CONSORTIUM FOR AGRICULTURAL SOILS MITIGATION OF GREENHOUSE GASES (CASMGS)

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: OTHER GRANTS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0189033
• Grant No.: 2001-38700-11092
• Proposal No.: 2001-05597
• Project Start Date: Sep 1, 2001
• Project End Date: Aug 31, 2006
• Grant Year: 2001
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
KANSAS STATE UNIV
(N/A)
MANHATTAN,KS 66506

Performing Department
AGRONOMY

Non Technical Summary
Soil carbon sequestration will reduce the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere while improving America's farmland and the nations agricultural economy.

Animal Health Component

70%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

30%

Applied

70%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
102	0110	1060	10%
102	0110	1103	10%
102	0110	2000	10%
102	0110	2010	10%
205	2410	1060	30%
131	0110	1103	10%
131	0110	2000	10%
131	0110	2010	10%

Knowledge Area
102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships; 205 - Plant Management Systems; 131 - Alternative Uses of Land;

Subject Of Investigation
0110 - Soil; 2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops;

Field Of Science
2010 - Physics; 1060 - Biology (whole systems); 1103 - Other microbiology; 2000 - Chemistry;

Keywords

soils

economic analysis

grasslands

modeling

best management practices

carbon dioxide

nitrous oxide

carbon

carbon cycle

sequestrants

climate change

farm land

emissions

air quality

workshops

pollution control

data bases

mechanisms

estimation

verification

land management

air pollution

Goals / Objectives
1) Basic processes and mechanisms: Research to develop understanding of processes and mechanisms of soil C sequestration and soil GHG emission mitigation; 2)Best management practices: Identify, develop and evaluate agricultural BMP's with respect to C sequestration, GHG mitigation and co-benefits; 3) Prediction and assessment: Predict and assess the C cycle and GHG emissions/mitigation using computer models, databases and other appropriate tools; 4) Measuring and monitoring: Develop mechanisms to estimate and verify changes in C and GHG emissions in the context of likely changes in policy and land use; 5) Outreach: Develop outreach programs, in coordination with the Extension Service, to share information on carbon cycle, GHG mitigation and agricultural BMP's, that is useful to agriculture producers and other stakeholders.

Project Methods
Soil carbon sequestration will reduce the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere while improving America's farmland and the nations agricultural economy. The Consortium for Agricultural Soil Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases (CASMGS) will provide the information and technology necessary to develop, analyze and implement carbon sequestration strategies. The overall goal of our consortium is to provide the tools and information needed to successfully implement soil carbon sequestration programs so that we may lower the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, while providing income and incentives to farmers and improving the soil. The research agenda is to provide the data, models, and understanding needed to assess the potential for soil C sequestration in U.S. agriculture, and to communicate this information to stakeholders

Progress 09/01/01 to 08/31/06

Outputs
CASMGS researchers have measured the effect of cropland and grassland management practices on soil C, methane, and nitrous oxide at several locations throughout much of the U.S. Results indicate that agricultural soils can be an effective C sink when certain practices are used. No-till sequesters an average of about 0.2-0.3 metric tons of soil C per ha per year, except on cold, poorly drained soils where no-till can result in reduced crop yields. The greater C storage in no-till was due to higher fungal:bacterial ratio, and increased fungal hyphal networks resulting in increased aggregation and more stable C compounds. Manure, grass plantings, and more intensive crop rotations also increased C sequestration. Total energy analysis studies, in which all GHGs are taken into account, have been less conclusive, but most show a lower total global warming potential with no-till than with conventional tillage. Moderate grazing levels and regular burning of grazinglands has also been found to increase C sequestration. Some studies found that woody invasion of rangelands actually increased C storage. Best Management Practices for C sequestration have been found to provide many ancillary benefits, such as improved water quality and soil condition, and reduced soil erosion. Near Infrared Reflectance (NIR) readings correlated well with traditional measurement methods for soil C, indicating that NIR may provide a rapid and economical way to assess SOC levels. National soil C inventories have been developed using IPCC methodology and the CENTURY model. The EPIC model was developed to simulate agricultural production and GHG fluxes for farm fields across the U.S. in order to develop estimates of soil C sequestration and GHG fluxes at the national level. A computer program called C-STORE was developed to predict the amount of C stored in farm fields. On the policy level, surveys suggest that economics and a concern for the environment play roughly equal roles in the attitudes of farmers toward adopting practices for C sequestration. Economic models show that best policy approach is to maximize the acres of land in conservation tillage, rather than trying to maximize environmental benefits. Soil C sequestration has been found to be one of the least-cost, immediately available alternatives for GHG mitigation. A survey found that offering incentives for both "working land" practices that sequester carbon and land retirement could result in more environmental benefits than a land retirement program alone. Economic models found that at low C prices, soil C sequestration provided a substantial portion of the attainable greenhouse gas emissions offsets. At higher carbon prices, afforestation and biofuels were more dominant among the terrestrial options. Payments for C credits from no-till are between $1.75 and $2.00 per ton of CO2 per acre per year, where a market for C credits has been tested in the Midwest. The national CASMGS website is http://www.casmgs.colostate.edu. A Decision Support System (DSS) based on CSTORE was developed to allow producers to analyze the economics of switching to C sequestration practices.

Impacts
Soil C sequestration can serve as an important mitigation measure while technological developments are being devised to provide lower emission industrial processes. CASMGS research results have been, and continue to be, used by those in the newly emerging field of C credit trading (such as the Chicago Climate Exchange and Environmental Defense) to establish benchmark carbon sequestration rates for certain BMPs, such as no-till and grass plantings. If C offset markets continue to develop and if research can substantiate the legitimacy and magnitude of C sequestration as a sink for C, carbon markets could potentially bring millions of dollars per year to agricultural producers. Through the USDA symposium and special forums sponsored by CASMGS, our research has been widely shared with policymakers and those in the scientific community to advance the knowledge of how agriculture can help implement important GHG mitigation practices.

