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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Burns, Oregon » Range and Meadow Forage Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #149928
Title: CHARACTERIZATION OF THE CARBON STORAGE POTENTIAL OF U.S. RANGELANDS WITH LONG-TERM CO2 FLUX MEASUREMENTS

Author
item Svejcar, Anthony
item Mayeux Jr, Herman
item Johnson, Douglas
item Frank, Albert
item GILMANOV, TAGIR - S. DAKOTA STATE UNIV
item Angell, Raymond
item Morgan, Jack
item Sims, Phillip
item Bradford, James
item Saliendra, Nicanor
item Emmerich, William
item Schuman, Gerald
item Haferkamp, Marshall
item MITCHELL, K - TEXAS AGRIC EXP STATION

Submitted to: Society for Range Management Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/2/2003
Publication Date: 2/6/2003
Citation: SVEJCAR, A.J., MAYEUX JR, H.S., JOHNSON, D.A., FRANK, A.B., GILMANOV, T., ANGELL, R.F., MORGAN, J.A., SIMS, P.L., BRADFORD, J.A., SALIENDRA, N.Z., EMMERICH, W.E., SCHUMAN, G.E., HAFERKAMP, M.R., MITCHELL, K. CHARACTERIZATION OF THE CARBON STORAGE POTENTIAL OF U.S. RANGELANDS WITH LONG-TERM CO2 FLUX MEASUREMENTS. SOCIETY FOR RANGE MANAGEMENT MEETING ABSTRACTS. 2003. V. 56.

Interpretive Summary: THE RESEARCH PRESENTED IN THIS ABSTRACT INVOLVES THE COOPERATION OF ARS RANGELAND AND PASTURE SCIENTISTS FROM 10 WESTERN LOCATIONS, AND UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS FROM THE TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION AND SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY. THE AREA OF THE STUDY IS BOUNDED BY TEMPLE, TX, MANDAN, ND, TUCSON, AZ, AND BURNS, OR. AT EACH LOCATION A BOWEN RATIO/ENERGY BALANCE SYSTEMS WAS USED TO MEASURE CO2 FLUXES OVER INTACT, NATIVE RANGELAND. A VARIETY OF ASSOCIATED VEGETATION AND SOIL PARAMETERS ALSO WERE MEASURED. FOR MOST LOCATIONS, THE INTENSIVE CO2 FLUX MEASUREMENTS BEGAN DURING THE GROWING SEASONS OF 1995 OR 1996. MANY LOCATIONS ARE STILL TAKING MEASUREMENTS. THE GOAL OF THE STUDY WAS TO CHARACTERIZE CO2 FLUXES FOR GEOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE RANGELAND BIOMES. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT DURING NON-DROUGHT YEARS, MOST OF THE RANGELAND BIOMES STUDIED WERE SINKS FOR ATMOSPHERIC C02 (THAT IS, THEY TAKE IN, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, MORE CO2 VIA PHOTOSYNTHESIS THAN THEY GIVE OFF VIA RESPIRATION). EXCEPTIONS WERE THE DESERT SOUTHWEST SITES (NEAR TUCSON, AZ AND LAS CRUCES, NM) WHERE LONG PERIODS OF RESPIRATION AND NATURAL RELEASE OF CO2 FROM SOIL CARBONATES WERE GREATER THAN THE UPTAKE OF CO2 VIA PHOTOSYNTHESIS. DURING DROUGHT YEARS, EVEN THE MOST PRODUCTIVE SITES BECAME NET SOURCES FOR ATMOSPHERIC CO2. HOWEVER, ACROSS YEARS AND SITES, THESE RANGELANDS AVERAGED A NET STORAGE OF ABOUT 200G CO2/M2/YR.

Technical Abstract: THE RESEARCH PRESENTED IN THIS ABSTRACT INVOLVES THE COOPERATION OF ARS RANGELAND AND PASTURE SCIENTISTS FROM 10 WESTERN LOCATIONS, AND UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS FROM THE TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION AND SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY. THE AREA OF THE STUDY IS BOUNDED BY TEMPLE, TX, MANDAN, ND, TUCSON, AZ, AND BURNS, OR. AT EACH LOCATION A BOWEN RATIO/ENERGY BALANCE SYSTEMS WAS USED TO MEASURE CO2 FLUXES OVER INTACT, NATIVE RANGELAND. A VARIETY OF ASSOCIATED VEGETATION AND SOIL PARAMETERS ALSO WERE MEASURED. FOR MOST LOCATIONS, THE INTENSIVE CO2 FLUX MEASUREMENTS BEGAN DURING THE GROWING SEASONS OF 1995 OR 1996. MANY LOCATIONS ARE STILL TAKING MEASUREMENTS. THE GOAL OF THE STUDY WAS TO CHARACTERIZE CO2 FLUXES FOR GEOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE RANGELAND BIOMES. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT DURING NON-DROUGHT YEARS, MOST OF THE RANGELAND BIOMES STUDIED WERE SINKS FOR ATMOSPHERIC C02 (THAT IS, THEY TAKE IN, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, MORE CO2 VIA PHOTOSYNTHESIS THAN THEY GIVE OFF VIA RESPIRATION). EXCEPTIONS WERE THE DESERT SOUTHWEST SITES (NEAR TUCSON, AZ AND LAS CRUCES, NM) WHERE LONG PERIODS OF RESPIRATION AND NATURAL RELEASE OF CO2 FROM SOIL CARBONATES WERE GREATER THAN THE UPTAKE OF CO2 VIA PHOTOSYNTHESIS. DURING DROUGHT YEARS, EVEN THE MOST PRODUCTIVE SITES BECAME NET SOURCES FOR ATMOSPHERIC CO2. HOWEVER, ACROSS YEARS AND SITES, THESE RANGELANDS AVERAGED A NET STORAGE OF ABOUT 200G CO2/M2/YR.