Offsetting China's CO2 Emissions by Soil Carbon Sequestration

Fossil fuel emissions of carbon (C) in China in 2000 was about 1 Pg/yr, which may surpass that of the U.S. (1.84 Pg C) by 2020. Terrestrial C pool of China comprises about 35 to 60 Pg in the forest and 120 to 186 Pg in soils. Soil degradation is a major issue affecting 145 Mha by different degradative processes, of which 126 Mha are prone to accelerated soil erosion. Similar to world soils, agricultural soils of China have also lost 30 to 50% or more of the antecedent soil organic carbon (SOC) pool.Some of the depleted SOC pool can be re-sequestered through restoration of degraded soils, and adoption of recommended management practices. The latter include conversion of upland crops to multiple cropping and rice paddies, adoption of integrated nutrient management (INM) strategies, incorporation of cover crops in the rotations cycle and adoption of conservation-effective systems including conservation tillage. A crude estimated potential of soil C sequestration in China is 119 to 226 Tg C/y of SOC and 7 to 138 Tg C/y for soil inorganic carbon (SIC) up to 50 years. The total potential of soil C sequestration is about 12 Pg, and this potential can offset about 25%of the annual fossil fuel emissions in China.     

Potential Soil C Sequestration on U.S. Agricultural Soils

Soil carbon sequestration has been suggested as a means to help mitigate atmospheric CO₂ increases, however there is limited knowledge aboutthe magnitude of the mitigation potential. Field studies across the U.S. provide information on soil C stock changes that result from changes in agricultural management. However, data from such studies are not readily extrapolated to changes at a national scale because soils, climate, and management regimes vary locally and regionally. We used a modified version of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) soil organic C inventory method, together with the National Resources Inventory (NRI) and other data, to estimate agricultural soil C sequestration potential in the conterminous U.S. The IPCC method estimates soil C stock changes associated with changes in land use and/or land management practices. In the U.S., the NRI provides a detailed record of land use and management activities on agricultural land that can be used to implement the IPCC method. We analyzed potential soil C storage from increased adoption of no-till, decreased fallow operations, conversion of highly erodible land to grassland, and increased use of cover crops in annual cropping systems. The results represent potentials that do not explicitly consider the economic feasibility of proposed agricultural production changes, but provide an indication of the biophysical potential of soil C sequestration as a guide to policy makers. Our analysis suggests that U.S. cropland soils have the potential to increase sequestered soil C by an additional 60–70 Tg (10¹²g) C yr^{– 1}, over present rates of 17 Tg C yr^–1(estimated using the IPCC method), with widespread adoption of soil C sequestering management practices. Adoption of no-till on all currently annually cropped area (129Mha) would increase soil C sequestration by 47 Tg C yr^–1. Alternatively, use of no-till on 50% of annual cropland, with reduced tillage practices on the other 50%, would sequester less – about37 Tg C yr^–1. Elimination of summer fallow practices and conversionof highly erodible cropland to perennial grass cover could sequester around 20 and 28Tg C yr^–1, respectively. The soil C sequestration potentialfrom including a winter cover crop on annual cropping systems was estimated at 40Tg C yr^–1. All rates were estimated for a fifteen-yearprojection period, and annual rates of soil C accumulations would be expected to decrease substantially over longer time periods. The total sequestration potential we have estimated for the projection period (83 Tg C yr^–1) represents about 5% of 1999total U.S. CO₂ emissions or nearly double estimated CO₂ emissionsfrom agricultural production (43 Tg C yr^–1). For purposes ofstabilizing or reducing CO₂ emissions, e.g., by 7% of 1990 levels asoriginally called for in the Kyoto Protocol, total potential soil C sequestration would represent 15% of that reduction level from projected 2008 emissions(2008 total greenhouse gas emissions less 93% of 1990 greenhouse gasemissions). Thus, our analysis suggests that agricultural soil C sequestration could play a meaningful, but not predominant, role in helping mitigate greenhouse gas increases.     

