Photo credit: Russel A. White

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Photo credit: Russ White

©carboncycleinstitute, 2020

What is Carbon Farm Planning?A whole farm approach to optimizing carbon capture on working landscapes.Origins: Marin Carbon Project, 2013

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Because CARBON can be beneficially stored long-term(decades to centuries or more) in soils and vegetation through biological carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change and increase agricultural sustainability.

Carbon Farm Planning is NOTa whole system carbon footprint analysis!

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CARBON FARM PLANNING

Carbon Farm Planning IS a creative exercise to see how land managers can increase carbon sequestration and decrease greenhouse gas emissions relative to current conditions on the land!

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CONSERVATION PLANNING through a carbon lensusing the NRCS Conservation Planning Process

to identify opportunities to:

Increase terrestrial carbonReduce the production of greenhouse gases on farmQuantify carbon benefits of conservation practicesRecognize the co-benefits of increasing on-farm carbon:

Production, Soil Health, Water Quality and Water Quantity

Phase I.Collection & Analysis of

Information Identify Producer’s

Objectives Resource Inventory Analysis of Data

Phase II.Identifying and

Evaluating Opportunities Inventory

Opportunities Quantify Benefits ( COMET-tools)

Phase III.Scheduling of

Implementation Prioritize Practices Monitoring and

Maintenance

CARBON FARM

PLANNING

https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/references/public/CA/CarbonPlanGuidance_3-18 Updated_links.pdf

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CREATING A CARBON FARM

PLAN

IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES!

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“Identify ALL Opportunities”

Know your producer’s objectives Understand your producer’s

operationinterest

landscape

Photo credit: Marin Carbon Project

GENERAL FACTORS Resource Concerns Vegetation Types Species of Special Concern Wildlife Invasive Species Ecological Sites

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Erosion/ Sedimentation

Forest Management

Salmonid Habitat

Weeds

Slope < 30%: (Equipment Access)

Baseline Soil Carbon/Organic Matter

Certified Organic Crop Production

Grass-fed Beef

Etc.

Photo credit: Marin Carbon Project

Seq- C Soil ? Seq- C Vegetation ?

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CREATING A CARBON FARM

PLAN

10Photo Credit: Russ White

CREATING A CARBON FARM PLANFarms/ Ranches have Both Unique GHG Emissions

and Sequestration Opportunities

A Carbon Farm Plan should evaluate both, but:Focus on Potentials for Increasing Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration:

Soils&

VegetationOther opportunities to evaluate : Water system improvements, renewable energy, biodigesters, etc.

Many Farms/Ranches have already started reducing their carbon footprint and increasing carbon sequestration

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Silvopasture Establishment Forage and Biomass Planting Tree/Shrub Establishment Forest Stand Improvement Contour Buffer Strips Riparian Restoration Riparian Forest Buffer Riparian Herbaceous Cover Vegetative Barrier Hedgerow/ Windbreak/Shelterbelt

Establishment Hedgerow /Windbreak/Shelterbelt

Renovation Residue and Tillage Management,

No Till/Strip Till/Direct Seed

Multi-Story Cropping Alley Cropping Range Planting Herbaceous Wind Barriers Critical Area Planting Residue and Tillage Management Forest Slash Treatment Filter Strip Grassed Waterway Cross Wind Trap Strips Conservation

Cover Wetland Restoration Anaerobic Digester Nutrient Management

CARBON FARM

PRACTICE LIST

A partial list of approved terrestrial carbon building practices.

The majority of these practices were selected from the USDA-NRCS GHG Ranking Tool.

http://comet-planner.nrel.colostate.edu/

WAIT DON’T STOP THERE!

Rangeland Compost: Practice Standard in Progress

Pasture Cropping : sowing crops into living, perennial (usually native) pastures and having these crops grow symbiotically with existing pastures

Paludiculture : sustainable management of peatlands through wet agriculture

Biochar: charcoal used as a soil amendment

Producer innovation

Propose Your Own Practices!

ARE THERE OTHER PRACTICES?YES!

CARBON FARM

PRACTICES

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Practices from COMET-Planner

Compost Application

Rangeland/Grazing Management

Forage Biomass Planting

Silvopasture Windbreaks/

Hedgerows Riparian

Restoration Riparian Forest

Buffer Critical Area

Planting Supporting

Practices: Water Development/ Fencing

Potential Practices Based on Farm Scale Reconnaissance

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Ecological Sites

Management Limitations

WHOLE FARM ASSESSMENTEvaluating Limitations and Opportunities

How do we know where specific carbon-sequestering practices can and cannot be applied?

