Carbon Basics

SA Landscape Boards

7/6/2022 Dr. Rebecca Tonkin

This workshop has been provided by the Hills and Fleurieu
Landscape Board, with funding from the Australian
Government’s National Landcare Program.
 Overview

1 Carbon Terminology

2 Carbon in Soil

3 Carbon in Plants

4 Questions

Page  3
 The Carbon Cycle
• Carbon is cycled through the
atmosphere, plants, animals, human
activities and the soil.
• About 1,500 Gt of "biological" carbon
is stored in the soil worldwide,
compared to 750 Gt of C in the
atmosphere or 610 Gt in biomass.
Additional carbon is stored in rocks as
carbonates.

Page  4
 Land Managers and the Carbon Cycle
Land managers can interact with the
carbon cycle at several points.
• Carbon stored in plants, eg
plantations or re-vegetated areas.
• Carbon stored in soil, via plants as the
carbon capture mechanism.
• Carbon used/released by the
enterprise, eg fuel, electricity, etc
• Carbon released from the land system
as breakdown of organic matter,
animal emissions etc.
Page  5
Terminology – what does that mean?
• Carbon Footprint • Emissions
• ACCU’s • Net Zero
• Carbon Neutrality • Additionality
• Credits • Permanence
• Sequestration
• Abatement
 Terminology
• ACCU – Australian Carbon Credit Unit – a unit of carbon dioxide (or
equivalent) taken out of the atmosphere that can be traded on the
Australian Carbon market.
• Sequestration – removing CO2 from the atmosphere in a form that will
not easily return to the atmosphere, eg locked up for 25 or 100 years.
• Abatement scheme – a project to reduce carbon emissions
• Carbon Footprint – the amount of CO2 units produced minus any
carbon units sequestered in an enterprise gives the overall footprint.
Additionality Newness
• intended to ensure that ERF • A program for ACCU’s must
projects (activities) to reduce not have been started
emissions or sequester carbon before it was registered with
do not receive Australian the Clean Energy Regulator
Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) if
• Eg revegetation plantings
those activities are already
already in place cannot be
required by law
used for carbon credits.
• Eg meeting energy
requirements for buildings,
planting trees as part of a
development plan
Permanence obligations
Permanence obligations for area-based projects (from the Clean Energy Regulator)

• Carbon stored in vegetation and soils can be released back into the atmosphere by
man-made or natural events, thereby reversing the environmental benefit of the
sequestration project. Sequestration is regarded as permanent if it is maintained on a
net basis for 100 years.
• For this reason, all sequestration projects are subject to permanence obligations. A
permanence obligation maintains carbon stores for which Australian carbon credit units
(ACCUs) have been issued.
• The Emissions Reduction Fund requires sequestration projects to choose a permanence
period of either 25 or 100 years. Once you have nominated a permanence period, you
will not be able to vary that period.
• The Clean Energy Regulator will publish information in relation to permanence periods
on the Emissions Reduction Fund Project Register. Anyone buying land can check
whether the land is covered by a 25 year or 100 year permanence obligation.
Carbon Neutral