Potential of Desertification Control to Sequester Carbon and Mitigate the Greenhouse Effect

There is a strong link between desertification of the drylands and emission of CO₂ from soil and vegetation to the atmosphere. Thus, there is a strong need to revisit the desertification process so that its reversal can lead to C sequestration and mitigation of the accelerated greenhouse effect. Drylands of the world occupy 6.31 billion ha (Bha) or 47% ofthe earth's land area distributed among four climates: hyper-arid (1.0 Bha), arid (1.62 Bha), semi-arid (2.37 Bha) and dry sub-humid (1.32 Bha). Principal soils of drylands are Aridisols (1.66 Bha), Entisols (1.92 Bha), Alfisols (0.38 Bha), Vertisols (0.21 Bha) and others (1.27 Bha). Drylands occur in all continents covering 2.01 Bha in Africa, 2.00 Bha in Asia, 0.68Bha in Australia, 1.32 Bha in the Americas and 0.30 Bha in Europe. Desertification, degradation of soil and vegetation in drylands resulting from climatic and anthropogenic factors, affects about 1.137 Bha of soils and an additional 2.576 Bha of rangeland vegetation. The rate of desertification is estimated at 5.8 million hectares (Mha) per year. Desertification is a biophysical process (soil, climate and vegetation) driven by socio-economic and political factors. The principal biophysical processes involved, accelerated soil erosion by water and wind and salinization, reduce soil quality and effective rooting depth, decrease vegetal cover, reduce biomass productivity, and accentuate vagaries of climateespecially low and variable rainfall. Major consequences of desertification include reduction in the total soil C pool and transfer of C from soil to the atmosphere. Total historic loss of C due to desertification may be 19 to 29 Pg. The rate of C emission from drylands due to accelerated soil erosion is estimated at 0.227 to 0.292 Pg C y^–1. Therefore, desertification control and restoration of degraded soils and ecosystems would improve soil quality, increase the pool of C in soil and biomass, and induce formation of secondary carbonates leading to a reduction of C emissions to the atmosphere. Desertification control and soil restoration are affected by establishing vegetative cover with appropriate species, improving water use efficiency, using supplemental irrigation including water harvesting, developing a strategy of integrated nutrient management for soil fertility enhancement, and adopting improved farming systems. Adoption of these improved practices also have hidden carbon costs, especially those due to production and application of herbicides and nitrogen fertilizers, pumping irrigation water etc. Restoration of eroded and salt-affected soils is important to C sequestration. Total potential of C sequestration in drylands through adoption of these measures is 0.9 to 1.9Pg C y^–1 for a 25- to 50-year period beyond which the rate of sequestration is often too low to be important. In addition to enhancing productivity and food security, C sequestration in soils and ecosystem has numerous ancillary benefits. Therefore, identification and implementation of policies is important to facilitate adoption of recommended practices and for commodification of carbon.     

Field measurements of emission of nitric oxide from fertilized and unfertilized forest soils in Sweden

Application of nitrate fertilizers on two types of forest soils led to a marked increase in the NO emission rate indicating a large potential for NO production in these soils. The largest fluxes on the fertilized plots were up to 60 ng NO–N m^–2 s^–1. About 0.35% of the applied nitrogen was lost as NO within about 14 days after fertilization. The fluxes from the unfertilized forest soils were in the range 0.1 to 0.8 ng NO–N m^–2 s^–1 with a median value of 0.3 ng NO–N m^–2 s^–1. If this value, obtained during June and August to September, is representative for the growing season (150 days), it corresponds to an annual emission of 0.04 kg NO–N ha^–1. This is about 30% of the value obtained for an unfertilized agricultural soil. Because of the large areas occupied by forests in Sweden the flux of NO from forest soils represents a significant contribution to the total flux of NO from soils in Sweden.Earlier observations of equilibrium concentrations for NO have been verified. These were found to range from 0.2 to 2 ppbv for an unfertilized forest soil and up to 170 ppbv for a fertilized soil. At the rural site in Sweden where these measurements were performed the ambient concentrations where found to be less than this equilibrium concentration, and consequently there was generally a net emission of NO.There are still large uncertainties about the global flux of NO from soils. Using direct measurements on three different types of ecosystems and estimates based on a qualitative discussion for the remaining land areas, a global natural source for NO of the order of 1 Tg N a^–1 was obtained. If 0.35% of the total annual production of fertilizer nitrogen is lost as NO, fertilization of soils may contribute with 20% to the natural flux from soils.     