Publications

• Kurkalova, L.A., and S. Rabotyagov. 2006. Estimation of a binary choice model with grouped choice data. Economics Letters. 90:170-175. Kurzman, A.L. 2006. Changes in major solute chemistry as water infiltrates soils: Comparisons between managed agroecosystems and unmanaged vegetation. Ph.D. diss. Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
• Ping, J.L., and A. Dobermann. 2006. Variation in the precision of soil organic carbon maps due to different laboratory and spatial prediction methods. Soil Sci. 171:374-387.
• Qin, X., T. Mohan, M. El-Halwagi, G. Comfort, and B.A. McCarl. 2006. Switchgrass as an alternate feedstock for power generation: An environmental, energy, and economic life-cycle analysis. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy. 8(4): 233.
• Ruark M. 2006. The fate of dissolved organic carbon in tile drained agroecosystems. Ph.D. diss. Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
• Cantero-Martinez, C., D.G. Westfall, L.A. Sherrod, and G.A. Peterson. 2006. Long-term crop residue dynamics in no till cropping systems under semi-arid conditions. J. Soil and Water Conservation. 61:84 - 95.
• Conant, R.T., K. Paustian, F. Garcia-Oliva, H.H. Janzen, V.J. Jaramillo, D.E. Johnson, and S.N. Kulshreshtha. 2006. State of the Carbon Cycle: Agricultural lands, grasslands, shrublands, and arid lands. Department of Energy, Washington, DC.
• Crooker, K. 2006. Molecular and isotopic analysis of mobilized organic matter in overland flow, tile drainage, and basin discharge from Leary Weber Ditch, Indiana. M.S. thesis. Purdue University, West Lafayette.
• Del Grosso S.J., W.J. Parton, A.R. Mosier, M.K. Walsh, D.S. Ojima, P.E. Thornton. 2006. DAYCENT national scale simulations of N2O emissions from cropped soils in the USA. Journal of Environmental Quality 35:1451 - 1460.
• Dobermann, A., J.T. Baker, and D.T. Walters. 2006. Comment on "carbon budget of mature no till ecosystem in north central region of the United States". Agric. Forest Meteorol. 136: 83-84.
• Feng, H., C.L. Kling, L.A. Kurkalova, and S. Secchi. 2006. Subsidies! The other incentive based instrument: the case of the Conservation Reserve Program. In J. Freeman and C. Kolstad (eds) Moving to Markets in Environmental Regulation: Lessons from Twenty Years of Experience. Oxford University Press, New York.
• Feng, H., L.A. Kurkalova, C.L. Kling, and P.W. Gassman. 2006. Environmental conservation in agriculture: Land retirement vs. changing practices on working land. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. 52: 600-614.
• Feng, H., and J. Zhao. 2006. Alternative intertemporal permit trading regimes with stochastic abatement costs. Resource and Energy Economics. 28(1):24-40.
• Filley, T.R., K.G.J. Nierop, and Y. Wang. 2006. The contribution of polyhydroxyl aromatic compounds to tetramethylammonium hydroxide lignin-based proxies. Organic Geochemistry 37: 711-727.
• Gallaher, M., D. Ottinger, D. Godwin, B. DeAngelo, R. Beach, J. Harnisch, S. Wartmann, W. Salas, C. Li, S.J. Del Grosso, and T. Sulser. 2006. Global mitigation of non-CO2 greenhouse gases. U.S. E.P.A., Office of Atmospheric Programs, Washington, DC.
• Grace, P.R., M. Colunga-Garcia, S.H. Gage, G.P. Robertson, and G.R. Safir. 2006. The potential impact of agricultural management and climate change on soil organic carbon resources in terrestrial ecosystems of the north central region of the United States. Ecosystems. 9: 816-827.
• Grace, P.R., J.N. Ladd, G.P. Robertson, and S.H. Gage. 2006. SOCRATES -A simple model for predicting long-term changes in soil organic carbon in terrestrial ecosystems. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 38:1172-1176.
• Grandy, A.S., T.D. Loecke, S. Parr, and G.P. Robertson. 2006. Long-term trends in nitrous oxide emissions, soil nitrogen, and crop yields of till and no-till cropping systems. J. Environ. Qual. 35:1487-1495.
• Grandy, A.S., and G.P. Robertson. 2006. Aggregation and organic matter protection following tillage of a previously uncultivated soil. Soil Sci. Soc. of Am. J. 70:1398-1406.
• Grandy, A.S., and G.P. Robertson. 2006. Cultivation of a temperate-region soil at maximum carbon equilibrium immediately accelerates aggregate turnover and CO2 and N2O emissions. Global Change Biology. 12:1507-1520.
• Grandy, A.S., G.P. Robertson, and K.D. Thelen. 2006. Do productivity and environmental tradeoffs justify periodically cultivating no-till cropping systems? Agron. J. 98: 1377-1383.
• Halvorson, A.D., A.R. Mosier, C.A. Reule, and W.C. Bausch. 2006. Nitrogen and tillage effects on irrigated continuous corn yields. Agron. J. 98:63-71.
• He, X., R.C. Izaurralde, M.B. Vanotti, J.R. Williams, and A.M. Thomson. 2006. Simulating long term crop productivity and soil organic carbon dynamics with the EPIC model using data from Arlington, WI. J. Environ. Qual. 35:1608 thru 1619.
• Jarecki, M.K., and R. Lal. 2006. Compost and mulch effects on gaseous flux from an Alfisol in Ohio. Soil Sci. 171:249-260.
• Kavdir, Y., D.P. Rasse, and A.J.M. Smucker. 2005. Specific contributions of decaying alfalfa roots to nitrate leaching in a Kalamazoo loam soil. Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment. 109:97-106.
• Kravchenko, A.N., G.P. Robertson, S.S. Snapp, and A.J.M. Smucker. 2006. Using information about spatial variability to improve estimates of total soil carbon. Agron. J. 98:823-829.
• Kurkalova, L.A., C.L. Kling, and J. Zhao. 2006. Green subsidies in agriculture: estimating the adoption costs of conservation tillage from observed behavior. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics. 54:247-267.
• Lai, C., W. Riley, C. Owensby, J. Ham, A. Schauer, and J.R. Ehleringer. 2006. Seasonal and interannual variations of carbon and oxygen isotopes of respired CO2 in a tallgrass prairie: Measurements and modeling results from 3 years with contrasting water availability. J. Geophys. Res. 111: D08S06, doi:10.1029/2005JD006436.
• Lee, H-C., B.A. McCarl, D. Gillig, and B.C. Murray. 2006. U.S. agriculture and forestry based greenhouse gas emission mitigation: An economic exploration of time dependent effects. In F. Brouwer and B.A. McCarl (ed.) Rural lands, agriculture and climate beyond 2015: Usage and management responses. Springer, Dordrect, The Netherlands.
• Liu, X. J., A. R. Mosier, A.D. Halvorson, and F.S. Zhang. 2006. The impact of nitrogen placement and tillage on NO, N2O, CH4, and CO2 fluxes from a clay loam soil. Plant and Soil. 280:177-188.
• Lokupitiya, E., and K. Paustian. 2006. Agricultural soil greenhouse gas emissions: A review of national inventory method. J. Environ. Qual. 35:1413-1427.
• Lokupitiya, R.S., E. Lokupitiya, and Keith Paustian. 2006. Comparison of missing value imputation methods for crop yield data. Environmetrics. 17:339-349.
• Mosier, A.R., A.D. Halvorson, C.A. Reule, and X.J. Liu. 2006. Net global warming potential and greenhouse gas intensity in irrigated cropping systems in northeastern Colorado. J. Environ. Qual. 35:1584-1598.
• Ogle, S.M., F.J. Breidt, and K. Paustian. 2006. Bias and variance in model results due to spatial scaling of measurements for parameterization in regional assessments. Global Change Biology. 12:516-523.
• Simbahan, G.C., and A. Dobermann. 2006. An algorithm for spatially constrained classification of categorical and continuous soil properties. Geoderma. 136(3-4): 504-523.
• Simbahan, G.C., and A. Dobermann. 2006. Sampling optimization based on secondary information and its utilization in soil carbon mapping. Geoderma. 133:345-362.
• Simbahan, G.C., A. Dobermann, P. Goovaerts, J.L. Ping, and M.L. Haddix. 2006. Fine-resolution mapping of soil organic carbon based on multivariate secondary data. Geoderma. 132:471-489.
• Six, J., S.D. Frey, R.K. Thiet, and K.M. Batten. 2006. Bacterial and fungal contributions to C-sequestration in agroecosystems. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 70:555-569.
• Smith, P., P. Falloon, U. Franko, M. Korschens, R. Lal, K. Paustian, D. Powlson, V. Romanenkov, L. Shevtsova, and J. Smith. 2006. Greenhouse gas mitigation potential in agricultural soils. In J.G. Canadell, D. Patiki, and L.F. Pitelka (eds) Terrestrial Ecosystems in a Changing World. The IGBP Series. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
• Sollins, P., C. Swanston, M. Kleber, T. Filley, M. Kramer, S. Crow, B. Caldwell, K. Lajtha, and R. Bowden. 2006. Organic C and N stabilization in a forest soil: Evidence from sequential density fractionation. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 38(11): 3313-3324.
• Stewart, C. E. 2006. Soil carbon saturation: A new model of soil organic matter stabilization and turnover. Ph.D. diss. Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, Colorado, USA.
• Thiet, R.K., S.D. Frey, and J. Six. 2006. Do growth yield efficiencies differ between soil microbial communities differing in fungal:bacterial ratios? Reality check and methodological issues. Soil Biol. Biochem. 38:837-844.
• Thompson, M.L., T. Chua-Ona, J. Hutchison, and Y.F. Wu. 2006. Estimating carbon stocks at the field-management scale. [CD-ROM computer file]. World Congress of Soil Science. Philadelphia, PA. Abstract 115-51.
• Vyn, T.J., R.A. Omonode, D.R. Smith, A. Gal, and P. Hegymegi. 2006. Soil sequestration and gas emissions of carbon after 3 decades of tillage systems for corn and soybean production in Indiana. p. 1120-1128. In Proc. of the 17th International Soil Tillage Research Organization Conference, Kiel. 28 August - 3 Sept. 2006. ISBN 3-9811134-0-3.
• Omonode, R.A., A. Gal, D.R. Smith, and T.J. Vyn. 2006. Tillage and rotation effects on greenhouse gas fluxes in long term corn soybean systems. World Congress of Soil Science Abstract 148 pg.17.
• Omonode, R.A., A. Gal, D.E. Stott, S. Abney, and T.J. Vyn. 2006. Intermittent chisel tillage effects on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen relative to continuous no till and chisel plow systems. World Congress of Soil Science Abstract 138-70.
• Omonode, R.A., E.J. Kladivko, W.W. McFee, and T.J. Vyn. 2006. Sequestration and vertical distribution of soil organic carbon and nitrogen under warm-season grasses relative to croplands. World Congress of Soil Science Abstract 138-46.
• Omonode, R.A., and T.J. Vyn. 2006. Vertical distribution of soil organic carbon and nitrogen under warm-season native grasses relative to croplands in west central Indiana USA. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment (available on-line May 16, 2006: AGEE1036R1) 117(2-3): 159-170.
• Omonode, R.A., and T.J. Vyn. 2006. Spatial dependence and relationships of electrical conductivity to soil organic matter, phosphorus and potassium. Soil Science 17:223-238.
• Omonode, R.A., A. Gal, D.E. Stott, T.S. Abney and T.J. Vyn. 2006. Short-term versus continuous chisel and no-till effects on soil carbon and nitrogen. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 70:419-425.
• Owensby, C.E., J.M. Ham, and L.M. Auen. 2006. Fluxes of CO2 from grazed and ungrazed tallgrass prairie. Rangeland Ecology and Management. 59:111-127.
• Paul, E.A., S.J. Morris, R.T. Conant, and A.F. Plante. 2006. Does the acid hydrolysis incubation method measure meaningful soil organic carbon pools? Soil Sci. Soc. of Am. J. 70:1023-1035.
• Paustian, K., J.M. Antle, J. Sheehan, and E.A. Paul. 2006. Agricultures role in greenhouse gas mitigation. Pew Cent. on Global Climate Change, Washington, DC, 50 pp.
• Pendell, D.L., J.R. Williams, C.W. Rice, R.G. Nelson, and S.B. Boyles. 2006. Economic feasibility of no tillage and manure for soil carbon sequestration in corn production in northeastern Kansas. Journal of Environmental Quality. 35(4): 1364-1373.
• Peng, X., R. Horn, S. Peth, and A.J.M. Smucker. 2006. Quantification of soil shrinkage in 2D by digital image processing of soil surface. Soil Tillage and Research. 91(1-2): 173-180.
• Peterson, G.A. 2006. A Primer on How No-Till Conserves Water. p.64-77. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Sustainable and Effective Agriculture using No-till Systems Approach. 27-30 June 2006. Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine.
• Bailey, V.L., J.L. Smith, and H. Bolton, Jr. 2006. 14C Cycling in lignocellulose amended soils: Predicting long term C fate from short term indicators. Biol. Fert. Soils 42:198 - 206.
• Blackwood, C.B., C.J. Dell, E.A. Paul, and A.J.M. Smucker. 2006. Eubacterial communities in different soil macroaggregate environments and cropping systems. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 38:720 - 728.
• Ambus, P., and G.P. Robertson. 2006. The effect of increased N deposition on nitrous oxide, methane, and carbon dioxide fluxes from unmanaged forest and grassland communities in Michigan. Biogeochemistry. 79:315-337.
• Amos, B., and D.T. Walters. 2006. Maize root biomass and net rhizodeposited carbon: an analysis of the literature. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 70:1489-1503.
• Antle, J.M., S.M. Capalbo, and K.H. Paustian. 2006. Ecological and economic impacts of climate change in agricultural systems: An integrated assessment approach. pp.128 thru 160. In M.Ruth, K. Donaghy and P. Kirshen (eds.) Regional climate change and variability:Impacts and responses. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, UK and Northampton, MA.
• Antle, J.M., and R. Valdivia. 2006. Modeling the supply of environmental services from agriculture: A minimum data approach. Aust. J. Agric. Res. Econ. 50:1 thru 15.
• Brouwer, F., and B.A. McCarl. 2006. Rural lands, agriculture and climate beyond 2015: Usage and management responses. Springer, Dordrect, The Netherlands.

Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05

Outputs
CASMGS includes scientists from 10 institutions with the purpose of the consortium is to study the basic processes of carbon (C) sequestration and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sinks in agriculture, and ways to enhance GHG mitigation in agriculture. CASMGS researchers have measured the effect of cropland and grassland management practices on soil C, methane, and nitrous oxide at several locations throughout much of the U.S. Most results to date indicate that agricultural soils can be an effective C sink when certain practices are used. For example, no-till sequesters an average of about 0.2-0.3 metric tons of soil C per ha per year. Total energy analysis studies, in which all GHGs are taken into account, have been less conclusive, but most show a lower total Global Warming Potential (GWP) with no-till than with conventional tillage. Moderate grazing levels, fertilization, and, in some cases, regular burning of grazinglands has also been found to increase C sequestration. Best Management Practices (BMPs) for carbon sequestration have been found to provide many ancillary benefits, such as improved water quality and soil condition, and reduced soil erosion. CASMGS researchers have also investigated soil C sampling methods to determine the most accurate and most cost-effective techniques. National soil C inventories are being developed using IPCC methodology and the CENTURY model. The EPIC model is being used to simulate agricultural production and GHG fluxes for farm fields across the U.S. in order to develop estimates of soil C sequestration and GHG fluxes at the national level. On the policy level, surveys suggest that economics and a concern for the environment play roughly equal roles in the attitudes of farmers toward adopting practices for C sequestration. Policy analysis of an agricultural conservation program that pays farmers for practices that increase soil C levels suggests that payments as low as $10 per acre will yield significant increases in C sequestered. Analysis has shown that a policy providing payments for converting cropland to permanent grass is a relatively inefficient means to increase soil C in the Great Plains. Payments to adopt continuous cropping were found to increase soil C at a much lower cost. Payments for C credits from no-till are estimated to be somewhere between $0.50 and $2.00 per acre per year, where a market for C credits existed. Economic models show that best policy approach is to maximize the acres of land in conservation tillage, rather than trying to maximize environmental benefits. Soil C sequestration has been found to be one of the least-cost, immediately available alternatives for GHG mitigation. Soil C sequestration can serve as an important mitigation measure while technological developments are being devised to provide lower emission industrial processes. CASMGS sponsored the Third USDA Symposium on Greenhouse Gases and Carbon Sequestration in Agriculture and Forestry, March 21-24, 2005, in Baltimore, MD. Presentations are available on the web at: http://soilcarboncenter.k-state.edu/conference

Impacts
CASMGS research results are being used by those in the newly emerging field of C credit trading to establish benchmark carbon sequestration rates for certain BMPs, such as no-till and grass plantings. If C offset markets continue to develop and if research can substantiate the legitimacy and magnitude of C sequestration as a sink for C, carbon markets could potentially bring millions of dollars per year to agricultural producers. Through the USDA symposium and special forums sponsored by CASMGS, our research has been widely shared with policymakers and those in the scientific community to advance the knowledge of how agriculture can help implement important GHG mitigation practices.

