1. Carbon Sequestration
Akilah Martin
Fall 2005

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

3. 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

4. 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:

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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:

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

10. 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:

12. 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.

13. Greenhouse Effect Emissions primarily of CO2 and methane

14. Processes of the “Greenhouse Effect”
Source of Carbon

15. 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

16. Impacts on Agriculture

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

18. Potential Carbon Sinks
Reference:

19. Fossil Fuel Burning Emissions

20. Sources/Sinks of C-sequestration
Excessive carbon in the atmosphere has been a major contributor to global warming
Atmospheric Carbon
Reference:

21. http://www. met-office. gov

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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. Website

29. 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