Increased Carbon Sink in Temperate and Boreal Forests

An intense search is under way to identify the `missing sink' in the world carbon budget of perhaps 2 Pg year^–1 (petagrams, or billiontonnes) of carbon, but its location and mechanism have proved elusive. Here we use a new forest inventory data set to estimate the carbon sink and the carbon pool of woody biomass in 55 countries that account for nearly all temperate or boreal forests and approximately half the world's total forest area. In each country there was a net accumulation of biomass; together, the carbon sink of woody biomass was 0.88 Pg year^–1 during the 1990swith estimated uncertainty from 0.71 to 1.1 Pg year^–1. Thisestimate, already about half of the missing sink, would probably be even larger if carbon accumulation in soil and detritus were also accounted for, but we are unable to quantify that additional sink. The sink is twice that estimated for the woody biomass of these forests a decade ago due to higher estimates for tree growth throughout the region and decreased timber harvests in Russia. In contrast, the new data indicate a carbon pool that is smaller than earlier estimates because of improved data for Russia and Australia.     

Soil Carbon Sequestration in India

With a large land area and diverse ecoregions, there is a considerable potential of terrestrial/soil carbon sequestration in India. Of the total land area of 329 million hectares (Mha), 297 Mha is the land area comprising 162 Mha of arable land, 69 Mha of forest and woodland, 11 Mha of permanent pasture, 8 Mha of permanent crops and 58 Mha is other land uses. Thesoil organic carbon (SOC) pool is estimated at 21 Pg (petagram = Pg = 1 ×10¹⁵ g= billion ton) to 30-cm depth and 63 Pg to 150-cm depth. The soil inorganic carbon (SIC) pool is estimated at 196 Pg to 1-m depth. The SOC concentration in most cultivated soils is less than 5 g/kg compared with 15 to 20 g/kg in uncultivated soils. Low SOC concentration is attributed to plowing, removal of crop residue and other biosolids, and mining of soil fertility. Accelerated soil erosion by water leads to emission of 6 Tg C/y. Important strategies of soil C sequestration include restoration of degraded soils, and adoption of recommended management practices (RMPs) of agricultural and forestry soils. Potential of soil C sequestration in India is estimated at 7 to 10 Tg C/y for restoration of degraded soils and ecosystems, 5 to 7 Tg C/y for erosion control, 6 to 7 Tg C/y for adoption of RMPs on agricultural soils, and 22 to 26 Tg C/y for secondary carbonates. Thus, total potential of soil C sequestration is 39 to 49 (44± 5) Tg C/y.     

Estimates of gross and net fluxes of carbon between the biosphere and the atmosphere from biomass burning

In order to estimate the production of charcoal and the atmospheric emissions of trace gases volatilized by burning we have estimated the global amounts of biomass which are affected by fires. We have roughly calculated annual gross burning rates ranging between about 5 Pg and 9 Pg (1 Pg = 10¹⁵ g) of dry matter (2–4 Pg C). In comparison, about 9–17 Pg of above-ground dry matter (4–8 Pg C) is exposed to fires, indicating a worldwide average burning efficiency of about 50%. The production of dead below-ground dry matter varies between 6–9 Pg per year. We have tentatively indicated the possibility of a large production of elemental carbon (0.5–1.7 Pg C/yr) due to the incomplete combustion of biomass to charcoal. This provides a sink for atmospheric CO₂, which would have been particularly important during the past centuries. From meager statistical information and often ill-documented statements in the literature, it is extremely difficult to calculate the net carbon release rates to the atmosphere from the biomass changes which take place, especially in the tropics. All together, we calculate an overall effect lof the biosphere on the atmospheric carbon dioxide budget which may range between the possibilities of a net uptake or a net release of about 2 Pg C/yr. The release of CO₂ to the atmosphere by deforestation projects may well be balanced by reforestation and by the production of charcoal. Better information is needed, however, to make these estimates more reliable.Now at the Max-Planck-Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, FRG.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

