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Carbon Sequestration in Temperate
Grasslands
The Signpost Series
‘Pointing the way to a low emissions agriculture’
Donal O’Brien
Teagasc,
Crops, Environment & Land Use Centre
Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford
Outline
EU Green Deal and Climate Action
Carbon Sequestration
Land use & management
Climate Neutral Livestock Farming
Teagasc Presentation Footer 2
Europe’s Green Deal
A roadmap for sustainable
growth
• Circular Economy:
» “Give back more than it takes away”
- President of the EU Commission
• Restore habitats and biodiversity
• Climate neutral continent
» Net zero greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions by 2050
Teagasc Presentation Footer 3
©Fotolia, petovarga
Agriculture and The Green Deal
“Farm to fork” strategy
• Fair return for producers
• Affordable food
• 25% of total farmland organic
Carbon farming initiative
• Curbing climate change
• Payments for increasing C sequestration and GHG reduction
» CAP and/or carbon markets
Teagasc Presentation Footer 4
Ireland’s Climate Action Plan
Consistent with EU climate neutrality vision
Aims to meet Irish GHG targets for EU effort sharing regulation – 2020 to 2030
• Requires concerted action from all sectors
• Does not compromise food production ambitions
Carbon sequestration allowed reduce ~6% (2.7 Mt CO2/yr) of Irish emissions
Teagasc Presentation Footer 5
ESR* targets & GHG projections
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
Mt
CO
2 e
qu
ivale
nts
National GHG emissions
Agriculture
Other
Transport
AEA_NF*
6
*ESR = EU Effort sharing regulation
*AEA_NF = Annual emission allowance no flexibilities
ESR* targets & GHG projections
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
Mt
CO
2 e
qu
ivale
nts
National GHG emissions
Agriculture
Other
Transport
AEA_WF*
7
*ESR = EU Effort sharing regulation
*AEA_WF = Annual emission allowance with flexibilities
Teagasc – GHG mitigation strategy
1. Reduce agricultural greenhouse gas
emissions
2. Displace fossil fuel and improve
energy efficiency
3. Enhance carbon sequestration
Teagasc Presentation Footer 8
The Carbon Cycle
Teagasc Presentation Footer 9
Photosynthesis & Assimilation
Soil organic carbon (matter)
Heterotrophic
Respiration
CO2
+
H2O
CO2
Decomposition
CO2
Hydrocarbon (fossil fuel)
CO2
Active carbon
Passive carbon
CO2 + CH4
CO2
Organic
C
Autotrophic
Respiration
CO2
Dissolved carbon
What is Carbon Sequestration?
Carbon sequestration is a biological process part of the carbon cycle
The main steps of the process are:
1. Vegetation absorbs CO2 via photosynthesis
2. Absorbed CO2 is assimilated into organic carbon
3. Organic carbon (C) is respired or transferred to soil or wood for storage
Factors that regulate C sequestration
Climate
Type of soil
Land use
Land management
12
Measurement
Quantifying C Sequestration is Complicated!
Modelling
Mapping
Measuring Soil Organic C (SOC)
Most organic C is in top soil (30cm)
• Labile – easy to breakdown
C content of subsoil is low & stable
• Less turnover & exposure to atmosphere
Deeper soil sampling required for C
• 50cm to 1 metre
C Sequestration verified by long-term sampling
Labile SOC
1-2 years
C/N ratio: 20-30
Recalcitrant SOC
500-5000 years
C/N ratio: 7-10
Organic
C
100cm
30cm
Measuring C Fluxes
Flux tower quantify net C exchange
in agro-ecosystems: Daily & Annually
Measure continuously (every sec)
• Wind speed and CO2 mixing ratio
Teagasc Presentation Footer 14
Measuring C Fluxes
Flux tower quantify net C exchange in agro-ecosystems: Daily & Annually
Measure continuously (every sec)
• Wind speed and CO2 mixing ratio
Sensitive to effect of weather and management on C
• Indirectly estimates herbage growth
Teagasc Presentation Footer 15
Dry summer
Net CO2 exchange in agro-ecosystem
Teagasc Presentation Footer 16
-1500
-1000
-500
0
500
1000
1500
-8
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
8
Cu
mu
lati
ve C
Flu
x (
g C
m-2
)
Da
ily C
Flu
x (
g C
m-2
d-1
)
ΣNEE = -374 g C m-2
Photosynthesis
Respiration
Lanigan et al. 2014
Net C Exchange & Net C Storage
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
1 2 3 4 5 6
Net
Carb
on
, t
CO
2/h
a p
er
year
Year
Grassland - Johnstown Castle
Exchange Storage
Positive net exchange =
CO2 uptake
Net C storage includes:
• C inputs
» Organic fertilizer
• C removals
» Cutting and grazing
• C losses
» Erosion, wildfire etc..
