration potential is widely considered as a realistic option for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. However, this potential may be threatened by global changes including climate, land use, and management changes such as increased corn stover harvesting for rising production of cellulosic biofuel. Therefore, it is critical to investigate the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) at regional or global scale. This study simulated the corn production and spatiotemporal changes of SOC in the U.S. Temperate Prairies, which covers over one-third of the U.S. corn acreage, using a biogeochemical model with multiple climate and land-use change projections. The corn production (either grain yield or stover biomass) could reach 88.7–104.7 TgC as of 2050, 70–101% increase when compared to the base year of 2010. A removal of 50% stover at the regional scale could be a reasonable cap in view of maintaining SOC content and soil fertility especially in the beginning years. The projected SOC dynamics indicated that the average carbon sequestration potential across the entire region may vary from 12.7 to 19.6 g C/m2/yr (i.e., 6.6–10.2 g TgC/yr). This study not only helps understand SOC dynamics but also provides decision support for sustainable biofuel development.

Projection of corn production and stover-harvesting impacts on soil organic carbon dynamics in the U.S. Temperate Prairies

PubMed Central

Wu, Yiping; Liu, Shuguang; Young, Claudia J.; Dahal, Devendra; Sohl, Terry L.; Davis, Brian

2015-01-01

Terrestrial carbon sequestration potential is widely considered as a realistic option for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. However, this potential may be threatened by global changes including climate, land use, and management changes such as increased corn stover harvesting for rising production of cellulosic biofuel. Therefore, it is critical to investigate the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) at regional or global scale. This study simulated the corn production and spatiotemporal changes of SOC in the U.S. Temperate Prairies, which covers over one-third of the U.S. corn acreage, using a biogeochemical model with multiple climate and land-use change projections. The corn production (either grain yield or stover biomass) could reach 88.7–104.7 TgC as of 2050, 70–101% increase when compared to the base year of 2010. A removal of 50% stover at the regional scale could be a reasonable cap in view of maintaining SOC content and soil fertility especially in the beginning years. The projected SOC dynamics indicated that the average carbon sequestration potential across the entire region may vary from 12.7 to 19.6 g C/m2/yr (i.e., 6.6–10.2 g TgC/yr). This study not only helps understand SOC dynamics but also provides decision support for sustainable biofuel development. PMID:26027873

U.S. DOE methodology for the development of geologic storage potential for carbon dioxide at the national and regional scale

USGS Publications Warehouse

Goodman, Angela; Hakala, J. Alexandra; Bromhal, Grant; Deel, Dawn; Rodosta, Traci; Frailey, Scott; Small, Michael; Allen, Doug; Romanov, Vyacheslav; Fazio, Jim; Huerta, Nicolas; McIntyre, Dustin; Kutchko, Barbara; Guthrie, George

2011-01-01

A detailed description of the United States Department of Energy (US-DOE) methodology for estimating CO2 storage potential for oil and gas reservoirs, saline formations, and unmineable coal seams is provided. The oil and gas reservoirs are assessed at the field level, while saline formations and unmineable coal seams are assessed at the basin level. The US-DOE methodology is intended for external users such as the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs), future project developers, and governmental entities to produce high-level CO2 resource assessments of potential CO2 storage reservoirs in the United States and Canada at the regional and national scale; however, this methodology is general enough that it could be applied globally. The purpose of the US-DOE CO2 storage methodology, definitions of storage terms, and a CO2 storage classification are provided. Methodology for CO2 storage resource estimate calculation is outlined. The Log Odds Method when applied with Monte Carlo Sampling is presented in detail for estimation of CO2 storage efficiency needed for CO2 storage resource estimates at the regional and national scale. CO2 storage potential reported in the US-DOE's assessment are intended to be distributed online by a geographic information system in NatCarb and made available as hard-copy in the Carbon Sequestration Atlas of the United States and Canada. US-DOE's methodology will be continuously refined, incorporating results of the Development Phase projects conducted by the RCSPs from 2008 to 2018. Estimates will be formally updated every two years in subsequent versions of the Carbon Sequestration Atlas of the United States and Canada.

Climate warming feedback from mountain birch forest expansion: reduced albedo dominates carbon uptake.

PubMed

de Wit, Heleen A; Bryn, Anders; Hofgaard, Annika; Karstensen, Jonas; Kvalevåg, Maria M; Peters, Glen P

2014-07-01

Expanding high-elevation and high-latitude forest has contrasting climate feedbacks through carbon sequestration (cooling) and reduced surface reflectance (warming), which are yet poorly quantified. Here, we present an empirically based projection of mountain birch forest expansion in south-central Norway under climate change and absence of land use. Climate effects of carbon sequestration and albedo change are compared using four emission metrics. Forest expansion was modeled for a projected 2.6 °C increase in summer temperature in 2100, with associated reduced snow cover. We find that the current (year 2000) forest line of the region is circa 100 m lower than its climatic potential due to land-use history. In the future scenarios, forest cover increased from 12% to 27% between 2000 and 2100, resulting in a 59% increase in biomass carbon storage and an albedo change from 0.46 to 0.30. Forest expansion in 2100 was behind its climatic potential, forest migration rates being the primary limiting factor. In 2100, the warming caused by lower albedo from expanding forest was 10 to 17 times stronger than the cooling effect from carbon sequestration for all emission metrics considered. Reduced snow cover further exacerbated the net warming feedback. The warming effect is considerably stronger than previously reported for boreal forest cover, because of the typically low biomass density in mountain forests and the large changes in albedo of snow-covered tundra areas. The positive climate feedback of high-latitude and high-elevation expanding forests with seasonal snow cover exceeds those of afforestation at lower elevation, and calls for further attention of both modelers and empiricists. The inclusion and upscaling of these climate feedbacks from mountain forests into global models is warranted to assess the potential global impacts. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Conversion of rainforest into agroforestry and monoculture plantation in China: Consequences for soil phosphorus forms and microbial community.

PubMed

Wang, Jinchuang; Ren, Changqi; Cheng, Hanting; Zou, Yukun; Bughio, Mansoor Ahmed; Li, Qinfen

2017-10-01

Microbial communities and their associated enzyme activities affect quantity and quality of phosphorus (P) in soils. Land use change is likely to alter microbial community structure and feedback on ecosystem structure and function. This study presents a novel assessment of mechanistic links between microbial responses to land use and shifts in the amount and quality of soil phosphorus (P). We investigated effects of the conversion of rainforests into rubber agroforests (AF), young rubber (YR), and mature rubber (MR) plantations on soil P fractions (i.e., labile P, moderately labile P, occluded P, Ca P, and residual P) in Hainan Island, Southern China. Microbial community composition and microbial enzyme were assayed to assess microbial community response to forest conversion. In addition, we also identified soil P fractions that were closely related to soil microbial and chemical properties in these forests. Conversion of forest to pure rubber plantations and agroforestry system caused a negative response in soil microorganisms and activity. The bacteria phospholipid fatty acid (PLFAs) levels in young rubber, mature rubber and rubber agroforests decreased after forest conversion, while the fungal PLFAs levels did not change. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (16:1w5c) had the highest value of 0.246μmol(gOC) -1 in natural forest, followed by rubber agroforests, mature rubber and young rubber. Level of soil acid phosphatase activity declined soon (5 years) after forest conversion compared to natural forest, but it improved in mature rubber and agroforestry system. Labile P, moderately labile P, occluded P and residual P were highest in young rubber stands, while moderately labile, occluded and residual P were lowest in rubber agroforestry system. Soil P fractions such as labile P, moderately labile P, and Ca P were the most important contributors to the variation in soil microbial community composition. We also found that soil P factions differ significantly among the four transformation systems. Soil labile P faction and its potential sources (moderately labile P, occluded P, and residual P) were positively correlated with NO 3 - , but negatively correlated with AMF, suggesting that these properties play key roles in P transformation. Our study indicated that land use had an impact on microbial community composition and functions, which consequently influenced soil phosphorus availability and cycling. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reduction of soil erosion and mercury losses in agroforestry systems compared to forests and cultivated fields in the Brazilian Amazon.

PubMed

Béliveau, Annie; Lucotte, Marc; Davidson, Robert; Paquet, Serge; Mertens, Frédéric; Passos, Carlos J; Romana, Christine A

2017-12-01

In addition to causing physical degradation and nutrient depletion, erosion of cultivated soils in the Amazon affects aquatic ecosystems through the release of natural soil mercury (Hg) towards lakes and rivers. While traditional agriculture is generally cited as being among the main causes of soil erosion, agroforestry practices are increasingly appreciated for soil conservation. This study was carried out in family farms of the rural Tapajós region (Brazil) and aimed at evaluating soil erosion and associated Hg release for three land uses. Soils, runoff water and eroded sediments were collected at three sites representing a land cover gradient: a recently burnt short-cycle cropping system (SCC), a 2-year-old agroforestry system (AFS) and a mature forest (F). At each site, two PVC soil erosion plots (each composed of three 2 × 5 m isolated subplots) were implemented on steep and moderate slopes respectively. Sampling was done after each of the 20 rain events that occurred during a 1-month study period, in the peak of the 2011 rain season. Runoff volume and rate, as well as eroded soil particles with their Hg and cation concentrations were determined. Total Hg and cation losses were then calculated for each subplot. Erosion processes were dominated by land use type over rainfall or soil slope. Eroded soil particles, as well as the amount of Hg and cations (CaMgK) mobilized at the AFS site were similar to those at the F site, but significantly lower than those at the SCC site (p < 0.0001). Erosion reduction at the AFS site was mainly attributed to the ground cover plants characterizing the recently established system. Moreover, edaphic change throughout AFS and F soil profiles differed from the SCC site. At the latter site, losses of fine particles and Hg were enhanced towards soil surface, while they were less pronounced at the other sites. This study shows that agroforestry systems, even in their early stages of implementation, are characterized by low erosion levels resembling those of local forest environments, thus contributing to the maintenance of soil integrity and to the reduction of Hg and nutrient mobility. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reactive transport modeling of stable carbon isotope fractionation in a multi-phase multi-component system during carbon sequestration

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Shuo; DePaolo, Donald J.; Zheng, Liange; ...

2014-12-31

Carbon stable isotopes can be used in characterization and monitoring of CO 2 sequestration sites to track the migration of the CO 2 plume and identify leakage sources, and to evaluate the chemical reactions that take place in the CO 2-water-rock system. However, there are few tools available to incorporate stable isotope information into flow and transport codes used for CO 2 sequestration problems. We present a numerical tool for modeling the transport of stable carbon isotopes in multiphase reactive systems relevant to geologic carbon sequestration. The code is an extension of the reactive transport code TOUGHREACT. The transport modulemore » of TOUGHREACT was modified to include separate isotopic species of CO 2 gas and dissolved inorganic carbon (CO 2, CO 3 2-, HCO 3 -,…). Any process of transport or reaction influencing a given carbon species also influences its isotopic ratio. Isotopic fractionation is thus fully integrated within the dynamic system. The chemical module and database have been expanded to include isotopic exchange and fractionation between the carbon species in both gas and aqueous phases. The performance of the code is verified by modeling ideal systems and comparing with theoretical results. Efforts are also made to fit field data from the Pembina CO 2 injection project in Canada. We show that the exchange of carbon isotopes between dissolved and gaseous carbon species combined with fluid flow and transport, produce isotopic effects that are significantly different from simple two-component mixing. These effects are important for understanding the isotopic variations observed in field demonstrations.« less

Neutron scattering measurements of carbon dioxide adsorption in pores within the Marcellus Shale: Implications for sequestration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stefanopoulos, Konstantinos L.; Youngs, Tristan G. A.; Sakurovs, Richard; Ruppert, Leslie F.; Bahadur, Jitendra; Melnichenko, Yuri B.

2017-01-01

Shale is an increasingly viable source of natural gas and a potential candidate for geologic CO2sequestration. Understanding the gas adsorption behavior on shale is necessary for the design of optimal gas recovery and sequestration projects. In the present study neutron diffraction and small-angle neutron scattering measurements of adsorbed CO2 in Marcellus Shale samples were conducted on the Near and InterMediate Range Order Diffractometer (NIMROD) at the ISIS Pulsed Neutron and Muon Source, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory along an adsorption isotherm of 22 °C and pressures of 25 and 40 bar. Additional measurements were conducted at approximately 22 and 60 °C at the same pressures on the General-Purpose Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (GP-SANS) instrument at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The structures investigated (pores) for CO2 adsorption range in size from Å level to ∼50 nm. The results indicate that, using the conditions investigated densification or condensation effects occurred in all accessible pores. The data suggest that at 22 °C the CO2 has liquid-like properties when confined in pores of around 1 nm radius at pressures as low as 25 bar. Many of the 2.5 nm pores, 70% of 2 nm pores, most of the <1 nm pores, and all pores <0.25 nm, are inaccessible or closed to CO2, suggesting that despite the vast numbers of micropores in shale, the micropores will be unavailable for storage for geologic CO2 sequestration.

Baseline and projected future carbon storage and carbon fluxes in ecosystems of Hawai‘i

Treesearch

P.C. Selmants; C.P. Giardina; J.D. Jacobi; Zhiliang  Zhu

2017-01-01

Hawaii is unique among the United States because of its tropical climate, geographic isolation, high rates of species endemism and discontinuous land mass. The year-round warm, wet climate on the windward sides of islands and the high fertility of relatively young volcanically derived soils are ideal conditions for carbon input, storage and carbon sequestration in...