National Inventories of Terrestrial Carbon Sources and Sinks: The U.K. Experience

The U.K. has extensive databases on soils, land cover and historic land use change which have made it possible to construct a comprehensive inventory of the principal terrestrial sources and sinks of carbon for approximately the year 1990, using methods that are consistent with, and at least as accurate as, the revised 1996 guidelines recommended by IPCC where available – and including categories which are not currently considered under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. This country inventory highlights issues concerning methodology, uncertainty, double counting, the importance of soils and the relative magnitude of sources and sinks which are reported to the UNFCCC relative to other sources and sinks. The carbon sinks (negative values in MtC a^-1) for categories reported to the UNFCCC, based on the IPCC categories, were estimated to be: forest trees and litter (–2.1), U.K. forest products (–0.5, ignoring imports and exports), non-forest biomass (–0.3), forest soils (–0.1) and soils on set-aside land (–0.4). The carbon sources (positive values) reported under the UNFCCC were estimated to be: losses of soil organic carbon resulting from cultivation of semi-natural land (6.2) and from urbanization (1.6), drainage of peatlands (0.3) and fenlands (0.5), and peat extraction (0.2). A range of other sources and sinks not covered by the IPCC guidelines were also quantified, namely, the accumulation of carbon in undrained peatlands (–0.7, ignoring methane emission), sediment accretion in coastal marshes (–0.1), the possible U.K. share of the CO₂ and N fertilization carbon sink (–2.0) and riverine organic and particulate carbon export to the sea (1.4, which may be assumed to be a source if most of this carbon is released as CO₂ in the sea). All sinks totalled –6.2 and sources 10.2, giving a net flux to the atmosphere in 1990 of 4.0 MtC a^-1. Uncertainties associated with categories, mostly based on best guesses, ranged from ±15% for forest biomass and litter to ±60% for CO₂ and N fertilization.     

Production scenarios and the effect of soil degradation on long-term food security in China

Food security in China underlies the foundation of the livelihood and welfare for over one-fifth of the world's population. Soil degradation has an immense negative impact on the productive capacity of soils. We simulated the effect of soil degradation, which occurs in combination with increases in population size, urbanization rate, cropping intensity and decrease in cropland area, on long-term food security in China using a web-based land evaluation system. Our results predict that food crops may experience a 9% loss in productivity by 2030 if the soil continues to be degraded at the current rate (business-as-usual scenario, BAU). Productivity losses will increase to the unbearable level of 30% by 2050 should the soil be degraded at twice the present rate (double-degradation scenario, 2× SD). China's capacity for producing food from agricultural crops will be either adversely affected by the loss of cropland area (130, 113 and 107 million ha in 2005, 2030 and 2050, respectively) or favorably affected by agricultural intensification (in terms of the multi-cropping index at 120, 133 and 147% in 2005, 2030 and 2050, respectively). The loss of cropland is predicted to cause a 13–18% decrease in China's food production capacity by 2030–2050 relative to its 2005 level of 482 Mt, while agricultural intensification is predicted to cause an 11–23% increase. In total, China will be able to achieve a production level of 424 and 412 Mt by 2030 and 2050, respectively, under BAU, while this production will be only 386 and 339 Mt under 2× SD, respectively. In per capita terms, the relationship between food supply and demand will turn from an 18% surplus in 2005 to 3–5%, 14–18% and 22–32% deficits by 2030–2050 under the zero-degradation (0× SD), BAU and 2× SD scenarios, respectively. Our results show that the present-day production capacity will not sustain the long-term needs of a growing population under the current management level. Technical countermeasures and policy interventions need to be enacted today in order to avoid food insecurity tomorrow.     

