5LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRYSTEP 2 CALCULATE ANNUAL CARBONUPTAKE IN ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS (LAND
ABANDONED FOR MORE THAN TWENTYYEARS)
1

Enter the Total Area Abandoned for more than Twenty Years (inkilohectares) in column G.

2Enter the Annual Rate of Aboveground Biomass Growth (in tonnes ofdry matter per hectare) in column H.
Table 5-8 provides default values.

3

Multiply the Total Area Abandoned (column G) by the Annual Rate ofAboveground Biomass Growth (column H) to give the Annual
Aboveground Biomass Growth (in kt dm). Enter the result in column I.

4Enter the Carbon Fraction of Aboveground Biomass in column J(default fraction 0.5).

5Multiply the Annual Aboveground Biomass Growth (column I) by the
Carbon Fraction of Aboveground Biomass (column J) to give theAnnual Carbon Uptake in Aboveground Biomass. Enter the result incolumn K.

6

Add the figures in column K and enter the total in the Subtotal box at
the bottom of the column.

STEP 3 CALCULATE TOTAL CO2 REMOVALSFROM ABANDONED LANDS
1

Add the subtotals from columns E and K and enter the Total Carbon
Uptake from Abandoned Lands in column L.

2

Multiply the Total Carbon Uptake from Abandoned Lands by 44/12 togive the Total Carbon Dioxide Uptake from the abandonment ofmanaged lands in Gg. Enter the result in column M.

3

For summary reporting purposes and for consistency with otheremission/removal categories, it is necessary to reverse the sign of theseresults, so that the removal of CO2 by abandoned lands is expressed asa negative (i.e., negative emissions) value.

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USING THE WORKSHEET•

Copy the Worksheet at theend of this section to complete
the inventory.

•

Keep the original of theWorksheet blank so you canmakefurthercopiesif
necessary.

5.21

LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRYTABLE 5-8
ANNUAL AVERAGE ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS GROWTH BY NATURAL REGENERATION(TONNES DM/HA)
Tropical Forests
Wet

Moist
with ShortDry Season

R ≥ 2000

Africa≤20 years>20 years
Asia:
Continental≤20 years>20 years
Insular≤20 years>20 years
America≤20 years>20 years

Moist
with LongDry Season

2000>R>1000

Dry

MontaneMoist

MontaneDry

R≤1000R>1000

R<1000

10
2.5

5.3
1.3

2.3-2.5
0.6-3.0

0.8-1.5
0.2-1.6

5
1

2
0.5

11
3
13
3.4

9
2

6
1.5

5
1.3

5
1

no data11
3

no datalittle tonone exist

123none exist

no data

4
1

4
1

5
1.4

1.8
0.4

10
2.6

Note: R= annual rainfall in mm/yr

Temperate Forests

0-20 Years

20-100 Years

Coniferous

3.0

3.0

Broadleaf

2.0

2.0

0-20 Years

20-150 Years

Mixed Broadleaf-Coniferous andBroadleaf

0.7-2.0

0.7-6.4

Coniferous

0.5-1.9

0.5-5.0

Boreal Forests

Forest-tundra

0.2-0.5

ALL OF THESE REGIONAL AVERAGE GROWTH RATES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED INDICATIVE ONLY. IF
FORESTS ARE A SIGNIFICANT PART OF A COUNTRY’S TOTAL GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY, LOCALLYAVAILABLE DATA OR EXPERT JUDGEMENT SHOULD BE SOUGHT TO DEVELOP VALUES REFLECTING
CONDITIONS AND PRACTICES.

See Reference Manual for sources.

5.22

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LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRY

5.6

CO2 Emissions or Uptake by Soilfrom Land-Use Change andManagement
5.6.1 Introduction
The methodology includes estimates of net CO2 emissions (sinks andsources) from three processes: 1) changes in carbon stored in soil and litterof mineral soils due to changes in land-use practices, 2) CO2 emissions fromorganic soils converted to agriculture or plantation forestry, and 3) CO2
emissions from liming of agricultural soils. At present, CO2 emissions or
uptake associated with naturally ocurring carbonate minerals in soils are notincluded.