Current systematic carbon-cycle observations and the need for implementing a policy-relevant carbon observing system

Treesearch

P. Ciais; A. J. Dolman; A. Bombelli; R. Duren; A. Peregon; P. J. Rayner; C. Miller; N. Gobron; G. Kinderman; G. Marland; N. Gruber; F. Chevallier; R. J. Andres; G. Balsamo; L. Bopp; F.-M. Bréon; G. Broquet; R. Dargaville; T. J. Battin; A. Borges; H. Bovensmann; M. Buchwitz; J. Butler; J. G. Canadell; R. B. Cook; R. DeFries; R. Engelen; K. R. Gurney; C. Heinze; M. Heimann; A. Held; M. Henry; B. Law; S. Luyssaert; J. Miller; T. Moriyama; C. Moulin; R. B. Myneni; C. Nussli; M. Obersteiner; D. Ojima; Y. Pan; J.-D. Paris; S. L. Piao; B. Poulter; S. Plummer; S. Quegan; P. Raymond; M. Reichstein; L. Rivier; C. Sabine; D. Schimel; O. Tarasova; R. Valentini; R. Wang; G. van der Werf; D. Wickland; M. Williams; C. Zehner

2014-01-01

A globally integrated carbon observation and analysis system is needed to improve the fundamental understanding of the global carbon cycle, to improve our ability to project future changes, and to verify the effectiveness of policies aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration. Building an integrated carbon observation system requires...

Transport of Perfluorocarbon Tracers in the Cranfield Geological Carbon Sequestration Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moortgat, J.; Soltanian, M. R.; Amooie, M. A.; Cole, D. R.; Graham, D. E.; Pfiffner, S. M.; Phelps, T.

2017-12-01

A field-scale carbon dioxide (CO2) injection pilot project was conducted by the Southeast Regional Sequestration Partnership (SECARB) at Cranfield, Mississippi. Two associated campaigns in 2009 and 2010 were carried out to co-inject perfluorocarbon tracers (PFTs) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) with CO2. Tracers in gas samples from two observation wells were analyzed to construct breakthrough curves. We present the compiled field data as well as detailed numerical modeling of the flow and transport of CO2, brine, and introduced tracers. A high-resolution static model of the formation geology in the Detailed Area Study (DAS) was used in order to capture the impact of connected flow pathways created by fluvial channels on breakthrough curves and breakthrough times of PFTs and SF6 tracers. We use the cubic-plus-association (CPA) equation of state, which takes into account the polar nature of water molecules, to describe the phase behavior of CO2-brine-tracer mixtures. We show how the combination of multiple tracer injection pulses with detailed numerical simulations provide a powerful tool in constraining both formation properties and how complex flow pathways develop over time.

Recovery Act: Geologic Sequestration Training and Research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walsh, Peter; Esposito, Richard; Theodorou, Konstantinos

2013-06-30

Work under the project entitled "Geologic Sequestration Training and Research," was performed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Southern Company from December 1, 2009, to June 30, 2013. The emphasis was on training of students and faculty through research on topics central to further development, demonstration, and commercialization of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). The project had the following components: (1) establishment of a laboratory for measurement of rock properties, (2) evaluation of the sealing capacity of caprocks, (3) evaluation of porosity, permeability, and storage capacity of reservoirs, (4) simulation of CO{sub 2} migration and trapping inmore » storage reservoirs and seepage through seal layers, (5) education and training of students through independent research on rock properties and reservoir simulation, and (6) development of an advanced undergraduate/graduate level course on coal combustion and gasification, climate change, and carbon sequestration. Four graduate students and one undergraduate student participated in the project. Two were awarded Ph.D. degrees for their work, the first in December 2010 and the second in August 2013. A third graduate student has proposed research on an advanced technique for measurement of porosity and permeability, and has been admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. The fourth graduate student is preparing his proposal for research on CCUS and solid waste management. The undergraduate student performed experimental measurements on caprock and reservoir rock samples and received his B.S.M.E. degree in May 2012. The "Caprock Integrity Laboratory," established with support from the present project, is fully functional and equipped for measurement of porosity, permeability, minimum capillary displacement pressure, and effective permeability to gas in the presence of wetting phases. Measurements are made at ambient temperature and under reservoir conditions, including supercritical CO{sub 2}. During the course of the project, properties of 19 samples provided by partners on companion projects supported by NETL were measured, covering a range of permeabilities from 0.28 ndarcy to 81 mdarcy. Reservoir simulations were performed for injection of 530,000 tonnes of CO{sub 2} through a single well into the Middle Donovan formation in Citronelle Dome, in southwest Alabama, over 40 years, followed by migration and trapping for 10,000 years, using the TOUGH2 and TOUGHREACT software packages from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. It was estimated that 50 kg CO{sub 2}/m{sup 3} of formation would be converted to mineral phases within the CO{sub 2} plume during that time. None of the sand units considered for CO{sub 2} storage in Citronelle Dome have thickness exceeding the estimated critical CO{sub 2} column height (Berg, 1975) at which seepage might begin, through their confining shale layers. A model for leakage through caprock, based on work by Hildenbrand et al. (2004), including a functional relationship between capillary pressure and the effective permeability to gas in the presence of a wetting phase, demonstrated the sensitivity of long-term storage to caprock permeability and thickness. A traditional course on coal combustion was augmented with material on climate change, coal gasification, and carbon sequestration. A total of 49 students completed the course during two offerings, in Fall 2010 and Fall 2012. It has become a popular advanced elective course in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.« less

How much will afforestation of former cropland influence soil C stocks? A synthesis of paired sampling, chronosequence sampling and repeated sampling studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vesterdal, Lars; Hansen, K.; Stupak, I.; Don, Axel; Poeplau, C.; Leifeld, Jens; van Wesemael, Bas

2010-05-01

The need for documentation of land-use change effects on soil C is high on the agenda in most signatory countries to the Kyoto Protocol. Large land areas in Europe have experienced land-use change from cropland to forest since 1990 by direct afforestation as well as abandonment and regrowth of marginally productive cropland. Soil C dynamics following land-use change remain highly uncertain due to a limited number of available studies and due to influence of interacting factors such as land use history, soil type, and climate. Common approaches for estimation of potential soil C changes following land-use change are i) paired sampling of plots with a long legacy of different land uses, ii) chronosequence studies of land-use change, and lastly iii) repeated sampling of plots subject to changed land use. This paper will synthesize the quantitative effects of cropland afforestation on soil C sequestration based on all three approaches and will report on related work within Cost 639. Paired plots of forest and cropland were used to study the general differences between soil C stocks in the two land uses. At 27 sites in Denmark distributed among different regions and soil types forest floor and mineral soil were sampled in and around soil pits. Soil C stocks were higher in forest than cropland (mean difference 22 Mg C ha-1 to 1 m depth). This difference was caused solely by the presence of a forest floor in forests; mineral soil C stocks were similar (108 vs. 109 Mg C ha-1) in the two land uses regardless of soil type and the soil layers considered. The chronosequence approach was employed in the AFFOREST project for evaluation of C sequestration in biomass and soils following afforestation of cropland. Two oak (Quercus robur) and four Norway spruce (Picea abies) afforestation chronosequences (age range 1 to 90 years) were studied in Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands. Forest floor and mineral soil (0-25 cm) C contents were as a minimum unchanged and in most cases there was net C sequestration (range 0-1.3 Mg C ha-1 yr-1). The allocation of sequestered soil C was quite different among chronosequences; forest floors consistently sequestered C (0.1-0.7 Mg C ha-1 yr-1) but there was no general pattern in mineral soil C sequestration. While the paired sampling and the chronosequence approaches both may be confounded by site factors other than the land use, repeated sampling of plots best addresses the pure land-use change effect. Repeated sampling after 18 years was done in a systematic 7x7 km grid to address soil C changes in 15 cropland plots that were converted to forest (7-22 years since afforestation). Consistent with the other two approaches, detectable soil C changes were confined to the forest floor component; forest floor C sequestration rates were 0.24 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 while no changes were detected for mineral soils. The three approaches to estimation of soil C sequestration indeed point to a common conclusion: The potential for soil C sequestration is mainly confined to the forest floor whereas notable C sequestration is less likely to occur in the mineral soil. However, more generalizable knowledge is badly needed for reporting of land-use change effects on mineral soil C pools. WG II of Cost 639 and the FP7 project GHG Europe is currently establishing a database of LUC studies. This database will be used to establish so-called Carbon Response Functions (CRF), i.e. simple models predicting the annual rate of change in soil C pools. These CRFs may serve as tools for syntheses of land-use change effects for Europe as well as for improved reporting of soil C dynamics following land-use change.

Black walnut in a new century, proceedings of the 6th Walnut Council research symposium; 2004 July 25-28; Lafayette, IN.

Treesearch

C. H. Michler; P.M. Pijut; J. Van Sambeek; M. Coggeshall; J. Seifert; K. Woeste; R. Overton; F., Jr., eds. Ponder

2004-01-01

Presents papers and abstracts relating to genetic improvement, nursery production, plantation establishment, natural stand management, pest management, agroforestry and economics of black walnut and related Juglans species.

36 CFR 230.40 - Eligible practices for cost-share assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., silvopasture, alley cropping, or other agroforestry practices, including purposes for energy conservation and... Improvement and Watershed Protection—Establishment, maintenance, renovation, and restoration practices... restoration practices to create, protect, or improve fish and wildlife habitat, including any necessary design...

Micronesian agroforestry: evidence from the past, implications for the future

Treesearch

Marjorie V. C. Falanruw

1993-01-01

Traditional agroforest systems exist throughout Micronesia. The system found on one Micronesian group of islands, Yap, is described and evaluated in ecological terms. Implications for future development of agriculture in Micronesia are discussed and some specific recommendations are given.

LIFE CLIMATREE project: A novel approach for accounting and monitoring carbon sequestration of tree crops and their potential as carbon sink areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stergiou, John; Tagaris, Efthimios; -Eleni Sotiropoulou, Rafaella

2016-04-01

Climate Change Mitigation is one of the most important objectives of the Kyoto Convention, and is mostly oriented towards reducing GHG emissions. However, carbon sink is retained only in the calculation of the forests capacity since agricultural land and farmers practices for securing carbon stored in soils have not been recognized in GHG accounting, possibly resulting in incorrect estimations of the carbon dioxide balance in the atmosphere. The agricultural sector, which is a key sector in the EU, presents a consistent strategic framework since 1954, in the form of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In its latest reform of 2013 (reg. (EU) 1305/13) CAP recognized the significance of Agriculture as a key player in Climate Change policy. In order to fill this gap the "LIFE ClimaTree" project has recently founded by the European Commission aiming to provide a novel method for including tree crop cultivations in the LULUCF's accounting rules for GHG emissions and removal. In the framework of "LIFE ClimaTree" project estimation of carbon sink within EU through the inclusion of the calculated tree crop capacity will be assessed for both current and future climatic conditions by 2050s using the GISS-WRF modeling system in a very fine scale (i.e., 9km x 9km) using RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 climate scenarios. Acknowledgement: LIFE CLIMATREE project "A novel approach for accounting and monitoring carbon sequestration of tree crops and their potential as carbon sink areas" (LIFE14 CCM/GR/000635).

In Brief: Carbon storage initiatives at energy department

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2009-06-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced several initiatives related to carbon capture. On 12 June, DOE secretary Steven Chu announced an agreement with the FutureGen Alliance that advances construction of the country's first commercial-scale, fully integrated carbon capture and sequestration project in Mattoon, Ill. After estimating costs and doing other assessments, DOE and the alliance will decide in 2010 whether to move forward or discontinue the project. “Developing this technology is critically important for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and around the world,” said Chu. The total anticipated financial contribution for the project is $1.1 billion from DOE and $400-600 million from the alliance.

A Field Study on Simulation of CO 2 Injection and ECBM Production and Prediction of CO 2 Storage Capacity in Unmineable Coal Seam

DOE PAGES

He, Qin; Mohaghegh, Shahab D.; Gholami, Vida

2013-01-01

CO 2 sequestration into a coal seam project was studied and a numerical model was developed in this paper to simulate the primary and secondary coal bed methane production (CBM/ECBM) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) injection. The key geological and reservoir parameters, which are germane to driving enhanced coal bed methane (ECBM) and CO 2 sequestration processes, including cleat permeability, cleat porosity, CH 4 adsorption time, CO 2 adsorption time, CH 4 Langmuir isotherm, CO 2 Langmuir isotherm, and Palmer and Mansoori parameters, have been analyzed within a reasonable range. The model simulation results showed good matches for bothmore » CBM/ECBM production and CO 2 injection compared with the field data. The history-matched model was used to estimate the total CO 2 sequestration capacity in the field. The model forecast showed that the total CO 2 injection capacity in the coal seam could be 22,817 tons, which is in agreement with the initial estimations based on the Langmuir isotherm experiment. Total CO 2 injected in the first three years was 2,600 tons, which according to the model has increased methane recovery (due to ECBM) by 6,700 scf/d.« less

The U-tube: A novel system for acquiring borehole fluid samples from a deep geologic CO2 sequestration experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Freifeild, Barry M.; Trautz, Robert C.; Kharaka, Yousif K.; Phelps, Tommy J.; Myer, Larry R.; Hovorka, Susan D.; Collins, Daniel J.

2005-01-01

A novel system has been deployed to obtain geochemical samples of water and gas, at in situ pressure, during a geologic CO2 sequestration experiment conducted in the Frio brine aquifer in Liberty County, Texas. Project goals required high-frequency recovery of representative and uncontaminated aliquots of a rapidly changing two-phase fluid (supercritical CO2 and brine) fluid from 1.5 km depth. The data sets collected, using both the liquid and gas portions of the downhole samples, provide insights into the coupled hydrogeochemical issues affecting CO2sequestration in brine-filled formations. While the basic premise underlying the U-tube sampler is not new, the system is unique because careful consideration was given to the processing of the recovered two-phase fluids. In particular, strain gauges mounted beneath the high-pressure surface sample cylinders measured the ratio of recovered brine to supercritical CO2. A quadrupole mass spectrometer provided real-time gas analysis for perfluorocarbon and noble gas tracers that were injected along with the CO2. The U-tube successfully acquired frequent samples, facilitating accurate delineation of the arrival of the CO2 plume, and on-site analysis revealed rapid changes in geochemical conditions.

