Offered Papers Theme B: Grassland and the Environment
Description
Carbon (C) sequestration is the process of removing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it in C pools of varying lifetime. Storage can be in the form of above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass or recalcitrant organic and inorganic C in the soil. While the processes of C sequestration are ultimately regulated at the molecular level, management practices and climate can greatly affect the way in which terrestrial ecosystems sequester C (Soussana et al., 2004). Because temperate grasslands account for a significant portion of the agricultural and semi-natural land-cover in N-W Europe any increase in the potential of temperate grasslands to store or sequester C could help remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Currently, this has particular significance because under Article 3.4 of the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change countries can count this sequestration as a contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The objective of this experiment was to quantify the effects of severe disturbance on the carbon balance of long-term grasslands. This was achieved by measuring the carbon balance during ploughing and re-sowing of grassland mesocosms.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
The Carbon Balance of Long Term and Newly Established Temperate Grasslands
Carbon (C) sequestration is the process of removing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it in C pools of varying lifetime. Storage can be in the form of above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass or recalcitrant organic and inorganic C in the soil. While the processes of C sequestration are ultimately regulated at the molecular level, management practices and climate can greatly affect the way in which terrestrial ecosystems sequester C (Soussana et al., 2004). Because temperate grasslands account for a significant portion of the agricultural and semi-natural land-cover in N-W Europe any increase in the potential of temperate grasslands to store or sequester C could help remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Currently, this has particular significance because under Article 3.4 of the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change countries can count this sequestration as a contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The objective of this experiment was to quantify the effects of severe disturbance on the carbon balance of long-term grasslands. This was achieved by measuring the carbon balance during ploughing and re-sowing of grassland mesocosms.