ECOLOGICAL SITES

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http://jornada.nmsu.edu/files/InteragencyEcolSiteHandbook.pdf

INTER-AGENCY DEFINITION OF ECOLOGICAL SITE (ES)

ES is a conceptual division of the landscape defined as a distinctive kind of land based on recurring soil, landform, geological and climate

characteristics that differ from other kinds of land in its ability to produce distinctive kinds and amounts of vegetation and in its ability to respond

similarly to management actions and natural disturbances as well as management.

NB: Generally, in California, NRCS Ecological Site Descriptions are at too coarse a scale to be useful for farm-level planning.

Microcl imate predicts spatial patterns in soi l organic carbon

Wet year greenness & topographic curvature best explained organic carbon spatial trends. Devine et al., 2019 & 2020

10-ha catchment in San Luis Obispo Co.

Slide provided by Toby O’Geen

Management Limitations

• Ecological Site Factors

• Land Use

• Producer’s Perception

SITE ASSESSMENTS: Limits and Opportunities

forIncreased Carbon Capture

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SOILS

NRCS Web Soil Survey

Should we be sampling our soils?

Evaluating Soils: Soil Organic Matter/Organic CarbonBulk Density

1. Create Area of Interest (AOI) Import Shapefile (.shp, .shx and .prj) Navigate and Outline Enter Address or Lat/Long location

2. Evaluate Soils: Suitability and Limitations for Use Soil Properties and Qualities Ecological Sites Soils Reports

3. Create Maps, Download Reports and Soils Data

19https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/

Upper Field < 2% SOM

Upper Field = 6% SOM

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UPPER FIELD

https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/

Soil Organic Matter (SOM)(SOM /2 = SOC*3.67 = CO2e)

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1. High SOC Historically plowed soil layer, 0-6

inches

2. 0-6 & 6 - 12 inches: Granular Structure Many to Few: very fine to fine size

roots.

3. 12- 40 inches: Prismatic/ Columnar Structure few fine to very fine roots

4. 40 + inches: Massive Structure no roots

WHAT STORY DOES THIS Upper Field

SOIL PROFILE TELL US? 0-6 in

6-12 in

12- 40 in

40 + in

Olompali loamUPPER FIELD: Silage field

Prismatic Structure

Yes, if you want to:

Track change over time Verify or inform a model Establish a baseline Manage nutrients

What do you test for?

Bulk Density Soil Organic Matter (SOM)/OC/ TOC Nutrients Infiltration Moisture

22Photo Credit: Lynette K Niebrugge, Marin RCD

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CARBON FARM PLAN

GRAZING PLAN

The Carbon Farm Grazing Plan combines the overall ranch livestock carrying capacity with

ecological site potential and limitations to manage for optimum carbon capture- as forage production

and soil carbon.

Photo Credit: Lynette K Niebrugge, Marin RCD

Producer Knowledge

Web Soil Survey

Local Information: NRCS and RCD’s

UC Cooperative Extension

Sampling

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ABOVE GROUNDBIOMASS

Estimating Range Production

https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/

FORAGEEstimated Total vs Available Forage& Livestock Carrying Capacity

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1 AUM (animal unit month) is the amount of forage needed to support a 1,000 lb cow and her calf for one month; here it is assumed to be 900 lbs of dry forage.

1 AUY (animal unit year) is the amount of forage needed to support one animal unit (cow with calf, or equivalent) for one year.

*Data derived from Range Site production values, Santa Barbara County soil survey, USDA** Average RDM is based on Bartolome et al 2006, minimum RDM for annual grassland/hardwood rangeland, 0-10% slopes and 25-50% tree cover. Higher RDM is recommended for steeper slopes and less tree cover.*** Minimum percent of total production recommended for allocation to RDM

CALCULATINGON-FARM

CARBON CAPTUREPOTENTIAL

COMET- PlannerCOMET- Farm

COMPOST- PlannerUS Forest Service ModelsCalifornia Oak Foundation

Others

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COMET-PLANNERCOMET-Plannerhttp://www.comet-planner.com/COMET-Planner, CDFA versionhttp://comet-planner-cdfahsp.com/COMET-Farmhttp://cometfarm.nrel.colostate.edu/ LOCAL DATA; other sources1. COMPOST DATA: R.Ryals et al 2013; M.DeLonge et al 2013

2. CREEK CARBON DATA: D.Lewis et al 2015

3. Oak Woodland, Gaman 2008

4. US EPA 2011. Market Opportunities for Biogas Recovery Systems at U.S. Livestock Facilities.

5. USDA 2014. Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Agriculture and Forestry: Methods for Entity-Scale Inventory.

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USDA Forest Service/Natural Resources Conservation Service National Agroforestry Center, https://nac.unl.edu/multimedia/photos.htm

Agroforestry SystemsCalculating Carbon Potential: Oak Woodlands

31Sierra Forestry Legacy, https://www.sierraforestlegacy.org/FC_FireForestEcology/TH_OakWoodlands.php

Metric Tons (Mg) CO2e Sequestered in Mixed Oak Woodlands and Forests Current Conditions(Adapted from Gaman 2008)

GAMAN MODEL Mixed Oak Woodland/Savannas589 Acres

Mixed Oak Forest1,098 Acres

TREE C (Mg/Acre)

28.75 100.85

Non –Tree C (Mg/Acre)

29.56 29.56

Total Tree C(Mg/Acre)

58.32 130.41

Total CO2e(Mg/Acre)

214.00 478.00

TOTAL Mg CO2e 126,066 525,508

Agroforestry SystemsCalculating Carbon Potential:

Silvopastures (CPS 381) OR Tree and Shrub Establishment (CPS 612)

32https://www.progressiveforage.com/forage-types/grasses-and-grazing/trees-in-silvopasture-are-not-created-equal

Potential Metric Tons (Mg) CO2e Sequestered in NEW Mixed Oak Silvopasture

Future Conditions stand stock (Adapted From Gaman 2008)

COMET Planner Potential 1,000 acres, at maturity (80 years)

GAMANMODEL

Mixed Oak Silvopasture1000 Acres (Gaman 2008)

COMET-Planner

TREE C (Mg/Acre)

28.75

Non –Tree C (Mg/Acre)

29.56

Total C(Mg/Acre)

58.32

Total CO2e(Mg/Acre)

214.00 0.66

TOTAL MgCO2e

21,400 52,800

Gaman, T. 2008. An inventory of carbon and California oaks. California Oak Foundation Addendum to Oaks 2040. http://www.californiaoaks.org/ExtAssets/CarbonResourcesFinal.pdf

Riparian Systems

Calculating Carbon Potential

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Local Data(Lewis et al, UCCE 2015)

COMET- Planner

Riparian Restoration

18.36 Metric Tons (Mg) CO2e/acre/year (Lewis et al 2015)

Photo Credit: University of California Cooperative Extension , http://cemarin.ucdavis.edu/

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Calculating Carbon Potential: Riparian Systems3 Ways to Obtain Riparian Data

Riparian System

Stream length Acres

Mg CO2e/COMET-PlannerRiparian Restoration only (1 Mg/acre/yr)

Mg CO2e/COMET-PlannerCombined Riparian Forest, Herbaceous, Critical Area Planting and Riparian Restoration (4.36 Mg/acre/yr)

Riparian Restoration,Mg CO2e (18.36 Mg/acre/yr, Lewis et al 2015)

annual 15 years

45 years annual 15 years 45 years annual 15

years 45 years

Sycamore 1 mile 12 12 180 540 53 793 2378 223 3338 10015

Zaca 1.5 mile 18 18 270 810 79 1189 3567 334 5006 15022

Alamo Pintado 3.5 miles 42 42 630 1890 185 2775 8324 779 11682 35051

San Antonio

1.75 miles 21 21 315 945 92 1387 4162 389 5841 17525

TOTAL 7.75 94 93 1,395 4,185 410 6,144 18,431 1,725 25,867 77,613

Riparian Carbon Capture Potential - Metric Tons (Mg) CO2e per year

carbon cycle Institute

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Calculat ing Carbon Potential : Compost Appl ica t ion

Rangeland: 1.49 Mg CO2e/acre/year• Ryals and Silver 2013

Cropland/Pastures: 0.18 Mg CO2e/acre/year• COMET-Planner (590)

COMPOST-Planner (CDFA 2017)http://comet-planner-cdfahsp.com/

Compost Carbon ContentLab Analysis

carbon cycle Institute

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Pred i c ted Cum u la t i ve CO2e Seques t r a t ion Res u l t i ng F ro m Co m po s t A pp l i c a t io n o n 4 , 300 ac re s o f G r azed G r a s s l and

