Cargando…
Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out?
Soil organic carbon (SOC) changes associated with land conversion to energy crops are central to the debate on bioenergy and their potential carbon neutrality. Here, the experimental evidence on SOC under perennial energy crops (PECs) is synthesised to parameterise a whole systems model and to ident...
Autores principales: | , , |
---|---|
Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
Springer US
2015
|
Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4732603/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26855689 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12155-014-9571-0 |
_version_ | 1782412728892129280 |
---|---|
author | Agostini, Francesco Gregory, Andrew S. Richter, Goetz M. |
author_facet | Agostini, Francesco Gregory, Andrew S. Richter, Goetz M. |
author_sort | Agostini, Francesco |
collection | PubMed |
description | Soil organic carbon (SOC) changes associated with land conversion to energy crops are central to the debate on bioenergy and their potential carbon neutrality. Here, the experimental evidence on SOC under perennial energy crops (PECs) is synthesised to parameterise a whole systems model and to identify uncertainties and knowledge gaps determining PECs being a sink or source of greenhouse gas (GHG). For Miscanthus and willow (Salix spp.) and their analogues (switchgrass, poplar), we examine carbon (C) allocation to above- and belowground residue inputs, turnover rates and retention in the soil. A meta-analysis showed that studies on dry matter partitioning and C inputs to soils are plentiful, whilst data on turnover are rare and rely on few isotopic C tracer studies. Comprehensive studies on SOC dynamics and GHG emissions under PECs are limited and subsoil processes and C losses through leaching remain unknown. Data showed dynamic changes of gross C inputs and SOC stocks depending on stand age. C inputs and turnover can now be specifically parameterised in whole PEC system models, whilst dependencies on soil texture, moisture and temperature remain empirical. In conclusion, the annual net SOC storage change exceeds the minimum mitigation requirement (0.25 Mg C ha(−1) year(−1)) under herbaceous and woody perennials by far (1.14 to 1.88 and 0.63 to 0.72 Mg C ha(−1) year(−1), respectively). However, long-term time series of field data are needed to verify sustainable SOC enrichment, as the physical and chemical stabilities of SOC pools remain uncertain, although they are essential in defining the sustainability of C sequestration (half-life >25 years). |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-4732603 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2015 |
publisher | Springer US |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-47326032016-02-04 Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? Agostini, Francesco Gregory, Andrew S. Richter, Goetz M. Bioenergy Res Article Soil organic carbon (SOC) changes associated with land conversion to energy crops are central to the debate on bioenergy and their potential carbon neutrality. Here, the experimental evidence on SOC under perennial energy crops (PECs) is synthesised to parameterise a whole systems model and to identify uncertainties and knowledge gaps determining PECs being a sink or source of greenhouse gas (GHG). For Miscanthus and willow (Salix spp.) and their analogues (switchgrass, poplar), we examine carbon (C) allocation to above- and belowground residue inputs, turnover rates and retention in the soil. A meta-analysis showed that studies on dry matter partitioning and C inputs to soils are plentiful, whilst data on turnover are rare and rely on few isotopic C tracer studies. Comprehensive studies on SOC dynamics and GHG emissions under PECs are limited and subsoil processes and C losses through leaching remain unknown. Data showed dynamic changes of gross C inputs and SOC stocks depending on stand age. C inputs and turnover can now be specifically parameterised in whole PEC system models, whilst dependencies on soil texture, moisture and temperature remain empirical. In conclusion, the annual net SOC storage change exceeds the minimum mitigation requirement (0.25 Mg C ha(−1) year(−1)) under herbaceous and woody perennials by far (1.14 to 1.88 and 0.63 to 0.72 Mg C ha(−1) year(−1), respectively). However, long-term time series of field data are needed to verify sustainable SOC enrichment, as the physical and chemical stabilities of SOC pools remain uncertain, although they are essential in defining the sustainability of C sequestration (half-life >25 years). Springer US 2015-01-15 2015 /pmc/articles/PMC4732603/ /pubmed/26855689 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12155-014-9571-0 Text en © The Author(s) 2015 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and the source are credited. |
spellingShingle | Article Agostini, Francesco Gregory, Andrew S. Richter, Goetz M. Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? |
title | Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? |
title_full | Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? |
title_fullStr | Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? |
title_full_unstemmed | Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? |
title_short | Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? |
title_sort | carbon sequestration by perennial energy crops: is the jury still out? |
topic | Article |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4732603/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26855689 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12155-014-9571-0 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT agostinifrancesco carbonsequestrationbyperennialenergycropsisthejurystillout AT gregoryandrews carbonsequestrationbyperennialenergycropsisthejurystillout AT richtergoetzm carbonsequestrationbyperennialenergycropsisthejurystillout |