Task 1: Basic Understanding of Processes and Mechanisms.

1. Consortium for Agricultural Soil Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases What is CASMGS? A team of scientists at 10 institutions formed CASMGS to provide the science and technology necessary to help our nation realize the benefits of carbon sequestration in agricultural and grassland soils. CASMGS Research Tasks and Projects • Task 1: Basic Understanding of Processes and Mechanisms. • Research on biophysical processes that control soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. • Subtask 1: Influence of management on plant primary production and transformation of plant material into soil C • The effects of grazing management and woody plant invasion on primary production in grassland systems. • Primary production and C dynamics of several cropping systems in the Great Plains. • Potential for plant breeding to enhance soil C sequestration in soils. • Subtask 2: Influence of soil aggregation and microbial community composition on C sequestration in agricultural soils • Cross-site comparison of the influence of tillage and crop rotation on the chemical and microbiological properties of soil aggregate fractions. • Physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms controlling long-term soil C storage. • Analytical methods of determining aggregate SOC fractionation; molecular, isotopic, and elemental composition of SOC fractions; microbial yield and substrate partitioning; and microbial community composition. • Kinetics of formation and destruction of humic materials. • Subtask 3: Factors controlling losses of C from agricultural soils to infiltrating water • Characterization of the amount and nature of dissolved organic matter that leaches from agricultural soils. • Effects of soil water status and limestone amendments on C exports via leaching. • Task 2: Best Management Practices for Carbon Sequestration. • Identify, develop, and evaluate agricultural Best Management Practices (BMP’s) with respect to C sequestration, GHG mitigation, and associated co-benefits and costs. • Provide estimates of the rate of soil C sequestration for the most important and potentially applicable BMP’s. • Full C-cost accounting for the systems with the best information. • Generation of a common data bank. • Document ancillary physical benefits to C sequestration. • Provide estimates of the co-benefits and co-costs of C sequestering activities. • Task 3: Prediction and Assessment. • Predict and assess the C cycle and GHG emissions/mitigation using computer models, databases, and other appropriate tools. • Subtask 1: Refinement and Validation of Biophysical Models • Transformation of EPIC into a comprehensive tool for simulating SOC dynamics and non-CO2 gas fluxes. • Improved model of maize production and C dynamics under irrigation and high levels of fertilizer input. • Development of a database documenting soil C changes in response to management practices. • Subtask 2: Field-scale Prediction and Assessment of Efforts to Mitigate GHG Through Managing Agricultural Soils • Mapping and inventory of SOC using geospatial tools. • Development of a simplified SOC model (CSTORE) to assess alternative strategies for C sequestration. • Subtask 3: Regional-scale Prediction and Assessment of Soil C Sequestration and GHG Emissions • Development of generalized geospatial databases for the North Central region and the U.S. • Testing and evaluation of DAYCENT/CENTURY and EPIC in the North Central region. • Subtask 4: National-scale Prediction and Inventories • Estimating net C emissions from U.S. agricultural soils using IPCC and CENTURY. • Effect of current and alternative management practices at a national scale using EPIC. • Subtask 5: Ecosystem-Economic Analysis of Policy and/or Market Incentives for C Sequestration and GHG Mitigation • Develop and apply simulation-based methodologies for analysis of mitigation strategies. • Linking disparate disciplinary models in a transparent, user-friendly format. • Task 3: Prediction and Assessment (con’t.) • Adapt the Resource and Agricultural Policy Systems (RAPS) economic model for carbon policy analysis. • Subtask 6: Model Comparisons and Databases for Integrated Assessment Models • Subtask 7: Integrated Assessments of GHG Mitigation at Field and Farm Scale • Combine the RAPS economic model with the CENTURY and EPIC physical models to estimate the impact of management decisions on soil C. • Linking CSTORE to a farm-level economic/financial decision model. • Subtask 8: Regional and national Level Integrated Models and Policy Assessment • Integrate results from CENTURY and EPIC with economic models to generate information on a national scale. • Estimate co-effects of mitigation policies using RAPS economic model integrated with the CENTURY and EPIC. • Task 4: Measuring and Monitoring. • Develop mechanisms to estimate and verify changes in soil carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in the context of likely changes in policy and land use. • Subtask 1: Estimating SOC at Multiple Scales • Fine, field-scale modeling of variability in SOC estimates. • Soil survey-scale estimates of organic matter distribution. • Whole-farm estimates of SOC. • SOC in rangelands. • Subtask 2: Measuring Fluxes of GHG’s • CO2-flux research facility to better understand the components of the C budget on three major agroecosystems. • Measuring C balances of rangeland and cropland under different management regimes. • Evaluate GHG budgets for important cropping systems in the U.S. • Using static flux chambers to provide information needed to test existing N2O and CH4 flux models. • Subtask 3: Methods to Extrapolate Measurements and Model Predictions from Sites to Regional Scales • Use DAYCENT and APEX to gain a predictive understanding of the complex relationships governing C sequestration. • Subtask 4: Economic and Social Dimensions of C Sequestration • Review effects of different policy mechanisms on adoption of C sequestration management practices. • Use integrated modeling approach to predict changes in SOC storage and GHG fluxes. • Investigate methods for monitoring changes in land use and other management practices and assess their costs. • Task 5: Outreach. • Develop outreach programs to share information on the C cycle, greenhouse gas mitigation, and agricultural Best Management Practices, that is useful to agricultural producers and other stakeholders. • Subtask 1: Multi-Media Education Materials and Training • Subtask 2: Decision Support Systems • Development of a computerized Decision Support System that will do on-farm analyses of C sequestration alternative. • Development of a stakeholder participation and C management workbook. • Prototyping and distribution of the CSTORE Decision Support Systems. • Subtask 3: Website and Newsletter Development and Maintenance • Subtask 4: Regional Forums for Communicating CASMGS Activities to Targeted Audiences • Forum 1: Role of the Utility and Fossil Energy Industries. • Forum 2: Measurement, Monitoring, and Verification of SOC. • Forum 3: Best Management Practices and C Sequestration. Who is CASMGS? • Cooperating Institutions • Colorado State University • Iowa State University • Kansas State University • Michigan State University • Montana State University • Purdue University • The Ohio State University • Texas A&M University • University of Nebraska • Battelle-Pacific Northwest National Laboratory • Executive Committee • Keith Paustian, CSU • Cathy Kling, ISU • Chuck Rice, K-State • Phil Robertson, MiSU • Susan Capalbo, MoSU • Ron Turco, Purdue • Rattan Lal, OSU • Neville Clark, Texas A&M • Shashi Verma, UNL • Cesar Izaurralde, PNNL CASMGS: Why It’s Important CASMGS researchers are producing and coordinating information that is vital to the effort to mitigate greenhouse gases within agroecosystems. This coordination of research efforts will lead to greater and more rapid breakthroughs in modeling solutions to environmental challenges. For more information contact: Chuck Rice, Director: cwrice@ksu.edu 785-532-7217 CASMGS Website: http://www.casmgs.colostate.edu