The U-tube: A novel system for acquiring borehole fluid samples from a deep geologic CO2 sequestration experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Freifeild, Barry M.; Trautz, Robert C.; Kharaka, Yousif K.; Phelps, Tommy J.; Myer, Larry R.; Hovorka, Susan D.; Collins, Daniel J.

2005-01-01

A novel system has been deployed to obtain geochemical samples of water and gas, at in situ pressure, during a geologic CO2 sequestration experiment conducted in the Frio brine aquifer in Liberty County, Texas. Project goals required high-frequency recovery of representative and uncontaminated aliquots of a rapidly changing two-phase fluid (supercritical CO2 and brine) fluid from 1.5 km depth. The data sets collected, using both the liquid and gas portions of the downhole samples, provide insights into the coupled hydrogeochemical issues affecting CO2 sequestration in brine-filled formations. While the basic premise underlying the U-tube sampler is not new, the system is unique because careful consideration was given to the processing of the recovered two-phase fluids. In particular, strain gauges mounted beneath the high-pressure surface sample cylinders measured the ratio of recovered brine to supercritical CO2. A quadrupole mass spectrometer provided real-time gas analysis for perfluorocarbon and noble gas tracers that were injected along with the CO2. The U-tube successfully acquired frequent samples, facilitating accurate delineation of the arrival of the CO2 plume, and on-site analysis revealed rapid changes in geochemical conditions.

The U-tube: A novel system for acquiring borehole fluid samples from a deep geologic CO2 sequestration experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freifeld, Barry M.; Trautz, Robert C.; Kharaka, Yousif K.; Phelps, Tommy J.; Myer, Larry R.; Hovorka, Susan D.; Collins, Daniel J.

2005-10-01

A novel system has been deployed to obtain geochemical samples of water and gas, at in situ pressure, during a geologic CO2 sequestration experiment conducted in the Frio brine aquifer in Liberty County, Texas. Project goals required high-frequency recovery of representative and uncontaminated aliquots of a rapidly changing two-phase fluid (supercritical CO2 and brine) fluid from 1.5 km depth. The data sets collected, using both the liquid and gas portions of the downhole samples, provide insights into the coupled hydrogeochemical issues affecting CO2 sequestration in brine-filled formations. While the basic premise underlying the U-tube sampler is not new, the system is unique because careful consideration was given to the processing of the recovered two-phase fluids. In particular, strain gauges mounted beneath the high-pressure surface sample cylinders measured the ratio of recovered brine to supercritical CO2. A quadrupole mass spectrometer provided real-time gas analysis for perfluorocarbon and noble gas tracers that were injected along with the CO2. The U-tube successfully acquired frequent samples, facilitating accurate delineation of the arrival of the CO2 plume, and on-site analysis revealed rapid changes in geochemical conditions.

Carbon Sequestration: is Science Leading Policy or Will Policy Direct Science?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, A. K.

2007-12-01

Climate-related policy is in its infancy on capital hill, as policy makers only recently started to converge on the acceptance that climate change is a credible, scientific reality. Until recently much of the debate and policy decisions have been related to whether or not climate change, or more specifically global warming, is occurring. The climate debate has shifted from discussing the science behind climate change to addressing how we can reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In the 110th Congress, policy makers have come to realize and accept that we, as a nation, are one of the largest global emitters of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Geologic carbon sequestration has gained significant congressional attention and is considered to be one of the most promising carbon mitigation tools. In the present Congress, scientific experts have testified before numerous committees about the various caveats of geologic carbon sequestration. As a result, policy has been and is currently being drafted to address the challenges facing large-scale commercial demonstration of geologic sequestration facilities. Policy has been passed through both the House and Senate that is aimed at increasing funding for basic and advanced research, development, and demonstration of small- to large-scale carbon dioxide injection projects. This legislation is only the beginning of a series of legislation that is under development. In the next year, policy will be introduced that will likely address issues related to pore space and mineral rights ownership, regulatory framework for carbon dioxide transport and injection, long-term injection site monitoring protocol, personal and environmental safety, and liability issues, to name a few. Policy is not limited to the technical aspects of carbon capture, transport, and storage, but is also being developed to help stimulate a market that will be operating under climate constraints. Financial incentives have been proposed that will assist industrial carbon dioxide emitters in making the transition into a carbon-constrained economy. Science has driven the initial policy that has been proposed to date; however, the topic of carbon sequestration has been advanced through Congress at a near record-breaking pace. As such, there is an increased need to hear from scientists in academia and industry alike to continue to make good policy decisions related to carbon sequestration based on sound scientific advice.

Permanent field plot methodology and equipment

Treesearch

Thomas G. Cole

1993-01-01

Long-term research into the composition, phenology, yield, and growth rates of agroforests can be accomplished with the use of permanent field plots. The periodic remeasurement of these plots provides researchers a quantitative measure of what changes occur over time in indigenous agroforestry systems.

Descriptor data of Castanea accessions at the University of Missouri

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Chestnut, Castanea L., trees were propagated and planted in repositories at the Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center, New Franklin, Missouri in 1996, 2002, 2009 with additional accessions acquired annually. Trees have been pruned, fertilized, irrigated, and pests controlled following Unive...

Establishing oaks in Big River floodplains

Treesearch

Dan Dey; John Kabrick; Michael Gold

2003-01-01

Successful tree establishment is fundamental to implementing agroforestry practices, reforesting bottomland cropfields or regenerating green-tree reservoirs. Planting trees can be problematic in floodplains and riparian areas because of intense competition from herbaceous and woody plants, animal herbivory and browsing, and flooding and saturated soils.

Design of a Soil Science practical exercise to understand the soil carbon sequestration after biochar addition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gascó, Gabriel; Cely, Paola; Saa-Requejo, Antonio; Mendez, Ana; Antón, Jose Manuel; Sánchez, Elena; Moratiel, Ruben; Tarquis, Ana M.

2014-05-01

The adaptation of the Universities to European Higher Education Area (EHEA) involves changes in the learning system. Students must obtain specific capabilities in the different degrees or masters. For example, in the degree of Agronomy at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM, Spain), they must command Soil science, Mathematics or English. Sometimes, There is not a good communication between teachers and it causes that students do not understand the importance of the different subjects of a career. For this reason, teachers of the Soil Science and Mathematics Departments of the UPM designed a common practice to teach to the students the role of soil on the carbon sequestration. The objective of this paper is to explain the followed steps to the design of the practice. Acknowledgement to Universidad Politécnica de Madrid for the Projects in Education Innovation IE12_13-02009 and IE12_13-02012.

Human and Nature Interactions: A Dynamic Land Base of Many Goods and Services

Treesearch

Ralph J. Alig

2006-01-01

Availability of land is fundamental for sustainable forestry, providing the basis for the production of a wide array of goods and services (for example, biodiversity, forest carbon sequestration). This paper summarizes types of land-related data contained in major U.S. data bases, and gives examples of how such data were used in projecting changes in forest area for...

Allometric equations for estimating tree biomass in restored mixed-species Atlantic Forest stands

Treesearch

Lauro Rodrigues Nogueira; Vera Lex Engel; John A. Parrotta; Antonio Carlos Galvão de Melo; Danilo Scorzoni Ré

2014-01-01

Restoration of Atlantic Forests is receiving increasing attention because of its role in both biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration for global climate change mitigation. This study was carried out in an Atlantic Forest restoration project in the south-central region of São Paulo State – Brazil to develop allometric equations to estimate tree biomass of...

Preliminary assessment of potential CDM early start projects in Brazil

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meyers, S.; Sathaye, J.; Lehman, B.

2000-11-01

The Brazil/US Aspen Global Forum on Climate Change Policies and Programs has facilitated a dialogue between key Brazil and US public and private sector leaders on the subject of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). With support from the US government, a cooperative effort between Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of Sao Paulo conducted an assessment of a number of projects put forth by Brazilian sponsors. Initially, we gathered information and conducted a screening assessment for ten projects in the energy sector and six projects in the forestry sector. Some of the projects appeared to offer greater potential tomore » be attractive for CDM, or had better information available. We then conducted a more detailed assessment of 12 of these projects, and two other projects that were submitted after the initial screening. An important goal was to assess the potential impact of Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) on the financial performance of projects. With the exception of the two forestry-based fuel displacement projects, the impact of CERs on the internal rate of return (IRR) is fairly small. This is true for both the projects that displace grid electricity and those that displace local (diesel-based) electricity production. The relative effect of CERs is greater for projects whose IRR without CERs is low. CERs have a substantial effect on the IRR of the two short-rotation forestry energy substitution projects. One reason is that the biofuel displaces coke and oil, both of which are carbon-intensive. Another factor is that the product of these projects (charcoal and woodfuel, respectively) is relatively low value, so the revenue from carbon credits has a strong relative impact. CERs also have a substantial effect on the NPV of the carbon sequestration projects. Financial and other barriers pose a challenge for implementation of most of the projects. In most cases, the sponsor lacks sufficient capital, and loans are available only at high interest rate and with substantial guarantee. A few of the projects might go ahead without the benefit of CERs, but most probably would not. Whether the projected revenue from CERs would be sufficient to induce sponsors to proceed with the projects is an important issue that requires further investigation. All of the projects contribute to economic development in Brazil. The forestry projects in particular would create a significant number of rural jobs, and contribute income to rural communities. Some of the carbon sequestration projects would provide environmental benefits with respect to protection of biodiversity and soil.« less

The effects of rainfall partitioning and evapotranspiration on the temporal and spatial variation of soil water content in a Mediterranean agroforestry system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biel, C.; Molina, A.; Aranda, X.; Llorens, P.; Savé, R.

2012-04-01

Tree plantation for wood production has been proposed to mitigate CO2-related climate change. Although these agroforestry systems can contribute to maintain the agriculture in some areas placed between rainfed crops and secondary forests, water scarcity in Mediterranean climate could restrict its growth, and their presence will affect the water balance. Tree plantations management (species, plant density, irrigation, etc), hence, can be used to affect the water balance, resulting in water availability improvement and buffering of the water cycle. Soil water content and meteorological data are widely used in agroforestry systems as indicators of vegetation water use, and consequently to define water management. However, the available information of ecohydrological processes in this kind of ecosystem is scarce. The present work studies how the temporal and spatial variation of soil water content is affected by transpiration and interception loss fluxes in a Mediterranean rainfed plantation of cherry tree (Prunus avium) located in Caldes de Montbui (Northeast of Spain). From May till December 2011, rainfall partitioning, canopy transpiration, soil water content and meteorological parameters were continuously recorded. Rainfall partitioning was measured in 6 trees, with 6 automatic rain recorders for throughfall and 1 automatic rain recorder for stemflow per tree. Transpiration was monitored in 12 nearby trees by means of heat pulse sap flow sensors. Soil water content was also measured at three different depths under selected trees and at two depths between rows without tree cover influence. This work presents the relationships between rainfall partitioning, transpiration and soil water content evolution under the tree canopy. The effect of tree cover on the soil water content dynamics is also analyzed.

Soil Infiltration Characteristics in Agroforestry Systems and Their Relationships with the Temporal Distribution of Rainfall on the Loess Plateau in China

PubMed Central

Wang, Lai; Zhong, Chonggao; Gao, Pengxiang; Xi, Weimin; Zhang, Shuoxin

2015-01-01

Many previous studies have shown that land use patterns are the main factors influencing soil infiltration. Thus, increasing soil infiltration and reducing runoff are crucial for soil and water conservation, especially in semi-arid environments. To explore the effects of agroforestry systems on soil infiltration and associated properties in a semi-arid area of the Loess Plateau in China, we compared three plant systems: a walnut (Juglans regia) monoculture system (JRMS), a wheat (Triticum aestivum) monoculture system (TAMS), and a walnut-wheat alley cropping system (JTACS) over a period of 11 years. Our results showed that the JTACS facilitated infiltration, and its infiltration rate temporal distribution showed a stronger relationship coupled with the rainfall temporal distribution compared with the two monoculture systems during the growing season. However, the effect of JTACS on the infiltration capacity was only significant in shallow soil layer, i.e., the 0–40 cm soil depth. Within JTACS, the speed of the wetting front’s downward movement was significantly faster than that in the two monoculture systems when the amount of rainfall and its intensity were higher. The soil infiltration rate was improved, and the two peaks of soil infiltration rate temporal distribution and the rainfall temporal distribution coupled in rainy season in the alley cropping system, which has an important significance in soil and water conservation. The results of this empirical study provide new insights into the sustainability of agroforestry, which may help farmers select rational planting patterns in this region, as well as other regions with similar climatic and environmental characteristics throughout the world. PMID:25893832

Soil Infiltration Characteristics in Agroforestry Systems and Their Relationships with the Temporal Distribution of Rainfall on the Loess Plateau in China.