Publications

• Horn, R., and A. J. M. Smucker. 2005. Structure formation and its consequences for gas and water transport in unsaturated arable and forest soils. Soil Tillage Research 82:5-14.
• Izaurralde, R.C. 2005. Measuring and monitoring soil carbon sequestration at the project level. p. 467-500. In R. Lal, B.A. Stewart, N. Uphoff, and D.O. Hansen (eds.). Climate Change and Global Food Security. Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL.
• Izaurralde, R.C., and C.W. Rice. 2005. Methods and tools for designing pilot soil carbon sequestration projects. In R. Lal (ed.). Carbon Sequestration in Latin America. Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL. (in press).
• Izaurralde, R.C., J.R. Williams, W.B. McGill, N.J. Rosenberg, and M.C. Quiroga Jakas. 2005. Simulating soil C dynamics with EPIC: Model description and testing against long-term data. Ecol. Modeling (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03043800).
• Jackson, R.B., E.G. Jobbgy, R. Avissar, D. Barrett, C.W. Cook, K.A. Farley, D.C. le Maitre, B.A. McCarl, B.C. Murray, and S.B. Roy. 2005. Trading water for carbon with biological carbon sequestration. Science (in press).
• Grandy, A. S., T. D. Loecke, S. Parr, and G.P. Robertson. 2005. Long-term trends in nitrous oxide emissions, soil nitrogen, and crop yields of till and no-till cropping systems. Journal of Environmental Quality (in press).
• Halvorson, A.D., A.R. Mosier, and C.A. Reule. 2005. Soil organic carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions under irrigated, continuous corn production. Fluid Journal 13(1):(in press)
• Jarecki, M.K., and R. Lal. 2005. Crop management effects on soil carbon sequestration on selected farmers fields in northeastern Ohio. Soil & Tillage Res. 81:265-276.
• Jarecki, M.K., and R. Lal. 2005. Soil organic carbon sequestration rates in two long term experiments in Ohio. Soil Sci. 170:280-291.
• Jarecki, M.K., and R. Lal. 2005. Compost and mulch effects on gaseous flux from an Alfisol in northeastern Ohio. Soil Sci. (in press).
• Al-Kaisi, M., X. Yin, and M. Licht. 2005. Soil carbon and nitrogen changes as affected by tillage system and crop biomass in a corn-soybean rotation. Applied Soil Eco. J. 30:174-191.
• Al-Kaisi, M. and X. Yin. 2005. Tillage and crop residue effects on soil carbon and CO2 emission in corn-soybean rotations. J. Environ. Qual. 34:437-445.
• Antle, J.M. and L.M. Young. 2005. pp. 679-701. Policies and incentive mechanisms for the permanent adoption of agricultural carbon sequestration practices in industrialized and developing countries. In R. Lal, N. Uphoff, B.A. Stewart, and D.O. Hansen (eds.). Climate Change and Global Food Security. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
• Bailey, V.L., J.L. Smith, and H. Bolton, Jr. 2005. 14C Cycling in lignocellulose-amended soils: Predicting long-term C fate from short-term indicators. Biology and Fertility of Soils (in press)
• Blackwood, C. B., C. J. Dell, A. J. M. Smucker, and E. A. Paul. 2005. Eubacterial communities in different soil macroaggregate environments and cropping systems. Soil Biology and Biochemistry (in press).
• Bricklemyer, R.S., P.R. Miller, K. Paustian, T. Keck, G.A. Nielsen, and J.M.Antle. 2005. Soil organic carbon variability and sampling optimization in Montana dryland wheat fields. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 60(1):42-51.
• Bronick, C., and R. Lal. 2005. Manuring and rotation effects on soil organic carbon concentration for different aggregate size fractions on two farms in Northeastern Ohio, USA. Soil & Tillage Res. 81:239-252.
• Bronick, C., and R. Lal. 2004. Soil structure and management. A review. Geoderma 124:3-22.
• Brown, D.J., R.S. Bricklemyer, and P.R. Miller. 2005. Validation requirements for diffuse reflectance soil characterization models with a case study of VNIR soil C prediction in Montana. Geoderma 129(3-4): 251-267.
• Bruun, S., J. Six, L.S. Jensen, and K. Paustian. 2005. Estimating turnover of measurable soil organic carbon fractions based on radiocarbon measurements. Radiocarbon 47(1): 99-113.
• Butt, T.A., and B.A. McCarl. 2005. Implications of carbon sequestration for landowners. Journal of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (in press).
• Conant, R.T., K. Paustian, S. J. Del Grosso, W. J. Parton. 2005. Nitrogen pools and fluxes in grassland soils sequestering carbon. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 71:239-248.
• Al-Kaisi, M., X. Yin, and M. Licht. 2005. Soil carbon and nitrogen changes as influenced by tillage and cropping systems in some Iowa soils. Agric. Ecosys. Environ. J. 105:635-647.
• Amos, B., T.J. Arkebauer, and J. Doran. 2005. Effect of fertility management on soil surface fluxes of greenhouse gases in an irrigated maize-based agroecosystem. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 69:387-395.
• Dai, X., T.W. Boutton, B. Glaser, R.J. Ansley, and W. Zech. 2005. Black carbon in a temperate mixed-grass savanna. Soil Biol. Biochem. 37:1879-1881.
• Dalzell, B.J., T.R. Filley, and J.M. Harbor. 2005. Flood pulse influences on terrestrial organic matter export from an agricultural watershed. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences Vol. 110, G02011, doi:10.1029/2005JG000043
• De Gryze, S., J. Six, K. Paustian, S. J. Morris, E. A. Paul, and R. Merckx. 2004. Soil organic pool changes following land use conversions. Global Change Biology 10:1120-1132.
• Del Grosso, S.J., A.R. Mosier, W.J. Parton and D.S. Ojima. 2005. DAYCENT model analysis of past and contemporary soil N2O and net greenhouse gas flux for major crops in the USA. Soil Tillage and Research 83(1): 9-24.
• Derner, J.D., T.W. Boutton, and D.D. Briske. 2005. Grazing and ecosystem carbon storage in the North American Great Plains. Plant Soil (in press).
• Dodds, W. K., E. Marti, J. L. Tank, J. Pontius, S. K. Hamilton, N. B. Grimm, W. B. Bowden, W. H. McDowell, B. J. Peterson, H. M. Valett, J. R. Webster, and S. Gregory. 2004. Carbon and nitrogen stoichiometry and nitrogen cycling in streams. Oecologia 140:458-467.
• Elbakidze, L., and B.A. McCarl. 2005. Sequestration offsets versus direct emission reductions: Consideration of environmental co-effects. Ecological Economics (in press).
• EPA. 2005. Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2003. Chapter 6: Croplands Remaining Croplands.
• Feng, H., and C.L. Kling. 2005. The consequences of co-benefits for the efficient design of carbon sequestration programs. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics 53:461-476.
• Ginting, D., and B. Eghball. 2005. Nitrous oxide emission from no-tillage irrigated corn: temporal fluctuation and wheel traffic effects. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 69:915-924.
• Gitelson, A.A., A. Vina, V. Ciganda, D.C. Rundquist and T.J. Arkebauer. 2005. Remote estimation of canopy chlorophyll content in crops. Geophysical Research Letters 32: L08403, doi: 10.1029/2005GL022688.
• Grace, P. R., M. Colunga-Garcia, S. H. Gage, G. R. Safir, and G. P. Robertson. 2005. The potential impact of agricultural management and climate change on soil organic carbon resources in terrestrial ecosystems of the North Central Region of the United States. Ecosystems (in press).
• Grace, P. R., J. N. Ladd, G. P. Robertson, and S. H. Gage. 2005. SOCRATES - A simple model for predicting long-term changes in soil organic carbon in terrestrial ecosystems. Soil Biology and Biochemistry (in press).
• Grandy, A. S., and G. P. Robertson. 2005. Aggregation and organic matter protection following tillage of an undisturbed soil profile. Soil Science Society of America Journal (in press).
• Kavdir, Y., and A. J. M. Smucker. 2004. Effects of rye roots and shoots on soil aggregate erosion rate. Journal of Harran Uni. Agr. Fac. 8:29-32.
• Jastrow, J.D., R.M. Miller, R. Matamala, R.J. Norby, T.W. Boutton, C.W. Rice, and C.E. Owensby. 2005. Elevated atmospheric CO2 increases soil carbon. Global Change Biol. 11:2057-2064.
• Kavdir, Y., and A. J. M. Smucker. 2005. Soil aggregate sequestration of cover crop root and shoot-derived nitrogen. Plant and Soil 272:263-276.
• Kravchenko, A. N., G. P. Robertson, K. D. Thelen, and R. R. Harwood. 2005. Management, topographical, and weather effects on spatial variability of crop grain yields. Agronomy Journal 97:514-523.
• Kurkalova, L.A. 2005. Carbon sequestration in agricultural soils: Discounting for uncertainty. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics 53:375-384.
• Lee, H-C., B.A. McCarl, and D. Gillig. 2005. The dynamic competitiveness of U.S. agricultural and forest carbon sequestration. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics 5:343-357.
• Lee, H-C., B.A. McCarl, U.A. Schneider, and C.C. Chen. 2005. Leakage and comparative advantage implications of agricultural participation in greenhouse gas emission mitigation. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change (in press).
• Liu, X.J., A.R. Mosier, A.D. Halvorson., and F.S. Zhang. 2005. Tillage and nitrogen application effects on nitrous and nitric oxide emissions from irrigated corn fields. Plant and Soil 276(1-2):235-249.
• Lokupitiya, R., E. Lokupitiya, and K. Paustian. 2005. Comparison of missing value imputation methods for crop yield data. Environmetrics (in press).
• Lokupitiya, E. and K. Paustian. 2006. Agricultural soil greenhouse gas emissions: A review of national inventory methods. J. Environ. Qual. (in press).
• McSwiney, C. P., and G. P. Robertson. 2005. Non-linear response of N2O flux to incremental fertilizer addition in a continuous maize (Zea mays sp.) cropping system. Global Change Biology 11:1712-1719.
• McVay, K.A., J.A. Budde, K. Fabrizzi, M.M. Mikha, C.W. Rice, A.J. Schlegel, D.E. Peterson, D.W. Sweeney, and C. Thompson. 2005. Management effects on soil physical properties in long term studies in Kansas. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. (in press).
• Mikha, M.M, C.W. Rice, and G.A. Milliken. 2005. Carbon and nitrogen mineralization as affected by wetting and drying cycles. Soil Boil. Biochem. 37:339-347.
• Mohan, T., X. Qin, M.M. EL-Halwagi, and B.A. McCarl. 2005. Switchgrass as an alternate feedstock for power generation: An environmental, energy, and economic life-cycle analysis. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy (in press).
• Mosier, A. R., A. D. Halvorson, G. A. Peterson, G. P. Robertson, and L. Sherrod. 2005. Measurement of net global warming potential in three agroecosystems. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 72:67-76.
• Mullholland, P. J., H. M. Valett, J. R. Webster, S. A. Thomas, L. N. Cooper, S. K. Hamilton, and B. J. Peterson. 2004. Stream denitrification and total nitrate uptake rates measured using a field 15N tracer addition approach. Limnology and Oceanography 49:809-820.
• Northup, B., S.F. Zitzer, S.R. Archer, C. McMurtry, and T.W. Boutton. 2005. Aboveground biomass and C and N content of woody species in a subtropical thornscrub parkland. J. Arid Environ. 62:23-43.
• Ogle, S.M., F.J. Breidt and K. Paustian. 2005. Agricultural management impacts on soil organic carbon storage under moist and dry climatic conditions of temperate and tropical regions. Biogeochemistry 72(1):87-121.
• Ogle, S.M. and K. Paustian. 2005. Soil organic carbon as an indicator of environmental quality at the national scale: inventory monitoring methods and policy relevance. Can. J. Soil Sci. 85:531-540.
• Park, E. J., and A. J. M. Smucker. 2005. Saturated hydraulic conductivity and porosity within macroaggregates modified by tillage. Soil Science Society of America Journal 69:38-45.
• Park, E. J., and A. J. M. Smucker. 2005. Dynamics of carbon sequestered in concentric layers of soil magroaggregates. Korean Journal of Ecology (in press).
• Park, E. J., and A. J. M. Smucker. 2005. Erosive strengths of concentric regions within soil macroaggregates. Soil Science Society of America Journal (in press).
• Pattanayak, S.K., B.A. McCarl, A.J. Sommer, B.C. Murray, T. Bondelid, D. Gillig, and B. de Angelo. 2005. Water quality co-effects of greenhouse gas mitigation in US agriculture. Climatic Change 71:341-372.
• Paul, E. A., S. J. Morris, R. T. Conant, and A. F. Plante. 2005. Does the acid hydrolysis-incubation method measure meaningful soil organic matter pools? A review and analysis of the literature. Soil Science Society of America Journal (in press).
• Sanchez, J. E., R. R. Harwood, T. C. Willson, K. Kizilkaya, J. Smeenk, E. Parker, E. A. Paul, B. D. Knezek, and G. P. Robertson. 2004. Integrated agricultural systems: Managing soil carbon and nitrogen for productivity and environmental quality. Agronomy Journal 96:769-775.
• Ping, J.L., and A. Dobermann. 2005. Yield data processing. Prec. Agric. 6:193-212.
• Polyakov, V., and R. Lal. 2005. Modeling soil organic matter dynamics as affected by soil water erosion. Env. Intl. 30:547-556.
• Potter, S.R., J.D. Atwood, R.L. Kellogg, and J.R. Williams. 2004. An approach for estimating soil carbon using the national nutrient loss database. Environmental Management 33(4). Springer-Verlag. New York.
• Potter, K.N., S.R. Potter, J.D. Atwood, and J.R. Williams. 2004. Comparing simulated and measured soil organic carbon content for clay soils over time periods up to 60 years. Environmental Management. Issue: Online First. Springer-Verlag. New York.
• Schneider, U.A., and B.A. McCarl. 2005. Implications of a carbon based energy tax for U.S. agriculture. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 34(2):265-279.
• Sherrod, L.A., G.A. Peterson, D.G. Westfall, and L.R. Ahuja. 2005. Soil organic pools after 12 years in no-till dryland agroecosystems. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 69:1600-1608.
• Simbahan, G.C., A. Dobermann, P. Goovaerts, J.L. Ping, and M.L. Haddix. 2005. Fine-resolution mapping of soil organic carbon based on multivariate secondary data. Geoderma. doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2005.07.001 (in press).
• Simbahan, G.C., and A. Dobermann. 2005. Sampling optimization based on secondary information and its utilization in soil carbon mapping. Geoderma. doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2005.07.020. (in press).
• Suwanwaree, P., and G. P. Robertson. 2005. Methane oxidation in forest, successional, and no-till agricultural ecosystems: Effects of nitrogen and soil disturbance. Soil Science Society of America Journal 69:1722-1729.
• Suyker, A.E., S.B. Verma, G.G. Burba, and T.J. Arkebauer. 2005. Gross primary production and ecosystem respiration of irrigated maize and irrigated soybean during a growing season. Agri. For. Meteorol. 131:180-190.
• Verma, S.B., A. Dobermann, K.G. Cassman, D.T. Walters, J.M. Knops, T.J. Arkebauer, A.E. Suyker, G.G. Burba, B. Amos, H. Yang, D. Ginting, K.G. Hubbard, A.A. Gitelson, and E.A. Walter-Shea. 2005. Annual carbon dioxide exchange in irrigated and rainfed maize-based agroecosystems. Agri. For. Meteorol. 131:77-96.
• Wang, X., X. He, J.R. Williams, R.C. Izaurralde, and J.D. Atwood. 2005. Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses of crop productivity and soil organic carbon simulated with EPIC. Trans. ASAE 48:1041-1054.
• Williams, J.R., and R.C. Izaurralde. 2005. The APEX model. p. 437-482. In V.P. Singh and D.K. Frevert (eds.). Watershed Models. Taylor & Francis Group, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
• Caldeira, K., M. G. Morgan, D. Baldocchi, P. G. Brewer, C. T. A. Chen, G.-J. Nabuurs, N. Nakicenovic, and G. P. Robertson. 2004. A portfolio of carbon management options. Pages 103-130 in C. B. Field and M. R. Raupach (eds.). The Global Carbon Cycle. Island Press, Washington, DC, USA.
• McCarl, B.A., D. Gillig, H-C. Lee, M.M. El-Halwagi, X. Qin, and G. Cornforth. 2005. Potential for biofuel-based greenhouse gas emission mitigation: Rationale and potential. In K. Collins and J. Outlaw (eds.). Agriculture as a Producer and Consumer of Energy.
• Morris, S. J., and G. P. Robertson. 2005. Linking function between scales of resolution. Pages 13-26 in J. Dighton, P. V. Oudemans, and J. F. White (eds.). The Fungal Community, 3rd Ed. Marcel Dekker, New York, New York, USA.
• Robertson, G. P. 2004. Abatement of nitrous oxide, methane, and the other non-CO2 greenhouse gases: The need for a systems approach. Pages 493-506 in C. B. Field and M. R. Raupach (eds.). The Global Carbon Cycle. Island Press, Washington, DC, USA.
• Treseder, K. K., S. J. Morris, and M. F. Allen. 2005. The contribution of root exudates, symbionts, and detritus to carbon sequestration in the soil. In R. W. Zobel and S. F. Wright (eds.). Roots and Soil Management - Interactions between Roots and Soil. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin.
• Williams, J.R., and R.C. Izaurralde. 2005. The APEX model. p. 437-482. In V.P. Singh and D.K. Frevert (eds.) Watershed models. Taylor & Francis Group, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04