Calculating Carbon Potential : Rangeland Compost

* 10, 20 and 30 year totals are cumulative for that period; yearly values represent amount of CO2 sequestered in that year only for all treated acres. Ryals and Silver 2013

APPLY AGAIN

carbon cycle Institute

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Calculating Carbon Potential: Cropland Compost

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Sierra Forestry Legacy, https://www.sierraforestlegacy.org/FC_FireForestEcology/TH_OakWoodlands.php

Assumptions: 1% SOM = 0.5% SOC = 5 metric tons (Mg) C * 3.67 Mg CO2/ Mg C = 18.35 Mg CO2Compost = 33% OM, or 16.5% C;

1” compost = 70 short tons/acre x 0.165 C = 11.55 t x 3.67/1.1 = 38.5 Mg CO2/acre.Approximately one half of compost C is assumed lost annually under tillage.

CROPLAND COMPOST

Soil Type AcresBaseline SOM%

(NRCS)

Additional CO2e Sequestered at 5%

SOMPlow layer only

BbC 34 0.82 2370.58EmC 56 1.03 3708.33SaA 149 1.14 9593.42SaC 14 1.14 901.40SdA 277 1.16 17742.34SdC 62 1.3 3826.43SvC 22 1.5 1284.37

TOTAL 614 51,208.06

= 5% on 34 acresBaseline SOM = 0.82%

(5% - 0.82%) = 4.18% SOM/2 = 2.09% SOC

2. Convert Short Tons (t) SOM to Metric Tons (Mg) CO2e• 4.18% SOM @ 10 t /1% = 41.8 t/acre x 34 acres = 1,4212.2 t SOM• 1,4212.2/2 = 710.6 t SOC/1.1 t/Mg = 646Mg SOC• 646 Mg SOC x 3.67 Mg CO2/MgC = 2,370.82 Mg CO2e• SOM/2 = SOC• (1% SOM = 10t = 9.09 Mg SOM/acre, plow layer only, approx.)• 1 short ton = 0.909 metric tons

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CALCULATING CARBON

POTENTIAL OF CROPLAND COMPOST

CO2e reduction at Maturity = 708,270 Metric Tons =

150,376 Passenger vehicles not driven for one year, or

69,574,656 gallons of gasoline not burned

SUMMARYPotential terrestrial carbon sequestration on an 8,000 acre Santa Barbara Ranch through implementation of conservation practices identified through the Carbon Farm Planning Process

carbon cycle Institute

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GRAPHS AND FIGURES

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Calculating Soil Water Holding

Capacity

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PracticesMg CO2e

20 yr Mg SOC Mg SOMMg SOM/AI

(10/1.1=9.09 Mg)

Acre Inches((Mg SOM) / (Mg

SOM/AI)) Acre Feet

Rangeland Compost 98847.00 26933.79 53867.57 9.09 5925.43 493.79

Cropland Compost 43374.00 11818.53 23637.06 9.09 2600.08 216.67Hedgerow 120.00 16.35 32.70 9.09 3.60 0.30Shelterbelt 1960.00 267.03 534.06 9.09 58.75 4.90

Prescribed Grazing 29200.00 7956.40 15912.81 9.09 1750.41 145.87No-Till 780.00 212.53 425.07 9.09 46.76 3.90Minimal-Till 2000.00 544.96 1089.92 9.09 119.89 9.99Silvopasture Soils 13200.00 3596.73 7193.46 9.09 791.28 65.94Riparian Soils 5584.34 1521.62 3043.24 9.09 334.76 27.90

TOTAL 195,065.34 52,867.94 105,735.88 11630.95 969.2520 year MgCO2e/3.67 = C x SF = Mg SOC x 2 = Mg SOM/9.09 Mg/AI/12 = Acre feet

20 year MgCO2e/3.67 = Mg SOC x 2 = Mg SOM x 1.1 = short tons SOM/10 = Acre inches/12 = Acre feet

Soil Value only from CFP summary table

20 year MgCO2e/3.67

Mg SOC x 2

Conversion metric Ton to Short Ton

10 short tons of SOM/acre inch increase WHC

Convert acre inch

to acre feet(/12)

Soil, Water and Carbon

PRACTICE DESCRIPTION20 YEAR SOM

INCREASE(Mg)

ANNUAL WHC INCREASE BY YEAR 20 (AF)

Compost application on Rangeland (NRCS practice standard in development)

Application of 1/4” of compost to 4300 acres of permanent pasture.

