Global Management Strategies to Protect the Carbon Cycle - ELSS
- Created by: zoemort
- Created on: 23-09-19 16:08
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- Global Management Strategies to Protect the Carbon Cycle
- Wetland Restoration
- Restoring: Freshwater marshes, Salt marshes, Peat lands, Flood plains and Mangroves
- Increasing the water table to at or near the ground surface causing the ground to be permanently saturated and recreating the water-logged conditions
- Wetlands occupy 6-9% of the Earths land surface and contain 35% of the terrestrial carbon pool
- The increase in population has placed significant pressure on wetlands
- The lower 48 US states wetlands have halved since 1600
- Led to: loss of biodiversity and CO2 & CH4 being released into the atmosphere
- The lower 48 US states wetlands have halved since 1600
- Large carbon sink absorbing 3.25 tonnes carbon/ hectare/ year
- Examples
- Canada's Prairie Provinces
- Lost 70% of wetland in 20th century (1901-2000)
- 112,000 hectares are targeted for restoration
- Will eventually sequester 364,000 tonnes carbon/year
- EU habitats directive
- UK has a target of restoring 500 ha of wetlands by 2020
- In Cambridge, 400 ha of land is being converted back to wetlands
- In Cambridge, 400 ha of land is being converted back to wetlands
- UK has a target of restoring 500 ha of wetlands by 2020
- The lower 48 US states wetlands have halved since 1600
- Led to: loss of biodiversity and CO2 & CH4 being released into the atmosphere
- Canada's Prairie Provinces
- Removal of embankments will enable land to be connected to a river creating a wetland
- Increasing the water table to at or near the ground surface causing the ground to be permanently saturated and recreating the water-logged conditions
- Breaching of sea defences can restore wetlands, particularly marshland
- Elsewhere, diverting or blocking the drainage and flow of water can maintain the water table at artificially high levels
- Agricultural Practices
- Over cultivation, over grazing and excessive intensification leads to soil erosion
- Large amounts of CO2 are released into the atmosphere
- Methods to improve agriculture practice
- Live stock management
- Better quality animal feed
- Less CH4 released
- mix methane (CH4) inhibitors with livestock feed
- Less CH4 released
- Better quality animal feed
- Manure management
- Control decomposition to reduce CH4
- Anaerobic digestion
- Source of renewable energy
- Less fossil fuels needed to produce energy
- less CO2 emitted into the atmosphere which protects the carbon cycle and reduces effects of climate change
- Source of renewable energy
- less CO2 emitted into the atmosphere which protects the carbon cycle and reduces effects of climate change
- Land & crop management
- Zero tillage - growing crops without ploughing the soil
- Organic content is preserved
- Oxidation is reduced
- Aeolian & water erosion is reduced
- Poly culture - growing annual crops with interspersed treea
- Year round cover
- Photosynthesis removing CO2 constantly
- Soil is protected from erosion
- Less CO2 in released to the atmosphere reducing and managing carbon
- Photosynthesis removing CO2 constantly
- Year round cover
- Less CO2 in released to the atmosphere reducing and managing carbon
- Year round cover
- Crop residues - leaving stems and leaves etc after harvesting
- Provides ground cover which protects soils from wrosion and drying out --> reduces CO2 in atmopshere
- Minimising/not using heavy machinery eg tractors
- Compacts soils leading to run off and soil erosion
- Contour ploughing & terracing on slopes
- Reduces run off and erosion
- Growing new rice strains in drier conditions
- Less CH4 produces
- Apply CH4 inhibiting chemicals eg ammonium sulphate
- Manages the amount of carbon released
- Diversification
- Different speies photosynthesis and store different amounts of carbon
- Rotational cropping
- Reduces the amount of organic content removed from soil
- Dark soils
- Replicate natural soild
- of carbon in fast cycleStore f
- Zero tillage - growing crops without ploughing the soil
- Live stock management
- Afforestation
- The planting of trees in a deforested area or somewhere which hasn't yet been forest
- Reduces atmospheric CO2 in the medium-long term
- Risk of flood and soil erosion is also reduced whilst biodiversity is increased
- However could become a mono-culture as little variation in species are planted so cannot replicate the exact biodiversity of a rain forest
- This then leads to photosynthesis (absorption of carbon) not being maximised as different species photosynthesis and store different amounts of carbon
- However could become a mono-culture as little variation in species are planted so cannot replicate the exact biodiversity of a rain forest
- Loggers, especially those who are illegal contradict this method
- Also hard to monitor
- Examples
- REDD
- Monetary value placed on forests and the conservation of them
- In particularly for developing countries where the resources could be seen to be used more efficiently
- Occurs in the Amazon Rainforest
- Monetary value placed on forests and the conservation of them
- China's government sponsored afforestation project
- 1978- Aim to plant 400,000km2 by 2050 (size of Spain)
- 2000-2009 - 30,000km2 of forestation occured
- A wider purpose of combating desertification and land degradation in northern China
- Fast growing species
- Birch
- -- as not a native tree species
- Birch
- REDD
- International Agreements
- Cooperation between countries to reduce the level of greenhouse gasses which are emitted
- Kyoto protocol (1997-2012)
- Rich Counties (ACs) agreed to reduce CO2 emissions
- Developing countires were exempt
- India
- China
- USA & Australia refused to ratify agreement
- Paris climate convention (2015)
- To be implemented in 2020
- To reduce global CO2 emissions to below 60% of 2010 levels by 2050
- Aims to keeps global warming below 2oC
- ACs will provide developing countrieswith the funds and technologies needed to help reach their targets
- China & India argue:
- Using fossil fuels is essential for their development to raise their living standards to a similar levels of ACs
- Europe and N.America are to blame for global warming and climate change sue to their industrialisation and economic development in which fossil fuels were used
- However, India & China are now doing the same which will cause further problems and issues
- ACs will provide developing countrieswith the funds and technologies needed to help reach their targets
- However, India & China are now doing the same which will cause further problems and issues
- Cap and Trade (pollution permits)
- A carbon quota for each county which is divided among businesses.
- The maximum level of carbon which can be emitted
- If carbon emitted level is below quota, carbon credits are issued which can be traded (sold for financial gain)
- If quota is exceeded and carbon credits aren't purchased from another firm, a financial penalty is issued
- Carbon offsets are issued to countries who implement other carbon management strategies
- Wetland Restoration
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