Estimation of Aboveground Biomass Carbon Sequestration Potential in Rangeland Ecosystems of Iran

Author
B. Attaeian
Assistant Professor, Department of Range and Watershed Management, Faculty of Natural Resource and Environmental Sciences, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran
Abstract
Ongoing climate change has been a major global challenge since the 1880s. Sequestration of carbon(C) in rangelands ecosystems could provide a net carbon sink to offset increases in atmospheric C in global scale. This research is aimed at estimating the above-ground biomass carbon sequestration potential in Iran. For this purpose, total rangelands area and productivity data were extracted from the annual reports of Agriculture Statistical Pocketbook (2006-2013) of the country. Then productivity data was used to calculate above-ground C storage per province. The maximum and minimum rangeland areas were observed in Sistan and Baluchestan and Mazandaran (Nowshahr) Provinces, respectively. Maximum above-ground biomass C storage was about 1.07 Mg Cha-1y-1 in Fars Province. The minimum amount occurred in Qom province with only 0.023Mg C ha-1 y-1. In summary, mean carbon CO2fixation was about 0.25 Mg C ha-1 y-1in Iran’s rangelands from 2003 to 2013. Considering the total rangeland area(≈ 84.8 million hectare) and productivity of Iran, 11770.011 Gg C y-1 carbon is stored in above-ground biomass annually providing at least 5885 Gg organic C sequestration potential.
Keywords
Carbon Fixation
Carbon sequestration
Iran
Productivity
Rangeland
Alizadeh, M. and Verdian, S. Potential of carbon sequestration in rangelands of central Alborz. Int. J. Farm.Alli. Sci., 2015; 2322-4134.
Attaeian, B. Biogeochemical cycling and microbial Communities in native grasslands: Responses to climate change and defoliation. PhD dissertation. University of Alberta. 2010; 217 P.
Bacon, R.W. and Bhattacharya, S. Growth and CO2 emissions: How do different countries fare. In: Climate change series, Paper no. 113. The World Bank: Environ. Dep., Washington DC.2007; 1-38.
Biello, D. Conservative climate, Scientific American, 2007; 296(4):16 P.
Chen, Y.X., Lee P., Lee G., Mariko S. and Oikawa T. Simulating root responses to grazing of a Mongolian grassland ecosystem, Plant Ecol.,2006; 183: 265-275.
Chen, Y., Liu, Z., Rao, X., Wang, X., Liang, C., Lin, Y., Zhou, L., Cai, X. and Fu, Sh. Carbon storage and allocation pattern in plant biomass among different forest plantation stands in Guangdong, China. Forests, 2015; 6: 794-808.
Ciais, P., Tans, P.P., Trolier, M., White, J.W.C. and Francey, R.J. A large Northern hemisphere terrestrial CO2 sink indicated by the 13C/12C ratio of atmospheric CO2.Science, 1995; 269: 1098-1102.
Easterling, D.R., Meehl, G.A., Parmesan, C., Changnon, S.A., Karl, T.R. and Mearns, L.O. Climate extremes: Observations, modeling, and impacts, Science, 2000; 289(5487): 2068-2074.
Eskandarian, B. Country report on history and status of soil survey in Iran. GSP regional workshop. Jordan, Amman. 1-5 April. 2012; 25 P.
FAO. Assessing carbon stock and modelling win-win scenarios of carbon sequestration through land-use changes.By: R. Ponce Hernandez. 2004; 13 P.
Ghahreman, A., and Attar, F. Biodiversity of plant species in Iran (Vol. 1). Tehran University of Press. Tehran. Iran. 2000; 1210 P.
Ghasemi Aryan, Y., Azarnivand, H. and Yari, A. Ecological evaluation of the international project of carbon sequestration in Iran, International Conference on Chemical, Food Environ. Engn., (ICCFEE 15), Dubai, UAE, Jan 11-12, 2015; 15-20.
Ghorbani, A., Rahimpour, H.R., Ghasemi, Y., Zoughi, S. and Rahimpour, M.R. A review of carbon capture and sequestration in Iran: Microalga biofixation potential in Iran. Renew. Energ. Sustain. Reviews. 2014; 35: 73-100.