53,867.57 Mg 493.79

Compost application on Cropland (590)

Application of 1” of compost to 617 acres of cropland.

23637.05 Mg 216.67

Shelterbelt (380) 13.6 miles (90 acres) of 50’ wide shelterbelts

1068.12 Mg 9.79

Prescribed Grazing (528)Grazing management to favor perennials and improve production on 7300 acres.

15912.80 Mg 145.87

Riparian Restoration

Restoration of 94 acres of riparian system along 7.75 miles of stream corridor Planting of native trees and shrubs.

3043.23 Mg(derived from Lewis et al 2015) 27.89

Minimum-Tillage (345) Conversion of tilled crop fields to minimum tillage on croplands

1089.91 Mg 9.99

Silvopasture (381)Establish trees on approximately 1,000 acres) of treeless pasture.

4027.24 Mg(derived from Gaman 2008) 36.91

TOTAL 103,070.36 917.52[1] Lewis et al 2015 model coefficients indicate annual increases of soil carbon = 0.2 kg/m2. 1 acre = 4046.85642 m2.

Estimated Additional Soil Water Holding Capacity With Carbon Farm Plan Implementation, 8,000 acre Ranch,Santa Barbara County, CASanta Barbara County, CA

Assumption: 1% SOM ≈ 1 acre inch WHC

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Co-BenefitsCo-Benefits are the benefits of your practices above and beyond GHGs!

What benefits can Carbon Farming provide?

On Farm and Globally

▪ Annual Avoided Emissions from Methane and Fossil Energy Consumption

▪ Habitat Structural and Species Diversity▪ Improved Water Holding Capacity▪ Improved Soil Quality and Fertility/ “Health”▪ Improved Water Quality▪ Increased Net Primary Productivity▪ Stabilize Soils▪ Increase soil depth▪ Sequester Carbon▪ Reduce input costs

Photo Credit: Unknown

carbon cycle Institute

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How do we describe Co-Benefits?

Potential Carbon Beneficial Practices and Estimated Effects

Co-BenefitsCARBON FARM

PLANNING

Monitoring Soil Carbon

Sampling Soils for Organic Carbon

Protocol By Ken Oster, USDA- Natural Resources Conservation Service –6/3/2016

(10) Grid with 10 randomly selected intersection points.https://www.random.org/integers/

Measurement Methodologies : P ro ce s s f o r Dec i s i on Mak ing

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Soil Sampling Guide for Nutrient Management

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Measurement Methodologies : P ro ce s s f o r Dec i s i on Mak ing

carbon cycle Institute

Monitoring and Record KeepingImplementation Timel ine

CONSERVATIONPRACTICE

LOCATION& EXTENT

CO2e BENEFIT ASSOCIATED BENEFITS NOTES DATE

NRCS Practice (s)&Associated Number

Identify Location(See CFP Map) & Monitoring Photo Points

Calculated Using:COMET-Farm, COMET-Planner, or Local Data

Soil

Hea

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Wat

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Wat

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Wild

life

Enha

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Plan

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Air Q

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Prod

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-Ec

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Funding Source Implemented &/or Maintained

Riparian Forest Buffer/ Riparian Restoration (391)

Unnamed tributary, lower reach on pasture three 2 of 6 miles

Local Data: Lewis et al. X X X X X X Marin RCD Fall, 2017

Compost Facility (317) South Chicken Yard N/A X X Fall, 2017

Windbreak/Shelterbelt/Hedgerow(422/380/620)

West Pasture 4, along fence line (south - north) 550 linear feet

COMET- Planner X X X X X X Fall, 2018

Compost Application; pasture &crop land (484/590)

Apply ¼” of compost to 115 acres of 350 acres of prescribed pastureland & 1” of compost to 10 of 10 acres of cropland

Local Data:Ryals and Silver 2013 X X X X X Fall, 2018

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A SUCCESSFUL CARBON FARM PLAN CULTIVATES CARBON FARMERS!

Photo Credit: Marin Agriculture Land Trust

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“

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Lynette Niebruggelniebrugge@carboncycle.org

Jeff Creque jcreque@carboncycle.org

A plan is a living document.A plan should evolve as new information and new tools

become available.