Management to mitigate and adapt to climate change

Abstract

Management decisions both at the field and off-site have the potential to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Climate change threatens to increase the potential for soil erosion, reduce soil quality, lower agricultural productivity and negatively impact food security and global sustainability, making it one of the most severe challenges we will face in the 21st century. This paper looks at the potential of management to help us, not only mitigate climate change, but also to help us adapt to a changing climate. Different aspects of carbon management, nitrogen management, manure management, management in low-input systems (sustainable agriculture), and grazing land management are discussed as examples. Management decisions regarding conservation practices, such as no-till, conservation agriculture, and returning crop residue to the field to increase nutrient cycling, can contribute to carbon sequestration and help us mitigate and adapt to climate change. Additionally, management of grasslands, restoration of degraded/desertified lands, nitrogen management to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, precision conservation management at a field and/or watershed level, and other management alternatives can also help us mitigate and/or adapt to climate change. Management for climate change mitigation and adaptation is key for environmental conservation, sustainability of cropping systems, soil and water quality, and food security. This paper suggests, based on a review of the literature, that management decisions that reduce soil erosion, increase carbon sequestration to improve soil functions, soil quality, and soil health, and contribute to the resilience of soils and cropping systems will be needed to respond to climate change and related challenges such as food security. Our review suggests that without management decisions that increase soil and water conservation, food security for the world's growing population will be harder to achieve.

Greenhouse gas emissions from conventional and organic cropping systems in Spain. I. Herbaceous crops

“…Last, the other major link between agriculture and climate change is soil carbon (C) balance. Historical C losses from agricultural soils have contributed to the increase in both the global greenhouse gas budget and the vulnerability of agriculture to climate change (Lal et al 2011), but they could be reversed by adequate agricultural practices.…”

Impacts of land use change in soil carbon and nitrogen in a Mediterranean agricultural area (Southern Spain)

“…Degradation of SOM by microbial processes may be limited by aggregate stability, adsorption by clays or the formation of organo-mineral complexes (Johnson et al, 2007;Lal, 1997). Soil management is one of the best tools for climate change mitigation and adaptation (Lal et al, 2011). Several authors have proposed introducing soil management techniques that combine a restriction on tillage (Corral-Fernández et al, 2013) and the addition of organic residues (Lozano-García et al, 2011; to improve soil quality and favor C sequestration into soils.…”

Efecto de técnicas de agricultura de conservación en la respiración del suelo en plantaciones de almendro en la región mediterránea (SE, España)

“…De acuerdo con Lal et al (2011), el manejo del suelo en la agricultura es de las mejores herramientas para la mitigación del cambio climático a través de la fijación del C atmosférico.…”

“…Además, el incremento del contenido de C en suelos agrícolas implica una serie de beneficios para la adaptación al cambio climático, ya que mejora las propiedades físicas, químicas y biológicas del suelo (Lal et al 2011;Söderström et al 2014).…”