Greenhouse gas balance and carbon sequestration associated with land use change

Our greenhouse gas value calculator provides free generalized estimates of the greenhouse gas effects of land use change. We also provide customized estimates specific to your land:

Will my proposed change in land management increase carbon sequestration?

Will I be eligible to claim credit for carbon offsets?

Does this rate of fertilizer application decrease nitrate losses to ground water?

Can a switch to a new crop reduce the emission of greenhouses to the atmosphere?

Using a state-of-the-science, process-based biogeochemical model, we provide accurate estimates of how changing land use or land management affect soil carbon sequestration and the exchange of greenhouse gases (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O) between the land surface and the atmosphere.

Our model runs on a daily time step capturing seasonal variation in biogechemical processes and has detailed descriptions of microbial-mediated N and C fluxes. The model has been used to accurately simulate the impact of grassland and agricultural management practices on soil C, trace gas fluxes (CH₄, N₂, NO_x, and N₂O), NO₃- leaching, and crop yields and has been used to project regional impacts of changes in agricultural land use practices at local, national and global scales.

Typical inputs to the model include soil texture, site-specific climate variables, plant phenology and management events. The model has been used since 2005 to calculate N₂O emissions from agricultural soils for the US National Greenhouse Gas Inventory compiled by the EPA and reported annually to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The model can be run for specific locations such as a specific farm or field, or can be scaled to larger regions. Careful parameterization and extensive validation ensure a high degree of accuracy.

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