PubMed

Wang, Lai; Zhong, Chonggao; Gao, Pengxiang; Xi, Weimin; Zhang, Shuoxin

2015-01-01

Many previous studies have shown that land use patterns are the main factors influencing soil infiltration. Thus, increasing soil infiltration and reducing runoff are crucial for soil and water conservation, especially in semi-arid environments. To explore the effects of agroforestry systems on soil infiltration and associated properties in a semi-arid area of the Loess Plateau in China, we compared three plant systems: a walnut (Juglans regia) monoculture system (JRMS), a wheat (Triticum aestivum) monoculture system (TAMS), and a walnut-wheat alley cropping system (JTACS) over a period of 11 years. Our results showed that the JTACS facilitated infiltration, and its infiltration rate temporal distribution showed a stronger relationship coupled with the rainfall temporal distribution compared with the two monoculture systems during the growing season. However, the effect of JTACS on the infiltration capacity was only significant in shallow soil layer, i.e., the 0-40 cm soil depth. Within JTACS, the speed of the wetting front's downward movement was significantly faster than that in the two monoculture systems when the amount of rainfall and its intensity were higher. The soil infiltration rate was improved, and the two peaks of soil infiltration rate temporal distribution and the rainfall temporal distribution coupled in rainy season in the alley cropping system, which has an important significance in soil and water conservation. The results of this empirical study provide new insights into the sustainability of agroforestry, which may help farmers select rational planting patterns in this region, as well as other regions with similar climatic and environmental characteristics throughout the world.

Streamflow, sediment and carbon transport from a Himalayan watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, P.; Rai, S. C.

2004-04-01

Rivers indeed serve an important role in the carbon fluxes being recognized as a major component to regional and global environmental change. The present study focuses the sediment and carbon transports in a Himalayan watershed (elevational range 300-2650 m asl, area of 3014 ha) at Sikkim, India. The watershed has five perennial streams, all attain significant size during rainy season. The micro-watershed for each perennial stream has a mosaic distribution of land-use practices, viz. forests, agroforestry, agriculture and wastelands. The average discharge in the Rinjikhola, the watershed outlet was 840-850 l s -1 in summer season that increased by 5-6 times in rainy season. Sediment concentration varied distinctly with seasons in different streams and the outlet of the watershed. The soil loss rate from the total watershed ranged from 6 to 7 t ha -1 yr -1 that accounts to a net loss of 833 t yr -1 organic carbon, and 2025 t yr -1 dissolved organic carbon from the watershed, and more than 90% of soil losses were attributable to open cropped area. The stream discharge, soil and carbon loss and precipitation partitioning through different pathways in forest and agroforestry land-use suggest that these land-uses promote conservation of soil and carbon. It is emphasized that a good understanding of carbon transfer through overland flow and discharge is important for policy decisions and management of soil and carbon loss of a Himalayan watershed as it is very sensitive to land-use/cover changes. Therefore, the conversion of forest to agricultural land should be reversed. Agroforestry systems should be included in agricultural land in mountainous regions.

On the rebound: soil organic carbon stocks can bounce back to near forest levels when agroforests replace agriculture in southern India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hombegowda, H. C.; van Straaten, O.; Köhler, M.; Hölscher, D.

2016-01-01

Tropical agroforestry has an enormous potential to sequester carbon while simultaneously producing agricultural yields and tree products. The amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestered is influenced by the type of the agroforestry system established, the soil and climatic conditions, and management. In this regional-scale study, we utilized a chronosequence approach to investigate how SOC stocks changed when the original forests are converted to agriculture, and then subsequently to four different agroforestry systems (AFSs): home garden, coffee, coconut and mango. In total we established 224 plots in 56 plot clusters across 4 climate zones in southern India. Each plot cluster consisted of four plots: a natural forest reference, an agriculture reference and two of the same AFS types of two ages (30-60 years and > 60 years). The conversion of forest to agriculture resulted in a large loss the original SOC stock (50-61 %) in the top meter of soil depending on the climate zone. The establishment of home garden and coffee AFSs on agriculture land caused SOC stocks to rebound to near forest levels, while in mango and coconut AFSs the SOC stock increased only slightly above the agriculture SOC stock. The most important variable regulating SOC stocks and its changes was tree basal area, possibly indicative of organic matter inputs. Furthermore, climatic variables such as temperature and precipitation, and soil variables such as clay fraction and soil pH were likewise all important regulators of SOC and SOC stock changes. Lastly, we found a strong correlation between tree species diversity in home garden and coffee AFSs and SOC stocks, highlighting possibilities to increase carbon stocks by proper tree species assemblies.

On the rebound: soil organic carbon stocks can bounce back to near forest levels when agroforests replace agriculture in southern India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hombegowda, H. C.; van Straaten, O.; Köhler, M.; Hölscher, D.

2015-08-01

Tropical agroforestry has an enormous potential to sequester carbon while simultaneously producing agricultural yields and tree products. The amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestered is however influenced by the type of the agroforestry system established, the soil and climatic conditions and management. In this regional scale study, we utilized a chronosequence approach to investigate how SOC stocks changed when the original forests are converted to agriculture, and then subsequently to four different agroforestry systems (AFSs): homegarden, coffee, coconut and mango. In total we established 224 plots in 56 plot clusters across four climate zones in southern India. Each plot cluster consisted of four plots: a natural forest reference plot, an agriculture reference and two of the same AFS types of two ages (30-60 years and > 60 years). The conversion of forest to agriculture resulted in a large loss the original SOC stock (50-61 %) in the top meter of soil depending on the climate zone. The establishment of homegarden and coffee AFSs on agriculture land caused SOC stocks to rebound to near forest levels, while in mango and coconut AFSs the SOC stock increased only slightly above the agriculture stock. The most important variable regulating SOC stocks and its changes was tree basal area, possibly indicative of organic matter inputs. Furthermore, climatic variables such as temperature and precipitation, and soil variables such as clay fraction and soil pH were likewise all important regulators of SOC and SOC stock changes. Lastly, we found a strong correlation between tree species diversity in homegarden and coffee AFSs and SOC stocks, highlighting possibilities to increase carbon stocks by proper tree species assemblies.

Nitrogen as a factor for enhanced carbon sequestration: Results from four NitroEurope-IP forest supersites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrom, A.

2012-04-01

Nitrogen (N) fertilization, both intended and unintended, interacts with carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, because the major processes of carbon (C) turnover depend on enzymes and thus on N availability. Comparisons between annual carbon dioxide flux (CO2) budgets and wet N deposition in forests showed a very strong linear increase of CO2 sequestration with increased N deposition. After considering total rather than only wet N deposition the ratios between increased carbon uptake and atmospheric N input were closer to C/N that can be found in wood. This suggested that the observed ecosystems responses to enhanced N inputs were mainly driven by plant responses. Finally, looking at changes in soil organic matter changes indicated even lower sensitivities of carbon sequestration to N addition. The objective of this study is to describe the mechanisms of the responses and the fate of the N in the ecosystem based on results from intensively investigated forest sites. Within the European NitroEuope-IP project the annual fluxes and pool sizes of C and N were estimated in four so-called forest supersites, including temperate coniferous forests in Southern Germany (Höglwald) and in the Netherlands (Speulderbos), one temperate beech forest close to Sorø on Zealand in Denmark and a boreal pine forest (Hyytiälä, Southern Finland). Due to differences in vegetation, bedrock and climate history, soils differed in acidity, organic matter content and biological activity; the levels of atmospheric N deposition varied from very low (Hyytiälä) to high (the other sites). Comparisons of N and C budgets of plants and soils confirmed a simple and stoichiometric effect dCuptake/dNdep = constant and in the order of magnitude of (C/N)wood for plants but not for soils and thus not for the forest ecosystems as a whole. Differences in soil processes as indicated by the differing C/N of SOM, differing amounts of N stored in the soil and considerable differences in N leaching rates even at comparable N deposition levels, showed clearly that the diversity of soils play a large role in the N use for C sequestration and thus for the beneficial effects of additional N loads on climate change mitigation effects in forests. An important conclusion of the study for intended forest fertilization is to consider N leaching to the ground water, which might even enhance the greenhouse effect through increased N2O emissions from streams, estuaries and coasts rather than mitigating it via increased CO2 sequestration at the forest site. Acknowledgements This work has been funded by the European Commission via the NitroEurope and CarboEurope integrated projects.

Treatment for unstable pulmonary sequestration injury in patient with severe blunt trauma: A case report.

PubMed

Hiraki, Sakiko; Okada, Yohei; Arai, Yusuke; Ishii, Wataru; Iiduka, Ryoji

2017-08-01

Pulmonary sequestration is a congenital malformation characterized by nonfunctioning tissue not communicating with the tracheobronchial tree. As the blood pressure in the artery feeding the sequestrated lung tissue is higher than that in the normal pulmonary artery, the risk of massive hemorrhage in pulmonary sequestration is high. We herein present the first case of a severe blunt trauma patient with unstable pulmonary sequestration injury. The mechanism of pulmonary sequestration injury is vastly different than that of injury to normal lung. We suggest that proximal feeding artery embolization should be performed before surgical intervention in patients with massive hemorrhage of pulmonary sequestration due to severe chest trauma.

Afraid to Start Because the Outcome is Uncertain?: Social Site Characterization as a Tool for Informing Public Engagement Efforts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wade, S.; Greenberg, S.

2009-01-01

This paper introduces the concept of social site characterization as a parallel effort to technical site characterization to be used in evaluating and planning carbon dioxides capture and storage (CCS) projects. Social site characterization, much like technical site characterization, relies on a series of iterative investigations into public attitudes towards a CCS project and the factors that will shape those views. This paper also suggests ways it can be used to design approaches for actively engaging stakeholders and communities in the deployment of CCS projects. This work is informed by observing the site selection process for FutureGen and the implementation of research projects under the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership Program. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leetaru, Hannes

This report describes a process and provides seed information for identifying and evaluating risks pertinent to a hypothetical carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) capture and sequestration (CCS) project. In the envisioned project, the target sequestration reservoir rock is the Potosi Formation of the Knox Supergroup. The Potosi is identified as a potential target formation because (1) at least locally, it contains vuggy to cavernous layers that have very high porosity, and (2) it is present in areas where the deeper Mt. Simon Sandstone (a known potential reservoir unit) is absent or nonporous. The key report content is discussed in Section 3.3,more » which describes two lists of Features, Events, and Processes (FEPs) that should be considered during the design stage of such a project. These lists primarily highlight risk elements particular to the establishment of the Potosi as the target formation in general. The lists are consciously incomplete with respect to risk elements that would be relevant for essentially all CCS projects regardless of location or geology. In addition, other risk elements specific to a particular future project site would have to be identified. Sources for the FEPs and scenarios listed here include the iconic Quintessa FEPs list developed for the International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas (IEAGHG) Programme; previous risk evaluation projects executed by Schlumberger Carbon Services; and new input solicited from experts currently working on aspects of CCS in the Knox geology. The projects used as sources of risk information are primarily those that have targeted carbonate reservoir rocks similar in age, stratigraphy, and mineralogy to the Knox-Potosi. Risks of using the Potosi Formation as the target sequestration reservoir for a CCS project include uncertainties about the levels of porosity and permeability of that rock unit; the lateral consistency and continuity of those properties; and the ability of the project team to identify suitable (i.e., persistently porous and permeable) injection depths within the overall formation. Less direct implications include the vertical position of the Potosi within the rock column and the absence of a laterally extensive shale caprock immediately overlying the Potosi. Based on modeling work done partly in association with this risk report, risks that should also be evaluated include the ability of available methods to predict and track the development of a CO{sub 2} plume as it migrates away from the injection point(s). The geologic and hydrodynamic uncertainties present risks that are compounded at the stage of acquiring necessary drilling and injection permits. It is anticipated that, in the future, a regional geologic study or CO{sub 2}-emitter request may identify a small specific area as a prospective CCS project site. At that point, the FEPs lists provided in this report should be evaluated by experts for their relative levels of risk. A procedure for this evaluation is provided. The higher-risk FEPs should then be used to write project-specific scenarios that may themselves be evaluated for risk. Then, actions to reduce and to manage risk can be described and undertaken. The FEPs lists provided as Appendix 2 should not be considered complete, as potentially the most important risks are ones that have not yet been thought of. But these lists are intended to include the most important risk elements pertinent to a Potosi-target CCS project, and they provide a good starting point for diligent risk identification, evaluation, and management.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hnottavange-Telleen, Ken; Leetaru, Hannes

This report describes a process and provides seed information for identifying and evaluating risks pertinent to a hypothetical carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and sequestration (CCS) project. In the envisioned project, the target sequestration reservoir rock is the Potosi Formation of the Knox Supergroup. The Potosi is identified as a potential target formation because (1) at least locally, it contains vuggy to cavernous layers that have very high porosity, and (2) it is present in areas where the deeper Mt. Simon Sandstone (a known potential reservoir unit) is absent or nonporous. The key report content is discussed in Section 3.3, whichmore » describes two lists of Features, Events, and Processes (FEPs) that should be considered during the design stage of such a project. These lists primarily highlight risk elements particular to the establishment of the Potosi as the target formation in general. The lists are consciously incomplete with respect to risk elements that would be relevant for essentially all CCS projects regardless of location or geology. In addition, other risk elements specific to a particular future project site would have to be identified. Sources for the FEPs and scenarios listed here include the iconic Quintessa FEPs list developed for the International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas (IEAGHG) Programme; previous risk evaluation projects executed by Schlumberger Carbon Services; and new input solicited from experts currently working on aspects of CCS in the Knox geology. The projects used as sources of risk information are primarily those that have targeted carbonate reservoir rocks similar in age, stratigraphy, and mineralogy to the Knox-Potosi. Risks of using the Potosi Formation as the target sequestration reservoir for a CCS project include uncertainties about the levels of porosity and permeability of that rock unit; the lateral consistency and continuity of those properties; and the ability of the project team to identify suitable (i.e., persistently porous and permeable) injection depths within the overall formation. Less direct implications include the vertical position of the Potosi within the rock column and the absence of a laterally extensive shale caprock immediately overlying the Potosi. Based on modeling work done partly in association with this risk report, risks that should also be evaluated include the ability of available methods to predict and track the development of a CO2 plume as it migrates away from the injection point(s). The geologic and hydrodynamic uncertainties present risks that are compounded at the stage of acquiring necessary drilling and injection permits. It is anticipated that, in the future, a regional geologic study or CO2-emitter request may identify a small specific area as a prospective CCS project site. At that point, the FEPs lists provided in this report should be evaluated by experts for their relative levels of risk. A procedure for this evaluation is provided. The higher-risk FEPs should then be used to write project-specific scenarios that may themselves be evaluated for risk. Then, actions to reduce and to manage risk can be described and undertaken. The FEPs lists provided as Appendix 2 should not be considered complete, as potentially the most important risks are ones that have not yet been thought of. But these lists are intended to include the most important risk elements pertinent to a Potosi-target CCS project, and they provide a good starting point for diligent risk identification, evaluation, and management.« less

Orientation Effects in Fault Reactivation in Geological CO2 Sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castelletto, N.; Ferronato, M.; Gambolati, G.; Janna, C.; Teatini, P.