Outputs
CASMGS is a coalition of 10 institutions to study agricultural management to increase soil carbon (C) and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and to examine economic policies for adoption of C sequestration practices. Task 1 Basic processes. a. Decomposition of sorghum is strongly influenced by N rather than lignin content. b. Moderate grazing results in a positive net soil C balance, while heavy grazing has a negative balance. c. Soil organic carbon (SOC) in southern TX grasslands is increased by conversion into productive woodlands. d. Soil fungi aids in soil aggregation. e. Frequent wetting and drying of soil aggregates results in longer-term C sequestration. Task 2 Best Management Practices. a. soil C sequestration rates under no-till from CO, IN, IA, KS, MI, MT, OH, and TX range from 0.2 to 0.7 Mg C/ha/yr. b.Reducing tillage and application of N and manure increases soil aggregation. c.Annual burning of grasslands increases SOC. e. Conversion of corn to ethanol and its impact on fossil fuel offset is positive. f. A framework for using full GHG accounting has been developed. g. Surveys have determined how to get producers adopt C sequestration practices. Task 3 Modeling at local, regional, and national scales. a. DAYCENT, EPIC, and HYBRID-MAIZE now support full GHG accounting. b.A computer program, C-STORE, allows producers and other to predict C storage in farm fields. c. National soil carbon inventories are being developed using IPCC methodology and the CENTURY model. d. EPIC is being used to simulate agricultural production and GHG fluxes for 33,000 farm fields across the U.S. to develop estimates of soil C sequestration and GHG fluxes at the national level. e. Economic models are being adapted for regional-level analysis of soil C policies. Task 4 Measurement and monitoring. a.Random sampling for SOC works best in rangeland conditions. b. Near Infrared Reflectance (NIR) may provide rapid and economical way to assess SOC levels. c. Tillage resulted in the loss of recently sequestered C. e. A computer model is being tested to estimate N2O emissions from agricultural soils; researchers are also using the APEX model to estimate the flow of sediment and C through a watershed. f. The tradeoff between the costs and accuracy of SOC measurements is being examined. Task 5 Outreach. a. A prototype on-farm Decision Support System (DSS), based on CSTORE, and another DSS called COMET, have been developed to allow producers to analyze the economics of switching to practices that sequester more C. b. CASMGS website: http://www.casmgs.colostate.edu. c. Several universities also maintain websites: CO (http://www.nrel.colostate.edu); IA (http://www.card.iastate.edu/environment/carbon); KS (http://soilcarboncenter.k-state.edu); MI (http://lter.kbs.msu.edu); MO (http://www.casmgs.montana.edu); PNNL (http://www.globalchange.umd.edu); Purdue (http://www.agry.purdue.edu/soils/CASMGSindex.htm); TX (http://agecon.tamu.edu/faculty/mccarl/acs/index.asp); and NE (http://www.carbon.unl.edu). CASMGS Forums were held in TX January 20-22, 2004, with presentations available on the web at: http://www.casmgs.colostate.edu

Impacts
The goal of CASMGS is to provide the tools and information needed to successfully implement soil carbon (C) sequestration programs to reduce the buildup of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. It has been estimated that 20% or more of targeted GHG emission reductions could be met by agricultural soil C sequestration. Corollary benefits of C sequestration are increased soil fertility, reductions in erosion, increases in soil quality, and improved income for producers.

