with the Sustainability Lab

1. C-MASC 04-09
R. Lal
Carbon Management and Sequestration Center
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH 43210 USA

2. Biota
620 Gt
Atmosphere
800 Gt
+4 Gt/yr
Soils
2,500 Gt
(i) SOC - 1,550 Gt
(ii) SIC - 950 Gt
Ocean
38,400 Gt + 2.3 Gt/yr
(i) Surface layer: 670 Gt
(ii) Deep layer: 36,730 Gt
(iii) Total organic: 1,000 Gt
Fossil Fuels
4,130 Gt
(i) Coal: 3,510 Gt
(ii) Oil: 230 Gt
(iii) Gas: 140 Gt
(iv) Other: 250 Gt
120 + 2.0 Gt/yr (photosynth)
Plant respiration
60 + 1.6 Gt/yr
60 Gt/yr
8 Gt/yr
Fossil fuel
Combustion
& Cement
manufacture
90 Gt/yr
0.6+0.2 Gt/yr
(Burial)
MRT = 5Yr
MRT = 25Yr
Mean Residence Time (MRT) = 400Yr
1.6 + 0.8 Gt/yr
Deforestation
MRT = 6Yr
92.3 Gt/yr
Biofuel offset?
Lal, 2004

3. C-MASC 04-09
Ecosystem
Organic C Pool (Pg C to 1-m depth)
Range Mean
% of
Total
Flux
(Pg C/yr)
Total in world soils 1395-2011 1580 100 60
Cropland soils 128-168 152 9.6 3
Grassland/Savannas 279-559 425 26.9 26
Plantations - 90 5.7 5
Forests - 704 44.5 17
57%

4. C-MASC 04-09
Farmers have custody of more environment
than does any other group.
. . . . Paarlberg (1980)

5. C-MASC 04-09
1. It is a familiar property,
2. It involves direct measurement,
3. It can be measured in 4 dimensions (length,
width, depth, time),
4. It lends itself to repeated measurements over
the same site,
There are numerous advantages:

6. C-MASC 04-09
5. It is linked to ecosystem performance and
services,
6. It is a key driver of soil formation,
7. It is important to soil fertility,
8. It has memory,
9. It has well defined properties,

7. C-MASC 04-09
10. It can be used in synergism with other
indicators,
11. Its uncertainty can be quantified,
12. Its pathways across the landscape can be
followed,
13. It is an important archive of paleo-
environmental conditions.

8. C-MASC 02-09
Innovative
Technology II
Innovative
Technology I
Subsistence
farming, none or
low off-farm input
soil degradation
New
equilibrium
Adoption of
RMPs
20
40 60 80 100 120 140 160
40
60
80
100
0
20
Time (Yrs)
Accelerated erosion
Maximum
Potential
Rate
ΔY
ΔX
Attainable
Potential
C-MASC 04-09
Lal, 2004

9. Historic Loss from Terrestrial Biosphere =
456 Gt with 4 Gt of C emission = 1 ppm of CO2
The Potential Sink of Terrestrial Biospheres = 114 ppm
Assuming that up to 50% can be resequestered = 45 – 55 ppm
Cropland Soils: 1 Gt/yr
Rangeland Soils: 1 Gt/yr
Restoration of Degraded/Desertified: 1 Gt/yr
Drawdown: 50 ppm of CO2 over 50 years
C-MASC 04/09

10. Reducing C-
Based Input
Soil Carbon Sequestration
Avoiding Emissions
Controlling
Erosion
Improving Energy
Efficiency
• Biofuels
Creating Negative
C Emissions
Sequestering Carbon
Creating Positive
Nutrient Budget
Mulching Cover
cropping
Soil
Amendments
• Biochar
• Manure
• Zeolites
Chemical
FertilizersBiofertilizers
C-MASC 04/09

11. C-MASC 04-09
C Sequestration = C input > C output
C Depletion = C input < C output
C output = Erosion, Decomposition,
leaching, Harvest
C input = Residues, Mulch, Compost,
Amendment, Deposition

12. C-MASC 04-09

13. 1. Physical: Aggregation, Illuviation
2. Chemical: Humification, Organo-
Mineral complexation
3. Biological: Recalcitration of SOM
C-MASC 04-09

14. According to hierarchical model, 3 different
classes of SOM are:
• Persistent Pool: > 250 µm macro-aggregates
• Transient Pool: 53-250 µm micro-aggregation
• Temporary Pool: <52 µm silt and clay contents
C-MASC 04-09
Lal, 2004

15. Quartz
Quartz
Pore
Space
Soil Organic Matter
Clay Crystals Forming
Clay Domain
Carboxylated Polymer
SOIL ORGANIC MATTER AND AGGREGATION (Emerson, 1959)

16. 1500 x 10
15
C
in world soil
1.4 x 10
15
g/yr
decomposition
andemission to
the atmosphere
5.7 x 10
15
g/yr C
displaced due to erosion
3.99 x 10
15
g/yr
storedwithin the
terrestrial ecosystem
0.57 x 10
15
g/yr
transportedto
the ocean
Lal, 2003

17. C-MASC 04-09
World…… 1.1 Pg C/y
USA…….. 15 Tg C/y
Brazil…… 60 Tg C/y
India…….. 4.8 - 7.2 Tg C/y
Iceland….. 0.01-0.02 Tg C/y
(60-250 Tg C/1000 yr)

18. C-MASC 04-09
1. Dynamic replacement of SOC at eroding sites and
decrease in decomposition at depositional sites.
2. Deep burial of carbon.
3. The magnitude of the sink range from 0.1-1 Pg/y
(Van Oost et al., 2007; Stallard, 1998; Smith et al., 2001).