2012-12-01

Geological CO2 sequestration remains one of the most promising option for reducing the greenhouse gases emission. The accurate simulation of the complex coupled physical processes occurring during the injection and the post-injection stage represents a key issue for investigating the feasibility and the safety of the sequestration. The fluid-dynamical and geochemical aspects related to sequestering CO2 underground have been widely debated in the scientific literature over more than one decade. Recently, the importance of geomechanical processes has been widely recognized. In the present modeling study, we focus on fault reactivation induced by injection, an essential aspect for the evaluation of CO2 sequestration projects that needs to be adequately investigated to avoid the generation of preferential leaking path for CO2 and the related risk of induced seismicity. We use a geomechanical model based on the structural equations of poroelasticity solved by the Finite Element (FE) - Interface Element (IE) approach. Standard FEs are used to represent a continuum, while IEs prove especially suited to assess the relative displacements of adjacent elements such as the opening and slippage of existing faults or the generation of new fractures [1]. The IEs allow for the modeling of fault mechanics using an elasto-plastic constitutive law based on the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. We analyze the reactivation of a single fault in a synthetic reservoir by varying the fault orientation and size, hydraulic conductivity of the faulted zone, initial vertical and horizontal stress state and Mohr-Coulomb parameters (i.e., friction angle and cohesion). References: [1] Ferronato, M., G. Gambolati, C. Janna, and P. Teatini (2008), Numerical modeling of regional faults in land subsidence prediction above gas/oil reservoirs, Int. J. Numer. Anal. Methods Geomech., 32, 633-657.

A kinetic rate model for crystalline basalt dissolution at temperature and pressure conditions relevant for geologic CO2 sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollyea, R.; Rimstidt, J. D.

2016-12-01

Geologic carbon sequestration in terrestrial basalt reservoirs is predicated on permanent CO2 trapping through CO2-water-rock dissolution reactions followed by carbonate precipitation. Bench-scale experiments have shown these reaction paths to be rapid, occurring on a timescale 100 - 102 years. Moreover, recent results from the CarbFix basalt sequestration pilot project in Iceland demonstrate >95% CO2 isolation two years after a small-scale injection. In order to assess the viability of basalt sequestration worldwide (e.g., Deccan Traps, Columbia Plateau, etc.), flexible simulation tools are required that distill the dissolution reactions into a user-friendly format that is readily transmissible to existing reactive transport numerical simulators. In the present research, we combine experimental results extant in the literature for Icelandic basalt to develop kinetic rate models describing the pH-dependent dissolution of (1) basaltic glass and (2) an aggregate mineral assemblage for crystalline basalt comprising olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase phases. In order to utilize these kinetic rate models with numerical simulation, a thermodynamic solubility model for each phase is developed for use with the reactive transport simulation code, TOUGHREACT. We use reactive transport simulation in a simple 1-D reactor to compare dissolution of the aggregate crystalline basalt phase with the traditional formulation comprising individual mineral phases for the crystalline basalt. Simulation results are in general agreement, illustrating the efficacy of this simplified approach for modeling basalt dissolution at temperature and pressure conditions typical of geologic CO2 reservoirs. Moreover, this approach may be of value to investigators seeking dissolution models for crystalline basalt in other mafic provinces.

A disconnect between O horizon and mineral soil carbon - Implications for soil C sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garten, Charles T., Jr.

2009-03-01

Changing inputs of carbon to soil is one means of potentially increasing carbon sequestration in soils for the purpose of mitigating projected increases in atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. The effect of manipulations of aboveground carbon input on soil carbon storage was tested in a temperate, deciduous forest in east Tennessee, USA. A 4.5-year experiment included exclusion of aboveground litterfall and supplemental litter additions (three times ambient) in an upland and a valley that differed in soil nitrogen availability. The estimated decomposition rate of the carbon stock in the O horizon was greater in the valley than in the upland due to higher litter quality (i.e., lower C/N ratios). Short-term litter exclusion or addition had no effect on carbon stock in the mineral soil, measured to a depth of 30 cm, or the partitioning of carbon in the mineral soil between particulate- and mineral-associated organic matter. A two-compartment model was used to interpret results from the field experiments. Field data and a sensitivity analysis of the model were consistent with little carbon transfer between the O horizon and the mineral soil. Increasing aboveground carbon input does not appear to be an effective means of promoting carbon sequestration in forest soil at the location of the present study because a disconnect exists in carbon dynamics between O horizon and mineral soil. Factors that directly increase inputs to belowground soil carbon, via roots, or reduce decomposition rates of organic matter are more likely to benefit efforts to increase carbon sequestration in forests where carbon dynamics in the O horizon are uncoupled from the mineral soil.

Coal bed sequestration of carbon dioxide

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanton, Robert; Flores, Romeo M.; Warwick, Peter D.; Gluskoter, Harold J.; Stricker, Gary D.

2001-01-01

Geologic sequestration of CO2 generated from fossil fuel combustion may be an environmentally attractive method to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Of the geologic options, sequestering CO2 in coal beds has several advantages. For example, CO2 injection can enhance methane production from coal beds; coal can trap CO2 for long periods of time; and potential major coal basins that contain ideal beds for sequestration are near many emitting sources of CO2.One mission of the Energy Resources Program of the U.S. Geological Survey is to maintain assessment information of the Nation’s resources of coal, oil, and gas. The National Coal Resources Assessment Project is currently completing a periodic assessment of 5 major coal-producing regions of the US. These regions include the Powder River and Williston and other Northern Rocky Mountain basins (Fort Union Coal Assessment Team, 1999), Colorado Plateau area (Kirschbaum and others, 2000), Gulf Coast Region, Appalachian Basin, and Illinois Basin. The major objective of this assessment is to estimate available coal resources and quality for the major producing coal beds of the next 25 years and produce digital databases and maps. Although the focus of this work has been on coal beds with the greatest potential for mining, it serves as a basis for future assessments of the coal beds for other uses such as coal bed methane resources, in situ gasification, and sites for sequestration of CO2. Coal bed methane production combined with CO2 injection and storage expands the use of a coal resource and can provide multiple benefits including increased methane recovery, methane drainage of a resource area, and the long-term storage of CO2.

Ultrasonic laboratory measurements of the seismic velocity changes due to CO2 injection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, K. G.; Choi, H.; Park, Y. C.; Hwang, S.

2009-04-01

Monitoring the behavior and movement of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the subsurface is a quite important in sequestration of CO2 in geological formation because such information provides a basis for demonstrating the safety of CO2 sequestration. Recent several applications in many commercial and pilot scale projects and researches show that 4D surface or borehole seismic methods are among the most promising techniques for this purpose. However, such information interpreted from the seismic velocity changes can be quite subjective and qualitative without petrophysical characterization for the effect of CO2 saturation on the seismic changes since seismic wave velocity depends on various factors and parameters like mineralogical composition, hydrogeological factors, in-situ conditions. In this respect, we have developed an ultrasonic laboratory measurement system and have carried out measurements for a porous sandstone sample to characterize the effects of CO2 injection to seismic velocity and amplitude. Measurements are done by ultrasonic piezoelectric transducer mounted on both ends of cylindrical core sample under various pressure, temperature, and saturation conditions. According to our fundamental experiments, injected CO2 introduces the decrease of seismic velocity and amplitude. We identified that the velocity decreases about 6% or more until fully saturated by CO2, but the attenuation of seismic amplitude is more drastically than the velocity decrease. We also identified that Vs/Vp or elastic modulus is more sensitive to CO2 saturation. We note that this means seismic amplitude and elastic modulus change can be an alternative target anomaly of seismic techniques in CO2 sequestration monitoring. Thus, we expect that we can estimate more quantitative petrophysical relationships between the changes of seismic attributes and CO2 concentration, which can provide basic relation for the quantitative assessment of CO2 sequestration by further researches.

Agroforestry, climate change, and food security

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Successfully addressing global climate change effects on agriculture will require a holistic, sustained approach incorporating a suite of strategies at multiple spatial scales and time horizons. In the USA of the 1930’s, bold and innovative leadership at high levels of government was needed to enact...

Tree establishment in floodplain agroforestry practices

Treesearch

Daniel C. Dey; John M. Kabrick; Michael A. Gold

2004-01-01

The benefits of soil mounding, a cover crop, and various nursery stock types were evaluated for establishing pin and swamp white oaks in floodplain crop fields. The two stock types were 1-0 bareroot and large (3- and 5-gallon) container seedlings grown by the RPMTM method.

Microbial community diversity in agroforestry and grass vegetative filter strips

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Vegetative filter strips (VFS) have long been promoted as a soil conservation practice that yields many additional environmental benefits. Most previous studies have focused primarily on the role of vegetation and/or soil physical properties in these ecosystem services. Few studies have investigated...

The potential of turmeric (Curcuma xanthorrhiza) in agroforestry system based on silk tree (Albizia chinensis)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purnomo, D.; Budiastuti, M. S.; Sakya, A. T.; Cholid, M. I.

2018-03-01

Turmeric (Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb.) is a traditional medicinal plant. In Indonesia, it is generally cultivated in village home gardens. Famers conducted very simpple cultivation method of turmeric, without specific maintenance and below varies tree. The experiment was conducted by cultivating turmeric below silk trees as in agroforetry system. The experiment was arranged split plot design, the first factor was three level of irradiation (turmeric monoculture/full irradiation, turmeric below silktree with pruning canopy, and turmeric below silk tree no pruning). The second factor was fertilizer NPK 15-15-15 with three levels of doses (100, 150, and 200 kg ha-1). Cultivating turmeric in agroforestry system based on silk tree which were one year old and not yet needed pruning, application of NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer 100 kg ha-1 was enough. The rhizome yield of turmeric 3 months age reaches 139 g per plant (fresh weight). Litter fall from a silk tree one year old in one year is 30 kg per tree per year.

[Canopy conductance characteristics of poplar in agroforestry system in west Liaoning Province of Northeast China].

PubMed

Li, Zheng; Niu, Li-Hua; Yuan, Feng-Hui; Guan, De-Xin; Wang, An-Zhi; Jin, Chang-Jie; Wu, Jia-Bing

2012-11-01

By using Granier' s thermal dissipation probe, the sap flow of poplar in a poplar-maize agroforestry system in west Liaoning was continuously measured, and as well, the environmental factors such as air temperature, air humidity, net radiation, wind speed, soil temperature, and soil moisture content were synchronically measured. Based on the sap flow data, the canopy conductance of poplar was calculated with simplified Penman-Monteith equation. In the study area, the diurnal variation of poplar' s canopy conductance showed a "single peak" curve, whereas the seasonal variation showed a decreasing trend. There was a negative logarithm relationship between the canopy conductance and vapor pressure deficit, with the sensitivity of canopy conductance to vapor pressure deficit change decreased gradually from May to September. The canopy conductance had a positive relationship with solar radiation. In different months, the correlation degree of canopy conductance with environmental factors differed. The vapor pressure deficit in the whole growth period of poplar was the most significant environmental factor correlated with the canopy conductance.

Bats and birds increase crop yield in tropical agroforestry landscapes.

PubMed

Maas, Bea; Clough, Yann; Tscharntke, Teja

2013-12-01

Human welfare is significantly linked to ecosystem services such as the suppression of pest insects by birds and bats. However, effects of biocontrol services on tropical cash crop yield are still largely unknown. For the first time, we manipulated the access of birds and bats in an exclosure experiment (day, night and full exclosures compared to open controls in Indonesian cacao agroforestry) and quantified the arthropod communities, the fruit development and the final yield over a long time period (15 months). We found that bat and bird exclusion increased insect herbivore abundance, despite the concurrent release of mesopredators such as ants and spiders, and negatively affected fruit development, with final crop yield decreasing by 31% across local (shade cover) and landscape (distance to primary forest) gradients. Our results highlight the tremendous economic impact of common insectivorous birds and bats, which need to become an essential part of sustainable landscape management. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Allelopathic activity and chemical constituents of walnut (Juglans regia) leaf litter in walnut-winter vegetable agroforestry system.

PubMed

Wang, Qian; Xu, Zheng; Hu, Tingxing; Rehman, Hafeez Ur; Chen, Hong; Li, Zhongbin; Ding, Bo; Hu, Hongling

2014-01-01

Walnut agroforestry systems have many ecological and economic benefits when intercropped with cool-season species. However, decomposing leaf litter is one of the main sources of allelochemicals in such systems. In this study, lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. angustata) was grown in the soil incorporated with walnut leaf litter to assess its allelopathic activity. Lettuce growth and physiological processes were inhibited by walnut leaf litter, especially during early growth stage (1-2 euphylla period) or with large amount of litter addition. The plants treated by small amount of leaf litter recovered their growth afterwards, while the inhibition for 180 g leaf litter persisted until harvest. Twenty-eight compounds were identified in the leaf litter, and several of them were reported to be phytotoxic, which may be responsible for the stress induced by walnut leaf litter. Thus, for highest economic value of vegetables such as lettuce, excessive incorporation of leaf litter should be discouraged.