Publications

• Wu, J., R. Adams, K. Tanaka, and C. Kling. 2004. Assessing the costs and environmental consequences of agricultural land use changes: A site-specific, policy-scale modeling approach. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 82(4): 979-992.
• Yang, H.S., A. Dobermann, J.L. Lindquist, D.T. Walters, and K.G. Cassman. 2004. Hybrid-Maize - A maize simulation model that combines different crop modeling approaches. Field Crops Research 87:131-154.
• Zhao, J., L.A. Kurkalova, and C.L. Kling. 2004. Alternative green payment policies under heterogeneity when multiple benefits matter. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 33(1):148-158.
• Dick, W.A. and E.G. Gregorich. 2004. Developing and maintaining soil organic matter levels. p. 103-120. In: P. Schjonning, S. Elmholt and B.T. Christensen (eds.), Managing Soil Quality: Challenges in Modern Agriculture. CABI Publishing, Cambridge, MA.
• IPCC. 2004. Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry. Penman J, Gytarsky M, Hiraishi T, Krug T, Kruger D, Pipatti R, Buendia L, Miwa K, Ngara T, Tanabe K, Wagner F (Eds). Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change/IGES, Hayama, Japan. Provided Expertise for Development of Chapters 3 and 5: K. Paustian (Coordinating Lead Author), S. Ogle (Contributing Author), R. Conant (Contributing Author).
• Paustian, K., B.A. Babcock, J. Hatfield, R. Lal, B.A. McCarl, S. McLaughlin, A. Mosier, C. Rice, G.P. Roberton, N.J. Rosenberg, and C. Rosenzweig. 2004. Agricultural Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases: Science and Policy Options. Council on Agricultural Science and Technology, Report, R141 2004, ISBN 1-887383-26-3, 120 pp, May, 2004.
• Rice, C.W., and J.S. Angle. 2004. A role for genetically modified organisms in soil carbon sequestration. p. 61-78. In N.J. Rosenberg, F.B. Metting, and R.C. Izaurralde (eds.) Applications of biotechnology to mitigation of greenhouse warming. Proc. St. Michael Workshop, St. Michaels, MD, 13-15 April 2003. Battelle Press, Columbus, OH. 213 pp
• Antle, J.M., S.M. Capalbo, K.H. Paustian, and E.T. Elliott. 2004. Adaptation, spatial heterogeneity, and the vulnerability of agricultural systems to climate change: An integrated assessment approach. Clim. Change. 64(3):289-315.
• Campbell, S., S. Mooney, J. Hewlett, D. Menkhaus, and G. Vance. 2004. Can ranchers slow climate change? Rangelands 26(4):16-22.
• Capalbo, S., J.M. Antle, S. Mooney, and K.H. Paustian. 2004. Sensitivity of carbon sequestration costs to economic and biological uncertainties. Environ. Manage. 33:(S1):S238-S251.
• Conant, R.T. and K. Paustian. 2004. Grassland management activity data: Current sources and future needs. Environmental Management 33:467-473.
• De Gryze, S., J. Six, K. Paustian, S.J. Morris, E.A. Paul, and R. Merck. 2004. Aggregation and soil organic matter in recently afforested soils. Global Change Biology 10:1120-1132.
• Doyle, G.L., C.W. Rice, and D.E. Peterson. 2004. Biologically defined soil organic matter pools as affected by rotation and tillage. J. Environ. Manag. 37:528-538.
• Gillig, D., B.A. McCarl, and R.D. Sands. 2004. Integrating Agricultural and Forestry GHG Mitigation Response into General Economy Frameworks: Developing a Family of Response Functions. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 9(3):241-259.
• Ham, J.M. and E. Benson. 2004. On the construction and calibration of dual probe heat capacity sensors. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 68:1185-1190.
• Haney, R.L., A.J. Franzluebbers, E.B. Porter, F.M. Hons, and D.A. Zuberer. 2004. Soil carbon and nitrogen mineralization: Influence of drying temperature. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 68:489-492.
• Hayes, W.M. and G.D. Lynne. 2004. Towards a centerpiece for ecological economics. Ecol. Econ. 49(3): 287-301.
• Izaurralde, R.C., R.L. Lemke, T.W. Goddard, B. McConkey, and Z. Zhang. 2004. Nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural toposequences in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J.68:1285-1294.
• Kocyigit, R., and C. W. Rice. 2004. Carbon dynamics and tallgrass prairie and wheat ecosystems. Turkish J. Agric. For. 28:141-153.
• Kurkalova, L.A., C.L. Kling, and J. Zhao. 2004. Multiple benefits of carbon-friendly agricultural practices: Empirical assessment of conservation tillage. Environmental Management 33(4) (2004): 519-527.
• Mahmood, R. and K.G. Hubbard. 2004. An analysis of long-term simulated soil moisture data for three land uses under contrasting hydroclimatic conditions in the Northern Great Plains. J. Hydrometeorology. 5:160-179. (13534).
• Mahmood, R. and K.G. Hubbard. 2004. Simulating sensitivity of soil moisture and evapotranspiration under heterogeneous soils and land uses. J. Hydrology. 280:72-90.
• Mahmood, R., K.G. Hubbard, and C. Carlson. 2004. Modification of growing-season surface temperature records in the Northern Great Plains due to land-use transformation: Verification of modeling results and implication for global climate change. International J. Climatology 24:311-327.
• Mikha, M.M., C.W. Rice. 2004. Effect of tillage and manure on soil and aggregate-associated carbon and nitrogen. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 68:809-816.
• Mooney, S., J.M. Antle, S.M. Capalbo, and K. Paustian. 2004. Influence of project scale on the costs of measuring soil C sequestration. Environ. Manage. 33:(S1):S252-S263.
• Ogle, S.M., R.T. Conant, and K. Paustian. 2004. Deriving grassland management factors for a carbon accounting approach developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Environmental Management 33:474-484.
• Park, E.J. and A.J.M. Smucker. 2004. Inter-aggregate porosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity of single aggregates in conventional till, no till agroecosystems and native forest soils. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. (Accepted)
• Peterson, G.A. and D.G. Westfall. 2004. Managing precipitation use in sustainable dryland agroecosystems. Ann. Appl. Biol. 144:127-138.
• Polyakov, V. and R. Lal. 2004. Modeling soil organic matter dynamics as affected by soil erosion. Environment International. 30:547-556.
• Polyakov, V.O. and R. Lal. 2004. Soil erosion and carbon dynamics under simulated rainfall. Soil Science. 169:590-599.
• Ribera, L.A., F.M. Hons, and J.W. Richardson. 2004. An economic comparison between conventional and no-tillage farming systems in Burleson County, Texas. Agron. J. 96:415-424.
• Rice, C.W., P.M. White, Jr., K.P. Fabrizzi, and G.W.T. Wilson. 2004. Managing the microbial community for soil carbon management. In B. Singh et al (ed). Supersoil 2004: Program and Abstracts for the 3rd Australian New Zealand Soils Conference, University of Sydney, Australia, 5 thru 9 December 2004. www.regional.org.au/au/asssi/.
• Robertson, G. P. and P. R. Grace. 2004. Greenhouse gas fluxes in tropical and temperate agriculture: The need for a full-cost accounting of global warming potentials. Environment, Development and Sustainability 6:51-63.
• Mooney, S., J.M. Antle, S.M. Capalbo, and K. Paustian. 2004. A measurement protocol for contracts designed to sequester soil carbon. Can. J. of Agric. Econ. (Accepted.)
• Murray, B.C., B.A. McCarl, and H-C. Lee. 2004. Estimating Leakage From Forest Carbon Sequestration Programs. Land Economics 80(1):109-124.
• Six J., S.M. Ogle, F.J. Breidt, R.T. Conant, A.R. Mosier, and K. Paustian. 2004. The potential to mitigate global warming with no-tillage management is only realized when practised in the long term. Global Change Biology 10:155-160.
• Suyker, A.E., S.B. Verma, G.G. Burba, T.J. Arkebauer, D.T. Walters, and K.G. Hubbard. 2004. Growing season carbon dioxide exchange in irrigated and rainfed maize. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 124:1-13.
• Takle, E.S., W.J. Massman, J.R. Brandle, R.A. Schmidt, X. Zhou, I.V. Litvina, R. Garcia, G.Doyle, and C.W. Rice. 2004. Influence of high-frequency ambient pressure pumping on carbon dioxide efflux from soil. Agric. and Forest Meteor. 124:193-206.
• Williams, J.R., R.G. Nelson, M.M Claassen, and C.W. Rice. 2004. Carbon sequestration in soil with consideration of CO2 emissions from production inputs: An economic analysis. Environmental Management. Published online: January 20, 2004.
• Williams, M.A., C.W. Rice, A. Omay, and C.E. Owensby. 2004. Soil carbon pools in a tallgrass prairie soil under elevated CO2. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 68:148-153.
• Wright, A.L. and F.M. Hons. 2004. Soil aggregation and carbon and nitrogen storage under soybean cropping sequences. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 68:507-513.
• Wright, A.L., F.M. Hons, and F.M. Rouquette. 2004. Long-term management impacts on carbon and nitrogen dynamics of grazed bermudagrass pastures. Soil Biol. Biochem. 36:1809-1816.

Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03

Outputs
The Consortium for Agricultural Soils Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases (CASMGS) is a coalition of scientists to study management of agricultural soils to increase C sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to examine economics policies for adoption of C sequestration practices. Task 1- Basic processes a- Differences in lignin content among grain sorghum hybrids could change soil organic carbon (SOC). b- Changing grazing rates increases forage and root production. SOC in southern TX grasslands is increased by conversion to woodlands. c- Researchers are studying factors for converting plant and microbial materials into soil aggregates and stable humus. Frequent wetting and drying of soil aggregates results in long-term C storage. Task 2- Best Management Practices a- C sequestration rates have been collected from CO, KS, OH, and TX. C sequestration rates under no-till range between 0.2 and 0.7 MT C /ha/yr. b- Erosion-induced C transport greatly increases C emissions at depositional sites. c- A framework for full GHG accounting was developed to account for C sequestered and the effect on other GHG emissions. Task 3- Models to estimate C sequestration and GHG fluxes on multiple scales a- Validation of computer models (DAYCENT, EPIC, HYBRID-MAIZE) has shown that HYBRID-MAIZE improved estimates of C input resulting in a 36-42 % increase in the predicted C sequestration rate. b- A database on soil factors and GHG measurements has been submitted to the EPA, USDA, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for national and global-level studies of soil C storage. c- CENTURY and EPIC are being used to assess current levels of SOC and potential changes in SOC for use by USDA and EPA dealing with National Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks. d- Policies that target specific climate-friendly practices are being compared with policies that target performance. Task 4- Tools for measurement and monitoring a- SOC measurement is being evaluated to make recommendations on sample numbers required for reliable estimates. Correlation between laboratory measurement and Near Infrared Reflectance may provide a more rapid and economical way to assess SOC. b- Changes in SOC are correlated with changes in N2O and CH4 to estimate management affects on total net GHG balance. c- The DAYCENT model used to compare estimates and measurements of N2O emissions could allow N2O emissions from agricultural soils with confidence. Task 5- Outreach a- A CASMGS website has been developed (http://www.casmgs.colostate.edu). b- Two electronic newsletters are produced: One to communicate CASMGS activities to policymakers and industry groups (http://ageco.tamu.edu/faculty/tbutt/extletter.htm); the other specific to KS http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/ctec. c- The CASMGS Carbon Measurement and Monitoring Forum was held October 2003 in Manhattan, Kansas. Presentations can be found at: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/ctec/Fall_Forum.htm.

Impacts
The goal of CASMGS is to provide the tools and information needed to successfully implement soil carbon (C) sequestration programs to reduce the buildup of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. It has been estimated that 20% or more of targeted GHG emission reductions could be met by agricultural soil C sequestration. Corollary benefits of C sequestration are increased soil fertility, reductions in erosion, increases in soil quality, and improved income for producers.

