Start Date: Jun 01, 2006
End Date: Sep 30, 2010
Objective:
Approach:
This project will quantify soil and crop residue C by spectroscopic characterization will provide cost-effective methods for monitoring or model validation. Trace gas emissions from winter cover crops will be monitored to assess overall global warming potential of prospective management practices for C sequestration. The C fluxes associated with soil erosion and subsequent C redistribution over a field or landscape will be assessed using Cesium-137 used as a tracer to estimate the magnitude and impact on redistribution patterns at field and watershed scales. Tower flux measurements will be used to validate spatial estimates of CO2 assimilation through the light use efficiency parameter. Combined crop growth/biogeochemical models use land cover, leaf area index, and soil and residue C for spatial model inputs and light use efficiency for model validation. Improved technologies and models developed for assessing soil moisture status will enhance global climate models for climate change predictions.