Integrated land-use systems: Assessment of promising agroforest and alternative land-use practices to enhance carbon conservation and sequestration

Degraded or sub-standard soils and marginal lands occupy a significant proportion of boreal, temperate and tropical biomes. Management of these lands with a wide range of existing, site-specific, integrated, agroforest systems represents a significant global opportunity to reduce the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Establishment of extensive agricultural, agroforest, and alternative land-use systems on marginal or degraded lands could sequester 0.82–2.2 Pg carbon (C) per year, globally, over a 50-year time-frame. Moreover, slowing soil degradation by alternative grassland management and by impeding desertification could conserve up to 0.5–1.5 Pg C annually. A global analysis of biologic and economic data from 94 nations representing diverse climatic and edaphic conditions reveals a range of integrated land-use systems which could be used to establish and manage vegetation on marginal or degraded lands. Promising land-use systems and practices identified to conserve and temporarily store C include agroforestry systems, fuelwood and fiber plantations, bioreserves, intercropping systems, and shelterbelts/windbreaks. For example, successful establishment of low-intensity agroforestry systems can store up to 70 Mg C/ha in boreal, temperate and tropical ecoregions. The mean initial cost of soil rehabilitation and revegetation ranges from $500–3,000/ha for the 94 nations surveyed. Natural regeneration of woody vegetation or agro-afforestation establishment costs were less than $1000/ha in temperate and tropical regions. The costs of C sequestration in soil and vegetation systems range from $1-69/Mg C, which compares favorably with other options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. Although agroforestry system projects were recently established to conserve and sequester C in Guatemala and Malaysia, constraints to wide-spread implementation include social conditions (demographic factors, land tenure issues, market conditions, lack of infrastructure), economic obstacles (difficulty of demonstrating benefits of alternative systems, capital requirements, lack of financial incentives) and, ecologic considerations (limited knowledge of impacts and sustainability of some systems).The information in this document has been funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It has been subject to the Agency's peer and administrative review, and it has been approved for publication as an EPA document. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement for use.     

A Case Study of Carbon Pools Under Three Different Land-Uses in Panamá

This paper examines changes in carbon (C) pools associated with land-use, synthesizing data from two experiments dealing with different aspects of tree plantation establishment in Central Panamá. First, we analysed soil profiles in a grazed pasture and an adjacent 5-year-old teak (Tectona grandis) plantation. There were small differences in soil C mass in the top 10 cm of the pasture and the plantation, though analysis of paired profiles suggested larger differences at greater depth. Analysis of the ¹³C signatures in the pasture soils and litter showed that 90% to 95% of the organic matter in the surface 5 cm was derived from C₄ pasture plants, over the 45 years since the pasture was converted from forest. Comparison of the ¹³C signatures in the pasture and teak plantation profiles indicated substantial replacement of C₄—derived organic matter with the dominantly C₃—derived plantation tissues. Organic matter turnover times in the upper 10 cm of the soils ranged from 8 to 34 years and from 11 to 58 years in the upper 30 cm, depending on topographic location. We also present preliminary results, and technical challenges, for an eddy covariance experiment set up to provide a direct comparison between a grazed pasture and a native tree plantation. The two ecosystems studied are estimated to be small CO₂ sinks, 92 g,C,m^–2 yr^–1 for the pasture, and 57 g,C,m^–2 yr^–1 for native species plantation in the first year after establishment. The pastures response to seasonal change was more pronounced, both in term of CO₂ fluxes and in term of herbaceous productivity, than the plantations response. The storage below ground systems contained up 40% of the total sapling biomass.     

Population growth and loss of arable land

I discuss the loss of cropland in developing countries in connection with the ongoing land conversion caused by the growing population and socio-economic development, resulting in an increased demand for housing, industry, infrastructure, etc.Based on assumptions about the required space per capita for other purposes than agriculture, the portion of this area that is removed from presently used cropland, and the quality of the available land reserves, the required demand for land reserves has been calculated.The main conclusions are that during the next three decades (i) the loss of cropland is likely to be within the range 30–60 Mha, (ii) the reserve land utilized will be about 100–200 Mha, and (iii) the reserve land still in use after 30 years, about 50–100 Mha.     

