![]() ![]() However, cost is not the only barrier: reliable, adoptable and profitable carbon sequestration methods on farms have also been identified as limiting factors for Australian farming systems. This makes soil carbon offsets out of reach for many farmers under the ERF. ![]() However, the measurement of soil carbon is labour and time intensive, and as such, costly. The National Soils Strategy supports the prioritisation of soil health including the improvement and maintenance of soil organic carbon. The Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) offers Australia farmers and land managers incentives for emissions reduction and carbon sequestration (capture and storage of carbon) projects, and to earn Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) for emissions reductions. It has also featured strongly in the Federal government’s net zero by 2050 announcement, suggesting that soil carbon can support Australia getting 40 per cent of the way to net zero. Soil carbon has been in the spotlight since the Federal government’s Technology Investment Roadmap identified soil carbon as one of the five tools to reduce emissions from agriculture and offset emissions from other sectors. Soil carbon and the role of agriculture in climate change mitigation and emission reductions was highlighted in the Land Use Futures ‘briefing room’ webinar hosted by Climateworks Australia in July 2021. Soil carbon or ‘carbon farming’ is frequently proposed as a nature-based climate solution to support countries in meeting their commitments under the Paris Agreement. There’s a lot of focus on soil carbon right now The modelling will provide insights on carbon capture and storage potential for the food and land use system, and support recommendations for transitioning to a sustainable net zero emissions sector. To support a fuller understanding of the potential for soil carbon sequestration, Climateworks’ Land Use Futures program is undertaking high spatial resolution modelling of carbon held in trees and soil under different agricultural land management practices and reforestation over time. Although results are highly nuanced, the general modelled trend across native and managed land indicates greater loss of soil organic carbon with rising temperatures (1.5–5☌). ![]() A recent Australian study has modelled the response of soil organic carbon to future climate change across Australia. The sixth assessment report from the IPCC highlighted that land based carbon sequestration will be significantly less effective as temperatures continue to rise and rainfall decreases in many areas of the globe. Under the hotter drier conditions predicted in various global warming scenarios, Australian soils are at risk of becoming a carbon emitter rather than a sink, with this risk multiplied by the impacts of land use change and land clearing. Uncertainty remains, especially within Australia, over the potential of agricultural soils to store carbon, the rate of carbon accumulation in soil and the permanence of captured carbon. It has been estimated that approximately half of the original soil carbon has been lost in Australian agricultural soils. Typically, the conversion of native vegetation to agriculture reduces soil organic carbon by 20–70 per cent. Land clearing for agriculture across Australia has been the primary driver of soil carbon loss since European settlement. Soil carbon is highly complex, and depending on how land is managed, it can be a significant source or sink for greenhouse gases.Īustralian soils are some of the oldest in the world – through natural processes over time they have been depleted of carbon and are poor in nutrients. Healthy soil underpins food and fibre production. It supports ecosystem processes such as water storage capacity and availability to plants, nutrient and waste cycling, soil structure and biodiversity. Soil organic carbon content is a key indicator of soil health. However, the overall potential of Australian soils to capture carbon is limited, and soils are under increasing risk of becoming an emissions source rather than a carbon sink under rising temperatures. This is a current and hot debate among farmers, scientists, environmental groups and policy makers with many seeing the opportunity to enhance soil health (and productivity). Dr Romy Zyngier outlines the Australian debate on the role that soil carbon capture and storage can and should play in mitigating climate change and in offsetting emissions. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |