C-MASC 04-09

R. Lal Carbon Management and Sequestration Center

The Ohio State University Columbus, OH 43210 USA

Biota 620 Gt

Atmosphere 800 Gt

+4 Gt/yr

Soils 2,500 Gt

(i) SOC - 1,550 Gt (ii) SIC - 950 Gt

Ocean 38,400 Gt + 2.3 Gt/yr

(i)  Surface layer: 670 Gt (ii)  Deep layer: 36,730 Gt (iii)  Total organic: 1,000 Gt

Fossil Fuels 4,130 Gt

(i) Coal: 3,510 Gt (ii) Oil: 230 Gt (iii) Gas: 140 Gt (iv) Other: 250 Gt

120 + 2.0 Gt/yr (photosynth) Plant respiration

60 + 1.6 Gt/yr

60 Gt/yr

8 Gt/yr Fossil fuel Combustion & Cement manufacture

90 Gt/yr

0.6+0.2 Gt/yr (Burial)

MRT = 5Yr

MRT = 25Yr

Mean Residence Time (MRT) = 400Yr

1.6 + 0.8 Gt/yr Deforestation

MRT = 6Yr

92.3 Gt/yr

Biofuel offset?

Lal, 2004

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Ecosystem

Organic C Pool (Pg C to 1-m depth)

Range Mean % of Total

Flux (Pg C/yr)

Total in world soils 1395-2011 1580 100 60

Cropland soils 128-168 152 9.6 3

Grassland/Savannas 279-559 425 26.9 26

Plantations - 90 5.7 5

Forests - 704 44.5 17

57%

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Farmers have custody of more environment than does any other group.

. . . . Paarlberg (1980)

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1.  It is a familiar property, 2.  It involves direct measurement, 3.  It can be measured in 4 dimensions (length,

width, depth, time), 4.  It lends itself to repeated measurements over

the same site,

There are numerous advantages:

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5. It is linked to ecosystem performance and services,

6. It is a key driver of soil formation, 7. It is important to soil fertility, 8. It has memory, 9. It has well defined properties,

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10. It can be used in synergism with other indicators,

11. Its uncertainty can be quantified, 12. Its pathways across the landscape can be

followed, 13. It is an important archive of paleo-

environmental conditions.

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Innovative Technology II

Innovative Technology I Subsistence

farming, none or low off-farm input soil degradation

New

equilibrium Adoption of

RMPs

20

40 60 80 100 120 140 160

40

60

80

100

0

20

Time (Yrs)

Accelerated erosion

Maximum Potential

Rate ΔY

ΔX

Attainable

Potential

C-MASC 04-09 Lal, 2004

Historic Loss from Terrestrial Biosphere = 456 Gt with 4 Gt of C emission = 1 ppm of CO2

The Potential Sink of Terrestrial Biospheres = 114 ppm

Assuming that up to 50% can be resequestered = 45 – 55 ppm

Cropland Soils: 1 Gt/yr Rangeland Soils: 1 Gt/yr Restoration of Degraded/Desertified: 1 Gt/yr Drawdown: 50 ppm of CO2 over 50 years

C-MASC 04/09

Reducing C-Based Input

Soil Carbon Sequestration

Avoiding Emissions

Controlling Erosion

Improving Energy Efficiency • Biofuels

Creating Negative C Emissions

Sequestering Carbon

Creating Positive Nutrient Budget

Mulching Cover cropping

Soil Amendments • Biochar • Manure • Zeolites

Chemical Fertilizers Biofertilizers

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C Sequestration = C input > C output

C Depletion = C input < C output

C output = Erosion, Decomposition, leaching, Harvest

C input = Residues, Mulch, Compost, Amendment, Deposition

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1.  Physical: Aggregation, Illuviation

2.  Chemical: Humification, Organo-Mineral complexation

3.  Biological: Recalcitration of SOM

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According to hierarchical model, 3 different classes of SOM are:

•  Persistent Pool: > 250 µm macro-aggregates

•  Transient Pool: 53-250 µm micro-aggregation

•  Temporary Pool: <52 µm silt and clay contents

C-MASC 04-09 Lal, 2004

Quartz Quartz Pore

Space

Soil Organic Matter Clay Crystals Forming

Clay Domain

Carboxylated Polymer

SOIL ORGANIC MATTER AND AGGREGATION (Emerson, 1959)

1500 x 1 0 15 C in w orl d soil

1.4 x 10 15 g/ y r decompositi o n a nd e missio n to the a tmos p here

5.7 x 10 15 g/ y r C dis p l a ced d ue to erosion

3.99 x 10 15 g/ y r stored w ith i n t he

terrestri a l ecosystem

0.57 x 10 15 g/ y r tr a nsported to

the oce a n Lal, 2003

C-MASC 04-09

World…… 1.1 Pg C/y

USA…….. 15 Tg C/y

Brazil…… 60 Tg C/y

India…….. 4.8 - 7.2 Tg C/y

Iceland….. 0.01-0.02 Tg C/y

(60-250 Tg C/1000 yr)

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1. Dynamic replacement of SOC at eroding sites and decrease in decomposition at depositional sites.