Estimating the CO2 sequestration potential of depleted and fractured shale formations using CH4 production rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarens, A. F.; Tao, Z.

2013-12-01

Oil and gas production from hydraulically fractured shale formations is an abundant new source of domestically available energy for the United States. It will also result in significant CO2 emissions with important climate implications. Several studies have suggested that fractured shale formations could be used to permanently store CO2 once they are depleted of hydrocarbons. Many of the largest shale formations being developed in the United States have temperature and pressure profiles that are similar to those of saline aquifers being widely studied for geologic carbon sequestration. Here a modeling framework was developed that can be used to estimate the sequestration capacity for a shale formation based on historical CH4 production. The model is applied to those portions of the Marcellus formation found in Pennsylvania because reliable data on well production is readily available for this state. Production data from over 300 wells was compiled and used to estimate historical production and to extrapolate projected production. In shales, much of the CO2 would be sorbed to the pore and fracture surface and so this model considers sorption kinetics as well as total sorption capacity. The results suggest that shale formations could represent a significant repository for geologic carbon sequestration. The Marcellus shale in Pennsylvania alone could store between 10.4 and 18.4 Gigatonnes of CO2 between now and 2030. This would be over 50% of total annual US CO2 emissions from stationary sources. The mass transfer and sorption kinetics results indicate that CO2 injection proceeds several times faster than CH4 production. Model estimates were most sensitive to the permeability of the formation and assumptions about the ultimate ratio of adsorbed CH4 to CO2. CH4 production is a useful basis for calculating sequestration capacity because gas mass transfer out of the formation will be impacted by the same factors (e.g., temperature, pressure, and moisture content) influencing gas injection. The differences between horizontal and non-horizontal wells were taken into account to understand how well structure would influence gas transport kinetics. It was assumed that only the sorbed CO2 would stay in the formation over time. These estimates for sequestration capacity suggest that the approach merits further study to understand the viability of this approach and opportunities to leverage existing infrastructure. Other synergies could exist in terms of monitoring. Related impacts associated with induced seismicity and leakage would need to be explored to understand the full potential of this approach. The sequestration capacity estimated using this model supports continued exploration into this pathway for producing carbon neutral energy.

Carbon sequestration pilot program : estimated land available for carbon sequestration in the national highway system

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-05-01

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) established the Carbon Sequestration Pilot Program (CSPP) in 2008 to assess whether a roadside carbon sequestration effort through modified maintenance and management practices is appropriate and feasible for...

Soil quality in a pecan – Kura clover alley cropping system in the midwestern USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Intercropping alleys in agroforestry provides an income source until the tree crop produces harvestable yields. However, cultivation of annual crops decreases soil organic matter and increases soil erosion potential, especially on sloping landscapes. Perennial crops maintain a continuous soil cover,...

Phenological responses of juvenile pecan and white oak on an upland site

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pecan (Carya illinoiensis) and white oak (Quercus alba) produce multiple products and wildlife values, but their phenological responses to N fertilization have not been well characterized in an mixed species agroforestry practice. We compared tree height at planting and for six consecutive growing ...

Veterinary antibiotic sorption and transport through agroforestry buffer, grass buffer and cropland soils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Veterinary antibiotics (VAs), such as sulfamethazine (SMZ) are released into the environment by application of manure to agricultural fields. Understanding the fate and transport of VAs is important for assessing and mitigating possible environmental hazards. To study the effects of dissolved organi...

Soil quality indicator responses to row crop, grazed pasture, and agroforestry buffer management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Incorporation of trees and establishment of grass buffers within agroecosystems are management practices shown to enhance soil quality. Soil enzyme activities and water stable aggregates (WSA) have been identified as sensitive soil quality indicators to evaluate early responses to soil management. ...

Recreation and Agroforestry: Examining New Dimensions of Multifunctionality in Family Farms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbieri, Carla; Valdivia, Corinne

2010-01-01

Multifunctionality serves as an analytical framework to recognize many services that farms provide to their surrounding communities and society. This study explores an often overlooked dimension of multifunctionality by examining different recreational services provided by landowners in Missouri and analyzing the relationship between recreational…

36 CFR 230.36 - State priority plan-purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...—purpose and scope. (a) The State priority plan shall be used to guide FLEP implementation in each... describe the various roles and responsibilities of the State Forester, State Forest Stewardship... private forest and agroforestry resources; (3) Identification of the desired objectives and environmental...

APEX Model Simulation for Row Crop Watersheds with Agroforestry and Grass Buffers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Watershed model simulation has become an important tool in studying ways and means to reduce transport of agricultural pollutants. Conducting field experiments to assess buffer influences on water quality are constrained by the large-scale nature of watersheds, high experimental costs, private owner...

Agro-Forestry system in West Africa: integrating a green solution to cope with soil depletion towards agricultural sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monteiro, Filipa; Vidigal, Patricia; Romeiras, Maria Manuel; Ribeiro, Ana; Abreu, Maria Manuela; Viegas, Wanda; Catarino, Luís

2017-04-01

During the last decades, agriculture in West Africa has been marked by dramatic shifts with the coverage of single crops, increasing pressure over the available arable land. Yet, West African countries are still striving to achieve sustainable production at an increased scale for global market needs. Market-driven rapid intensification is often a major cause for cropland area expansion at the expense of deforestation and soil degradation, especially to export commodities in times of high prices. Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is nowadays an important export-oriented crop, being produced under intensive cultivation regimes in several tropical regions. Particularly, among the main cashew production areas, West Africa is the most recent and dynamic in the world, accounting for 45% of the world cashew nuts production in 2015. Considering its global market values, several developing countries rely on cashew nuts as national economy revenues, namely in Guinea-Bissau. Considering the intensive regime of cashew production in Guinea-Bissau, and as widely recognized, intensive agriculture linked with extensification can negatively impact ecosystems, affecting natural resources availability, soil erosion and arability compromised by excessive salinity. Ultimately this will result in the disruption of carbon - nitrogen cycle, important to the agricultural ecosystem sustainability. As such, tree intercropped with legumes as cover crops, offers a sustainable management of the land area, thus creating substantial benefits both economically and environmentally, as it enhances diversification of products outputs and proving to be more sustainable than forestry and/or agricultural monocultures. Soil fertility improvement is a key entry point for achieving food security, and also increment agriculture commodities of the agro-system. Without using inorganic fertilizers, the green solution for improving soil management is to incorporate adapted multi-purpose legumes as cover crops, reducing soil erosion as well as insect pests and associated diseases, while improves the yield of the main crop. The integration of legume in agroforestry systems offers an alternative and resilient strategy to increase N availability without increasing mineral N additions. As such, we present a case study of a forest-based system under intensive agriculture regime and propose an alternative sustainable system - the agroforestry system - by intercropping legumes, thus ensuring the sustainability of a cash crop sector both in terms of food security and soil resources. Results obtained from this case-study will therefore be important to demonstrate the global importance of agroforestry systems as key strategy for land use planning, sustainability of the agricultural systems as well as the preserving the environment of smallholder farms in the sub-Saharan Africa.

Coal-Gen attendees hear there's no magic bullet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

2007-09-15

Those attending COAL-GEN 2007 in August heard that there is no magic bullet for meeting the energy and infrastructure needs facing the USA. The article reports on the conference which addressed topics including development of supercritical circulating fluidized bed coal unit; IGCC projects, the importance of including carbon capture and sequestration, and the need to attract and train personnel to work in the power industry. 3 photos.

Consequences of carbon offset payments for the global forest sector

Treesearch

Joseph Buongiorno; Shushuai. Zhu

2013-01-01

Long-term effects of policies to induce carbon storage in forests were projected with the Global Forest Products Model. Offset pay- ments for carbon sequestered in forest biomass of $15–$50/t CO2 e applied in all countries increased CO2 sequestration in world forests by 5–14 billion tons from 2009 to 2030. Limiting implementation to developed countries exported...

Effects of Spring Drought on Carbon Sequestration, Evapotranspiration and Water Use Efficiency in the Songnen Meadow Steppe in Northeast China.

Treesearch

Gang Dong; Jixun Guo; Jiquan Chen; Ge Sun; Song Gao; et al

2011-01-01

Global climate change projections suggest an increasing frequency of droughts and extreme rain events in the steppes of the Eurasian region. Using the eddy covariance method, we measured carbon and water balances of a meadow steppe ecosystem in Northeast China during 2 years which had contrasting precipitation patterns in spring seasons in 2007 and 2008. The meadow...

A Machine-Learning and Filtering Based Data Assimilation Framework for Geologic Carbon Sequestration Monitoring Optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, B.; Harp, D. R.; Lin, Y.; Keating, E. H.; Pawar, R.

2017-12-01

Monitoring is a crucial aspect of geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) risk management. It has gained importance as a means to ensure CO2 is safely and permanently stored underground throughout the lifecycle of a GCS project. Three issues are often involved in a monitoring project: (i) where is the optimal location to place the monitoring well(s), (ii) what type of data (pressure, rate and/or CO2 concentration) should be measured, and (iii) What is the optimal frequency to collect the data. In order to address these important issues, a filtering-based data assimilation procedure is developed to perform the monitoring optimization. The optimal monitoring strategy is selected based on the uncertainty reduction of the objective of interest (e.g., cumulative CO2 leak) for all potential monitoring strategies. To reduce the computational cost of the filtering-based data assimilation process, two machine-learning algorithms: Support Vector Regression (SVR) and Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) are used to develop the computationally efficient reduced-order-models (ROMs) from full numerical simulations of CO2 and brine flow. The proposed framework for GCS monitoring optimization is demonstrated with two examples: a simple 3D synthetic case and a real field case named Rock Spring Uplift carbon storage site in Southwestern Wyoming.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Soltanian, Mohamad Reza; Amooie, Mohammad Amin; Cole, David R.

In this study, a field-scale carbon dioxide (CO 2) injection pilot project was conducted as part of the Southeast Regional Sequestration Partnership (SECARB) at Cranfield, Mississippi. We present higher-order finite element simulations of the compositional two-phase CO 2-brine flow and transport during the experiment. High- resolution static models of the formation geology in the Detailed Area Study (DAS) located below the oil- water contact (brine saturated) are used to capture the impact of connected flow paths on breakthrough times in two observation wells. Phase behavior is described by the cubic-plus-association (CPA) equation of state, which takes into account the polarmore » nature of water molecules. Parameter studies are performed to investigate the importance of Fickian diffusion, permeability heterogeneity, relative permeabilities, and capillarity. Simulation results for the pressure response in the injection well and the CO 2 breakthrough times at the observation wells show good agreement with the field data. For the high injection rates and short duration of the experiment, diffusion is relatively unimportant (high P clet numbers), while relative permeabilities have a profound impact on the pressure response. High-permeability pathways, created by fluvial deposits, strongly affect the CO 2 transport and highlight the importance of properly characterizing the formation heterogeneity in future carbon sequestration projects.« less

Developing ground penetrating radar (GPR) for enhanced root and soil organic carbon imaging: Optimizing bioenergy crop adaptation and agro-ecosystem services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hays, D. B.; Delgado, A.; Bruton, R.; Dobreva, I. D.; Teare, B.; Jessup, R.; Rajan, N.; Bishop, M. P.; Lacey, R.; Neely, H.; Hons, F.; Novo, A.

2016-12-01

Selection of the ideal high biomass energy feedstock and crop cultivars for our national energy and production needs should consider not only the value of the harvested above ground feedstock, but also the local and global environmental services it provides in terms of terrestrial carbon (C) phyto-sequestration and improved soil organic matter enrichment. Selection of ideal crops cultivars is mature, while biofuel feedstock is well under way. What is lacking, however, is high throughput phenotyping (HTP) and integrated real-time data analysis technologies for selecting ideal genotypes within these crops that also confer recalcitrant high biomass or perennial root systems not only for C phyto-sequestration, but also for adaptation to conservation agro-ecosystems, increasing soil organic matter and soil water holding capacity. In no-till systems, significant studies have shown that increasing soil organic carbon is derived primarily from root and not above ground biomass. As such, efforts to increase plant soil phyto-sequestration will require a focus on developing optimal root systems within cultivated crops. We propose to achieve a significant advancement in the use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) as one approach to phenotype root biomass and 3D architecture, and to quantify soil carbon sequestration. In this context, GPR can be used for genotypic selection in breeding nurseries and unadapted germplasm with favorable root architectures, and for assessing management and nutrient practices that promote root growth. GPR has been used for over a decade to successfully map coarse woody roots. Only few have evaluated its efficacy for imaging finer fibrous roots found in grasses, or tap root species. The objectives of this project is to: i) Empirically define the optimal ground penetrating radar (GPR)-antenna array for 3D root and soil organic carbon imaging and quantification in high biomass grass systems; and ii) Develop novel 3- and 4-dimensional data analysis methodologies for using GPR for non-invasive crop root and soil C phyto-sequestration 3-D imaging and quantification within a spatially variable soil matrix. Current results and future directions will be presented and discussed.

Effects of national ecological restoration projects on carbon sequestration in China from 2001 to 2010.