Assessment of Major Pools and Fluxes of Carbon in Indian Forests

The major pools including phytomass, soil, litter, and fluxes of carbon (C)due to litterfall and landuse changes were estimated for Indian forests. Basedon growing stock-volume approach at the state and district levels, the Indianforest phytomass was estimated in the range of 3.8–4.3 PgC. The totalsoil organic pool in the top 1m depth was estimated as 6.8 PgC, usingestimated soil organic carbon densities and Remote Sensing (RS) based area byforest types. Based on 122 published Indian studies and RS-based forest area,the total litterfall carbon flux was estimated as 208.8 MgCha^–1 yr^–1.The cumulative net carbon flux (1880–1996) from Indian forests(1880–1996) due to landuse changes (deforestation, afforestation andphytomass degradation) was estimated as 5.4 PgC, using a simple book-keepingapproach. The mean annual net C flux due to landuse changes during1985–1996 was estimated as 9.0 TgC yr^–1. For the recentperiod, the Indian forests are nationally a small source with some regionsacting as small sinks of carbon as well. The improved quantification of poolsand fluxes related to forest carbon cycle is important for understanding thecontribution of Indian forests to net carbon emissions as well as theirpotential for carbon sequestration in the context of the Kyoto protocol.     

CO2 Mitigation by Agriculture: An Overview

Agriculture currently contributes significantly to the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere, primarily through the conversion of native ecosystems to agricultural uses in the tropics. Yet there are major opportunities for mitigation of CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions through changes in the use and management of agricultural lands. Agricultural mitigation options can be broadly divided into two categories: (I) strategies to maintain and increase stocks of organic C in soils (and biomass), and (ii) reductions in fossil C consumption, including reduced emissions by the agricultural sector itself and through agricultural production of biofuels to substitute for fossil fuels.Reducing the conversion of new land to agriculture in the tropics could substantially reduce CO2 emissions, but this option faces several difficult issues including population increase, land tenure and other socio-political factors in developing countries. The most significant opportunities for reducing tropical land conversions are in the humid tropics and in tropical wetlands. An important linkage is to improve the productivity and sustainability of existing agricultural lands in these regions.Globally, we estimate potential agricultural CO2 mitigation through soil C sequestration to be 0.4-0.9 Pg C y-1, through better management of existing agricultural soils, restoration of degraded lands, permanent "set-asides" of surplus agricultural lands in temperate developed countries and restoration of 10-20% of former wetlands now being used for agriculture. However, soils have a finite capacity to store additional C and therefore any increases in C stocks following changes in management would be largely realized within 50-100 years.Mitigation potential through reducing direct agricultural emissions is modest, 0.01-0.05 Pg C y-1. However, the potential to offset fossil C consumption through the use of biofuels produced by agriculture is substantial, 0.5-1.6 Pg C y-1, mainly through the production of dedicated biofuel crops with a smaller contribution (0.2-0.3 Pg C y-1) from crop residues.Many agricultural mitigation options represent "win-win" situations, in that there are important side benefits, in addition to CO2 mitigation, that could be achieved, e.g. improved soil fertility with higher soil organic matter, protection of lands poorly suited for permanent agriculture, cost saving for fossil fuel inputs and diversification of agricultural production (e.g. biofuels). However, the needs for global food production and farmer/societal acceptability suggest that mitigation technologies should conform to: (I) the enhancement of agricultural production levels in parts of the world where food production and population demand are in delicate balance and (ii) the accrual of additional benefits to the farmer (e.g., reduced labor, reduced or more efficient use of inputs) and society at large.     

