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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Morris, Minnesota » Soil Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #196557
Title: Towards the Carbon credit and trading schemes: Estimation of soil Carbon storage as influenced by alternative cropping systems using the EPIC model

Author
item Kludze, Hillarius
item Archer, David

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/16/2006
Publication Date: 11/16/2006
Citation: Kludze, H.K., Archer, D.W. 2006. Towards the Carbon credit and trading schemes: Estimation of soil Carbon storage as influenced by alternative cropping systems using the EPIC model [abstract][CD-ROM]. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting. Nov. 12-16, 2006, Indianapolis, IN.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Soils are considered the largest carbon reservoir of the terrestrial carbon cycle and are therefore being targeted as greenhouse gas (GHG) sinks through soil carbon sequestration (SCS). Using the Erosion Policy Impact Climate Calculator (EPIC) simulation, we examined the differences in the capabilities of five different soil series to sequester carbon under 16 alternative crop management systems. We tested the hypothesis that within-field differences in SCS do occur, and that the best management practices for optimum SCS vary according to soil type within the same field. EPIC adequately confirmed our hypothesis: soils within the same field respond differently to soil management in terms of both crop yield and SCS. Thus, choice of the best management system for each soil type within a field provides a better strategy than choice of only one system for the entire field. Stratification of a field along soil type boundaries is therefore recommended to allow for separate model predictions to be made to obtain "precision management of SCS." This could be important to policy-makers, carbon traders, land users and scientists in implementing site-specific management for optimum SCS, and in helping to accurately determine how much C is actually sequestered in a particular field to warrant payments in carbon credit trading schemes.