Publications

• Alig, R.J., D.M. Adams, and B.A. McCarl. 2003. Projecting impacts of global climate change on the U.S. forest and agriculture sectors and carbon budgets. Forest Ecology and Management, (Special Issue).
• Antle, J.M., S. M. Capalbo, S. Mooney, E. Elliott and K. Paustian. 2003. Spatial Heterogeneity and the Efficient Design of Carbon Sequestration Policies for Agriculture. Journal of Environmental Economics Mangement. (in press)
• Antle, J.M., S.M. Capalbo, K.H. Paustian, and E.T. Elliott. Adaptation. 2003. Spatial heterogeneity, and the vulnerability of agricultural systems to climate change: An integrated assessment approach. Clim. Change. (in press).
• Antle, J.M., S.M. Capalbo, S. Mooney, E.T. Elliott, and K.H. Paustian. 2003. Spatial heterogeneity, contract design, and the efficiency of carbon sequestration policies for agriculture. J. Environ. Econ. Manage., forthcoming.
• Antle, J.M., S.M. Capalbo, and S. Mooney. 2002. Farming the environment: Spatial variation and economic efficiency in soil: Developing policies for carbon sequestration and agriculture. Choices 17(4):24-25.
• Bricklemyer, R.S., R.L. Lawrence, and P.R. Miller. 2002. Documenting no-till and conventional till practices using Landsat ETM+ imagery and logistic regression. J. Soil Water Conserv. 57:267?271.
• Capalbo, S.M., J.M. Antle, S. Mooney, and K.H. Paustian. 2003. Sensitivity of carbon sequestration costs to economic and biological uncertainties. Environ. Manage., accepted, 2003.
• Cassman, K.G., A. Dobermann, D. T. Walters, and H. Yang. 2003. Meeting cereal demand while protecting natural resources and improving environmental quality. Ann Rev. Environ. Resour. 28. (in press)
• Cerri, C.E.P., K. Paustian, M. Bernoux, R. Victoria, J.M. Mellilo, and C.C. Cerri. 2003. Modeling changes in soil organic matter in Amazon forest to pasture conversion using the Century model. Global Change Biology (in press).
• Nordt, L.C., T.W. Boutton, J.J. Jacob, and R. Mandel. 2002. C4 plant productivity and climate-CO2 variations in south-central Texas during the late Quaternary. Quat. Res. 58: 182-188.
• Ogle, S.M., M.D. Eve, F.J. Breidt, and K. Paustian. 2004. Uncertainty in estimating land use and management impacts on soil organic carbon storage for U.S. agroecosystems between 1982 and 1997. Global Change Biology (In press).
• Ribera, L.A., F.M. Hons, and J.W. Richardson. 2003. An economic and risk comparison of conventional and no-tillage farming systems in Texas. Agron. J. (accepted).
• Schneider, U.A., and B.A. McCarl. 2003. Economic potential of biomass based fuels for greenhouse gas emission mitigation. Environmental and Resource Economics, forthcoming.
• Shaver T.M., G.A. Peterson, L.A. Sherrod, and L.R. Ahuja. 2003. Cropping Intensification in Dryland Systems Improves Soil Physical Properties: Regression Relations. Geoderma 116:149-164.
• Wright, A.L., and F.M. Hons. 2003. Long-term management impacts on soil carbon and nitrogen of grazed bermudagrass pastures. Forage Research in Texas. (accepted).
• Young, Linda. 2003. Carbon sequestration in agriculture: the U.S. policy context. Amer.J. Agricultural Economics, (in press).
• McCarl, B.A., R.M. Adams, and B. Hurd. 2003. Global climate change and it's impact on agriculture. In C. Chang and C. Huang (ed.) Encyclopedia of life support systems, Institute of Economics Academia Sinica and UNESCO, Taipei, Taiwan.
• Reilly, J.M. J. Hrubovcak, J. Graham, D.G. Abler, R. Darwin, S. Hollinger, R.C. Izaurralde, S. Jagtap, J. Jones, J. Kimble, B.A. McCarl, L. Mearns, D. Ojima, E.A. Paul, K. Paustian, S. Riha, N. Rosenberg, C. Rosenzweig, and F. Tubiello. 2002. Changing climate and changing agriculture: Report of the agricultural sector assessment team, US National Assessment, prepared as part of USGCRP National Assessment of Climate Variability, Cambridge University Press.
• Paustian, K. 2002. Soil Organic Matter and the Global Carbon Cycle. In: Encyclopedia of Soil Science. Pp 895-898.
• Paustian, K. 2003. Carbon Emissions and Sequestration. In: Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment (in press).
• Schneider, U.A., and B.A. McCarl. 2003. Economic potential of biomass for greenhouse gas emission reductions: Comparison role in agriculture. In R. Mendelsohn (ed.) Policies for greenhouse gases reduction and pollution in Asian-Pacific.
• Archer, S.R. and T.W. Boutton. 2003. Wooded grasslands: Functional consequences of an ecological oxymoron. Abstracts, Ecological Society of America 2003 (In press) (Invited symposium presentation).
• Benson, E.J., J.M. Ham, C.E. Owensby, and L.M. Auen. 2003. Partitioning Soil and Canopy Carbon Fluxes in Tallgrass Prairie Using Automated Chambers and Eddy Covariance. American Society of Agronomy Annual Meetings. Denver CO. Nov.2-6.Abstract. (In press).
• Boutton, T.W. and S.R. Archer. 2003. Ecosystem carbon gain with woody plant invasion of grasslands. Abstracts, Society for Range Management 56: 25. (Invited symposium presentation).
• Brewer, E.A., Paul, E.A. and Morris, S.J. (April 2003) Role of nitrogen and calcium in stabilization of soil C pools in forest soils. Illinois State Academy of Science, Normal, Illinois. Abstract.
• Brewer, E.A., Paul, E.A. and Morris, S.J. (May 2003) Role of nitrogen and calcium in stabilization of soil carbon in forest soils. Soil Ecology Society of America, Palm Springs, California. Abstract.
• Cerri, C.E.P., K. Paustian, M. Bernoux, C.C. Cerri, and J.M. Mellilo. 2003. Combining C and N spatial variability and modeling approaches for measuring and monitoring soil carbon sequestration. Environmental Management (in press).
• Conant, R.T. and K. Paustian. 2003. Grassland management activity data: current sources and future needs. Environ. Management (in press).
• Conant, R. T., J. Six, and K. Paustian. 2003. Land use effects on soil carbon fractions in the southeastern United States: I. Management intensive versus extensive grazing. Biol. Fertil. Soils. Accepted (6/03).
• Dalal, R. C., W. Wang, G. P. Robertson, and W. J. Parton. 2003. Nitrous oxide emission from Australian agricultural lands and mitigation options: a review. Australian Journal of Soil Research 41:165-195.
• Del Grosso, S.J., D.S. Ojima, W.J. Parton, A.R. Mosier, G.A. Peterson, and D.S. Schimel. 2002. Simulated effects of dryland cropping intensification on soil organic matter and greenhouse gas exchanges using the DAYCENT ecosystem model. Environmental Pollution 116: S75-S83.
• Derner, J.D., H.B. Johnson, B.A. Kimball, P.J. Pinter, H.W. Polley, C.R. Tischler, T.W. Boutton, R.L. LaMorte, G.W. Wall, N.R. Adam, S.W. Leavitt, M.J. Ottman, A.D. Matthias, and T.J. Brooks. 2003. Above- and belowground responses of C3-C4 species mixtures to elevated CO2 and soil water availability. Global Change Biol. 9: 452-460.
• Frey, S.D., J. Six, and E.T. Elliott. 2003. Reciprocal transfer of carbon and nitrogen by decomposer fungi at the soil-litter interface. Soil Biol. Biochem., 35:1001-1004.
• Haney, R.L., S.A. Senseman, L.J. Krutz, and F.M. Hons. 2002. Soil carbon and nitrogen mineralization as affected by atrazine and glyphosate. Biol. Fertil. Soils 35:35-40.
• Jarecki, M.K. and Lal, R. 2003. Crop management for soil carbon sequestration. Crit. Rev. Plant Sci. 22 (In press).
• Jessup, K.E., P.W. Barnes, and T.W. Boutton. 2003. Vegetation dynamics in a Quercus virginiana ? Juniperus ashei savanna: An isotopic assessment. J. Veg. Sci. (In press).
• Kurkalova, L.A., C.L. Kling, and J. Zhao. 2003. Multiple Benefits of Carbon-Friendly Agricultural Practices: Empirical Assessment of Conservation Tillage,? Environmental Management, forthcoming (currently available as CARD Working Paper 03-WP 326, http://www.card.iastate.edu/publications/DBS/PDFFiles/03wp326.pdf)
• Mooney, S., J. M. Antle, S. M. Capalbo and K. Paustian. 2003. Influence of Project Scale on the Costs of Measuring Soil C Sequestration. Environmental Management. (In Press).
• Sherrod, L.A., G.A. Peterson, D.G. Westfall, and L.R. Ahuja. 2003. Cropping intensity enhances soil organic carbon and nitrogen in a no-till agroecosystem. Soil Science Society of America Journal 67: (In press).
• Sperow, M., M. Eve and K. Paustian. 2003. Potential Soil C Sequestration on U.S. Agricultural Soils. Climatic Change 57:319-339.
• Williams, J.R., R.G. Nelson, M.M. Claassen, and C.W. Rice. 2003. Carbon sequestration in soil with consideration of CO2 emissions from production inputs: an economic analysis. Forthcoming in Environmental Management.
• Brewer, E.A., Paul, E.A. and Morris, S.J. (August 2003) Role of nitrogen and calcium in stabilization of soil C pools in forest soils. Ecology Society of America, Savannah, Georgia. Abstract.
• Brewer, E.A., Paul, E.A., Robertson, G.P., and Morris, S.J. (November, 2003) Does Calcium Play a Role in C Sequestration? American Society of Agronomy. Abstract.
• Derner, J.D., T.W. Boutton, and D.D. Briske. 2003. Grazing impacts on ecosystem carbon storage along a precipitation gradient in Great Plains grasslands. Abstracts, Society for Range Management 56: 61. De Young, .J., R. Leep, K. Thelen, et al., Compost and Manure as Inputs to Increase Carbon Sequestration Under Forage Crop Best Management Practices. American Society of Agronomy, Fall 2003. Abstract.
• Fronning B.E., K.D. Thelen, and D. H. Min., Soybean and Silage Corn Cropping System Effects on Carbon Sequestration. American Society of Agronomy, Fall 2003. Abstract. Gal, A., E. Tombacz, T. J. Vyn, E. Micheli, and T. Szegi. 2003. Impact of tillage on organic matter and aggregate stability. Submitted abstract to the 2003 ASA Annual Meetings.
• Hamilton, S.K., A.L. Kurzman, and G.P. Robertson. Is agricultural liming a CO2 source or sink? Integrating research on agronomy, watershed acidification, and N cycling at the KBS LTER. Invited presentation at the NSF LTER Symposium, February 2003, Arlington, VA. Abstract.
• Harris, W.N., T.W. Boutton, and R.J. Ansley. 2003. Soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in subhumid temperate grasslands: Effects of seasonal fire and simulated grazing. Abstracts, Ecological Society of America 2003 (In Press).
• Johnson D.E., H.W. Phetteplace, A.F. Seidl, U. Schneider, and B.A. McCarl. 2003. Economic implications of whole farm greenhouse gas mitigation strategies for U.S. dairy production systems. Abstract for possible presentation at Non C02 conference in China.
• Johnson D.E., H.W. Phetteplace, A.F. Seidl, U. Schneider, and B.A. McCarl. 2003. Management variations of U.S. beef production systems: Effects on greenhouse gas emissions and profitability. Abstract for possible presentation at Non C02 conference in China.
• Liu, F., T.W. Boutton, X.B. Wu, S.R. Archer, E. Bai, and K.E. Jessup. 2003. Spatial patterns of soil properties in a savanna parkland landscape: Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen. Abstracts, Soil Survey and Land Resource Workshop 2003.
• McCarl, B.A., H.C. Lee, B.C. Murray, A. Sommer, K. Andrasko, B. DeAngelo, and D.M. Adams. 2003. Abstract for DOE Second Annual Conference on Carbon Sequestration.
• McCarl, B.A., U.A. Schneider, D. Gillig, H.C.Lee, and F. de la Chesnaye. 2003. Economic potential of agricultural Non-CO2 greenhouse gas mitigation: An investigation in the United States. Abstract of presentation for Non CO2 conference in China.
• Min, D. H., J. DeYoung, and R. Leep. Using Compost and Manure as Inputs to Increase Carbon Sequestration Under Forage Crop Best Management Practices. American Society of Agronomy Fall 2003 Abstract.
• Morris, S.J., and Paul, E.A. (November, 2003) Control on C Storage in Afforested Soils. American Society of Agronomy. Denver, Colorado. Abstract.
• Park, E.J. and A.J.M. Smucker. Oxygen respiration and hydraulic properties by individual soil aggregates from tilled and no-tilled agroecosystems. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting. Indianapolis, IN, Nov. 10-14, 2002. Abstract.
• Newman, R.M., J.M. Ham, and G.J. Kluitenberg. 2003. Simulating the Closed chamber Method for Measuring Soil-surface CO2 Flux: Evaluation of Errors. American Society of Agronomy Annual Meetings. Denver CO. Nov.2-6. Abstract. (In press).
• Smucker, A.J.M. and E.J. Park. Soil wetting and drying modifications of carbon sequestration by soil aggregates. European-American Workshop on LTER. Motz, France, July 1-5, 2003b. Abstract.
• Smucker, A.J.M., D. Santos, and C. Dell. Tillage modifications of carbon sequestration within soil aggregates. 16th International Conference of ISTRO. The University of Queensland Brisbane, Australia, July 14 ? 18, 2003c. Abstract. Vyn, T.J., M. Bauer, and T.D. West. 2003. Feasibility of strip tillage in maize production. p. 163 in Abstracts, 16th triennial meeting of International Soil Tillage Research Organiztion, Brisbane, Australia, 13-18 July 2003.
• IPCC 2003. Chapter 5. Crosscutting Issues. In: IPCC Good Practice Guidance for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. S. Ogle (Contributing Author), R. Conant (Contributing Author) ? under final Government Review
• USDA 2003. USDA Greenhouse Gas Inventory Chapter 3, subsection: Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Sinks in Agriculture.
• White, Jr., P.M., C.W. Rice, and M.R. Tuinstra. 2003. Potential for Enhanced Soil Carbon Sequestration Using Lodging-Resistant Grain Sorghum Varieties. In 2003 Agronomy Abstracts (In press). ASA, Madison, WI.
• Wu, X.B., S.R. Archer, T.W. Boutton, F. Liu, and K. Jessup. 2003. Spatial patterns of soil properties in a savanna parkland landscape: Bulk density and soil water content. Abstracts, Soil Survey and Land Resource Workshop 2003.
• Boyles, S.B. 2003. An economic analysis of carbon sequestration for corn production in northeast Kansas with optimum nitrogen level calculations. M.S. thesis. Kansas State University, Manhattan.
• Bricklemyer, R.S. 2003. Sensitivity of the Century model for estimating sequestered soil carbon using coarse- and fine-scale map data sources in north central Montana. M.S. thesis. Montana State Univ., Bozeman.
• Kruse, Colby E. 2003. Explaining Farmer Behavior in Relation to Sequestering Carbon on Nebraska Farms. MS Thesis. Lincoln: Univ. of Nebraska, 2003.
• Newman, R.M. 2003. Simulating the measurement of surface carbon dioxide flux in studying the chamber headspace problem. M.S. thesis. Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS.
• Venteris, E.R. 2002. Spatial Sampling, Landscape Modeling, and Interpretation of Soil Organic Carbon on Zero-Order Watersheds. Ph.D. Dissertation. The Ohio State University.
• EPA. 2003. Inventory of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and sinks: 1990-2001. http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/publications/emissions, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.
• IPCC 2003. Chapter 3. Land Use Change and Forestry Sector Good Practice Guidance. In: IPCC Good Practice Guidance for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. K. Paustian (Coordinating Lead Author), S. Ogle (Contributing Author), R. Conant (Contributing Author) ? under final Government Review.
• Russell, A.E., D.A. Laird, and A.P. Mallarino. 2003. Long-term Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization and Crop Rotation on Soil Properties in Corn-Belt Agroecosystems. Program and Abstracts for Ecology Society of America 88th Annual Meeting.
• Smucker, A.J.M., E.J. Park, and B.J. Teppen. Identifying new mechanisms for enhancing carbon sequestration by soils. 2nd Annual Conference on Carbon Sequestration. Alexandria, VA, May 5-8, 2003a. Abstract.

Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02

Outputs
The Consortium for Agricultural Soils Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases (CASMGS) represents a multi-year, collaborative effort to improve the scientific basis of using land management practices to increase soil carbon (C) sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and provide the tools needed for policy assessment, quantification, and verification. More than 50 research and outreach projects among 10 institutions are underway under the umbrella of the five Tasks in CASMGS. Under Task 1, projects will improve the understanding of basic processes and mechanisms controlling soil C sequestration and GHG emissions. The role of soil aggregates in protecting soil C, and the effect of agricultural practices on aggregates are being examined. Under Task 2, best management practices for C sequestration are being developed. Data on crop and residue yields, soil C and N measurements, and ancillary variables are being collected from dryland and irrigated cropland experiments in Colorado, Kansas, Texas, and Montana and rangeland in Colorado, Kansas, and Texas. Best management practices are being analyzed for their effect on soil C storage, greenhouse gas emissions, economics, and total energy balance. Under Task 3, models and databases are used to improve prediction and assessment of C sequestration and GHG emissions. The field experimental database has been expanded to include over 1,200 published studies on soil C changes and GHG emissions. Data collated in the database were used in the analysis of parameters for the U.S. inventory and also to provide new inputs to the IPCC Good Practice Guidance on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. CASMGS investigators were contributors to 3 of the 5 chapters in the Good Practice Guidance. CASMGS investigators also provided estimates for CO2 emissions from U.S. agricultural soils for the U.S. National Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories, including a reanalysis of the IPCC parameters using U.S. specific data and a Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis to account for management effects on soil carbon storage between 1982 and 1997. A comparable Century-based analysis is being completed. National EPIC simulations will evaluate the effects of agricultural management on C sequestration as affected by soils and climate. This work is in collaboration with NRCS to make national and regional EPIC analyses throughout the U.S. Under Task 4, measurements of soil-atmosphere exchange of CO2, N2O, and CH4 are being made from dryland agricultural plots in Colorado. These measurements will be used to evaluate the impact of management practices on soil C storage, total GHG radiative forcing, and soil NO3 leaching. A new automated chamber is being used in Kansas to make near continuous measurements of CO2 losses from the soil surface and above-ground residue on grasslands. A group from IA, KS, NE, OH, and TX is comparing several methods to estimate changes in soil C. Under Task 5, investigators have developed web sites, publications, and newsletters to communicate research findings and news with policymakers, regulators, the public, and others. For more details on CASMGS projects, see www.casmgs.colostate.edu or www.oznet.ksu.edu/ctec

Impacts
The goal of CASMGS is to provide the tools and information needed to successfully implement soil carbon (C) sequestration programs to reduce the buildup of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. It has been estimated that 20 % or more of targeted GHG emission reductions could be met by agricultural soil C sequestration. Corollary benefits of C sequestration are increased soil fertility, reductions in erosion, increases in soil quality, and improved income for producers