Model Computations of the Impact of Climatic Change on the Windthrow Risk of Trees

The more humid, warmer weather pattern predicted for the future is expected to increase the windthrow risk of trees through reduced tree anchorage due to a decrease in soil freezing between late autumn and early spring, i.e during the most windy months of the year. In this context, the present study aimed at calculating how a potential increase of up to 4°C in mean annual temperature might modify the duration of soil frost and the depth of frozen soil in forests and consequently increase the risk of windthrow. The risk was evaluated by combining the simulated critical windspeeds needed to uproot Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) under unfrozen soil conditions with the possible change in the frequency of these winds during the unfrozen period. The evaluation of the impacts of elevated temperature on the frequency of these winds at times of unfrozen and frozen soil conditions was based on monthly wind speed statistics for the years 1961–1990 (Meteorological Yearbooks of Finland, 1961–1990). Frost simulations in a Scots pine stand growing on a moraine sandy soil (height 20 m, stand density 800 stems ha–1) showed that the duration of soil frost will decrease from 4–5 months to 2–3 months per year in southern Finland and from 5–6 months to 4–5 months in northern Finland given a temperature elevation of 4°C. In addition, it could decrease substantially more in the deeper soil layers (40–60 cm) than near the surface (0–20 cm), particularly in southern Finland. Consequently, tree anchorage may lose much of the additional support gained at present from the frozen soil in winter, making Scots pines more liable to windthrow during winter and spring storms. Critical wind-speed simulations showed mean winds of 11–15 m s–1 to be enough to uproot Scots pines under unfrozen soil conditions, i.e. especially slender trees with a high height to breast height diameter ratio (taper of 1:120 and 1:100). In the future, as many as 80% of these mean winds of 11–15 m s–1 would occur during months when the soil is unfrozen in southern Finland, whereas the corresponding proportion at present is about 55%. In northern Finland, the percentage is 40% today and is expected to be 50% in the future. Thus, as the strongest winds usually occur between late autumn and early spring, climate change could increase the loss of standing timber through windthrow, especially in southern Finland.     

A study to explain the emission of nitric oxide from a marsh soil

In the period 18–21 September 1989, soil NO emission was studied at Halvergate Marshes, Norfolk (U.K.) within the framework of the BIATEX-LOVENOX joint field experiment. Using a dynamic chamber technique, 186 measurements at four plots were performed showing a net NO flux of 7.2–14.6×10^–12 kgN m^–2 s^–1. Soil samples from a soil profile (1.0 m) at a representative site and from the uppermost layer (0.1 m) of each of the four plots were sent to the laboratory for (a) detailed physical and chemical soil analysis, (b) determination of NO production rates, NO uptake rate constants, and NO compensation mixing ratios, and (c) characterization of the microbial processes involved. A diffusive model (Galbally and Johansson, 1989) was applied to the laboratory results to infer NO fluxes of the individual soil samples. When we compared these fluxes with those measured in the field, we found agreement within a factor 2–4. Furthermore, laboratory studies showed, that NO was produced and consumed only in the upper soil layer (0–0.1 m depth) and that the NO production and consumption activities observed in the Halvergate marsh soil were most probably due to the anaerobic metabolism of denitrifying bacteria operating in anaerobic microniches within the generally aerobic soil.     

Carbon for Farmers: Assessing the Potential for Soil Carbon Sequestration in the Old Peanut Basin of Senegal

Carbon sequestration in soil organic matter of degraded Sahelian agro-ecosystems could play a significant role in the global carbon (C) uptake through terrestrial sinks while, simultaneously, contributing to sustainable agriculture and desertification control. The paper documents the results of a two-year pilot project in Senegal assessing real project opportunities with main emphasis on the West-Central Agricultural Region (Old Peanut Basin). Current total system C content in this region, calculated on the basis of in situ soil and biomass carbon measurements, amounted to 28 t ha^–1 with 11 t C ha^–1 in soils (0–20 cm) and 6.3 t C ha^–1 in trees. Potential changes in soil C, simulated with CENTURY for a 25-year period, ranged from –0.13 t C ha^–1 yr^–1 under poor management to +0.43 t C ha^–1 yr^–1 under optimum agricultural intensification. Simulated changes in crop yields varied from –62% to +200% under worst and best management scenarios respectively. Best management practices that generate the highest sequestration rates are economically not feasible for the majority of local smallholders, unless considerable financial support is provided. Especially when applied on a larger scale, such packages risk to undermine local, opportunistic management regimes and, in the long run, also the beneficiaries capacity to successfully adapt to their constantly changing environment.     