19. C-MASC 4-09

20. A 10% substitution of petrol and diesel fuel
is estimated to require:
• 43% of the current cropland area (USA)
• 38% of the current cropland area (EU)
Which means forests and grasslands would
need to be cleared to enable production of
energy crops. C-MASC 04-09

21. 1000-3500 L/L
C-MASC 04-09

22. Process Area (106 ha) % Total Land Area
Water Erosion 1094 8.4
Wind Erosion 549 4.2
Chemical Degradation 239 1.8
Physical Degradation 83 0.6
Total 1965 15.0
Total Earth’s Land Area = 13,069 Mha
C-MASC 04-09
(Glasod, 1994)

23. Parameter Value
Area degraded (106 ha) 3506
% of land area 23.5
Total NPP loss (Tg C/y) 955
Total Population affected (billion) 1.54
% Total Population 23.9
C-MASC 04-09

24. Region Total Land Used Land Available Land
---------------Gha-------------------
Sub-Saharan Africa 1.05 0.157 0.893
South/Central America 0.98 0.147 0.833
Asia an Pacific 0.74 0.474 0.266
North America 0.43 0.232 0.158
Europe 0.32 0.202 0.118
North America 0.28 0.179 0.101
North Africa/Near East 0.04 0.04 0
World 3.82 1.452 2.368
Tropical Regions = 1.99 Gha
Temperate Regions = 0.38 Gha

25. C sequestration through reclamation of salt affected soils in northern India
(Recalculated from Garg, 1998; Lal et al., 1998).

26. Sub-catchment Carbon sequestration rate (Mg C ha-1y-1)
Low High
Bingham River 3.8 5.2
Collie River Central East/James Well 3.8 5.2
Collie River East 3.3 4.4
Collie River South Branch 4.6 6.0
Harris river 8.5 11.5
Wellington Reservoir/
Collie River Central
6.6 9.0

27. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
No-TillPlow Till
SOC Concentration
C-MASC 04-09

28. C-MASC 04-09
Parameter Kg CE/ha
Conventional Till No Till
1. Input 803 786
2. Output 6431 6688
3. Soil erosion -60 0
4. C Sequestration -500 500
5. Net C output 5871 7188
6. C Output : Input 7·3 9·1

29. (Derpsh, 2007)
C-MASC 04-09

30. High
LowMedium
Medium
Temperature
Moisture
Wet
Dry
Cool Hot

31. C-MASC 04-09
Technology Temperate Tropics Highlands
Humid Sub-Humid Arid Humid Sub-Humid Arid Humid Sub-Humid Arid
No-Till
Cover
Cropping
Manuring
Biochar
Agroforestry
Irrigation
INM
Improved
Pasture

32. C-MASC 04-09
Technology
Clay Silt Sandy Loam
Poorly Drained Well Drained Erodible Non-Erodible Erodible Droughty
No-Till
Cover
Cropping
Manuring
Biochar
Agroforestr
y
Irrigation
INM
Improved
Pasture

33. C-MASC 04-09
Depends on many factors:
1. Baseline or reference point.
2. Clay content and type.
3. Antecedent SOC pool.
4. Residue management.
5. Internal drainage.
6. Soil wetness.

34. C-MASC 04-09
Zero Emission Negative Emission
1. Reduces the rate of CO2 increase in
the atmosphere
1. Removes CO2 from the
atmosphere
2. High cost 2. Cost effectiveness
3. MMV essential 3. Dangerous leakage cannot occur
4. Ancillary benefits (EOR, CBM) 4. Ecosystem services
5. Reduces energy efficiency by 15% 5. Essential to food security

35. Strategy GHG Abatement (Euro/t CO2 E)
Tillage and Residue Management - 50
Waste Recycling - 15
Degraded Land Restoration 10
Second Generation Biofuels 5
Pastureland Afforestation 10
Degraded Forest Restoration 12
Agriculture Conversion 25
Biomass Co-firing Power Plant 30
Coal C Capture & Sequestration 45
Gas Plant Capture & Sequestration 60
C-MASC 04-09

36. Soil Organic Matter and
Food Security
Maintaining soil organic matter above the threshold (1.1%
SOC in the root zone) is critical to sustaining soil quality
because of the following:
– Improving soil structure
– Controlling erosion
– Increasing soil water holding capacity
– Increasing nutrient reserves in soil
– Improving use efficiency of input
– Enhancing soil biotic activity
– Strengthening nutrient recycling
– Increasing crop yield
– Improving nutritional quality of food

37. SUGGESTIONS FOR POLICY
MAKERS (SHORT-TERM 30 YRS)
If the objective to mitigate CO2 and global warming policy
makers may be better advised to focus on the following:
(i) Increase the efficiency of fossil fuel use,
(ii) Conserve the existing forest and savannahs,
(iii) Restore natural forests and grasslands or croplands
that is not needed,
(iv) Restore soil C pool, and
(v) Trade C credits.
C-MASC 04-09

38. SUGGESTIONS FOR POLICY
MAKERS (LONG-TERM >50 YRS)
Non-C Fuel Technology
(H2)
C-MASC 04-09