BACKGROUND To implement the REDD+ mechanism (Reducing Emissions for Deforestation and Forest Degradation, countries need to prioritize areas to combat future deforestation CO2 emissions, identify the drivers of deforestation around which to develop mitigation actions, and quantify and value carbon for financial mechanisms. Each comes with its own methodological challenges, and existing approach...

Nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and methane are the main biogenic greenhouse gases (GHG) contributing to net greenhouse gas balance of agro-ecosystems. Evaluating the impact of agriculture on climate thus requires capacity to predict the net exchanges of these gases in a systemic approach, as related to environmental conditions and crop management. Here, we used experimental data sets from intens...

Although enhanced carbon fixation by forest trees may contribute significantly to mitigating an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), capacities for this vary greatly among different tree species and locations. This study compared reactions in the foliage of a deciduous and a coniferous tree species (important central European trees, beech and spruce) to an elevated supply of CO2 and ev...

Plant water use efficiency (WUE) is defined as the net dry matter production (DM) per unit of consumptive water use. It is a vital variable for plant growth, yield, and irrigation-management models. Pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) C. Koch] WUE has been estimated for above ground biomass growth using evapotranspiration (ET) and DM data measured separately in different experiments. The WUE ...

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Soil carbon sequestration (SCS) has the potential to attenuate increasing atmospheric CO2 and mitigate greenhouse warming. Understanding of this potential can be assisted by the use of simulation models. We evaluated the ability of the EPIC model to simulate corn (Zea mays L.) yields and soil organic carbon (SOC) at Arlington, WI, during 1958-1991. Corn was grown continuously on a Typic Argiudo...

[1] Postfire changes in the local energy balance and soil chemistry may significantly alter rates of carbon turnover in organic-rich soils of boreal forests. This study combines field measurements of soil carbon uptake and emission along a 140-year chronosequence of burned black spruce stands to evaluate the timescales over which these disturbance effects operate. Soil CO2 efflux increased as a...

Soil organic carbon (SOC) pool is the largest among terrestrial pools. The restoration of SOC pool in arable lands represents a potential sink for atmospheric CO2. Restorative management of SOC includes using organic manures, adopting legume-based crop rotations, and converting plow till to a conservation till system. A field study was conducted to analyze soil properties on two farms located i...