5.6.2 Data Sources
There are no standard global data sets available for these calculations. The
primary data needed are information on the distribution of different soil
types and land-use practices within a country. Information to estimate
impacts of various land-use practices on soil carbon inventories can beobtained from long-term field experiments. Sources of such information
include:• Soil survey and other national resource inventories• Land-use statistics, agricultural production statistics• Compendia of long-term field experiments. (See Reference Manual forreferences.)
Information for estimating CO2 emissions from lime applications can beobtained from statistics of lime use or derived from production and importexport statistics.

5.6.3 Methodology
The calculations for CO2 emissions from mineral soils are based on an
accounting of changes in soil (and litter) carbon stocks as a function ofchanges in land-use and agricultural management practices. To calculatechanges in carbon stocks a twenty-year inventory period is used. Thisrequires that an estimate of the distribution of land-use systems by soil
types is needed for the present (i.e., inventory) year and for twenty years
ago. See the Reference Manual for an example calculation. Estimates of soil
carbon stocks are based on the top 30 cm of the soil profile only. Deeper
soil layers can also have appreciable carbon stocks, particularly in tropicalsoils, but they are generally much less impacted by changes in land
use/management than are topsoil layers and there are less data available fordeeper soil layers.

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LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRY

The calculations for CO2 emissions from organic soils are performed using
annual emission estimates which depend on climate region and landuse.
Thus they require data on the areal extent of organic soils which arepresently used and their current landuse. The emission rates provided in
the method are derived from a world-wide survey of the scientific
literature.
The calculations for emissions from agricultural liming require only data on
the amount and (preferably) the type of material applied.

Completing the Worksheets
Use WORKSHEET 5-5 CHANGE IN SOIL CARBON FOR MINERAL SOILS at the end of
this module to record inventory data.
LAND-USE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
These should represent the major
types of land management systems
present in the country as well as
ecosystem types which are either
being converted to agriculture (e.g.,forest, savanna, grassland) or havebeen
derivedfromprevious
agricultural landuse (e.g., abandoned
lands, reforested lands). Systems
should also reflect differences in soil
carbon stocks that can be related todifferences in management.
Forshifts in management where changes
in carbon stocks occur over a
relatively long time (i.e., > 10 years),
one or more "successional" systems(e.g., young abandoned land, oldabandoned land) should be defined(see Step 2). Examples of default
management systems for different
climatic regions are given in the
Appendix.

5.24

STEP 1 ESTIMATING THE DISTRIBUTION OF
LAND-USE/MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS BY SOIL
TYPES (FOR MINERAL SOILS ONLY) FOR THE
BEGINNING AND END OF THE INVENTORYPERIOD
1

Define the types of land-use management systems to be used in theinventory.

2

Enter the Land-use/Management System in column A.
Worksheet 5-5, sheet 1 should be copied as needed to accommodate
all the management systems used in the inventory (see Appendix in the
Workbook and Table 5-10 in Reference Manual for an example).

3

Enter the Land Area in column E for each system subdivided by soil
type in million hectares for the current inventory year (t).
If a land-use system does not occur on a particular soil type, a zero("0") should be entered.

4Enter the Land Area in column D for the inventory year, (t-20), i.e.,twenty years prior to the current inventory year.
Note: The total areas for each soil type (summed over all land-use
systems) in year, t, and year, t-20, must be the same. As a check, sumvalues in column D over all land-use systems. Repeat for all values incolumn E. The sums for columns D and E must be identical (i.e. equal
to the total land area in the inventory).

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LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRYSTEP 2 ASSIGN CARBON STOCK VALUESACCORDING TO LAND-USE/MANAGEMENTSYSTEM AND SOIL TYPE
1

For native ecosystem types, enter the Soil Carbon values into column C
in tonnes C/ha. Table 5-9 shows default values.
In cases where the ecosystem is agriculturally-impacted, use theSupplemental Worksheet 5-5A to estimate soil carbon instead.

For agriculturally-impacted systems the following equation is used:
Soil Carbon managed = Soil Carbon native x Base factor x Tillage factor
x Input factors

Worksheet 5-5A (Supplemental):
IMPACTED LANDS.

SOILCARBONFOR

AGRICULTURALLY

1 Enter the Land-use/Management System in column A, as identified in
Step 1 of Worksheet 5-5.
Worksheet 5-5A (Supplemental) should be copied as needed toaccommodate all the management systems.
2 Enter Soil Carbon under Native Vegetation into column C. Table 5-9
provides default values.
3 Enter the Base Factor into column D. Table 5-10 provides default values.

