OSTI Database Project Description  (updated Aug. 2005)

PROJECT TITLE:

Carbon Sequestration in Dryland and Irrigated Agroecosystems: Quantification at Dirrlanca Scales for Improved Prediction

PROJECT ID:

P/OAK--FG03-00ER62996

RESEARCH ORG. CODE:

OAK

CONTRACT NUMBER:

FG03-00ER62996

FUNDING MECHANISM:

GRANT

SUBCONTRACT NAME:

 

SUBCONTRACT NUMBER:

 

POINT OF CONTACT NAME:

DAHLMAN ROGER

POINT OF CONTACT EMAIL:

 

POINT OF CONTACT PHONE:

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

To improve understanding of biophysical controls on soil carbon sequestration and to apply the new knowledge, along with existing data, towards development of improved methods to predict annual carbon sequestration in agroecosystems. Recent studies indicate a high potential for storing large amounts of carbon in agricultural soils. This project focuses on major agroecosystems of the north-central USA. The over-arching hypotheses are (1) that through the use of innovative crop management practices that increase plant productivity and minimize adverse environmental harm, the major agroecosystems in the north-central USA will substantially increase present rates of carbon sequestration in soils, and (2) that by improving understanding of biophysical controls on annual whole-ecosystem carbon balance, better predictions of effects of various management practices on carbon sequestration in those ecosystems will be obtained. Results of the study will identify crop management systems that maximize net carbon sequestration.
 
Carbon capture by ecosystems and retention in biomass and soils are important ways to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. This project on Carbon Sequestration in Dryland and Irrigated Agroecosystems addresses the general topic of carbon sequestration in the terrestrial biosphere, and contributes to BER's Carbon Sequestration (CS) Program. Goals of CS are to understand scientific mechanisms, and to derive improved quantitative estimates of amounts and rates of carbon sequestration in the terrestrial biosphere. The proposed research is an important component of the CS Program.

 Three major agroecosystems in Nebraska will be studied: a rainfed maize-soybean rotation, an irrigated maize-soybean rotation, and an irrigated continuous maize system. In each system, annual carbon exchanges will be measured using the continuous eddy covariance method. Soil carbon content changes will be measured over time using georeferenced soil sampling. (The soil sampling will continue beyond the 3-year lifetime of the proposed project.) Characterization of soil carbon will include density fractionation and acid hydrolysis, which will be important to improving models. A cost-effective procedure for predicting annual carbon sequestration at the scale of individual fields using detailed mapping of crop yield patterns will be developed. Detailed measurements of crop photosynthesis and respiration, and soil CO2 efflux, will be carried out using various well accepted chamber and eddy covariance methods.

PROGRESS TO DATE:

 

PROJECT STATUS:

C

PROJECT URL:

 

PROPRIETARY:

 

RESEARCH SUBJECT:

 

RESEARCH TYPE:

 

FUTURE PLANS:

 

NON-FEDERAL PERCENT:

 

OUT-YEAR COST:

 

PUBLICATIONS:

 

INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION:

 

START DATE:

11-Sep-2000

COMPLETION DATE:

14-Sep-2003

MD FILE SEQ:

 

AO OFFICE CODE:

 

PERFORMING LOCATION:

 

PERFORMING LOCATION CITY:

LINCOLN

PERFORMING LOCATION ZIP:

 

OLD PROJECT I.D.:

 

FISCAL YEAR:

2005

PROJECT APPROVED:

Y

ENTERED DATE:

 

LAST UPDATE:

 

 

 

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