Aspects of the cycle of inorganic nitrogen compounds in the tropical rain forest of the Ivory Coast

A partial balance of mineral N is given for the basins of two coastal rivers in a forest zone in the Ivory Coast. The dry and wet depositions on the basin surfaces is given for particulate matter (NO₃ ^–, NH₄ ⁺). The quantity of mineral N washed away in the rivers is evaluated. The losses from leaching of the soils by rainwater are about 0.33 to 1.0% of the atmospheric depositions for NH₄ ⁺–N and 2.2 to 5.8% for NO₃ ^––N. The yearly atmospheric input of N compounds to the ecosystem, about 1.4 g N m^–2 y^–1, is at least 14% of mineral N formed in the soils and is therefore quite significant.     

Orbital forced frequencies in the 975 000 year pollen record from Tenagi Philippon (Greece)

Frequency analysis was applied to different time series obtained from the 975 ka pollen record of Tenagi Philippon (Macedonia, Greece). These time series are characteristic of different vegetation types related to specific climatic conditions. Time control of the 196 m deep core was based on 11 finite 14C dates in the upper 17 m, magnetostratigraphy and correlation with the marine oxygen isotope stratigraphy. Maximum entropy spectrum analyses and thomson multitaper spectrum analysis were applied using the complete time series. Periods of 95–99, 40–45, 24.0–25.5 and 19–21 ka which can be related to orbital forcing, as well as periods of about 68, 30 ka and of about 15.5, 13.5, 12 and 10.5 ka were detected. The detected periods of about 68, 30 ka and 16, 14, 12, 10.5 ka are likely to be harmonics and combination tones of the periods related to orbital forcing. The period of around 30 ka is possibly a secondary peak of obliquity. To study the stability of the detected periods through time, analysis with a moving window was employed. Signals in the eccentricity band were detected clearly during the last 650 ka. In the precession band, detected periods of about 24 ka show an increase in amplitude during the last 650 ka. The evolution of orbital frequencies during the last 1.0 Ma is in general agreement with the results of other marine and continental time series. Time series related to different climatic settings showed a different response to orbital forcing. Time series of vegetational elements sensitive to changes in net precipitation were forced in the precession and obliquity bands. changes in precession caused changes in the monsoon system, which indirectly had a strong influence on the climatic history of Greece. Time series of vegetational elements which are more indicative of changes in annual temperature are forced in the eccentricity band.     

Emission of nitric oxide from soils and termite nests in a Trachypogon savanna of the Orinoco basin

Nitric oxide fluxes from soils in the Trachypogon savanna of the Orinoco basin were determined during the dry season using the static chamber method. The emission from dry soils fluctuated from 0.4 to 3 ng N m^–2 s^–1 and increased up to 25 ng N m^–2 s^–1 after moderate watering or light rain-falls (1 to 5 mm). The mean emission values are up to 6 times lower than one observed earlier at the Chaguaramas site, but up to 10 times higher than one recorded at the Guri site, indicating an important spatial variability in NO fluxes of the Venezuelan savanna region. The changes observed after the addition of nitrogen to the soil, in the form of ammonium and/or nitrate, indicate a high denitrification potential in this acidic soil. Burning of the surface vegetation produced an increase by a factor of 10 in the emission rate of NO, but the effect was relatively short in time, about 5 days. It was estimated for the savanna region that burning increases the total NO soil emission during the dry season by 15% compared to the unburnt case. Soils with termite nests emit 10 times more NO than soil without nests, but the contribution from this source is less than 2% of the total savanna soil flux.