State of the Carbo Cycle for North American Agriculture
Abstract
Agriculture is a key player in the terrestrial C cycle by being both a source and a sink for greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4 and N2O). Agriculture emits about 9% of US GHG emissions. Emissions from agriculture have increased since 1990 primarily from animal agriculture (11% from CH4) and soil management (5% from N2O). Agriculture offsets emissions by providing a C sink in soils. However, agriculture has an important role in feeding a growing population. Therefore, the challenge is to sustainably increase productivity while controlling emissions. This can only be done through gains in efficiency. Strategies for improving livestock efficiency can reduce CH4 emissions while change soil management reduce N2O emissions and increase soil C sinks.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFMGC23K..09R
- Keywords:
-
- 0428 Carbon cycling;
- BIOGEOSCIENCESDE: 1615 Biogeochemical cycles;
- processes;
- and modeling;
- GLOBAL CHANGEDE: 1630 Impacts of global change;
- GLOBAL CHANGEDE: 4806 Carbon cycling;
- OCEANOGRAPHY: BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL