10.5061/DRYAD.SC41RN3
Abraha, Michael
Michigan State University
Hamilton, Stephen K.
Michigan State University
Chen, Jiquan
Michigan State University
Robertson, G. Philip
Michigan State University
Data from: Ecosystem carbon exchange on conversion of Conservation Reserve
Program grasslands to annual and perennial cropping systems
Dryad
dataset
2019
Restored prairie
Eddy Covariance
land use change
Switchgrass
net ecosystem exchange
corn
Exported C in harvest
2009-2016
United States Department of Energy
https://ror.org/01bj3aw27
DE‐SC0018409
United States Department of Energy
https://ror.org/01bj3aw27
DE‐FC02‐07ER64494
United States Department of Energy
https://ror.org/01bj3aw27
DE-ACO5-76RL01830
National Science Foundation
https://ror.org/021nxhr62
DEB 1637653
2019-02-15T00:00:00Z
2019-02-15T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2018.02.016
47846 bytes
2
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Land use changes into and out of agricultural production may substantially
influence ecosystem carbon (C) balance for many years. We examined
ecosystem C balances for eight years after the conversion of 22 year-old
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands and formerly tilled
agricultural fields (AGR) to annual (continuous no-till corn) and
perennial (switchgrass and restored prairie) cropland. An unconverted CRP
field (CRP-Ref) was maintained as a historical reference. Ecosystem C
balance was assessed using adjusted net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEEadj)
calculated by adding C removed in harvested biomass to NEE measured using
eddy covariance method. The cumulative NEEadj of the corn and perennial
systems on former CRP fields showed that these systems were a net C source
to the atmosphere over the 8-year period while on former AGR fields, the
perennial systems were net C sinks and the corn system near-neutral. The
CRP-Ref was near neutral until a drought year when it became a net source.
The corn system on the CRP field will likely reach a new lower soil C
equilibrium at least 14 years after conversion but will never regain the C
lost upon conversion under current no-till management with residue
partially removed. On the other hand, the perennial systems could fully
regain in ~14 years the C lost following conversion. The cumulative NEEadj
of the corn systems exhibited a higher C emission than did the perennial
systems within the same land use histories, reflecting the dominant role
of crop type and management in agricultural ecosystem C balance. Results
suggest that converting croplands to grasslands results in immediate C
gains whereas converting grasslands to croplands results in permanent
(no-till corn with partial residue removal) or temporary (perennial
herbaceous crops) net C loss to the atmosphere. This has a significant
implications for global climate change mitigation where biomass production
from annual and perennial crops is promoted to avoid fossil-fuel C
emissions (biofuel) or to remove CO2 from the atmosphere (bioenergy C
capture and storage).
Net Ecoystem Exchange and C in
harvestAbraha_2018_AgricForestMeteorol_EcosystemCarbonExchanges.xlsx
US Midwest cornbelt
North America