Sustainable Land Development Today - March 2009 - (Page 11)

fixed beneath the surface in net amounts, annual row-crop tillage now causes carbon to be oxidized more rapidly than it is fixed, a situation exacerbated by the constant drain of water through the tile systems and into the ditches. Consequently, during each growing season, carbon dioxide that was fixed millennia ago is now released into the atmosphere in amounts greater than it is taken up, which potentially contributes to the problem known as climate change. This net release of soil organic carbon (SOC) is not a minor concern. Recent studies on the amounts of carbon stored in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), in which deep-rooted native grasses are planted in some of the less productive or more erodible soils, have shown that ten years of SOC storage can be oxidized within a single growing season after tilling. In fact, more than 90 percent of the fixed carbon can be released in the first 15 days following tillage, and that net loss can occur within 30 days. One pound of SOC, once oxidized, generates 3.4 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. If the net SOC accumulation rate averaged 1 ton/acre/year for a tenyear cycle of CRP planted in native grassland, the CO2 emissions would equate to approximately 18,000 x 3.4 or 61,200 pounds of CO2 emissions/acre over a 1530 day period. For comparison purposes, a car or lawn mower emits approximately 16 pounds of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide for every gallon of gasoline burned. This is of course fossil carbon, the effects of which are of concern in our contemporary atmosphere. With the push for corn ethanol, much of the remaining CRP throughout the Midwest is rapidly being converted once again to production. Soil and water loss, coupled with air and water pollution are not the only concerns. As described by my colleague at Conservation Design Forum, Dr. Gerould Wilhelm, when the rhizoshpere, which includes the deep root systems of the native bunch grasses is destroyed, a chain reaction of negative impacts is generated: I a contiguous connection to the stable thermal mass of the subsoil ceases to exist; I soil moisture decreases and the surface mineral soil, or other surfaces, become vulnerable to significant daily temperature fluxes; I no longer able to thermo-regulate, many conservative organisms, including flora and fauna, have difficulty maintaining a stable metabolism; I the land defaults to the few plants and animals that can survive such circumstances, while most native species are simply unable to compete; I evapo-transpiration at the surface is drastically reduced, the moderating effects of water are lost, and the surface of the earth heats up; I the shifts in temperature and hydrology-effect weather patterns, bio-diversity, and, in all likelihood, contribute significantly to global warming. Innovative Stormwater Management Products ® C U D O WATER STORAGE SYSTEM SHAPING THE FUTURE OF WATER QUALITY™ A new approach to underground stormwater storage, infiltration, treatment, rainwater harvesting, or other stormwater management needs. US PATENT PENDING MADE IN THE U.S.A. FROM RECYCLED MATERIAL Contact us today to learn more about this exciting and innovative system. KRISTAR ENTERPRISES, INC. 1-800-579-8819 Visit our web site at: www.kristar.com S i n c e 19 9 3 Circle 137 • or www.SLDTonline.com/webcard www.SLDTonline.com 11 http://www.kristar.com http://www.kristar.com http://www.SLDTonline.com/webcard http://www.SLDTonline.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Land Development Today - March 2009

Sustainable Land Development Today - March 2009 Contents Our Voice: Energy Savings Accounts Mining the Sewers for On-site Reuse Modern Flood Disasters The Financial Challenge of Leed® Technology: Opportunities Exist to Buy in Now SLDI In Focus: A Look Inside Calendar of Events Energy: Solar Power on Rails Industry News Products & Services The Bottom Line: Green Lending – Class G Advertiser Index Editorial Board SLDT Resources Last Word: Not All Gloom & Doom

Sustainable Land Development Today - March 2009

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