Estimating carbon storage in windbreak trees on U.S. agricultural lands

Abstract

Assessing carbon (C) capture and storage potential by the agroforestry practice of windbreaks has been limited. This is due, in part, to a lack of suitable data and associated models for estimating tree biomass and C for species growing under more opengrown conditions such as windbreaks in the Central Plains region of the United States (U.S.). We evaluated 15 allometric models using destructively sampled Pinus ponderosa (Lawson & C. Lawson) data from field windbreaks in Nebraska and Montana. Several goodness-of-fit metrics were used to select the optimal model. The Jenkins' et al. model was then used to estimate biomass for 16 tree species in windbreaks projected over a 50 year time horizon in nine continental U.S. regions. Carbon storage potential in the windbreak scenarios ranged from 1.07 ± 0.21 to 3.84 ± 0.04 Mg C ha -1 year -1 for conifer species and from 0.99 ± 0.16 to 13.6 ± 7.72 Mg C ha -1 year -1 for broadleaved deciduous species during the 50 year period. Estimated mean C storage potentials across species and regions were 2.45 ± 0.42 and 4.39 ± 1.74 Mg C ha -1 year -1 for conifer and broadleaved deciduous species, respectively. Such information enhances our capacity to better predict the C sequestration potential of windbreaks associated with whole farm/ranch operations in the U.S.

Above- and Below-Ground Carbon Sequestration in Shelterbelt Trees in Canada: A Review

“…Likewise, statistical models also have been used to estimate carbon sequestration in shelterbelts [10,50]. Possu et al [78] assessed 15 allometric models on Ponderosa pine windbreaks and used the best model to estimate carbon sequestration for 16 shelterbelt tree species in Nebraska, projected over 50 years in nine areas of the U.S. They found that carbon sequestration potential ranged from 1.07 ± 0.21 to 3.84 ± 0.04 Mg C ha −1 year −1 for conifer species and from 0.99 ± 0.16 to 13.6 ± 7.72 Mg C ha −1 year −1 for broadleaved deciduous species.…”

Enrichment Planting and Soil Amendments Enhance Carbon Sequestration and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agroforestry Systems: A Review

“…Furthermore, the vegetation C sequestration rate differs by forest types. As an example, within windbreak systems, broadleaved trees demonstrated an almost double C storage capacity (4.39 ± 1.74 Mg C ha −1 y −1 ) than conifer trees (2.45 ± 0.42 Mg C ha −1 y −1 ) in a study involving nine ecoregions across the USA [26]. Table 1.…”

Native and agricultural forests at risk to a changing climate in the Northern Plains

“…Like native forests, agroforestry has the ability to sequester large amounts of carbon especially for the small amount of land area occupied by these practices (Table 3) (Schoeneberger et al 2017b). Carbon storage (aboveground and belowground) rates in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas have been estimated to be around 3 Mg C ha −1 for deciduous and conifer windbreaks (Possu et al 2016), which is greater than agricultural In terms of relative contribution within a field, inclusion of a windbreak (comprising 3-5% of a field) for purposes other than mitigation services, can potentially almost double the total carbon sequestered from converting a field from conventional to no-till after 50 years (Schoeneberger 2009). Indirect carbon and other greenhouse gas contributions from agroforestry, such as emission avoidance in fields and energy savings from farmstead windbreaks, may be even greater than that from carbon sequestration (Ballesteros- Possu et al 2017).…”