Carbon Sequestration Potential of Grazing Ecosystems Under Climate-Smart Management Practices

Abstract

Grazing ecosystems are among the largest terrestrial systems of land use and offer great potential for climate change mitigation through increased carbon sequestration. Climate-smart grazing management is a strategy that combines sustainable livestock production with practices that enhance soil health, vegetation productivity and ecosystem resilience, and increase long-term carbon storage. The review addresses the carbon dynamics of grazing systems, identifies the largest carbon pools (above-ground biomass, below-ground root systems and soil organic carbon) and considers the biological and environmental processes that regulate the build-up and decomposition of carbon. The review also assesses the effectiveness of practices for climate-smart management, including rotation of grazing, adaptive grazing stocking, restoring pastures, conserving native vegetation, amendments to soil with organic matter, minimising soil disturbance, and enhancing microbial activity. The mechanisms of increased carbon sequestration through increased biomass production, accumulation of soil organic matter, aggregate stability and microbial mediated carbon transformation are comprehensively analysed. Additionally, the ecosystem carbon modeling methods and remote sensing techniques and field-based measurements for estimating sequestration potential are summarized. The advantages for the environment, such as increased biodiversity, better water regulation, higher soil fertility and better climate resilience, are also addressed. Last, but not least, existing scientific, socioeconomic and policy questions in relation to general implementation are recognized, with future research directions suggested to improve the potential for carbon sequestration in the context of sustainable agricultural development through climate-smart grazing.