Evaluating Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration Options for Virginia |
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Authors: | Jeffrey S Galang Carl E Zipper Stephen P Prisley John M Galbraith Patricia F Donovan |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA;(2) Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences, Smyth Hall, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA;(3) Department of Forestry, Cheatham Hall, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA |
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Abstract: | Changes in forest and agricultural land management practices have the potential to increase carbon (C) storage by terrestrial
systems, thus offsetting C emissions to the atmosphere from energy production. This study assesses that potential for three
terrestrial management practices within the state of Virginia, USA: afforestation of marginal agricultural lands; afforestation
of riparian agricultural lands; and changing tillage practices for row crops; each was evaluated on a statewide basis and
for seven regions within the state. Lands eligible for each practice were identified, and the C storage potential of each
practice on those lands was estimated through a modeling procedure that utilized land-resource characteristics represented
in Geographic Information System databases. Marginal agricultural lands’ afforestation was found to have the greatest potential
(1.4 Tg C yr−1, on average, over the first 20 years) if applied on all eligible lands, followed by riparian afforestation (0.2 Tg C yr−1 over 20 years) and tillage conversion (0.1 Tg C yr−1 over 14 years). The regions with the largest potentials are the Ridge and Valley of western Virginia (due to extensive areas
of steep, shallow soils) and in the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain in eastern Virginia (wet soils). Although widespread and rapid
implementation of the three modeled practices could be expected to offset only about 3.4% of Virginia’s energy-related CO2 emissions over the following 20 years (equivalent to about 8.5% of a Kyoto Treaty–based target), they could contribute to
achievement of C-management goals if implemented along with other mitigation measures. |
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Keywords: | Carbon sequestration Terrestrial sequestration Tillage conversion Afforestation Marginal agricultural lands |
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