Carbon management practices and quantification

1. Carbon management practices and quantification Marie Boehm AAFC February 11, 2003

2. Carbon management and quantification • Removals > Emissions • Rate of carbon sequestration > rate of non CO2 emissions (net sequestration) • Economically feasible • relative to conventional practices (positive adoption rate) • Need to understand “whole system” • Quantification • adoption rate X net C sink

3. Carbon management practices • Practices for which emissions and removals quantified • Increase zero tillage • Reduced summerfallow • Increase permanent cover • Increase forages in crop rotation • Improved grazing land management • To identify opportunities ... Quantify and project to 2008

4. Adoption Rates 20000 H M 15000 L ZT 10000 Hectares ('000) BAU 5000 BAU SF L M H 0 1991 1996 2001 2008 Year

5. Zero Tillage and SF Scenarios: C Sequestration Coefficients ACTIVITY PRAIRIES NON-PRAIRIES BRN D BRN BLK Zero Tillage 0.73 0.73 1.34 0.54 Reduce SF 0.15 0.16 0.08 Increase forage 0.94 2.44 2.44 Permanent cover 0.88 1.15 3.3 3.3 Expert opinion based on measures Modeled - Century SF coefficients for 1990

6. National Results: Moderate Adoption Rates % change from BAU ZT SF Forage

7. 1.1 Mt 0.7 Mt Relative to BAU 3.1 Mt Net BAU emissions (Mt): 20.2 10.4 9.1 Benefit distributionIncrease zero tillage

8. 5% BC AB SK MB 0% Relative to BAU -5% -10% -15% Net BAU emissions (Mt): 20.2 10.4 9.1 Benefit distribution Decrease summerfallow

9. Benefit distribution Increase forages 15% 10% Relative to BAU 5% 0% BC AB SK QC NS -5% Net BAU emissions (Mt): 20.2 10.4

10. Summary • Best practices • have GHG benefits • economically and technically viable - adopted • have other environmental benefits • BMP