Teagasc Presentation Footer 17
Lanigan et al. 2014
Modelling C Sequestration
Soil C levels modelled for unmeasured sites
Models developed from climate, soil C and flux records
Ecosse, DayCent, PaSIM & RothC valid soil C models
• Relatively accurate
• Struggle to predict grass growth
Teagasc Presentation Footer 18
Model applications Monitor C storage at small & large scale
• From sites to farms, regions, nation
Simulate C sequestration by good farming practices
• Correct soil pH, P and K (0.8 t CO2/ha per year)
• Spread slurry on tillage land (1.1 t CO2/ha per year)
Project impact of climate change on soil C
Teagasc Presentation Footer 19
Balancing Irish agricultural GHG’s
Bovine herd - Principal driver of agricultural GHG emissions
Irish cattle producers amongst the most GHG efficient in the world
• EU Commission
Further gains in efficiency challenging
• Enhance C sequestration to balance GHG’s
» Climate neutral
Teagasc Presentation Footer 20
Balancing Irish agricultural GHG’s
Annual GHG’s from
cattle farms
simulated with life
cycle assessment
• On-farm sources
» Cattle, manure, fertilizer,
fuel, soils…
• Off-farm sources
» Electricity, concentrate,
fertilizer, fuel….
Dairy* Beef*
-40%
-20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
GH
G b
ala
nce i
n C
O2 e
qu
ivale
nt
Carbon dioxide Nitrous oxide Methane
21
*Average producer in 2017
1 kg Methane = 25 kg CO2; 1 kg Nitrous oxide = 298 kg CO2
(9 t CO2e/ha) (4 t CO2e/ha)
Suckler beef farms – GHG balance
11.9
10.5
15
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
NA - 1.4 LU/ha HS - 2.2 LU/ha LS - 0.4 LU/ha
kg
CO
2 e
qu
iv.
per
kg
LW
G
Gross GHG
Teagasc Presentation Footer 22
Suckler beef farms – GHG balance
11.9
10.5
15
5.5
1.6
12.9
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
NA - 1.4 LU/ha HS - 2.2 LU/ha LS - 0.4 LU/ha
kg
CO
2 e
qu
iv.
per
kg
LW
G
Gross GHG C Sequestration
Teagasc Presentation Footer 23
Suckler beef farms – GHG balance
11.9
10.5
15
5.5
1.6
12.9
6.4
8.9
2.1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
NA - 1.4 LU/ha HS - 2.2 LU/ha LS - 0.4 LU/ha
kg
CO
2 e
qu
iv.
per
kg
LW
G
Gross GHG C Sequestration "Gross-Net" GHG
Teagasc Presentation Footer 24
4.2 1.9 2.3
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
Gross GHGemission
CSequestrationsoils & hedges
Gross netGHG emission
Me
tric
t C
O2 e
qu
iva
len
t/h
ecta
re
(± 1.0) (± 1.8) (± 3.0)
25
Low GHG Irish Beef Farm
Afforest 1/4 hectare
4.2 1.9 2.3 2.3
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
Gross GHGemission
CSequestrationsoils & hedges
Gross netGHG emission
Additional CSequestration
Net net GHGemission
Me
tric
t C
O2 e
qu
iva
len
t/h
ecta
re
(± 1.0) (± 1.8) (± 3.0) (± 0.4)
26
Climate Neutral Irish Beef Farm
Afforest 1/4 hectare
9
1.9
7.1 7.1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Gross GHGemission
CSequestrationsoils & hedges
Gross netGHG emission
Additional CSequestration
Net net GHGemission
Me
tric
t C
O2 e
qu
iva
len
t/h
ecta
re
(± 2.0)
(± 1.8)
(± 4.0) (± 1.0)
27
Climate Neutral Irish Dairy Farm
Afforest 2/3 hectare
Summary
C sequestration supports the delivery of climate neutral livestock farming
• Reduces GHG’s in grass-based livestock farms
Quantity of GHG’s reduced by C sequestration in grassland variable & uncertain (-1.9 to 5.5 t CO2/ha)
• Aim to monitor larger number of grassland sites
The distance to climate neutrality target is lower on extensive grass-based livestock farms
Teagasc Presentation Footer 28
Summary
Achieving climate neutrality is difficult on high output efficient grass-based livestock farm
Demo events key to transferring C efficient farming practices
Afforestation & low emission technologies likely to be needed to achieve long-term GHG targets
Teagasc Presentation Footer 29
3-NOP Seaweed,
Asparagposis spp.
© Getty Images © DSM
Forestry
Helpful Links
EU Farm to fork strategy: https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal/actions-being-taken-eu/farm-fork_en
Climate Action Plan 2019: https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/climate-action/publications/Pages/Climate-Action-Plan.aspx
Teagasc Daily Online: https://www.teagasc.ie/publications/2020/enhancing-soil-carbon-sequestration-to-contribute-to-carbon-neutrality-on-irish-farms.php
NEFERTITI: https://nefertiti-h2020.eu/
CIRCASA: https://www.circasa-project.eu/
Redmond, 2019. Grassland and carbon sequestration. Teagasc Moorepark 19’ booklet: https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/publications/2019/Grassland-and-carbon-sequestration.pdf
Teagasc Presentation Footer 30
Thank you for listening
Questions?
Acknowledgements
Teagasc Presentation Footer 31
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