Conclusions

Grasslands occupy approximately half of the ice-free land area of the world make up about 70 percent of the world’s agricultural area and are an important agricultural resource particularly in areas where people are among the most food insecure. Despite their significant potential for carbon (C) sequestration and emission reductions they are currently not included in international agreements to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The chapters in this book have presented new data on management systems that could sequester C in the soil or biomass assessed the policy and economic aspects of C sequestration in grassland soils and evaluated limitations and those techniques required to capitalize on grassland C sequestration as a viable component of mitigation strategy. Taken as a whole the papers published here have suggested that there are reasons to be optimistic about the potential of grasslands to sequester C to offset greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Jones (Chapter I) suggests that the mitigation potential in European grassland C stocks is substantial and that management is key to determining whether they can act as a source of CO 2 to the atmosphere or a sink under future climates. Franzleubbers and Amézquita et al. (Chapters VIII and VII) offer new assessments as to how management practices in mesic pastures affect ecosystem C stocks; both authors find significant potential for sequestration. A common objection to grassland C sequestration is that the costs of changing management practices or verifying C stocks changes may outweigh the benefits. Ibrahim et al. (Chapter X) demonstrate the C increases associated with managed silvopastoral systems while increasing biological diversity and livelihoods. Moran and Pratt (Chapter XI) show that costs associated with the adoption of many emission reduction practices in the United Kingdom are low or sometimes negative.

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