Integrated approach to land management unexpectedly boosts U.S. climate mitigation capacity

Nature-based climate solutions like storing carbon in trees and soil are key climate change mitigation strategies, as is bioenergy coupled with geologic carbon storage. A new study from KBS faculty member and Michigan State University Distinguished Professor Phil Robertson reveals that integrating these approaches leads to a lot more climate mitigation than expected from analyses of either alone.

Benefits for soil and water health, biodiversity as well as climate

Land management—such as reforestation or using agricultural practices like no-till farming or planting cover crops—has long been known for its potential to curb emissions. Bioenergy uses plant-based fuels to run cars on ethanol or electricity, and during its production the carbon dioxide it releases can be geologically stored or sequestered below ground.

The findings of the study, which were published in Global Change Biology, showed a surprising boost in carbon dioxide storage when an integrated land-management approach was used.

“Using only land management or bioenergy in an either-or scenario turns out to be short-sighted,” said Robertson. “When we combine them, we find potential carbon dioxide storage capacity levels that neither approach alone can attain.”

“We knew there might be some advantage to an integrated approach, but we were surprised at just how large it could be,” he added.

“A 50% increase in the capacity for changes in land management to capture carbon dioxide is big, especially because we currently lack other affordable options for doing so.”

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