1. Carbon Sequestration in Farm and Forest Ecosystems Sarah Hines April 2009 shines@fs.fed.us

2. Overview Sequestration: What is it and how does it happen? Global Carbon Cycle & Stocks Forests Forest Carbon Pools Carbon Flux & Cycling Agriculture and Rangelands The local process Soil & co-benefits

3. Carbon Sequestration The long term storage of carbon in the terrestrial biosphere, oceans, or underground, by maintaining/enhancing natural processes, improving management, or improving technology.

4. The Global Carbon Cycle Source: NASA Earth Observatory and Woods Hole Research Institute

5. Global Carbon Stocks and Soil Carbon Pools Source: IPCC Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry, 2001

6. Carbon Budget of the US Forest Sector YEAR Millions tons CO2/yr Net Emissions Net Sequestration National Baseline ~200 Tg C/yr 10% of CO 2 emissions from burning fossil fuels “A goal of an additional 100 to 200 Tg C/yr of forest carbon is achievable, but would require investment in inventory and monitoring, development of technology and practices, and assistance for land managers.” Birdsey et al, 2006.

7. Carbon Pools in Forested Ecosystems: What the US Forest Service Monitors & Reports Detailed measurement and estimationSummarized estimates for default tables Summarized estimates for reporting Live trees: above-ground Live trees Ecosystem carbon Live trees: below-ground Tree seedlingsUnderstory vegetation Shrubs, herbs, forbs, grasses Standing dead trees: above-ground Standing dead trees Standing dead trees: below-ground Down dead wood Stumps and dead roots Fine woody debris Forest floor Litter Humus Soil carbon

8. Carbon Pools in CCAR: Optional & Required Source: CCAR, 2 nd Public Workshop for Updated Forest Protocol, 2/3/09

9. Carbon Pools and Fluxes

10. Carbon movement between pools… Evey Canyon, Angeles National Forest

11. Carbon Flux: How we know what we know

12. Suggestions on how to Measure Flux at a Landscape Scale… Hoover, Ed. 2008

13. Relationship Between Forest Ecosystem Components Smith et al, 2006. Methods for Calculating Forest Ecosystem and Harvested Carbon with Standard Estimates for Forest Types of the United States. GTR-NE-343

14. Mitigation Options… Emissions Reduction Substitute Wood Products for More Energy-Intensive Products Reduce Demand for Energy through Forest Operations Efficiency Reduce Biomass Burning (Wildfires) Sink Enhancement Afforest Marginal Cropland and Pasture Reduce Conversion of Forestland to Nonforest Use Improve Forest Management Reduce Harvest Increase Agroforestry Emissions Reduction & Sink Enhancement Substitute Renewable Biomass for Fossil Fuel Energy Increase Proportion and Retention of C in Durable Wood Products Increase Paper and Wood Recycling Plant Trees in Urban and Suburban Areas

15. …Mitigation Potential From 1990-2005, forest sector sequestered 162 Tg C/yr Lots more here…

16. Management counts for a lot…

17. Root Systems of Native Grasses and Crops 1 2 3 meters Source: Courtesy of Ron Follett, Agricultural Research Service, USDA