Greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils a global perspective PD Dr. Werner Eugster, Prof. Nina Buchmann Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich 1
Outline Greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils Global C pools and fluxes Sectorial emissions Quantification of GHG emissions Sensitivity of GHG fluxes to changing environment and management Different mitigation options in the agricultural sector 2
Global C pools and fluxes (http://www.globe.gov) Ca as FiBL December 15 2011 3
Understanding the global C balance 2000-2010 (PgC y -1 ) 7.9±0.5 1.0±0.7 2.5±1.0 (Residual) 4.1±0.2 2.3±0.5 (5 models) (www.globalcarbonproject.org) 4
Update: Global C budget in 2010 0.9±0.7 PgC y -1 5.0±0.2 PgC y -1 50% + 2.6±1.0 PgC 26% y-1 9.1±0.5 PgC y -1 As residual all other flux components 24% 2.4±0.5 PgC y -1 Average of 5 models (www.globalcarbonproject.org) 5
Fast recovery after last financial crisis (Peters et al. 2011) 6
Sectorial GHG emissions FOOD SECURITY Summit urged to clean up farming Leading scientists say that agriculture is a poor relation in global-warming negotiations. BY NATASHA GILBERT Delegates meeting this month in Durban, South Africa, to assess international progress on tackling climate change need to look beyond smoke stacks and car exhausts to a neglected source of emissions agriculture. That s the message from an international. group of leading agricultural and climate scientists in a report published on 16 November. They say that agriculture is the single largest contributor to greenhouse-gas pollution on the planet, through routes such as deforestation, rice growing and animal husbandry (see Farming footprint ). Emissions include nitrous oxide from fertilizer and methane from livestock, as well as carbon dioxide. With global food demand projected to double by 2050, agriculture s emissions will grow unless farming FARMING FOOTPRINT Greenhouse-gas emissions from forestry are largely caused by creating new farmland. When added to emissions directly from agriculture, farming is the largest source of man-made greenhouse gases. Waste and wastewater 2.8% Forestry 17.4% Agriculture 13.5% Industry 19.4% 17 NOVEMBER 2011 VOL 479 NATURE 279 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved 49 Gt* IN FOCUS NEWS 13.5% Agriculture! 6.6 Gt CO 2 eq/a OR Energy supply 25.9% 31.1% Agriculture! 15.2 Gt CO 2 eq/a? Transport 13.1% Buildings 7.9% (data from 2004) *49 gigatonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent per year; 2004 data FARMING FOOTPRINT Greenhouse-gas emissions from forestry are largely caused by creating new farmland. When added to emissions directly from agriculture, farming is the largest source of man-made greenhouse gases. Waste and wastewater 2.8% Forestry 17.4% Agriculture 13.5% Industry 19.4% 49 Gt* Energy supply 25.9% Transport 13.1% Buildings 7.9% *49 gigatonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent per year; 2004 data (Gilbert 2011) 7
Sectorial GHG emissions: Agriculture Ca 8
y Quantification of GHG fluxes Chambers! soil or vegetation scale Flux towers, tall towers! ecosystem or regional scale 200 Aircrafts! regional to national scale 100 30 40 50 60 70 0 20 10 50 40 100 30 20 200 00 200 Modelling, inventories 9
Biosphere atmosphere gas exchange Another approach: Land-based measurements F CO2 = Net ecosystem exchange NEE R A R = Respiration A = Assimilation, photosynthesis C sink: Assimilation >> Respiration C source: Respiration >> Assimilation Früebüel, CH 10
Measurements of net CO 2 exchange Eddy Covariance method: Measurements of Radiation, Temperature, humidity, CO 2, H 2 O concentrations, Wind direction, Wind velocity, " Calculation of CO 2 flux: Früebüel, CH F CO2 = V mol w'c' 11
Measurements of net CO 2 exchange F CO2 Continuous measurements (24 h/day, 365 days/year, multiple years) Spatial integration R A 200 100 30 40 50 60 70 y 0 20 10 50 40 Chamau, CH -100 30 20 CaLas FiBL, December 15, 2011 Eugster & Buchmann -200