PubMed

Lu, Fei; Hu, Huifeng; Sun, Wenjuan; Zhu, Jiaojun; Liu, Guobin; Zhou, Wangming; Zhang, Quanfa; Shi, Peili; Liu, Xiuping; Wu, Xing; Zhang, Lu; Wei, Xiaohua; Dai, Limin; Zhang, Kerong; Sun, Yirong; Xue, Sha; Zhang, Wanjun; Xiong, Dingpeng; Deng, Lei; Liu, Bojie; Zhou, Li; Zhang, Chao; Zheng, Xiao; Cao, Jiansheng; Huang, Yao; He, Nianpeng; Zhou, Guoyi; Bai, Yongfei; Xie, Zongqiang; Tang, Zhiyao; Wu, Bingfang; Fang, Jingyun; Liu, Guohua; Yu, Guirui

2018-04-17

The long-term stressful utilization of forests and grasslands has led to ecosystem degradation and C loss. Since the late 1970s China has launched six key national ecological restoration projects to protect its environment and restore degraded ecosystems. Here, we conducted a large-scale field investigation and a literature survey of biomass and soil C in China's forest, shrubland, and grassland ecosystems across the regions where the six projects were implemented (∼16% of the country's land area). We investigated the changes in the C stocks of these ecosystems to evaluate the contributions of the projects to the country's C sink between 2001 and 2010. Over this decade, we estimated that the total annual C sink in the project region was 132 Tg C per y (1 Tg = 10 12 g), over half of which (74 Tg C per y, 56%) was attributed to the implementation of the projects. Our results demonstrate that these restoration projects have substantially contributed to CO 2 mitigation in China.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grigg, Reid; McPherson, Brian; Lee, Rober

The Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration (SWP) one of seven regional partnerships sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) carried out five field pilot tests in its Phase II Carbon Sequestration Demonstration effort, to validate the most promising sequestration technologies and infrastructure concepts, including three geologic pilot tests and two terrestrial pilot programs. This field testing demonstrated the efficacy of proposed sequestration technologies to reduce or offset greenhouse gas emissions in the region. Risk mitigation, optimization of monitoring, verification, and accounting (MVA) protocols, and effective outreach and communication were additional critical goals of these field validation tests. Themore » program included geologic pilot tests located in Utah, New Mexico, Texas, and a region-wide terrestrial analysis. Each geologic sequestration test site was intended to include injection of a minimum of ~75,000 tons/year CO{sub 2}, with minimum injection duration of one year. These pilots represent medium- scale validation tests in sinks that host capacity for possible larger-scale sequestration operations in the future. These validation tests also demonstrated a broad variety of carbon sink targets and multiple value-added benefits, including testing of enhanced oil recovery and sequestration, enhanced coalbed methane production and a geologic sequestration test combined with a local terrestrial sequestration pilot. A regional terrestrial sequestration demonstration was also carried out, with a focus on improved terrestrial MVA methods and reporting approaches specific for the Southwest region.« less

Role of litter turnover in soil quality in tropical degraded lands of Colombia.

PubMed

León, Juan D; Osorio, Nelson W

2014-01-01

Land degradation is the result of soil mismanagement that reduces soil productivity and environmental services. An alternative to improve degraded soils through reactivation of biogeochemical nutrient cycles (via litter production and decomposition) is the establishment of active restoration models using new forestry plantations, agroforestry, and silvopastoral systems. On the other hand, passive models of restoration consist of promoting natural successional processes with native plants. The objective in this review is to discuss the role of litter production and decomposition as a key strategy to reactivate biogeochemical nutrient cycles and thus improve soil quality in degraded land of the tropics. For this purpose the results of different projects of land restoration in Colombia are presented based on the dynamics of litter production, nutrient content, and decomposition. The results indicate that in only 6-13 years it is possible to detect soil properties improvements due to litter fall and decomposition. Despite that, low soil nutrient availability, particularly of N and P, seems to be major constraint to reclamation of these fragile ecosystems.

Sustainable development and use of ecosystems with non-forest trees

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Non-forest trees are components of managed ecosystems including orchards and agroforestry systems and natural ecosystems such as savannas and riparian corridors. Each of these ecosystems includes trees but does not have a complete tree canopy or spatial extent necessary to create a true forest ecosy...

APEX simulation: environmental benefits of agroforestry and grass buffers on corn-soybean watersheds

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Policy Environmental Extender (APEX) model has the ability to simulate the effects of vegetative filter strips on runoff and pollutant loadings from agricultural watersheds. The objectives of this study were to calibrate and validate the APEX model for three adjacent watersheds and...

Assessing Farmer Innovations in Agroforestry in Eastern Zambia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katanga, R.; Kabwe, G.; Kuntashula, E.; Mafongoya, P. L.; Phiri, S.

2007-01-01

This paper describes farmer innovations on improved fallows developed by researchers to replenish soil fertility. The reasons for the innovations and how these innovations are facilitating wide adoption of improved fallows are discussed. Research designed trial results to evaluate the ecological robustness of these innovations are also analyzed in…

Soil quality parameters for row-crop and grazed pasture systems with agroforestry buffers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Incorporation of trees and establishment of buffers are practices that can improve soil quality. Soil enzyme activities and water stable aggregates are sensitive indices for assessing soil quality by detecting early changes in soil management. However, studies comparing grazed pasture and row crop...

Branching out: Agroforestry as a climate change mitigation and adaptation tool for agriculture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The United States and Canadian agricultural lands are being targeted to provide more environmental and economic services while at the same time their capacity to provide these services under potential climate change (CC) is being questioned. Predictions of future climate conditions include longer gr...

Calibration and use of plate meter regressions for pasture mass estimation in an Appalachian silvopasture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A standardized plate meter for measuring pasture mass was calibrated at the Agroforestry Research and Demonstration Site in Blacksburg, VA, using six ungrazed plots of established tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceae) overseeded with orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata). Each plot was interplanted with b...

Apex simulation: environmental benefits of agroforestry and grass buffers for corn-soybean watersheds

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Policy Environmental Extender (APEX) model is used to simulate the effects of vegetative filter strips on runoff and pollutant loadings from agricultural watersheds. A long-term paired watershed study under corn (Zea mays L-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation with agroforestr...

Influence of low light intensity and soil flooding on cacao physiology

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Growth and development of plants frequently are limited by multiple abiotic stresses that occur simultaneously in the environment. Cabruca’ an agroforestry system is a main cropping system invariably adapted for cultivation of cacao in southern Bahia, Brazil. In this system of management cacao is gr...

78 FR 10003 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Notice 2009-XX (NOT-151370-08)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-12

... comments concerning Notice 2009-XX, Credit for Carbon Dioxide Sequestration under Section 45Q. [email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Credit for Carbon Dioxide Sequestration under Section... carbon dioxide sequestration (CO 2 sequestration credit) under Sec. 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code...

Sequestration of Soil Carbon as Secondary Carbonates (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lal, R.

2013-12-01

Rattan Lal Carbon Management and Sequestration Center The Ohio State University Columbus, OH 43210 USA Abstract World soils, the major carbon (C) reservoir among the terrestrial pools, contain soil organic C (SOC) and soil inorganic C (SIC). The SIC pool is predominant in soils of arid and semi-arid regions. These regions cover a land area of about 4.9x109 ha. The SIC pool in soils containing calcic and petrocalcic horizons is estimated at about 695-748 Pg (Pg = 1015 g = 1 gigaton) to 1-m depth. There are two types of carbonates. Lithogenic or primary carbonates are formed from weathering of carbonaceous rocks. Pedogenic or secondary carbonates are formed by dissolution of CO2 in the soil air to form carbonic acid and precipitation as carbonates of Ca+2 or Mg+2. It is the availability of Ca+2 or Mg+2 from outside the ecosystem that is essential to sequester atmospheric CO2. Common among outside sources of Ca+2 or Mg+2 are irrigation water, aerial deposition, sea breeze, fertilizers, manure and other amendments. The decomposition of SOC and root respiration may increase the partial pressure of CO2 in the soil air and lead to the formation of HCO_3^- upon dissolution in H20. Precipitation of secondary carbonates may result from decreased partial pressure of CO2 in the sub-soil, increased concentration of Ca+2, Mg+2 and HCO_3^- in soil solution, and decreased soil moisture content by evapotranspiration. Transport of bicarbonates in irrigated soils and subsequent precipitation above the ground water (calcrete), activity of termites and other soil fauna, and management of urban soils lead to formation of secondary carbonates. On a geologic time scale, weathering of silicate minerals and transport of the by-products into the ocean is a geological process of sequestration of atmospheric CO2. Factors affecting formation of secondary carbonates include land use, and soil and crop management including application of biosolids, irrigation and the quality of irrigation water, activity and species diversity of soil biota, management of soil fertility and application of Ca-bearing amendments (e.g., lime, single and triple super phosphate, manure), and adoption of conservation-effective measures which trap alluvial and aeolian sediments. Even the low rate of formation of secondary carbonates at 2-5 kg C/ha/yr has implications to aggregation, and microbiological and regolith properties. The isotropic composition of secondary carbonates is a useful tool for reconstructing paleoecological conditions. Researchable priorities include: 1) assessment of the depth distribution of CO2 concentration in soil air and its spatial and temporal variation in relation to tillage systems, crop residue management, fertilizer and manuring, irrigation, cover cropping, agroforestry, etc., 2) understanding the effects of micro and meso-climate (e.g., rainfall, evapotranspiration, air and soil temperatures) on CO2 concentration in soil air, 3) determination of the relation between soil profile characteristics (texture, structure, horizonation, hydrology) and secondary carbonates at present and under paleoecological conditions, 4) establishing the relationship between SOC and SIC pools, 5) determination of the impacts of deforestation, biomass burning, wild fires, drought, inundation, etc., on SIC dynamics, and 6) evaluating the effects of secondary carbonates on soil aggregation and water retention.

Time scale dependent negative emission potential of forests and biomass plantations via wood burial, torrefied biomass, biochar and pyrogas condensate sequestration in soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Hans-Peter; Kammann, Claudia; Lucht, Wolfgang; Gerten, Dieter; Foidl, Nikolaus

2017-04-01

The efficiency of Negative Emission Technologies (NET) is dependent on (1) the transformation of the biomass carbon into a form that can be sequestered, (2) the mean residence time of the sequestered carbon, (3) the regrowth and thus carbon re-accumulation of the harvested biomass, and (4) the positive or negative priming of soil carbon. These four parameters define the time scale dependent C-balance of various NET-Systems and permit a global economic and environmental evaluation. As far as geologic CO2 storage is considered to be feasible with close to zero losses and if the energy for transport, transformation and disposal is taken from the process bioenergy, conventional BE-CCS has a C sequestration potential of 50 - 70 % depending on the type of biomass and the technology used. Beside unknown risks of deep stored CO2 and high costs, regrowth of C-accumulating biomass is hampered in the long-term as not only carbon but also essential soil nutrients are mined. Under this scenario, biomass regrowth is expected to slow down and soil carbon content to decrease. These factors enlarge the time horizon until a BE-CCS system becomes carbon neutral and eventual carbon negative (when biomass regrowth exceeds the difference between the harvested biomass carbon and BE-CCS stored carbon). Thermal treatment of biomass under a low oxygen regime (torrefaction, pyrolysis, gasification) can transform up to 85% of biomass carbon into various solid and liquid forms of recalcitrant carbon that can be sequestered. Depending on the process parameters and temperature, the mean residence time of the torrefied or pyrolysed biomass can last from several decennials to centennials when applied to the soil of the biomass production site. The carbon can thus be stored at comparatively low costs within the ecosystem itself. As the thermal treatment preserves most of the biomass-accumulated nutrients (except N), natural nutrient cycles are maintained within the biomass system. Depending on the quality of the charred biomass (biochar), post thermal treatment and plant nutrient enhancement, regrowth is expected to accelerate and soil carbon content to increase. Overall, the time until such a biochar based CSS systems generates negative carbon emissions (biomass regrowth exceeds the C-loss from CSS transformation) can thus be reduced compared to BE-CCS while increasing the sustainability of the global biomass production system and fostering ecosystem services. In our presentation we will provide first assessments of various biochar-based CCS systems and compare them to conventional BE-CCS, an evaluation of their global time scale dependent C-sequestration potential and their economic frame. E.g. (1) a biochar system with pyrolysis temperatures of 750°C and without liquefying the pyrolysis gases delivers a very recalcitrant biochar but the C-efficiency is low (40%) and fostering of regrowth is only about 10-15%. A (2) biochar system with trunk burial, pyrolysis of needles, bark, twigs, and branches with organic N-enhancement, and pyrolysis gas condensation and chemical oxidation could achieve a C-efficiency of 85% to 90% and foster regrowth over a time scale of 60% by up to 50%. Future challenges of biochar classification, certification, ecotoxicology, C-leaching, carbon credits and integration into agro-forestry practices will be discussed.