DEFAULT TILLAGE AND INPUT
FACTORS
Default Tillage and Input Factors,
can be found in Table 5-10,
according to the default definitionsof Land-Use Management Systems
shown. Please note that the all
definitions found in the Appendix
can be categorised under the default
definitions summarised in Table 510.

4 Enter the Tillage Factor into column E. Table 5-10 provides default
values. Where no default or country-specific data are available, enter 1.
5 Enter Input Factors into column F. Table 5-10 provides default values.
Where no default or country-specific data are available, enter 1.
6 Multiply the values in columns C, D, E and F. Enter these values intocolumn G to obtain the Soil Carbon into Agriculturally-Impacted Lands.
7 Enter the values in column E into column C of Worksheet 5-5, sheet 1.

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5.25

LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRYTABLE 5-9
APPROXIMATE SOIL CARBON CONTENTS
UNDER NATIVE VEGETATION(TONNES C/HA FOR 0-30 CM DEPTH)
Region5.26

High activity
soils

Low activity
soils

Sandy
soils

Volcanic soils(Andisols)

Wetland soils(Aquic)Cold temperate,
dry

50

40

10

20

70

Cold temperate,
moist

80

80

20

70

180

Warm temperate,
dry

70

60

15

70

120

Warm temperate,
moist

110

70

25

130

230

Tropical, dry

60

40

4

50

60

Tropical, moistlong dry season

100

50

5

70

100

Tropical, moistshort dry season

140

60

7

100

140

Tropical, wet

180

70

8

130

180

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LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRYTABLE 5-10a
COEFFICIENTS USED IN DEFAULT CALCULATION PROCEDURES
SGb

SystemBF

Temperate

Tillage Factorc

Input Factorsd

No
tillageRed.
tillageFulltillage

Low
input

Med.
input

High
input

Long-term
cultivated

A,B,C,D

0.7

1.1

1.05

1.0

0.9

1.0

1.1/1.2

Long-term
cultivated

E

0.6

1.1

1.05

1.0

0.9

1.0

1.1/1.2

Improved
pastureAll soils

1.1

ND

ND

ND

Set aside(<20 years)

All soils

0.8

ND

ND

ND

Set aside(>20 years)

All soils

0.9

ND

ND

ND

Long-term
cultivated

A,B,C,D

0.6

1.1

1.0

0.9

0.8

0.9

1.1/1.2

Long-term
cultivated

E

0.5

1.1

1.0

0.8

0.8

0.9

1.1/1.2

Wetland(Paddy) rice

All
soils

1.1

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

Shifting
cultivation(including
fallow)

All
soils

0.8

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

Abandoned/
Degraded land

All
soils

0.5

Unimproved
pastureAll soils

0.7

ND

ND

ND

Improved
pasture

All
soils

1.1

ND

ND

ND

Maturefallow

Shortened
fallow

1.0

0.8

Tropicala Filled portions of the table, where tillage and input factors are not given, denote instances where these factors are not applicable to a
management system. Where tillage or input factors were not determined (ND), information was deemed insufficient to go beyond
estimating a base factor.
SG = Soil Group, BF = Base Factor, Red. = Reduced, Med. = Medium.
b Soil groups A = High activity, B = Low activity, C = Sandy, D = Volcanic, E = Aquicc Use of no-till is assumed to increase soil C by over full tillage (full soil inversion). Reduced tillage (i.e., significant soil disturbance but
without inversion) is assumed to yield small increases over full tillage.
d Input factors apply to residue levels and residue management, use of cover crops, mulching, agroforestry, bare fallow frequency in semiarid temperate systems. Low input applies to where crop residues are removed or burned, or use of bare fallow; medium input to wherecrop residues are retained; high input applies to where residue additions are significantly enhanced with addition of mulches, green
manures, or enhanced crop residue production (1.1) or regular addition of high rates of animal manure (1.2), relative to the nominal(medium) case.

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5.27

LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRYSTEP 3 CALCULATING NET ANNUALEMISSIONS FROM MINERAL SOILS.
1

Multiply the Soil Carbon value in column C by the Land Area incolumn D. Enter this value in column F.

2

Multiply the Soil Carbon value in column C by the Land Area incolumn E. Enter the value in column G.

3

Subtract the value in column F from column G. Enter this value incolumn H for the Net Change in Soil Carbon in Mineral Soils for eachlanduse by soil type.
Negative values represent net losses of carbon and positive
values are net gains in stored carbon.

