Articles
Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration is a concern because of its potential for altering climate. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, atmospheric CO 2 has increased by more than 30%. The increase in fossil fuel burning and associated CO 2 emissions is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, and a doubling or even tripling of the preindustrial concentration of atmospheric CO 2 is possible by the end of the 21st century (IPCC 2001a). Management of vegetation and soils for terrestrial carbon sequestration can remove significant amounts of CO 2 from the atmosphere and store it as carbon in the organic matter of ecosystems. However, such management changes will not happen unless there are economic incentives or penalties associated with CO 2 management. For terrestrial carbon sequestration to be useful, it must not only result in carbon accumulation in vegetation and soil but also induce lower net release of CO 2 or other greenhouse gases.Many factors intervene between demonstrating that a particular management practice can enhance carbon sequestration in the soil and determining that widespread application of the method is useful, acceptable, and cost-effective. A general methodological approach is currently lacking for evaluating all aspects of a carbon sequestration practice. Here we outline a complete and integrated methodology for evaluating alternative approaches to increase terrestrial carbon sequestration. The methodology has six components:• Identifying promising technologies for soil carbon sequestration• Understanding the effects of technologies on carbon at the site scale• Evaluating other environmental impacts• Including a full carbon and greenhouse gas accounting• Performing a sensitivity analysis over the range of applicable conditions (model, laboratory, or field experiments)• Performing an economic analysis of the practice's cost competitiveness, market implications, and other factors