Heshmati, G.A. Vegetation characteristics of four ecological zones of Iran. IJPP. 2007; 1(2): ISSN 1725-6814.
Hunt J.E., Kelliher F.M., McSeveny T.M. and Byers J.N. Evaporation and carbon dioxide exchange between the atmosphere and a tussock grassland during a summer drought, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 2002; 111: 65-82.
Huntington, T.G. Evidence for intensification of the global water cycle: Review and synthesis, J. Hydrol., 2006; 319(1-4): 83-95.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 4th assessment reports; Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.2007.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 5th assessment reports; Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.2014.
Lal R. Soil carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change, Geoderma, 2004; 123(1-2): 1-22.
Lu, X., Kicklighter, D.W., Melillo, J.M., Reilly, J.M. and Xu, L. Land carbon sequestration within the conterminous United State: Regional-and-state-level analyses. J. Geophys. Res-Biogeo., 2015; 120(2): 379-398.
Lund, H.G. Accounting for the world‘s rangelands, Rangelands. 2007; 29(1): 3-10.
Mahdavi, K., Sanadgol, A., Azarnivand, H., Babaei Kafaki, S., Jafari, M., Maleki, M. and Malekian, A. Effects of removing aerial biomass and density on carbon sequestration and weight of Atriplex lentiformis. Asian J. Plant Sci., 2009; 8(2): 183- 186.
Moghadam, M.R. Range and Rangeland Management, Tehran University Press. Iran. 1998.
Pacala S.W., Hurtt G.C., Baker D., Peylin P., Houghton R.A., Birdsey R.A., Heath L., Sundquist E.T., Stallard R.F., Ciais P., Moorcroft P., Caspersen J.P., Shevliakova E., Moore B., Kohlmaier G., Holland E., Gloor M., Harmon M.E., Fan S.M., Sarmiento J.L., Goodale C.L., Schimel D. and Field C.B. Consistent land- and atmosphere-based US carbon sink estimates, Science. 2001; 292: 2316-2320.
Rabie, M. Rangeland Management, Payame Noor Press. 2014; 200 P. (In Persian)
Schlesinger, W.H. Biogeochemistry: An Analysis of Global Change, Academic Press, USA.1997; 588 P.
Schuman, G.E., Herrick, J.E. and Janzen, H.H. The dynamic of soil carbon in rangeland. In: The Potential of U.S. Grazing Lands to Sequester Carbon and Mitigate the Greenhouse Gas Effect. Follett, R.F., Kimble J.M. and Lal, R. (Ed.). Lewis Publisher. 2001; 267-290.
Sheidai Karkaj, E. Evaluation of carbon sequestration ability in rangelands restorational species: Atriplex lentiformis and Agropyron elongatum (case study: Chapar ghoymeh, Gonbad). MSc. Thesis. Gorgan University of Agr. Sci. Nat. Res., 2011; 84 P. (In Persian)
Statistical and Technology Office. Agricultural statistics. Ministry of Agriculture Jihad. Agriculture Statistical Pocketbook. Ministry of Agriculture Jihad press. Tehran, Iran. 2006-2013. 443 P.
Tamartash, R., Hasannejad, M. and Tatian, M. Study the effect of the medical herb Thymus serpyllum on carbon sequestration in mountain rangeland in Hezar Jarib, Behshar, Ecophytochemistry of Medical Herbs. 2014; 6(2): 48-55.
Vashum, K.T. and Jayakumar, S. Methods to estimate above-ground biomass and carbon stock in natural forests- A review. Ecosyst. Eco., 2012; 2 (4): 2-7.
Winrock International Institute for Agriculture Department. A guide to monitoring carbon storage in forestry projects.1997.
World Meteorological Organization. The global climate 2001-2010: A decade of climate extremes Summary Report. WMO reports. 2013; 1119: 20 P.
World Meteorological Organization. WMO statement on the status of the global climate in WMO reports. 2013; 1130:24 P.
World Meteorological Organization. WMO statement on the status of the global climate in WMO reports. 2014; 1152: 24 P.
ECOPERSIA
Volume 4, Issue 1 - Serial Number 15
March 2016
Pages 1283-1294