A Full-Featured User Friendly CO 2-EOR and Sequestration Planning Software

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Savage, Bill

A Full-Featured, User Friendly CO 2-EOR and Sequestration Planning Software This project addressed the development of an integrated software solution that includes a graphical user interface, numerical simulation, visualization tools and optimization processes for reservoir simulation modeling of CO 2-EOR. The objective was to assist the industry in the development of domestic energy resources by expanding the application of CO 2-EOR technologies, and ultimately to maximize the CO 2} sequestration capacity of the U.S. The software resulted in a field-ready application for the industry to address the current CO 2-EOR technologies. The software has been made available to the publicmore » without restrictions and with user friendly operating documentation and tutorials. The software (executable only) can be downloaded from NITEC’s website at www.nitecllc.com. This integrated solution enables the design, optimization and operation of CO 2-EOR processes for small and mid-sized operators, who currently cannot afford the expensive, time intensive solutions that the major oil companies enjoy. Based on one estimate, small oil fields comprise 30% of the of total economic resource potential for the application of CO 2-EOR processes in the U.S. This corresponds to 21.7 billion barrels of incremental, technically recoverable oil using the current “best practices”, and 31.9 billion barrels using “next-generation” CO 2-EOR techniques. The project included a Case Study of a prospective CO 2-EOR candidate field in Wyoming by a small independent, Linc Energy Petroleum Wyoming, Inc. NITEC LLC has an established track record of developing innovative and user friendly software. The Principle Investigator is an experienced manager and engineer with expertise in software development, numerical techniques, and GUI applications. Unique, presently-proprietary NITEC technologies have been integrated into this application to further its ease of use and technical functionality.« less

JV Task 77 - Health Implications of Mercury - Selenium Interactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nicholas Ralstion; Laura Raymond

2007-12-15

Exposure to mercury (Hg) commonly results from eating fish containing bioaccumulated methylmercury (MeHg). However, conflicting observations and conclusions have arisen from the ongoing human studies of MeHg exposure from fish consumption. Resolving these uncertainties has important implications for human health since significant nutritional benefits will be lost if fish consumption is needlessly avoided. Selenium (Se), an important nutrient that is abundant in ocean fish, has a potent protective effect against Hg toxicity. This protective effect was thought to be due to the high binding affinities between Hg and Se resulting in Se sequestration of Hg to prevent its harmful effects.more » However, it is imperative to consider the opposing effect of Hg on Se physiology. Crucial proteins that require Se normally protect the brain and hormone-producing glands from oxidative damage. MeHg is able to cross all biological barriers and enter cells in these tissues, where its high Se affinity results in Se sequestration. Sequestration in association with Hg prevents Se from participating in proteins that perform essential antioxidant activities. Supplemental dietary Se is able to replace Se sequestered by Hg and maintain normal antioxidant protection of brain and glands. The goal of this research project was to assess the potency of normal dietary levels of Se in protection against MeHg toxicity. Results from this project indicate that MeHg toxicity is only evident in situations resulting in Hg occurring in high molar excess of Se. Additionally, the common method of MeHg risk assessments using measurements of toenail and blood levels of Hg was shown to provide an accurate reflection of Hg exposure but did not accurately indicate risk of toxicity resulting from that exposure. Instead, Hg:Se molar ratios are proposed as a superior means of assessing risks associated with MeHg exposure.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

The Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Program, required by Section 1605(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, records the results of voluntary measures to reduce, avoid, or sequester greenhouse gas emissions. In 1998, 156 US companies and other organizations reported to the Energy information Administration that, during 1997, they had achieved greenhouse gas emission reductions and carbon sequestration equivalent to 166 million tons of carbon dioxide, or about 2.5% of total US emissions for the year. For the 1,229 emission reduction projects reported, reductions usually were measured by comparing an estimate of actual emissions with an estimate of whatmore » emissions would have been had the project not been implemented.« less

Status and potential of terrestrial carbon sequestration in West Virginia

Treesearch

Benktesh D. Sharma; Jingxin Wang

2011-01-01

Terrestrial ecosystem management offers cost-effective ways to enhance carbon (C) sequestration. This study utilized C stock and C sequestration in forest and agricultural lands, abandoned mine lands, and harvested wood products to estimate the net current annual C sequestration in West Virginia. Several management options within these components were simulated using a...

Environmental Impacts of the Production and Application of Biochar - EuroChar Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rack, Mireille; Woods, Jeremy

2014-05-01

One of the potential benefits of biochar is carbon sequestration. To determine the overall net sequestration potential it is important to analyse the full supply chain, assessing both the direct and indirect emissions associated with the production and application of biochar. However, it is essential to also incorporate additional environmental impact categories to ensure the assessment of a more complete environmental impact profile. This paper uses a full life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to evaluate the results from the EuroChar, 'biochar for carbon sequestration and large-scale removal of GHG from the atmosphere', project. This EU Seventh Framework Programme project aims to investigate and reduce uncertainties around the impacts of, and opportunities for, biochar, and in particular explore possible pathways for its introduction into modern agricultural systems in Europe. The LCA methodology, according to the ISO standards, is applied to the project-specific supply chains to analyse the environmental impacts of biochar production and application. Two conversion technologies for the production of biochar are assessed, gasification and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), in order to provide conversion efficiencies and emission factors for the biochar production component of the supply chain. The selected feedstocks include those derived from waste residues and dedicated crops. For the end use stage, various forms and methods for biochar application are considered. In addition to the Global Warming Potential category, other environmental impact categories are also included in the analysis. The resulting 'feedstock * conversion technology' matrix provides nine pathways for the production and application of biochar, which are applied as a representative basis for the scenario modelling. These scenarios have been developed in order to assess the feedstock and land availability in Europe for the production and application of biochar and to give an order of magnitude assessment as to the potential role for biochar as a material climate mitigation option. Preliminary results show net negative supply chain emissions, indicating biochar to be a carbon sink. Overall, the life cycle stage that contributes most significantly to the environmental impact profile is feedstock production. Feedstock selection is therefore expected to play a key role in determining the overall viability of biochar production and its use in land application. Further sensitivity analyses show that the allocation method of the attributional LCA has the greatest impact on the results, followed by the oxidation rate of the carbon in the biochar, and the transportation distances of the feedstock and biochar. Indirect impacts, such as avoided use of fossil fuel, can significantly alter the results. As the EuroChar project comes to a completion at the end of May 2014, the near-final results are presented at the EGU 2014 General Assembly.

Geochemical Monitoring Considerations for the FutureGen 2.0 Project

DOE PAGES

Amonette, James E.; Johnson, Timothy A.; Spencer, Clayton F.; ...

2014-12-31

Geochemical monitoring is an essential component of a suite of monitoring technologies designed to evaluate CO2 mass balance and detect possible loss of containment at the FutureGen 2.0 geologic sequestration site near Jacksonville, IL. This presentation gives an overview of the potential geochemical approaches and tracer technologies that were considered, and describes the evaluation process by which the most cost-effective and robust of these were selected for implementation

Simulating carbon sequestration using cellular automata and land use assessment for Karaj, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khatibi, Ali; Pourebrahim, Sharareh; Mokhtar, Mazlin Bin

2018-06-01

Carbon sequestration has been proposed as a means of slowing the atmospheric and marine accumulation of greenhouse gases. This study used observed and simulated land use/cover changes to investigate and predict carbon sequestration rates in the city of Karaj. Karaj, a metropolis of Iran, has undergone rapid population expansion and associated changes in recent years, and these changes make it suitable for use as a case study for rapidly expanding urban areas. In particular, high quality agricultural space, green space and gardens have rapidly transformed into industrial, residential and urban service areas. Five classes of land use/cover (residential, agricultural, rangeland, forest and barren areas) were considered in the study; vegetation and soil samples were taken from 20 randomly selected locations. The level of carbon sequestration was determined for the vegetation samples by calculating the amount of organic carbon present using the dry plant weight method, and for soil samples by using the method of Walkley and Black. For each area class, average values of carbon sequestration in vegetation and soil samples were calculated to give a carbon sequestration index. A cellular automata approach was used to simulate changes in the classes. Finally, the carbon sequestration indices were combined with simulation results to calculate changes in carbon sequestration for each class. It is predicted that, in the 15 year period from 2014 to 2029, much agricultural land will be transformed into residential land, resulting in a severe reduction in the level of carbon sequestration. Results from this study indicate that expansion of forest areas in urban counties would be an effective means of increasing the levels of carbon sequestration. Finally, future opportunities to include carbon sequestration into the simulation of land use/cover changes are outlined.

Going With the Flow: An Aid in Detecting and Differentiating Bronchopulmonary Sequestrations and Hybrid Lesions.

PubMed

Oliver, Edward R; DeBari, Suzanne E; Giannone, Mariann M; Pogoriler, Jennifer E; Johnson, Ann M; Horii, Steven C; Gebb, Juliana S; Howell, Lori J; Adzick, N Scott; Coleman, Beverly G

2018-02-01

To assess the ability of prenatal ultrasound (US) in identifying systemic feeding arteries in bronchopulmonary sequestrations and hybrid lesions and report the ability of US in classifying bronchopulmonary sequestrations as intralobar or extralobar. Institutional Review Board-approved radiology and clinical database searches from 2008 to 2015 were performed for prenatal lung lesions with final diagnoses of bronchopulmonary sequestrations or hybrid lesions. All patients had detailed US examinations, and most patients had ultrafast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Lesion location, size, and identification of systemic feeding arteries and draining veins were assessed with US. The study consisted of 102 bronchopulmonary sequestrations and 86 hybrid lesions. The median maternal age was 30 years. The median gestational age was 22 weeks 5 days. Of bronchopulmonary sequestrations, 66 had surgical pathologic confirmation, and 100 had postnatal imaging. Bronchopulmonary sequestration locations were intrathoracic (n = 77), intra-abdominal (n = 19), and transdiaphragmatic (n = 6). Of hybrid lesions, 84 had surgical pathologic confirmation, and 83 had postnatal imaging. Hybrid lesion locations were intrathoracic (n = 84) and transdiaphragmatic (n = 2). Ultrasound correctly identified systemic feeding arteries in 86 of 102 bronchopulmonary sequestrations and 79 of 86 hybrid lesions. Of patients who underwent MRI, systemic feeding arteries were reported in 62 of 92 bronchopulmonary sequestrations and 56 of 81 hybrid lesions. Ultrasound identified more systemic feeding arteries than MRI in both bronchopulmonary sequestrations and hybrid lesions (P < .01). Magnetic resonance imaging identified systemic feeding arteries that US did not in only 2 cases. In cases in which both systemic feeding arteries and draining veins were identified, US could correctly predict intrathoracic lesions as intralobar or extralobar in 44 of 49 bronchopulmonary sequestrations and 68 of 73 hybrid lesions. Ultrasound is most accurate for systemic feeding artery detection in bronchopulmonary sequestrations and hybrid lesions and can also type the lesions as intralobar or extralobar when draining veins are evaluated. © 2017 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

The geographic concentration of blue carbon in the continental US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feagin, R. A.; Hinson, A.

2014-12-01

Salt water wetlands have the potential to be bought and sold as relatively rich reservoirs of carbon in the context of sequestration projects. However, little is known about the geographic distribution of this potential, and no coarse scale investigation has addressed this ecosystem service at the continental scale. Our objective was to determine blue carbon stocks and flux in coastal wetland soils in the United States and categorize the potential for projects by estuarine basin, state, and wetland type. We linked National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) data with the Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) through spatial analysis within a Geographic Information System (GIS). We then calculated and mapped soil organic carbon across the continental US. Results were filtered by state, estuarine basin, wetland type, and accumulation rate, and ranking lists for each categorization were produced. The results showed that belowground carbon accumulation is concentrated in specific regions, with the richest and largest reservoirs in the Gulf and Atlantic southeastern estuaries, for example mangrove zones in Florida. Salt marshes on the southern Pacific Coast were relatively low in carbon due to small areas of coverage and the presence of sandy and inorganic soil. The geomorphic position of a wetland within a given estuary, for example on an exposed barrier island versus recessed towards inflowing headwaters, accounted for a greater degree of soil carbon variation than the wetland type, for example woody mangroves versus herbaceous marshes. The potential of a blue carbon sequestration project in relation to its location could be influential in determining wetland policy, conservation, and restoration in the coming decades.

Quantification of key long-term risks at CO₂ sequestration sites: Latest results from US DOE's National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) Project

DOE PAGES

Pawar, Rajesh; Bromhal, Grant; Carroll, Susan; ...

2014-12-31

Risk assessment for geologic CO₂ storage including quantification of risks is an area of active investigation. The National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) is a US-Department of Energy (US-DOE) effort focused on developing a defensible, science-based methodology and platform for quantifying risk profiles at geologic CO₂ sequestration sites. NRAP has been developing a methodology that centers round development of an integrated assessment model (IAM) using system modeling approach to quantify risks and risk profiles. The IAM has been used to calculate risk profiles with a few key potential impacts due to potential CO₂ and brine leakage. The simulation results are alsomore » used to determine long-term storage security relationships and compare the long-term storage effectiveness to IPCC storage permanence goal. Additionally, we also demonstrate application of IAM for uncertainty quantification in order to determine parameters to which the uncertainty in model results is most sensitive.« less

Nitrogen Deposition to and Cycling in a Deciduous Forest

DOE PAGES

Pryor, Sara C.; Barthelmie, Rebecca J.; Carreiro, Margaret; ...

2001-01-01

The project described here seeks to answer questions regarding the role increased nitrogen (N) deposition is playing in enhanced carbon (C) sequestration in temperate mid-latitude forests, using detailed measurements from an AmeriFlux tower in southern Indiana (Morgan-Monroe State Forest, or MMSF). The measurements indicate an average atmosphere-surface N flux of approximately 6 mg-N m -2 day -1 during the 2000 growing season, with approximately 40% coming from dry deposition of ammonia (NH 3 ), nitric acid (HNO 3 ), and particle-bound N. Wet deposition and throughfall measurements indicate significant canopy uptake of N (particularly NH 4 +) at the site,more » leading to a net canopy exchange (NCE) of –6 kg-N ha -1 for the growing season. These data are used in combination with data on the aboveground C:N ratio, litterfall flux, and soil net N mineralization rates to indicate the level of potential perturbation of C sequestration at this site.« less

Soil quality differences in a mature alley cropping system in temperate North America

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Alley cropping in agroforestry practices has been shown to improve soil quality, however information on long-term effects (>10 years) of alley cropping on soils in the temperate zone is very limited. The objective of this study was to examine effects of management, landscape, and soil depth on soil...