Publications

• Brennan, E.W., C.W. Rice, L. Villar, and M. Barrios. 2002. Spatial relationship of selected above- and below-ground carbon in a Peten, Guatemala tropical forest. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S07-brennan110928-oral) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• Calhoun, F.G., B. Slater, N. Smeck, and J. Bigham. 2002. Soil organic carbon storage as affected by time, internal drainage, and tillage. p. 44. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov. 19-21, 2002.
• Doyle, G.L., and C.W. Rice. 2002. Measurement and modeling of soil surface CO2 flux in agroecosystems of the Great Plains. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S03-doyle110716-oral) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• Doyle, G.L., C.W. Rice, and D.E. Peterson. 2002. The effects of long-term tillage and rotation on physically and biologically defined soil carbon pools. p. 54. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov. 19-21, 2002.
• Conant, R.T., and K. Paustian. 2002. Grassland management activity data: Current sources and future needs. p. 50. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov. 19-21, 2002.
• Mooney, S., J.M. Antle, S.M. Capalbo, and K.H. Paustian. 2002. Costs of measuring soil carbon. p. 109. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov. 19-21, 2002.
• Morris, S.J., S.W. Leavitt, E.G. Gregorich, and E.A. Paul. 2002. The role of non-labile fractions in C sequestration. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S05-morris114456-oral) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• Morris, S.J., S.W. Leavitt, E.G. Gregorich, and E.A. Paul. 2002. Role of resistant fractions in soil C sequestration. In Ecological Society of America 2002 Annual Meeting Abstracts. Ecol. Soc. Am., Washington, DC, USA.
• Park, E.J., and A.J.M. Smucker. 2002. Oxygen respiration and hydraulic properties by individual soil aggregates from tilled and no-tilled agroecosystems. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S03-park102026-poster) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• Peterson, D.E., G.L. Doyle, and C.W. Rice. 2002. Effects of crop rotation and tillage on C and N dynamics and aggregate stability in eastern Kansas. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S11-doyle102816-poster) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• Gage, S.H., M. Colunga-Garcia, G.R. Safir, R.C. Izaurralde, and K. Paustian. 2002. Adaptation of a modeling-visualization environment platform for regional assessment of carbon emissions. p. 168. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov. 19-21, 2002.
• Grandy, A.S., and G.P. Robertson. 2002. Organic matter quality and aggregate contributions to carbon storage along a management intensity gradient. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S03-grandy130218-oral) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• Grandy, A.S., and G.P. Robertson. 2002. Soil aggregation and organic matter quality: Effects on carbon turnover. p. 69. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov. 19-21, 2002.
• Hamilton, S.K., A.L. Kurzman, and G.P. Robertson. 2002. Liming of agricultural soils: A source or sink for CO2? p. 71. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov. 19-21, 2002.
• Harris, W.N., T.W. Boutton, and R.J. Ansley. 2002. Winter vs. summer prescribed burning: Effects on soil N, C, and microbes. Society for Range Management, Texas Section, Abilene, TX, October 2002.
• Harris, W.N., T.W. Boutton, and R.J. Ansley. 2002. Soil carbon cycling and microbial activity in subhumid temperate grasslands: Effects of simulated grazing and seasonal fires. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S07-harris161156-poster) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• Harris, W.N., T.W. Boutton, and R.J. Ansley. 2002. Soil respiration and microbial biomass in a subhumid temperate grassland: Role of fire and simulated grazing. In Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting Abstracts. Ecol. Soc.Am., Washington, DC, USA.
• Izaurralde, R.C., J.R. Williams, W.B. McGill, N.J. Rosenberg, and H.P. Apezteguia. 2002. Preparing the EPIC model to assess carbon sequestration in agricultural soils: Model improvements and testing. p. 83. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov. 19-21, 2002.
• Izaurralde, R.C., W.B. McGill, and J.R. Williams. 2002. Modeling nitrous oxide emissions with EPIC. p. 173. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov. 19-21, 2002.
• Kocyigit, R., and C.W. Rice. 2002. Partitioning root, rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere respiration during wheat growth. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S03-kocyigit112409-poster) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• Kurkalova, L., C. Kling, and J. Zhao. 2002. Multiple environmental externalities of conservation tillage: Empirical assessment of practice and performance based targeting. p. 152. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov.19-21, 2002.
• Liao, J.D., and T.W. Boutton. 2002. Soil carbon dynamics of a subtropical savanna ecosystem. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S03-liao163705-poster) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• McSwiney, C.P., and G.P. Robertson. 2002. Nonlinear response of N2O production to fertilizer inputs: Threshold effects. p. 183. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov. 19-21, 2002.
• McSwiney, C.P., and G.P. Robertson. 2002. Threshold responses of nitrous oxide flux to added N in intensively managed ecosystems. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S11-mcswinney151129-poster) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• McSwiney, C.P., and G.P. Robertson. 2002. Threshold responses of N2O flux to added N in intensively managed ecosystems. p. 205. In Ecological Society of America 2002 Annual Meeting Abstracts. Ecol. Soc. Am., Washington, DC, USA.
• Mikha, M.M., and C.W. Rice. 2002. Aggregate C and N as affected by tillage and manure. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S03-mikha152742-poster) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• Rice, C.W., S. Capalbo, R. Lal, N. Clarke, C. Izaurralde, C. Kling, K. Paustian, P. Robertson, R. Turco, and S. Verma. 2002. p. 190. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov. 19-21, 2002.
• Rice, C.W., E.G. Gregorich, and C. Monreal. 2002. Developing reliable methods to estimate changes in soil C in US and Canadian agroecosystems. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S05-rice161844-poster) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• Rice, C.W., J.M. Kimble, E.G. Gregorich, and M.D. Ransom. 2002. Developing a carbon accounting system for agroecosystems. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S05-rice131000-oral) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• Rice, C.W., M.M. Mikha, and Y. Espinoza. 2002. Conservation of carbon in soil from plant and manure by no-tillage. p. 189. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov. 19-21, 2002.
• Rice, C.W., G. Watson, M.D. Ransom, and J.M. Kimble. 2002. Establishment of benchmarks for the measurement and monitoring of carbon sequestration in soils. p. 188. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov.19-21, 2002.
• Thompson, M., R. Conant, W. Dick, A. Dobermann, M. Ransom, and J. Stuth. 2002. Estimating stocks of soil organic carbon at multiple scales. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S05-thompson143411-oral) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• Williams, J.R., R.G. Nelson, M.M. Claassen, and C.W. Rice. 2002. Carbon sequestration in soils with consideration of CO2 emissions from production inputs: An economic analysis. p. 152. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov. 19-21, 2002.
• Antle, J.M., S.M. Capalbo, and S. Mooney. 2002. Soil carbon sequestration and agriculture: Spatial variation and economic efficiency. Choices, First Quarter. (In Press).
• Antle, J.M., S.M. Capalbo, S. Mooney, E.T. Elliott, and K.H. Paustian. 2002. A comparative examination of the efficiency of sequestering carbon in U.S. agricultural soils. Am. J. Alternative Agric. 173:109-115.
• Antle, J.M., S.M. Capalbo, S. Mooney, E.T. Elliott, and K.H. Paustian. 2002. Sensitivity of carbon sequestration costs to soil carbon rates. Environ. Pollut. 1163:413?422.
• Antle, J.M., S.M. Capalbo, S. Mooney, E.T. Elliott, and K.H. Paustian. 2002. Spatial heterogeneity, contract design, and the efficiency of carbon sequestration policies for agriculture. J. Environ. Econ. Manag.. (In Press).
• Baer, S.G., D.J. Kitchen, J.M. Blair, and C.W. Rice. 2002. Changes in ecosystems structure and function along a chronosequence of grasslands restored through the conservation reserve program. Ecological Appl. 12:1688-1701.
• Del Grosso, S.J., D.S. Ojima, W.J. Parton, and A.R. Mosier. 2002. Simulated effects of tillage and timing of N fertilizer application on net greenhouse gas fluxes and N losses for agricultural soils in the midwestern USA. p. 23-28. In J. van Ham et al. (ed.). Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases. Millpress, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
• Eve, M.D., M. Sperow, K. Howerton, K. Paustian, and R.F. Follett. 2002. Predicted impact of management changes on soil carbon stocks for each agricultural region of the conterminous US. J. Soil Water Conserv. 57:196-204.
• Sperow, M., M.D. Eve, and K. Paustian. 2002. Potential soil C sequestration on U.S. Agricultural Soils. Climatic Change (In Press).
• Antle, J.M. and S.M. Capalbo. 2002. Agriculture as a managed ecosystem: Implications for econometric analysis of production risk. p. 243-264. In A Comprehensive Assessment of the Role of Risk in U.S. Agriculture, edited by R.E. Just and R.D. Pope. Kluwer Academic Publishers.
• Antle, J.M., and S.M. Capalbo. 2002. Agriculture as a managed ecosystem: Policy implications. J. Agric. Resource Econ. 271:1-15.
• Antle, J.M. and B.A. McCarl. 2002. The economics of carbon sequestration in agricultural soils. p. 278-310. In T. Tietenberg and H. Folmer, (ed.). The International Yearbook of Environmental and Resource Economics 2002/2003. Cheltenham, UK and Northampton, MA. Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Antle, J.M. and S. Mooney. 2002. Designing efficient policies for agricultural soil carbon sequestration. p. 323-336. In Agriculture Practices and Policies for Carbon Sequestration in Soil, edited by J. Kimble. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.
• Bohm, S.U., C.W. Rice, and A.L. Schlegel. 2002. Soil carbon turnover in residue managed wheat and grain sorghum. p. 255-263. In Lal et al. (ed.). Agriculture Practices and Policies for Carbon Sequestration in Soil. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
• Rice, C.W. 2002. Soil organic matter and nutrient cycling. p. 925-928. In Lal, R (ed.). Encyclopedia Soil Science. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York.
• McVay, K.A. and C.W.Rice. 2002. Soil organic carbon and the global carbon cycle. Kansas State Univ., Pub. No. MF-2548.
• Mooney, S., J.M. Antle, S.M. Capalbo, and K.H. Paustian. 2002. Contracting for soil carbon credits: Design and costs of measurement and monitoring. Staff Paper 2002-01, Dept. Agricultural Economics and Economics, Montana State Univ.?Bozeman.
• Rice, C.W. 2002. Storing carbon in soil: Why and how? Geotimes 47:14-17.
• Rice, C.W. and K.A. McVay. 2002. Carbon sequestration: Top 10 frequently asked questions. Kansas State Univ., Pub. No. MF-2564. Pattanayak, S.K., A. Sommer, B.C. Murray, T. Bondelid, B.A. McCarl, and D. Gillig. 2002. Water quality co-benefits of greenhouse gas reduction incentives in agriculture and forestry. Report to EPA. http://foragforum.rti.org/documents/Pattanayak pct 2Dpaper pct 2Epdf
• Williams, J.R., R.G. Nelson, M.M. Claassen, and C.W. Rice. 2002. Derived carbon credit values for carbon sequestration: Do CO2 emissions from production inputs matter? Department of Agricultural Economics, Staff Paper 02-07. Kansas State Univ.
• Aditjandra, K.L., E.J. Park, and A.J.M. Smucker. 2002. Tensile strength gradients within soil aggregates from contrasting ecosystems. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S01-smucker200706-poster) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• Ansley, R.J., T.W. Boutton, and B.A. Kramp. 2002. Biogeochemical responses to fire seasonality and frequency in a temperate mixed-grass savanna: Storage and dynamics of soil carbon and nitrogen. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S07-boutton120448-poster) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• Antle, J.M. 2002. Design and cost of a measuring and monitoring scheme for soil carbon credits. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S05-mooney131500-oral) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• Antle, J.M., S. Capalbo, and S. Mooney. 2002. Spatial scale for evaluating economic and environmental tradeoffs of alternative soil carbon sequestration policies. p. 45. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov. 19-21, 2002.
• Boutton, T.W., R.J. Ansley, and J.O. Skjemstad. 2002. Biogeochemical responses to fire seasonality and frequency in a temperate mixed-grass savanna: Charcoal carbon. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S07-boutton121534-poster) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.
• Boutton, T.W., and S.R. Archer. 2002. Woody plant encroachment in grasslands and savannas: Implications for ecosystem and global carbon storage. p. 40. In USDA Symposium on Natural Resource Management to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Raleigh, NC. Nov. 19-21, 2002.
• Bricklemyer, R.S., P.R. Miller, K.H. Paustian, T.J. Keck, J.M. Antle and G.A. Nielsen. 2002. Sensitivity of the CENTURY model for estimating sequestered soil carbon due to the adoption of no-till management in north central Montana using coarse- and fine-scale map data sources. In Annual Meeting Abstracts, (CD-ROM computer file S05-bricklemyer214206-oral) ASA-CSSA-SSSA. 10-14 Nov. 2002. Indianapolis, IN.

Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01

Outputs
The specific objectives are to 1) Conduct research to improve understanding of basic processes and mechanisms controlling soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions; 2) Evaluate and make recommendations for best management practices to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions from soils, in partnership with USDA and other federal, state and private entities; 3) Predict and assess carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions, provide field and farm-level decisions support tools and evaluate alternative national economic and policy strategies using integrated models. These models will provide insights on the impacts of mitigation programs on crop production potential, food security and environmental quality; 4) Provide measurement and monitoring tools for quantifying and verifying soil carbon sequestration rates and greenhouse gas emissions and emission reductions. This research will support the development of national-level monitoring network; and 5) Provide information to policy makers, the agricultural sector, energy and transportation industries, the scientific community and the general public. At this time the task groups have met and are developing the detailed work plans for review with research starting in March 2002.The Consortium for Agricultural Soils Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases (CASMGS) represents a multi-year, collaborative, team effort to improve the scientific basis of using land management practices to increase soil carbon sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide the tools needed for policy assessment, quantification and verification. An Executive Committee representing the participating institutions established five tasks areas in response to the legislation. The five tasks are: 1) basic processes and mechanisms controlling soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions; 2) evaluation of 'best management practices' to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions from soils; 3) prediction and assessment of carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions; 4) development of measurement and monitoring tools for quantifying and verifying soil carbon sequestration rates and greenhouse gas emissions; and 5) outreach to policymakers, and the agricultural and energy industry. Members of the Executive committee serve as co-leaders of the task groups. Fall 2001, institutional representatives to the five task groups met and prioritized potential projects and developed a coordinated plan of work. The work plans currently are under review before the final projects are approved and the funds released (expected approval March 2002). In addition CASMGS investigators are preparing a report on Agriculture's role in greenhouse gas mitigation for the Council on Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) which is expected to be released Spring 2002.

Impacts
The goal of the consortium is to provide the tools and information needed to successfully implement soil carbon sequestration programs so that we may lower the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, while providing income and incentives to farmers and improving the soil. It has been estimated that 20% or more of targeted emission reductions could be met by agricultural soil carbon sequestration. Corollary benefits of carbon sequestration are increased soil fertility, reductions in erosion and increases in soil quality.

Publications

• No publications reported this period