4

ORGANIC SOILS UNDER INTENSIVE
USE
Emissions of CO2 from organic soils
are only considered for soils which
are currently under intensive use
for crop production or plantation
forestry. Organic soils under native
ecosystem types (which are likely tohave stable or increasing C stocks)
are not to be included in theinventory.

Sum values in the column H over all land-use/management systems andenter this value at the bottom of column H.

STEP 4 CALCULATING ANNUAL EMISSIONSFROM ORGANIC SOILS
1Enter the Land Area (in hectares) of organic soils into column A ofWorksheet 5-5, sheet 2, for the appropriate climate zone (seeAppendix for climate zone definitions) and soils use.

2

Enter the Annual Loss Rate in column B. Default values are provided inTable 5-11. Use country specific data where available.

3

Multiply the Land Area in column A by the Annual Loss Rate in column
B and enter this value in column C.

4

Sum the values in column C and enter this value at the bottom of thecolumn.

STEP 5 CALCULATING ANNUAL EMISSIONSFROM LIMING OF AGRICULTURAL SOILS

5.28

1

Enter the Total Annual Amount of Lime (country-wide), into column Aof Worksheet 5-5, sheet 3, according to the type of lime. If
information is not available on the type of lime applied, assume all lime
to be limestone (CaCO3).

2

Multiply values in column A by the Carbon Conversion Factors incolumn B and enter these values in column C.

3

Sum the values in column C and enter at bottom of the column.

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5

LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRYSTEP 6 ESTIMATES FOR TOTAL NET
EMISSIONS FROM SOILS
1Enter the Total Net Change in Soil Carbon in Mineral Soils from all
Worksheets 5-5, sheet 1, into column A (first row).

2

Enter the Total Net Carbon Loss from Organic Soils from all
Worksheets 5-5, sheet 2 into column A (second row).

3

Enter the Carbon Emissions from Liming from Worksheet 5-5, sheet 3
into column A (third row).

4

Multiply the values in column A by Unit Conversion Factors in column
B to express all values as Total Annual Carbon Emissions in Gigagrams
per year. Enter these values in column C.
Note that the explicit sign (i.e., + or -) for the change ofcarbon stocks for mineral soils must be carried over fromWorksheet 5-5, sheet 1.

5Multiply each value in column C by 44/12 and enter in column D.

6

Sum all values in column D and enter in the bottom of the column toobtain the (net) Total Annual CO2 Emissions from agriculturallyimpacted soils.

TABLE 5-11
DEFAULT VALUES FOR CARBON LOSSFROM ORGANIC SOILS
Agricultural Use of
Organic Soils

Annual Loss Rate
(MgC/ha/yr)

Cool temperate
Upland crops

1.0

Pasture/Forest

0.25

Warm temperate
Upland crops

10

Pasture/Forest

2.5

TropicalUpland crops

20

Pasture/Forest

5

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LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRY

Appendix: Default Definitions of
Land-Use/Management Systems
1. COLD TEMPERATE, DRY
Characterised by mean annual temperature (MAT) of < 10°C andannual precipitation less than evapotranspiration. Crop production
is limited by inadequate water, and by a relatively short growing season andharsh winters which restrict the choice of crops. Includes the following
areas: northern portion of the Great Plains of North America, andextensive areas in central and eastern Asia.
a) Rangeland (unimproved): grassland, often dominated by native species,
used to support grazing livestock (chiefly cattle) at comparatively low
intensity. Usually receive only minimal inputs for fertility amendment or
pest control.
b) Small grain with summer-fallow: predominantly spring annuals (e.g.,
wheat, barley, flax, rapeseed/canola) grown in a sequence with periodic
summer-fallow (a practice, used to replenish soil moisture and nutrients,
whereby land is left unplanted for an entire growing season and weeds
are controlled by tillage and/or herbicide application). Soils typicallyreceive only minor inputs of nutrients and other amendments.
c) Small grain with continuous cropping - conventional tillage:
predominantly spring annuals, either in monoculture or in various
combinations (including wheat, barley, oats, flax, canola, rye, mustard,
lentil, pea). Continuous cropping requires higher inputs of nutrients
than cropping systems with summer fallow. Weed control is achieved
using herbicides (during growing season) in combination with tillage inspring and/or fall.
d) Small grain with continuous cropping - no till: predominantly spring
annuals, either in monoculture or in various combinations (including
wheat, barley, oats, flax, canola, rye, mustard, lentil, pea). Continuous
cropping requires higher inputs of nutrients than cropping systems withsummer fallow. Weed control is achieved using only herbicides, andcrops are seeded without prior tillage directly into residues remaining
from the previous crop.
e) Small grain/forage rotations: predominantly perennial grasses or legumes,
interrupted periodically by several consecutive annual crops (typicallyspring-seeded cereals or oilseeds). A typical rotation might be five to 10
years in length. As this system is often used in concert with livestock
production, significant amounts of nutrients may be returned inmanures.
f) Hay/improved pasture: predominantly perennial legumes and grasses
maintained for extended periods of time, primarily as a forage. The
forages are typically non-native species, introduced because of theircomparatively high productivity.
g) Successional grasslands: previously cultivated land which has beenreturned to grassland, but has not yet attained characteristics of native
rangeland. Usually a single species or mixture of grasses established