Carbon into the Carbon emitted

system (taken
is from the system
out of the equivalent (back into the
atmosphere) to atmosphere).
Carbon Neutral
• Accreditation as Carbon Neutral is becoming a selling point in
agricultural markets, as end customers look for environmentally
responsible products.
• Favoured by Meat & Livestock Australia, therefore relevant to cattle
and sheep producers in particular.
• May be seen on many businesses and products now.
• Likely to be standard practice throughout agriculture very soon.
• Businesses can be self-monitored.
How to be Accredited Carbon Neutral?
The CURRENT process is along the lines of:
1. calculate the greenhouse gas emissions – C Footprint
2. reduce emissions as much as possible by investing in new
technology or changing the way you operate
3. offset any remaining emissions by sequestration or purchasing
carbon offset units (carbon credits)
Carbon Footprint – What’s Involved
There are 3 parts to a carbon footprint.
• SCOPE 1 Direct GHG emissions from sources owned or controlled
by the company (e.g. diesel use in tractors, livestock emissions)
• SCOPE 2 GHG emissions from generation of electricity consumed
on the location by the company
• SCOPE 3 GHG emissions from sources not owned or controlled by
the company (e.g. extraction and production of fertilisers)
 Carbon Credits
• Carbon credits can be produced by land managers (farm, conservation
area, etc) in a number of ways.
• These credits need to be certified by an independent company using
Australian Standards to be eligible for the Australian Carbon Market.
• There are other markets and other standards around the world, and
some businesses have sold carbon to both – but not the “same”
carbon.
• Enterprises can use carbon credits on their own property to reduce
their own carbon footprint, OR they can trade them and receive
payment – but not both with the same credits.
Which way to Go?
Carbon Neutral Carbon Credits

+ - + -
Likely to be a marketing May be a cost to the Income from sale of (Some income goes to
advantage for some business, particularly carbon credits…. -> pay for accreditation
products. the accreditation etc.)
process.
May end up being Land may be under
required for some restrictions for use for
businesses. 25 or 100 years, and
this carries over with
change of ownership.
Work to maintain Work to maintain
accreditation, record accreditation, record
keeping etc. keeping etc.
Note: Carbon credits that have been sold
cannot be used when calculating carbon
neutrality. If a business is likely to need to
certify as carbon neutral, it is best to
achieve neutrality first before considering
whether selling carbon credits is an
option.
Carbon Storage
For land managers, there are 2 main ways to store carbon – Soils or Vegetation.

At present, a single piece of land can only have 1 method used to claim carbon credits, eg if
trees are planted for carbon, then soil carbon is not counted. However, this is being looked at
and it may be possible to “stack” credits in the future, for example in a tree planting where soil
carbon is also increased.
Storing Carbon in Soil
• Carbon enters the soil in two main ways

Direct - Organic Matter

Photosynthesis Plant products
C used to make plant Litter/Composts/
structures and to trade in Manures added to
the soil with biology for
the soil
nutrients and water
 Photosynthesis (Carbon IN)
• Plants capture CO2 and convert it (with water) to carbohydrates. These are
then used to build the plant (roots, stems, leaves, wood etc), or to trade to
soil organisms such as fungi or bacteria for nutrients.
• Carbohydrates in the soil may be used quickly by soil biology and
converted back to CO2, or they may be converted to more stable carbon
forms and held by clay or used to build humus. Humus is a long-term
complicated soil carbon form which helps to store water and nutrients, as
well as carbon.
• The more photosynthesis, the more CO2 is drawn into the soil. So, having
healthy living plants as ground cover for as long as possible through the
year helps to store more carbon.
 Organic Matter (Carbon IN)
• Organic matter includes plant or animal material, compost, manure,
and other carbon-based amendments.
• Stubble, dead pasture leaves, plant roots and on-site animal
manures are part of this.
• Organic matter in this form can also be added from elsewhere, eg
compost.
• This organic matter is broken down in the soil by soil biology.
Between 70-90 % of this organic matter is converted back to CO2 .
The remaining portion should stay in the soil as humus, or
sometimes resistant carbon such as charcoal.
Processes that accelerate release of CO2
from soil (Carbon OUT)
• Cultivating soil (promotes breakdown of soil organic matter)
• Poor nutrition of crops/pastures
• For soil biology to make humus (long-lasting carbon compounds) in the
soil, other nutrients are also needed. If these nutrients (N, P, K, S etc) are
lacking, the carbon is converted back to CO2 instead.
• Fallow (chemical or cultivated)
• Over-grazing or poor grazing management
• Short growth periods with long bare periods.
• Burning
 Other greenhouse gases
• Other greenhouse gases that are produced on farm have
effects on the atmosphere similar to CO2 – but are more powerful.
• Methane is emitted from the digestive systems of ruminants, or from
breakdown of organic matter, and is ~ 25 times more powerful than CO2.
Methane emission control is a high priority for livestock enterprises!
• Nitrous oxide is formed when nitrogen is processed in anaerobic
conditions, such as waterlogged N-rich soil. It is ~ 300 x more powerful
than CO2 !!!
• Some CO2 abatement schemes produce carbon credits by treating
methane or nitrous oxide to make it less harmful, eg flaring methane to
CO2 (25  1 CO2 eq.), feed supplements to reduce methane emissions in
ruminants, N fertiliser timing or treatments to reduce N2O emissions.
Limits on Carbon Accumulation/Storage in Soil
• Soil texture
• Clay can store more C than sand, due to the larger surface area, and ability
to absorb C and protect it from being broken down.
• Soil depth
• Environment – Moisture/Temperature/Light
• Areas with higher rainfall (or irrigation) can grown more plants for longer
and therefore photosynthesise more.
• Areas with good temperatures for growing plants can fix more C.
• Areas with plentiful light have a higher capacity for photosynthesis.
 Limits on Carbon Accumulation/Storage
How high can soil C levels go?
In a healthy soil, soil biology will increase as soil carbon levels increase. Eventually they will reach a
balance between the amount of C going in and the amount going out. Too much organic matter
(more than the soil biology can process) can lead to water repellence in dry areas, or pollution in
wetter areas.
However, current levels considered “high” are not the limit – clay/loam soils in high rainfall areas
have been measured at 8-9 % OC with good biological activity and no bad effects.

