To till or not to till in a temperate ecosystem? Implications for climate change mitigation
The management of agricultural soils affect the composition and scale of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There is conflicting evidence on the effect of zero-tillage on carbon storage and GHG emissions. Here we assess the effects of zero-tillage over a range of time frames (1–15 years) on carbo...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abe74e |
| _version_ | 1797747751506673664 |
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| author | H V Cooper S Sjögersten R M Lark S J Mooney |
| author_facet | H V Cooper S Sjögersten R M Lark S J Mooney |
| author_sort | H V Cooper |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The management of agricultural soils affect the composition and scale of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There is conflicting evidence on the effect of zero-tillage on carbon storage and GHG emissions. Here we assess the effects of zero-tillage over a range of time frames (1–15 years) on carbon storage and GHG release and their controls in the UK Net global warming potential was 30% lower under zero-tillage systems, due to lower carbon dioxide fluxes, with the greatest impacts after longer periods of zero-tillage management. Simultaneously, in zero-tillage systems, soil carbon stocks and the proportion of sequestered recalcitrant carbon increased while the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration decreased with time, compared to conventionally soils. We conclude that zero-tillage could play a crucial role in both reducing GHG emissions and at the same time increase soil carbon sequestration, therefore contributing to mitigate against climate change. Our findings are particularly important in the context of designing new policies (for example the Environmental Land Management Schemes in the UK) that ensure the sustainability of agricultural production in a changing climate. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:56:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c856a7c59431407abf67df2a53d7a5de |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:56:04Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-c856a7c59431407abf67df2a53d7a5de2023-08-09T14:57:01ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262021-01-0116505402210.1088/1748-9326/abe74eTo till or not to till in a temperate ecosystem? Implications for climate change mitigationH V Cooper0S Sjögersten1R M Lark2S J Mooney3Division of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham , Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, United KingdomDivision of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham , Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, United KingdomDivision of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham , Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, United KingdomDivision of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham , Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, United KingdomThe management of agricultural soils affect the composition and scale of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There is conflicting evidence on the effect of zero-tillage on carbon storage and GHG emissions. Here we assess the effects of zero-tillage over a range of time frames (1–15 years) on carbon storage and GHG release and their controls in the UK Net global warming potential was 30% lower under zero-tillage systems, due to lower carbon dioxide fluxes, with the greatest impacts after longer periods of zero-tillage management. Simultaneously, in zero-tillage systems, soil carbon stocks and the proportion of sequestered recalcitrant carbon increased while the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration decreased with time, compared to conventionally soils. We conclude that zero-tillage could play a crucial role in both reducing GHG emissions and at the same time increase soil carbon sequestration, therefore contributing to mitigate against climate change. Our findings are particularly important in the context of designing new policies (for example the Environmental Land Management Schemes in the UK) that ensure the sustainability of agricultural production in a changing climate.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abe74eland use changegreenhouse gas emissionsglobal warming potentialcarbon dynamicsclimate change |
| spellingShingle | H V Cooper S Sjögersten R M Lark S J Mooney To till or not to till in a temperate ecosystem? Implications for climate change mitigation Environmental Research Letters land use change greenhouse gas emissions global warming potential carbon dynamics climate change |
| title | To till or not to till in a temperate ecosystem? Implications for climate change mitigation |
| title_full | To till or not to till in a temperate ecosystem? Implications for climate change mitigation |
| title_fullStr | To till or not to till in a temperate ecosystem? Implications for climate change mitigation |
| title_full_unstemmed | To till or not to till in a temperate ecosystem? Implications for climate change mitigation |
| title_short | To till or not to till in a temperate ecosystem? Implications for climate change mitigation |
| title_sort | to till or not to till in a temperate ecosystem implications for climate change mitigation |
| topic | land use change greenhouse gas emissions global warming potential carbon dynamics climate change |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abe74e |
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