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LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRY

either through land abandonment or as part of a government program,often to stabilise degrading lands or to reduce cultivated areas in thewake of surplus production.
h) Irrigated cropping systems: typically include wide diversity of relatively
high value crops adapted to short-growing seasons, including springseeded cereals and oilseeds, high-value forages, and vegetables (e.g.,
potatoes, root crops, vegetables). Owing to the high cost of irrigation,
the cropping systems usually involve high inputs of nutrients and otheramendments to maximise yield and crop quality.

2. COLD TEMPERATE, MOIST
Characterised by MAT < 10°C and annual precipitation similar toor higher than evapotranspiration. Crop production is limited by theshort growing season and relatively harsh winters. Inadequate temperature
to support heat-requiring feedgrains such as maize and soybean; production
dominated by small grain cereals, forages, root crops. Includes most of
Scandinavia, Finland, and parts of Russia and North America.
a) Forest: natural vegetation includes deciduous forest and Taiga(coniferous forest); often interspersed with wetlands (peat bogs).
Relatively young soils due to glaciation; many acid with thick litter layer(podzols).
b) Small grain monocultures: predominantly wheat but also barley, oats,rye, rapeseed (canola) grown annually. Full tillage (plough) generally
used. Often highly fertilised and high-yielding, 5-10 t/ha. On someminor areas, a full year bare-fallow may be used at irregular intervals;
earlier used more commonly for weed control (prior to herbicides).
c) Grain/perennial forage crop rotations: small grains and rapeseed grownin rotation with grass and legume forages, also root crops. Typical for
mixed farms with livestock, including dairy production.
d) Permanent pasture: used for grazing and/or hay production. Generally
on soils or in climate zones which are unsuitable for intensive crop
production (e.g., common in Northern Scandinavia and Finland).
e) Grassland and forest set-aside lands: grassland area very fluctuating
between years due to varying subsidy policies. Short-term rotation
forest for bioenergy is increasing.

3. WARM TEMPERATE, DRY
Mean annual growing season temperatures in this zone usually
range from 10 to 20°C with annual precipitation usually less than
600 mm; includes continental and Mediterranean climates.
Includes major grain and livestock producing areas in the Great
Plains and Pacific Northwest in the United States, Mediterranean
regions in Australia, Europe and South Africa, and the semi-arid
belt across southern Russia, central Asia and China.
a) Pastoral rangelands: unimproved grassland, often dominated by native
species, used to support grazing livestock (cattle and sheep) at

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LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRY

comparatively low intensity. Fertiliser additions and pest control arevirtually non-existent.
b) Small grain with summer-fallow (or long-fallow): predominantly small
grains (usually high value wheat) with a year of bare fallow to replenish
soil moisture and nutrients. This practice is most prevalent in the driest
areas, e.g., where annual precipitation may be less than 400 mm. Weeds
are controlled by tillage, herbicide application (increasing with use of notill), and animal grazing (e.g., sheep in Australia). Inputs of nutrients andother amendments often low compared to more continuous croppingand erosion and soil degradation can be high due to lengthy barefallowing.
c) Small grain/legumes with summer-fallow: Legumes in the form of chickor field peas, lupin and faba beans, are grown in rotation with grain.
This system requires less fertiliser inputs than small grains only due to N
fixation by the legume. The potential for soil loss through erosion isusually increased after grain legumes such as field and chick peas as theytend to provide less residue cover compared to other crops.
d) Small grain with continuous cropping - conventional tillage: Includes small
grains in monoculture (wheat, barley) but increasingly more diverse crop
rotations are being used (e.g., triticale, mustard, canola, sunflower,
maize, sorghum, millet). These system require a higher input ofnutrients and are more common in higher precipitation zones (> 400mm).
e) Small grain with continuous cropping - no till: Similar crops as listed
above for conventionally tilled systems, but use of no-till can increase
efficiency of water use and extend the use of more continuous cropping
regimes to lower rainfall areas. Greater surface residue levels help
control erosion.
f) Small grain with hay/improved pasture: The typical rotation may include
one or two consecutive years of sown annual pasture or hay. A longfallow may also be included prior to the cereal phase. However, thispractice is being phased out and its use is restricted to marginal cropping
regions. Organic carbon levels have been found to increase quite
dramatically as has aggregate stability with well-managed pastures.
Rotations of two years cereal and 2-4 years pasture have been used but
are usually non-economical.
g) Successional grasslands: previously cultivated land which has beenreturned to grassland, but has not yet attained characteristics of native
rangeland. Usually a single species or mixture of grasses establishedeither through land abandonment or as part of a government
programme, often to stabilise degrading lands or to reduce cultivatedareas in the wake of surplus production.
h) Irrigated cropping systems: may include a wide diversity of related crops,
including major field crops (maize, wheat, rice, cotton) as well high value
vegetable crops. The cropping systems usually involve high inputs ofnutrients and other amendments to maximise yield and crop quality.

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LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRY

4. WARM TEMPERATE, MOIST
Mean annual growing season temperatures in this zone usually
range from 10-20°C and with annual precipitation near or
exceeding potential evapotranspiration. Soils in this region include
young glacial-derived soils grading into more highly weathered soils inwarmer (lower latitude) regions. This zone is dominated by intensively
managed, highly productive agricultural systems. Includes the central
latitudes of western and eastern Europe, south-eastern Russia,
parts of China, Korea, Japan, the central and eastern UnitedStates, and parts of Australia, New Zealand and South America.
a) Forest: the dominant native ecosystem is temperate deciduous forest, as
well as some areas of humid grasslands and temperate coniferous forests
especially where impacted by frequent fires. Native grasslands in thisarea have been almost exclusively converted to permanent agriculture ashave large areas of formerly forested lands. Similarly, significant areas offormerly cultivated areas have been abandoned and reverted to forest,
particularly in the United States.
b) Pasture/hay: permanent pastures which are either grazed and/or
harvested for hay. Can occupy a significant land area in dairy andlivestock producing areas and also occur on areas which have limitations
for use as cropland, including hilly terrain and areas with poor drainage.
c) Intensive grain production: dominated by production of food andfeedgrains for trade, including maize, soybean, wheat, oats as well as
potato and root crops. In general these systems receive high inputs offertiliser and other agrochemicals and are highly mechanised. For
inventory purposes, sub-classification into systems according to organic
matter inputs (and residue management) and tillage practices isrecommended.
• Contrasting carbon input level-high residue input systems would
include one or more of the following practices: significant manure or
sewage sludge applications, crop rotations which include multiple
years of perennial hay crops, double-cropping, and use of wintercover crops that are returned to the soil. Nominal input systems
would include grain production systems with normal rates offertilisation and residues returned to the soil. Low residue input
systems would include grain production where residues are removed
from the soil.
• Tillage practices - separate categories could be included for no-till,
reduced tillage and full (intensive tillage). Reduced tillage would
include practices with infrequent and minimal and shallow soil
disturbance. Full tillage refers to tillage where there is substantial
soil inversion and mixing (e.g., moldboard ploughing) of the A
horizon as well as secondary tillage.
d) Speciality crop production: includes systems which are dominated byintensively managed non-grain crops, such as tobacco, cotton, peanuts,
truck (vegetable) crops, in which most of the biomass produced isremoved from the field or where there is otherwise low rates ofresidues returned.

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LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRYe) Reverted land: includes former agricultural land which has been takenout of production and either converted or allowed to revert toperennial grass or forest vegetation. Subdivisions according to "ageclasses" or successional stages is recommended for specifying soil carbon
contents.

