Variation in methodology obscures clarity of cropland global warming potential estimates

Liebig, Mark A.; Bergh, Emma L.; Archer, David W.

doi:10.1002/jeq2.20467

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…(1) Characterization: Based on the three environmental impacts-energy depletion, global warming, and environmental acidification [19]-we used the equivalent factor method to evaluate the greenhouse effect through CO 2 equivalent [26] and the environmental acidification potentials [27] through SO 2 equivalent calculation (Table 1). The latter refers to the sum of all the environmental impacts throughout the entire life cycle, as referred to in the following formula;…”

Section: Evaluation Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comprehensive Assessment of Rice Straw Returning in China Based on Life Cycle Assessment Method: Implications on Soil, Crops, and Environment

Tang,

Zhang,

Chen

et al. 2024

Agriculture

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Straw returning has been shown to improve farmland soil, increase crop yield, and reduce global warming. This study investigated the models of six rice straw-returning techniques based on the life cycle assessment method. Compared to the direct modes, the indirect ones showed a greater environmental impact; up to 20.56 times in acidification and emission potentials. There was no significant difference in climate change among the six types. Except for the burning effect, all other modes showed improvement in soil fertility; phosphorus and organic matter content increased by 66.66% and 30.85%, respectively, microbial biomass carbon content doubled (105%), the four organic carbon components increased by >50%, crop morbidity was reduced, and diversity of soil fungus was improved. Feeding, as an indirect method for enhancing soil fertility and economic benefits, is set to emerge as a leading practice in China’s straw management. However, straw-returning technology is limited by cost, greenhouse gases, and increased risk of diseases and pests. There is an urgent need for further improvement and development of carbon sequestration and emission reduction in China’s agriculture.

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Section: Evaluation Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comprehensive Assessment of Rice Straw Returning in China Based on Life Cycle Assessment Method: Implications on Soil, Crops, and Environment

Tang,

Zhang,

Chen

et al. 2024

Agriculture

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“…The agricultural and soil science communities produce a wealth of data assessing the greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of land use change and cropping system management at the field‐ and farm‐scales. These analyses sometimes include soil organic carbon (SOC) stock change data, while other times it is absent (Liebig et al., 2023). Without clear guidance, methods for including biogenic C storage, such as soil organic C (SOC), into GHG inventories vary widely.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stock change accounting overestimates the potential climate benefit of soil carbon storage

Alexander,

Gamble,

Venterea

2024

Soil Science Soc of Amer J

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Agriculture is being called upon to increase carbon (C) storage in soils to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) accumulation in the atmosphere. Cropping systems research can be used to support GHG mitigation efforts, but we must quantify land management impacts using appropriate assumptions and unambiguous methods. Soil C sequestration is considered temporary because it can be re‐emitted as carbon dioxide (CO2) if the effecting practice is not maintained and/or the soil–plant system is disturbed, for example, as the result of changing climate. Because of this, the climate benefit of soil C sequestration depends on the time that C is held out of the atmosphere. When assessing the net GHG impact of management practices, soil C storage is often aggregated with non‐CO2 (N2O and CH4) emissions after converting all components to CO2 equivalents (CO2e) and assuming a given time horizon (TH), in what is known as stock change accounting. However, such analyses do not consider potential re‐emission of soil C or apply consistent assumptions about time horizons. Here, we demonstrate that tonne‐year accounting provides a more conservative estimate of the emissions offsetting potential of soil C storage compared to stock change accounting. Tonne‐year accounting can be used to reconcile differences in the context and timeframes of soil C sequestration and non‐CO2 GHG emissions. The approach can be applied post hoc to commonly observed cropping systems data to estimate GHG emissions offsets associated with agricultural land management over given THs and with more clearly defined assumptions.

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Including non‐growing season emissions of N₂O in US maize could raise net CO₂e emissions by 31% annually

Buma

2024

Agricultural & Env Letters

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Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a significant greenhouse gas and the most important currently emitted ozone depleting substance, primarily via agricultural fertilization. Current N2O emission estimation methods at the national scale are predominantly via emission factors. Models estimating national‐scale emissions are focused on growing season emissions. However, a substantial fraction of N2O can be emitted during non‐growing season periods. Using newly published off‐season N2O emission ratio maps and high‐resolution nitrogen application data, this study explores the potential magnitude of underestimated N2O emissions if using only the default growing‐season focused methodology. Although there is large variation at county scales (12%–35%), non‐growing season national emissions are estimated at 31% of the total, a potential 12,000 Gg CO2e year−1. Further work should better refine emission estimates spatially as well as fully integrate estimates across growing and non‐growing seasons.

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Variation in methodology obscures clarity of cropland global warming potential estimates

Cited by 7 publications

References 39 publications

A Comprehensive Assessment of Rice Straw Returning in China Based on Life Cycle Assessment Method: Implications on Soil, Crops, and Environment

A Comprehensive Assessment of Rice Straw Returning in China Based on Life Cycle Assessment Method: Implications on Soil, Crops, and Environment

Stock change accounting overestimates the potential climate benefit of soil carbon storage

Including non‐growing season emissions of N₂O in US maize could raise net CO₂e emissions by 31% annually

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Variation in methodology obscures clarity of cropland global warming potential estimates

Cited by 7 publications

References 39 publications

A Comprehensive Assessment of Rice Straw Returning in China Based on Life Cycle Assessment Method: Implications on Soil, Crops, and Environment

A Comprehensive Assessment of Rice Straw Returning in China Based on Life Cycle Assessment Method: Implications on Soil, Crops, and Environment

Stock change accounting overestimates the potential climate benefit of soil carbon storage

Including non‐growing season emissions of N2O in US maize could raise net CO2e emissions by 31% annually

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Including non‐growing season emissions of N₂O in US maize could raise net CO₂e emissions by 31% annually