Rainfall OC level Sand Sandy Loam Loam Clay Loam/Clay

< 500 mm Low <0.5 % <0.7 % <0.9 % <1.2 %

High >1.0 % >1.4 % >1.8 % >2.0 %

> 500 mm Low <1.0 % <1.3 % <1.5 % <1.8 %

High >1.5 % >2.0 % >2.5 % >3.0 %

Source: PIRSA OC lab testing records.
Balancing Carbon IN and Carbon OUT
When carbon in = carbon When carbon in > carbon
out, no change and soil C out, soil C increases until soil
remains the same, stable. biological activity increases
breakdown and a new stable
level is reached.
When carbon in < carbon
out, soil C decreases until no
more soil C can be broken
down and a new stable level
is reached.
 Soil Carbon on Farms
(or, why increase soil C?)
• Soil carbon improves the physical condition of the soil, allowing
better water infiltration and storage, and improved root growth.
• It is a supply of nutrients for crops/pastures, and increases the
nutrient holding capacity of the soil.
• It is a food supply for soil biology, which release nutrients to plants
and help to improve soil condition.
• Building soil carbon over the long term *may* offer financial
benefits through carbon sequestration payments, or the ability to
certify as carbon neutral…???

Page  26
 Building Your Soil Carbon
• Growing your own carbon is what most farmers
already do.
• The trick is keeping it in the soil once you have it
there.
• Soil biology uses carbon as food, and recycles it
back into the atmosphere.
• The rate of carbon going into the ground needs
to be faster than the use rate for it to
accumulate.

Page  27
 Soil Organic Matter and Water Holding
Capacity
 Organic matter (OM) in soils also affects WHC as it absorbs water
and gives it up to plants.
 Increasing OM in the soil can increase water infiltration and
storage, improving crop yields. Generally a 1% increase in OM
leads to a 2.3% increase in PAW (can range between 0.8 and 8 %).
 Very dry OM can be water repellent, but wets up slowly over time.