2. Deep burial of carbon.

3. The magnitude of the sink range from 0.1-1 Pg/y (Van Oost et al., 2007; Stallard, 1998; Smith et al., 2001).

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A 10% substitution of petrol and diesel fuel is estimated to require:

•  43% of the current cropland area (USA) •  38% of the current cropland area (EU)

Which means forests and grasslands would need to be cleared to enable production of energy crops. C-MASC 04-09

1000-3500 L/L

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Process Area (106 ha) % Total Land Area Water Erosion 1094 8.4 Wind Erosion 549 4.2 Chemical Degradation 239 1.8 Physical Degradation 83 0.6 Total 1965 15.0 Total Earth’s Land Area = 13,069 Mha

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(Glasod, 1994)

Parameter Value Area degraded (106 ha) 3506 % of land area 23.5 Total NPP loss (Tg C/y) 955 Total Population affected (billion) 1.54 % Total Population 23.9

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Region Total Land Used Land Available Land ---------------Gha-------------------

Sub-Saharan Africa 1.05 0.157 0.893 South/Central America 0.98 0.147 0.833 Asia an Pacific 0.74 0.474 0.266 North America 0.43 0.232 0.158 Europe 0.32 0.202 0.118 North America 0.28 0.179 0.101 North Africa/Near East 0.04 0.04 0 World 3.82 1.452 2.368 Tropical Regions = 1.99 Gha Temperate Regions = 0.38 Gha

C sequestration through reclamation of salt affected soils in northern India (Recalculated from Garg, 1998; Lal et al., 1998).

Sub-catchment Carbon sequestration rate (Mg C ha-1y-1) Low High

Bingham River 3.8 5.2 Collie River Central East/James Well 3.8 5.2 Collie River East 3.3 4.4 Collie River South Branch 4.6 6.0 Harris river 8.5 11.5 Wellington Reservoir/ Collie River Central

6.6 9.0

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

No-Till Plow Till

SOC Concentration

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Parameter Kg CE/ha Conventional Till No Till

1. Input 803 786 2. Output 6431 6688 3. Soil erosion -60 0 4. C Sequestration -500 500 5. Net C output 5871 7188 6. C Output : Input 7·3 9·1

(Derpsh, 2007)

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High

Low Medium

Medium

Temperature

Moisture

Wet

Dry Cool Hot

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Technology Temperate Tropics Highlands

Humid Sub-Humid Arid Humid Sub-Humid Arid Humid Sub-Humid Arid

No-Till

Cover Cropping

Manuring

Biochar

Agroforestry

Irrigation

INM

Improved Pasture

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Technology Clay Silt Sandy Loam

Poorly Drained Well Drained Erodible Non-Erodible Erodible Droughty

No-Till

Cover Cropping

Manuring

Biochar

Agroforestry

Irrigation

INM

Improved Pasture

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Depends on many factors:

1. Baseline or reference point.

2. Clay content and type.

3. Antecedent SOC pool.

4. Residue management.

5. Internal drainage.

6. Soil wetness.

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Zero Emission Negative Emission

1. Reduces the rate of CO2 increase in the atmosphere

1.  Removes CO2 from the atmosphere

2. High cost 2. Cost effectiveness

3. MMV essential 3. Dangerous leakage cannot occur

4. Ancillary benefits (EOR, CBM) 4. Ecosystem services

5. Reduces energy efficiency by 15% 5. Essential to food security

Strategy GHG Abatement (Euro/t CO2 E) Tillage and Residue Management - 50 Waste Recycling - 15 Degraded Land Restoration 10 Second Generation Biofuels 5 Pastureland Afforestation 10 Degraded Forest Restoration 12 Agriculture Conversion 25 Biomass Co-firing Power Plant 30 Coal C Capture & Sequestration 45 Gas Plant Capture & Sequestration 60

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Soil Organic Matter and Food Security

Maintaining soil organic matter above the threshold (1.1% SOC in the root zone) is critical to sustaining soil quality because of the following:

–  Improving soil structure –  Controlling erosion –  Increasing soil water holding capacity –  Increasing nutrient reserves in soil –  Improving use efficiency of input –  Enhancing soil biotic activity –  Strengthening nutrient recycling –  Increasing crop yield –  Improving nutritional quality of food

SUGGESTIONS FOR POLICY MAKERS (SHORT-TERM 30 YRS)

If the objective to mitigate CO2 and global warming policy makers may be better advised to focus on the following:

(i)  Increase the efficiency of fossil fuel use, (ii)  Conserve the existing forest and savannahs, (iii)  Restore natural forests and grasslands or croplands that is not needed, (iv) Restore soil C pool, and (v)  Trade C credits.

C-MASC 04-09

SUGGESTIONS FOR POLICY MAKERS (LONG-TERM >50 YRS)

Non-C Fuel Technology (H2)

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