5. Long term decline of soil-C in Europe
Brady et al 2015 Agronomy Journal
6. How can we change Soil C ?
Management C decline per year
Intensive cereal production -1.0% UK
Inorganic fertilisers -0.5% SE
Farm yard manure (5 ton/ha) -0.2% SE
Straw addition (3 ton/ha) -0.2% DK
Management C increase per year
Cover crops 0.2% FR
Straw addition (12 ton/ha) 0.3% DK
Farm yard manure (35 ton/ha) 0.4% UK
Ley 2 yrs (in 8 yr rotation) 0.3% SE
Miscanthus grass 2.0% US
7. Soil carbon and agriculture in Europe?
SOC in agricultural land 2009 Wheat yield
g/kg 100 kg/ha
8. Soil carbon and management
• Systematic Rewiew (Global scope)
– Soil carbon and agricultural management
– 25000 publications
– 750 papers used in review
• Management
– Tillage
– Amendents
– Fertilsers
– Crop rotations
http://www.eviem.se/en/projects/Soil-organic-carbon-stocks/
9. Systematic map
– review of global evidence
25000 papers checked
750 in the database to be used in meta-analyses
10. Systematic map – review of evidence
Interactive map – with metadata and links
to published evidence
Open access during 2015
14. Food web diversity
Lower food
chain length
Steeper
biomass
pyramid
Lower C & N
mineralization
rates
Loss of
larger species
low intensity
high intensity
17. Soil biodiversity & intensive agriculture
• Reduce species diversity
• Lower food chain length
• Soil carbon: 10 – 0.8 %C
• Soil nitrogen: 0.4 - 0.1%N
• Specific groups that are influenced:
– AM fungi, earthworms, larger predatory mites
Pastures to crop rotation:
18. Smart management decisions?
Support ecosystem services
Nutrient
retention
Food
Fiber
Water
regulation
Natural pest
controlCarbon
retention
Soil
formation
Climate
regulation
Nutrient
retention
Food
Fiber
Water regulation
Natural pest
controlCarbon
retention
Soil
formation
Climate
regulation
19. Using ecosystem services for decisions
Ecosystems &
biodiversity
Ecosystem
services
Decisions
Institutions
(farmers, EC)
Values
Agricultural
management
Information
on sustainable
soil use
Incentives
After Daily et al 2009
”decision loop”
Valuation
models
Mapping
services
21. "Natural Capital” - The ecosystem services from
nature which are essential for human life.
http://bankofnaturalcapital.com/category/ecosystem-services/agriculture/
22. Value of soil ecosystem services
Value to farmers
• Fertile soils
• Water retention
• Less erosion
• Less use of
– fertilizers
– pesticides
Value to society
• Reduce eutrofication
• Clean water
• Carbon retention
€?
24. Optimal use of soil C
3
5
7
9
11
0.75 1.25 1.75 2.25 2.75 3.25
Yieldt/ha
% soil Carbon
Sweden Denmark
England Germany
0
50
100
150
200
0.75 1.25 1.75 2.25 2.75 3.25
Nitrogenkg/ha
% soil Carbon
Sweden Denmark England Germany
Optimal yield Optimal fertiliser use
25. Carbon a natural capital
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
0.75 1.25 1.75 2.25 2.75 3.25
Maximumprofit€/ha
% soil Carbon
Sweden Denmark England Germany
26. 400
450
500
550
€/ha
2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 2028 2032
year
Sweden
250
300
350
400
€/ha
2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 2028 2032
year
UK
Ley in the crop rotation
Profit per hectare
40
42
44
46
48
50
52
2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 2028 2032 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 2028 2032
Sweden UK
0% set aside 7% 15% 25%
kgwheat/kgN
year
Graphs by region
N-efficiency
Saarbacher et al in prep /SOILSERVICE project
27. Soil natural capital
• Promoting soil C means increasing soil
biodiversity and soil ecosystem services
• Processes are long term and yields will be
affected in the future
• The value of soil natural capital can be used
to promote sustainable management
• Soil C- investment banks?
30. Filling yield gaps (wheat) with natural capital
(20 years)
Business as usual 0.3% SOC/yr increase rate
100kg/ha
Nelson E, Brady M, Hedlund K in prep
31. Tools for valuation of services
– project with Swedish EPA
Local level: C bank (open access tool)
Production model where yield is related to fertiliser
and ecosystem service levels
Regional level (Skåne): AgriPoliS “Agricultural Policy
Simulator”
Agent based model, optimise farmers profit and
predict land use within 25 years future
National level: Cost benefit analys of policy
Evaluate decisions and incentives to reach
environmental objectives