Carbon Sequestration Akilah Martin Fall 2005

Outline Pre-Assessment Student Learning Goals Carbon Sequestration Background Century Model Overview Example Simulation

Student Learning Goals Through this project students will be able to: Understand the use of models in analyzing and predicting solutions to real-world, complex problems (2) Understand carbon sequestration processes (3) Correlate tillage practices, soil texture, weather, and cropping sequences with optimal carbon sequestration strategies (4) Enhance student’s decision-making skills (5) Be able to use the concepts, generate ideas and apply what was learned in their future environmental careers

Defining Carbon Sequestration Process of transforming carbon in the air (carbon dioxide or CO2) into soil carbon Long-term storage of carbon in the terrestrial biosphere, underground, or the oceans so that the buildup of carbon dioxide (the principal greenhouse gas) concentration in the atmosphere will be reduced Removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere into sinks (i.e. soil) is one way of addressing climate change Reference: http://cdiac2.esd.ornl.gov/

http://www.biology.eku.edu/RITCHISO/envscinotes8.html http://www.biology.eku.edu/RITCHISO/envscinotes8.html http://oea.larc.nasa.gov/PAIS/MAPS.html

Carbon Facts In the past 60 years, the amount of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted to the atmosphere, primarily because of expanding use of fossil fuels for energy, has risen from pre-industrial levels of 280 parts per million to present levels of over 365 parts per million This increase has been implicated in a gradual increase in the Earth’s temperature In 1998, the US released 5.4 tonnes of carbon per capita, European countries averaged around 1.9 tonnes and Africa emitted 0.3 tonnes. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3617868.stm

Carbon Storage Facts Soils store about 3X as much carbon as does terrestrial vegetation 27% of this carbon is found in tundra and boreal forest ecosystems The grassland region, which includes arid, transitional and sub-humid grassland, stores considerably less carbon than the more northern regions

Carbon Facts Plants and trees absorb carbon from the atmosphere by the process photosynthesis.  Carbon is returned to the atmosphere through respiration of plants, microbes, and animals and by natural and human-induced disturbances, such as fire.  Carbon is also released to the atmosphere as Carbon Dioxide (CO2) upon combustion of fossil fuels. Reference:http://www.scottishforestalliance.org.uk/carbon/factsheets.asp

Atmospheric Carbon Atmospheric Carbon goes to: Oceans, soil, and plants Atmospheric Carbon comes from: Burning fossil fuels, soil organic carbon decomposition, and deforestation

Global Warming The Earth's surface temperature has risen by 1 degree Fahrenheit in the past century, with accelerated warming during the past two decades. Atmospheric greenhouse gases water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases Human activities CO2 accounts for 80% of the greenhouse gas emissions Reference: http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/climate.html

http://www.biology.eku.edu/RITCHISO/envscinotes8.html

Global Warming Industrial revolution atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased nearly 30% methane concentrations have more than doubled nitrous oxide concentrations have risen by about 15% Enhanced the heat-trapping capability of the earth's atmosphere Sulfate aerosols cool the atmosphere by reflecting light back into space Sulfates are short-lived in the atmosphere and vary regionally.

Greenhouse Effect Emissions primarily of CO2 and methane http://www.biology.eku.edu/RITCHISO/envscinotes8.html

Processes of the “Greenhouse Effect” Source of Carbon http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/CarbonCycle.html

Greenhouse Gases Facts Water vapor, nitrous oxide, methane, carbon dioxide, and ozone Methane traps over 21 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide Nitrous oxide absorbs 270 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide

Impacts on Agriculture http://www.fao.org/NEWS/FACTFILE/FF9721-E.HTM

Carbon Sources and Sinks Sources Sinks Industry (air pollution) Human Activity (Farming) Automobiles Fossil Fuel Burning Oceans Soils Forests

Potential Carbon Sinks Reference:http://www.netl.doe.gov/coalpower/sequestration/

Fossil Fuel Burning Emissions http://www.whrc.org/carbon/

Sources/Sinks of C-sequestration Excessive carbon in the atmosphere has been a major contributor to global warming Atmospheric Carbon Reference: http://www.wri.org/wri/climate/carboncy.html

http://www. met-office. gov http://www.met-office.gov.uk/research/hadleycentre/models/carbon_cycle/intro_global.html

World Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Region 2001-2025 (Million Metric Tons of Carbon Equivalent)

CENTURY Model (USDA-ARS) Colorado State University Research Group Model used to analyze carbon sequestration optimization Web enabled Linked to Purdue ITaP supercomputing facility Century Website http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/projects/century/

About the Model…. Understanding of the biogeochemistry of Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur Provide a tool for ecosystem analysis to test the consistency of data (i.e. soil carbon) and to evaluate the effects of changes in management and climate on ecosystems

Simulates…. Long-term and spatial dynamics of Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Sulfur (S) for different Plant-Soil Systems through an annual cycle to centuries and millennia Features grassland systems agricultural crop systems forest systems savanna systems

Also Simulates….. Soil organic matter submodel simulates the flow of C, N, P, and S through plant litter and the different inorganic and organic pools in the soil Uses a monthly time step

Scaling of Site Properties We are defining the term “scale” in this project as the many combinations of climate, texture, tillage and crops From location to location, site properties change Those site properties include Tillage Soil texture Climate Crop

Website

Expectations Understand the concepts of carbon sequestration After completion of assignment students are expected to: Understand the concepts of carbon sequestration Make decisions on carbon sequestration using the tools provided State a hypothesis, test the hypothesis using the model and make decisions based on results