Page  28
Pre-Estimating Soil Carbon Change
• There is an online tool called LOOC-C which can give a broad
estimate of potential methods to sequester carbon on property.
• It includes soil carbon sequestration as well as vegetation and other
abatement methods, and takes into account practices such as
pasture improvement, changes in grazing management, changes in
fertiliser use etc.
• (It is NOT an accredited accounting tool.)
• Carbon Sequestration (looc-c.farm)
• Other tools or consultant companies are available – rapidly
developing space.
Testing for Soil Carbon (1)
There are 2 main soil carbon tests:
1. Total Soil Carbon (Leco)
2. Walkley-Black Soil Carbon
The Total Carbon (Leco) test is the only one
permitted for carbon credit measurements.
Total Soil Carbon measures all the carbon in the
soil. This will include C from carbonate minerals
such as lime.
A variation of the Leco test uses an acid pre-
wash to remove mineral carbonates before
testing, which is often required in SA‘s
calcareous soils.

Page  30
Testing for soil carbon (2)
• Walkley-Black soil organic carbon
measures only carbon from the soil, and
carbon from rocks or minerals is not
included. This is often used in SA for any
soil with carbonates present, but may
underestimate C levels.
• It has been used widely over the past 50
years in SA so older test results will
probably have WB Carbon.
• WB C = ~ 75 – 90 % of Tot C.
 More Information on Soil Carbon and Soil
Biology
 CFOC and the Wheatbelt NRM have useful factsheets.
www.soilquality.org.au
 The Victorian DPI maintains a website with many helpful links.
http://vro.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/soilhealth_related
_links
 DAFF has a healthy soils website.
http://soilhealthknowledge.com.au/

Page  32
 Questions?

Page  33
Carbon in Vegetation
• Carbon stored above the ground can be
used to generate carbon credits as well.
It needs to meet the same tests for
• additionality (this is carbon stored that
would not have happened under normal
practice) and
• permanence (the carbon will remain
sequestered and not be released back
into the atmosphere for a long period of
time).
Carbon in Vegetation
From the Clean Energy Regulator website:
Vegetation ​projects generate abatement by removing carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere and storing it as carbon in plants as they grow.
Examples of vegetation activities could include:
• reforestation
• revegetation, or​
• protecting native forest or vegetation that is at imminent risk of
clearing.
 Types of Vegetation Eligible
• Projects can include farm forestry, silviculture, biodiversity plantings, etc,
but must have a management program to ensure that carbon is being
stored in the system long term.
• A “reforestation by environmental or mallee plantings” project involves
establishing and maintaining vegetation such as trees or shrubs on land
that has been clear of forest for at least 5 years. You can plant either a mix
of trees, shrubs and understory species native to the local area or species of
mallee eucalypts.
• The project helps to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas entering the
atmosphere, because carbon is stored in the trees as they grow. The carbon
stored in the trees, shrubs and debris (dead plant material) on site is called
the carbon stock, while the term abatement refers to the overall reduction
in greenhouse gases as a result of a project.
Biodiversity and Carbon – a Win-Win?
• Biodiversity planting payments were designed to provide farmers
with incentives to keep (refrain from clearing) important native
vegetation areas, or to re-plant important areas (eg links to existing
vegetation, revegetation of eroded areas, etc). These projects could
include trees, grasses, shrubs etc.
• It has been realised that these areas also store carbon, and so could
be measured and used to generate carbon credits in the same way
as any reforestation/revegetation carbon project.
• Trials are have been done in EP and are currently underway in N&Y
area of SA.
Measuring Carbon in Vegetation
• The carbon stock held in the project's trees, shrubs and debris is
calculated using a computer modelling tool called the Full Carbon
Accounting Model (FullCAM). The net amount of abatement during
a project's reporting period is then determined by subtracting
emissions due to fires and fuel use from the amount of carbon
stock. The resulting net abatement for the project can then be used
to apply for Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs).
(Source: CER website)
Other Carbon
• Carbon can be sequestered or abated in many other ways.
• Water bodies such as dams, lakes or rivers may have carbon
projects specific to them.
• Ocean or mangroves can have carbon projects.
• There are many industrial/waste management projects.
• Projects (both contracted and non-contracted) can be found on the
CER website.
 Questions?

Page  41
This workshop has been provided by the Hills and Fleurieu
Landscape Board, with funding from the Australian
Government’s National Landcare Program.