Offered Papers Theme B: Grassland and the Environment
Description
Increasing the amount of carbon (C) stored in terrestrial ecosystems is an important part of most national greenhouse gas (GHG) management strategies. Among the policy and program options available to achieve increased C sequestration, improved management of grasslands offers an attractive option to both reduce atmospheric concentrations of C and enhance environmental co-benefits (soil quality, water quality, food and fibre production, and wildlife habitat). In the United States, incentives for applying improved land management practices come primarily via federal government conservation programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). While private sector markets offer opportunities to increase the range and amount of incentives, low rates of C accumulation per ha and small land holdings per producer will likely limit the impact of the private sector on producer actions. This is especially true in the humid grasslands of the Southeastern U.S.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
A Basis for Designing Policies to Optimize Soil Carbon Sequestration in Southeastern US Grasslands
Increasing the amount of carbon (C) stored in terrestrial ecosystems is an important part of most national greenhouse gas (GHG) management strategies. Among the policy and program options available to achieve increased C sequestration, improved management of grasslands offers an attractive option to both reduce atmospheric concentrations of C and enhance environmental co-benefits (soil quality, water quality, food and fibre production, and wildlife habitat). In the United States, incentives for applying improved land management practices come primarily via federal government conservation programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). While private sector markets offer opportunities to increase the range and amount of incentives, low rates of C accumulation per ha and small land holdings per producer will likely limit the impact of the private sector on producer actions. This is especially true in the humid grasslands of the Southeastern U.S.
