Carbon Sequestration

While most sectors of the economy can only be sources of greenhouse gases, the agriculture and forestry sectors both have the opportunity to act as a sink for greenhouse gases. They can do this by increasing the amount of carbon stored in soils (and for forestry, in long-lived biomass).  Globally, 3 times more carbon is stored in soils than in the atmosphere.  Strategies for increasing carbon storage in agricultural soils include increasing crop intensity or residues, adding carbon amendments (e.g. manures, biosolids, or other), reducing tillage, and growing perennial crops.

Featured Publications

Evaluating Compost Application for Soil Carbon Sequestration on Agricultural Land and Compost Buy-Back Programs in Washington State (PDF)

Ball, K.R., M.P. Brady, I.C. Burke, D.P. Collins, K.M. Hills, C.E. Kruger, B. Stone, E.L. Taylor, and G.G. Yorgey. Evaluating Compost Application for Soil Carbon Sequestration on Agricultural Land and Compost Buy-Back Programs in Washington State. Report to the Washington State Legislature. Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources, Washington State University, Wenatchee, WA

Farmer-to-Farmer & Rancher-to-Rancher Case Studies Series

Authors include: Yorgey, G., Borrelli, K., Painter, K., Davis, H., Hall, S., Hudson, T., Neibergs, S., Reeves, M., Kruger, C., McGuire A., Finkelnburg, D., Roe, D., Brooks, E., and Kantor, S. 2016-2019. PNW Extension Publications and videos. These series explore strategies that innovative regional farmers and ranchers are using that enhance resilience to climate change and […]

Organic Farming Footprints

WSU webpage for the OFoot project, working to provide a scientifically sound yet simple estimation of the carbon and nitrogen sequestration and net greenhouse gas (GHG) balance likely in a given organic cropping system scenario.

Additional Publications

Global Climate Change

Weddell, B., L. Carpenter-Boggs, and S. Higgins. June 2012. FS069E. Washington State University researchers have taken a departure from the regionally focused, applied-science extension publication to write a fact sheet on the science, debate and challenges of global climate change.

Climate Change: what does the science really tell us?

A narrated Extension PowerPoint on climate science and climate change. The presentation was prepared by Craig Cogger at WSU Puyallup and covers the basics of climate science, evidence of climate change, projections of future climate change, and mitigation strategies. The presentation consists of 10 parts, each about five minutes long, so that it can be […]

Browse all Carbon Sequestration Publications

External Links

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