FORSEE : Indicateur évalué

Indicator 1.4.2 Carbon Stock in the Soil

Cost

Total €4764

Marginal €264

Shared €4500

Total Cost/ha €0.14

These costs include:

table1

Results

table2

table3

Remarks

The large area of organic soil dominated the carbon stock in the pilot zone area. The carbon stock was calculated based on the bulk density and % organic content of the various soil associations Table 1.4.2b (McGettigan and Aherne, 2005) as well as the soil depth recorded in the NFI.

Table 1.4.2b: Soil Associations Characteristics

table4

Recording soil depth in Ireland’s new NFI monitoring program enabled the stock to be estimated and the intention to continue the NFI program on a five year repetitive cycle will mean that peat depth is monitored at these sites on an ongoing basis.

Problems and improvements

Measurement of bulk density and organic carbon content at each NFI plot location would improve the estimates of soil stock. In IPCC reporting however, carbon stock changes in drained organic soils should be reported as an emissions factor (t C/ha/yr). More research needs to be undertaken in Ireland to develop emission factors for organic soil drained for forestry.

Remarks and conclusions

The soil carbon stock in the pilot zone is very significant. Large carbon losses from drained organic soils are likely if drainage converts the soil to anaerobic conditions. Significant research is required to enable estimates of stock change in the future from national specific emissions factors.

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Project co-financed by European Union
A community initiative ERDF
INTERREG the IIIB Atlantic Area