Swiss Fluxnet 13
Annual carbon fluxes of a cropland? Oensingen, SO Cumulative CO 2 flux Respiration dominates = C loss to the atmosphere = source Assimilation dominates = C uptake from the atmosphere = sink (see also Dietiker et al. 2010) 14
Annual carbon fluxes of a cropland? Oensingen, SO Las FiBL December 15 2011 Eugster & Buchmann 15
4 years of CO 2 fluxes for crop rotation Oensingen, SO (Kutsch et al. 2010) 16
Oensingen: Intensive vs. Extensive Grassland Intensive Extensive Soil C Stocks (Ammann et al. 2007) 17
Oensingen: Intensive vs. Extensive Grassland Extensive Intensive (Ammann et al. 2007) 18
Soil Processes: Importance of N 2 O and CH 4 Chemically Reactive, Short Lifetime GHG Inert Soil Water Saturation CH 4 Uptake (Oxidation) CO 2 Loss (Respiration) CH 4 CH 4 (mod. after Meixner and Eugster 1999) 19
Total Global Warming Potential Oensingen Grassland Oensingen Grassland 2002 2004 10 CO 2 Budget ( NBP) N 2 O Budget Global Warming Potential tco 2 eq ha!1 yr!1 5 0 5 LOSS GAIN 10 Intensively Managed Extensively Managed Data from Flechard et al. (2005) 20
Management Effect on Cropland Respiration flooding ploughing (15 cm) tillage (10 cm) (1&0#-!'#26:+5 %!11$#)264+521$%) /)" /1&&,!'# -$"9)*% *&7!'#2)$"18 *&7!'#21$%) /)" "$1 (1&0#-!'#234+521$%) /0'#!+!,) -)".!+!,) ()*%!+!,)!""!#$%!&' F2"9< /25$6 /2748 "&<> A##6C F2')- A##<% A#/4B A#D$3 /"0)1 A#E-) /"234!"#$% &+,-$. 570-4 &'()* 57:6-57:;4 57#<=?@!&4 "9"9* fertilizer plowing (30 cm) irrigation GHII *JIK *IIK >LIK >*IK >IIK MIK> LIKM JIKL *IKJ IK*I N 4 :4 644 6:4 LESS Carbon Loss ;-$'#)!' ")*(!"$%!&' <=> MORE Carbon Loss (Eugster et al. 2010) 21
Combined approach to estimate European GHG budget (Schulze et al. 2009) 22
European CO 2 fluxes and NBP (Net Biome Productivity) NBP Europe = Carbon sink (Schulze et al. 2009) 23
European GHG budget for agricultural lands Grasslands are a sink Croplands are a source (Schulze et al. 2009) 24
Afforestation vs. pasture in Panama (Wolf et al. 2010) 25
Afforestation vs. pasture in Panama (Wolf et al. 2010) 26
Afforestation vs. pasture in Panama Pasture! C source Afforestation! C sink (Wolf et al. 2011) 27
Panama: Dry vs. Wet Season CO 2 Fluxes Dry Wet season Cumulative NEE (g C m 2 ) 400 2007 2008 2009 200 0 200 400 2007: 251 g C m 2 2008: 261 g C m 2 2009: 260 g C m 2 2007: 292 g C m 2 2008: 442 g C m 2 2009: 419 g C m 2 Pasture Afforestation Sink Source Pasture Afforestation Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan (Wolf et al. 2011) 28
Impact of overgrazing overgrazing threshold (Wolf et al. 2011) 29
C-Losses from Organic Soil: Rigi-Seebodenalp (g C m 2 yr 1 ) 1000 500 0 500 Rigi Seebodenalp Carbon Budget 2003 A? ECOSYSTEM IS ECOSYSTEM IS NET SOURCE NET SINK 1000 1500 GPP Reco NEE Peat Loss Harvest Grazing Budget I CH4 DIC/DOC Budget II (Rogiers et al. 2008) 30
Mitigation options on land? (Smith et al. 2005) 31
Mitigation options on land? According to IPCC (WG III, 2007): For agriculture Reducing emissions in agriculture (e.g., fertilizer optimization) Enhancing GHG removal through management (e.g., zerotillage, conservation tillage; conserve/increase soil C pools) Avoiding emissions (e.g., bio-energy, selection of new agricultural areas) 32
Mitigation options on agricultural land? (IPCC, WG III, 2007) 33
Mitigation options on agricultural land? Total ca. 6 Gt CO 2 -eq/yr Thereof 89% enhanced soil C 9% mitigation of CH 4 emissions 2% mitigation of soil N 2 O emissions (IPCC, WG III, 2007) 34
Mitigation options on agricultural land? Many options available Strongly dependent on local conditions (environment, management, society, politics, ) Agricultural mitigation: - options in 2030: up to 5.5 to 6 Gt CO 2 -eq per yr (top-down models) without fossil fuel substitutions - most prominent options: improved crop and grazing land management, restoration of drained soils and degraded land! soil C sequestration - some technological development still needed (IPCC 2007) 35