Potential for greenhouse gas emissions from soil carbon stock following biofuel cultivation on degraded lands

✍ Scribed by P. K. R. Nair; Subhrajit K. Saha; Vimala D. Nair; Solomon G. Haile

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 350 KB
• Volume: 22
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1085-3278
• DOI: 10.1002/ldr.1016

✦ Synopsis

Consequent to the interest in converting degraded lands for cultivation of biofuel crops, concerns have been expressed about greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from changes in soil-carbon (C) stock following land conversions. A literature-based study was undertaken for estimating the magnitude of emission of GHGs, particularly carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), following an assessment of the extent and causes of land degradation and the nature of CO 2 emission from soils. The study estimated the potential for CO 2 emission resulting from changes in soilcarbon stock following land conversions, using oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) as a case study. The analysis indicated that, overall, the magnitude of CO 2 emission resulting from changes in soil C stock per se following opening up of degraded land would be low compared with other potential sources of CO 2 emission. However, lack of data on critical aspects such as baseline soil C status was a limitation of the study. Soil respiration is the single best measure of GHG emission from soils. Fixation of C in additional biomass will compensate, over time, for C loss through soil respiration following a change in land use or land management, unless such changes involve conversion of existing large C stocks. Therefore, any net CO 2 emission from soils resulting from changes in soil C stock following opening up of degraded land is likely to be a short-term phenomenon. The estimations used in the study are based on various assumptions, which need to be validated by experimental field data.