Search
How does uncertainty of soil organic carbon stock affect carbon budget and credit calculation for croplands in the U.S. Midwest?

January 01, 2023 | Geoderma |

Introduction: Understanding the carbon dynamics within croplands is crucial for combating climate change. This necessitates accurate assessments of carbon budgets and soil carbon credits, which reflect the carbon flow and storage in agroecosystems. However, uncertainties in soil organic carbon (SOC) data pose challenges to precise calculations, especially in regions like the U.S. Midwest. To address this, a US research team led by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign utilized a robust agroecosystem model to examine the impact of SOC data discrepancies on carbon budget assessments, focusing on corn-soybean rotation systems. 

Key findings: The analysis uncovered significant variations in simulated carbon budgets depending on the soil dataset used, highlighting the critical role of precise SOC measurements. Interestingly, while initial SOC percentages heavily influenced carbon budget components, the calculation of soil carbon credits proved less sensitive to SOC inputs. Despite uncertainties, existing soil datasets like gSSURGO are suitable for soil carbon credit calculations, offering valuable insights for climate mitigation strategies in agriculture (Read more).

 

Figure | (a) Soil organic carbon (SOC) stock of Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa integrated over 0–100 cm using data from gSSURGO, and the location of Champaign County, Illinois; (b) The distribution of 0–100 cm SOC stock in Champaign County, Illinois.

Viewed Articles
How does uncertainty of soil organic carbon stock affect carbon budget and credit calculation for croplands in the U.S. Midwest?
January 01, 2023 | Geoderma | Introduction: Understanding the carbon dynamics within croplands is crucial for combating climate change. This necessitates accurate assessments of carbon budgets and soi
Read More
Priority science can accelerate agroforestry as a natural climate solution
September 28, 2023 | Nature Climate Change | Source | Introduction: Led by Nature Conservancy, an international research consortium of researchers from the US, France, Brazil, and Zimbabwei defines ag
Modeling Soil Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Environmental Defense Fund | Source | Download | Agricultural soils globally are critical for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, vital for climate
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Potential of Alternate Wetting and Drying for Rice Production at National Scale—A Modeling Case Study for the Philippines
May 5, 2022 | JGR Biogeosciences | Source |  Introduction: Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), a technique that involves intermittently drying fields to maintain a shallow soil water table, has emerge
Going deep: Roots, carbon, and analyzing subsoil carbon dynamics
January 01, 2024 | Molecular Plant | Source | Comment: Agricultural practices contribute significantly to atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions, with tillage accelerating soil disruption and carbon rel
Addressing dairy industry's scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions by efficiently managing farm carbon footprints
April, 2023 | Environmental Challenges | Source |  Introduction: Upstream greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (i.e. scope 3)—accounting for 70–90% of the dairy industry’s total emissions—pose a persistent
TOP