5. TROPICAL, DRY
Characterised by MAT above 20°C and annual precipitation
generally below 1000 mm with a long and pronounced dry season
that results in a growing season of limited length. Soils are highlyvariable, e.g., high activity Vertisols (India) Lateritic Alfisols (Africa) andhighly acid Alfisols and Oxisols (South America). Average productivity formost common crops is low, not only due to water deficiency but also due
to nutrient deficiencies which are not corrected by fertilisation because
fertiliser investment is risky in a drought-prone zone.
a) Savanna: the natural vegetation climax in this zone. The cover by woody
plants can range from none to virtually complete, although the average isless than 30 per cent. Increases in woody cover often result fromsustained grazing pressure and the exclusion of fire; depletion of woody
cover results from unsustainable demand for firewood. The carbon
density of the system is strongly affected by the amount of tree cover,both through the tree biomass and through elevated soil organic matter
below the canopy. Main use is grazing. In grass-dominated regions,extensive grazing of cattle with no pasture management (e.g., Llanos in
Venezuela and Colombia). Productivity is low (stocking rates at 10-20
ha/animal) and endangered by overgrazing and desertification. In grassand shrub regions, extensive grazing and migratory herding with nomanagement and often serious overstocking with cattle, goats and sheep(e.g., Sahel) occurs.
b) Subsistence farming with drought-resistant grain crops: millet andsorghum are staples for subsistence farmers, who may also plant maize
in wetter years. Includes Latifundia in which slash-burning and arable
production relies on sharecroppers.
Mixed cropping with 5-10
intercropped crops is typical. After 3-8 years of cropping, areas arerotated through bush fallow, which is often extensively grazed orbrowsed. Common throughout the South American and Southern
African dry zone. An African variant of Latifundia is village-owned land
where arable use rights are conferred to families. This system has shown
great stability (>600 years in West Africa) but is crumbling underpopulation pressure. Also includes small owner-operator farms that rely
on family labour. When yields are low, rotation of cropped areas
requires a large landholding to permit bush fallowing or, otherwise land
may be abandoned in shifting cultivation.
c) Irrigated cropping: where river or groundwater are available, a wide
range of cash crops can be grown, including maize, sugarcane, citrus andtropical fruits, vegetables, tobacco and cotton.

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LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRY

6 and 7. TROPICAL, MOIST WITH LONG, AND SHORT DRY
SEASONS
MAT above 20°C and annual precipitation between 1000 to 2000
mm. Can be subdivided into regions with long dry season (> 5 months)
versus short dry season of < 5 months.
Production varies with
precipitation amount and dry season length with an increasing importanceof high input, mechanised agriculture in the more humid areas on suitablesoils. Crop production is seasonal but two crops can often be produced ina year in more humid areas. The soils in the drier regions may be more
fertile, and with higher pH, due to less weathered soils. These zones
includes large areas of Africa, the majority of the India
subcontinent and continental Southeast Asia, and pockets in Latin
America and Australia.
a) Forests: vegetation is often described as tropical deciduous, or tropicaldry forests, the canopy becoming more completely deciduous as thelength of the dry season increases, fires are common in drier habitats
and mixtures of deciduous and evergreens occur at the wetter extreme.
b) Unimproved grazing: extensive livestock grazing, often in combination
with crop production on adjacent areas in subsistence agriculture, where
manure from grazing livestock is utilised.
c) Improved grazing: at the higher end of the rainfall range, pastures may
be improved through species selection, weed control, and fertilisation,and reach higher productivity.
d) Shifting cultivation and fallow rotation systems: burns are more
complete than the more humid regions due to prolonged dry seasons
resulting in more biomass combusted and lower carbon stocks, acropping phase (2-3 years) may be longer with respect to the fallow
phase (10 years) as compared to more humid regions but fallow
reaccumulation is slower particularly on infertile soils. Much of the landin Africa has shifted to more continuous cultivation while large tracts ofSoutheast Asia and India could still be classified as shifting cultivation. In
some cases, lands have degraded due to increasingly short fallow
intervals and derived savannas have replaced natural succession todeciduous forest.
e) Mixed continuous cropping (manual): this is the most prevalent land use
in this zone in Africa and has replaced large areas of land previously used
for shifting agriculture over the past 50 years. These farming systems
occupy some of the most densely populated agricultural landscapes inthe tropics consisting of mixtures of annual field crops (maize, beans)and perennials (banana, coffee, sugarcane). Crop residues are regarded
as an important component of yield as animal feed to confined livestock
but manure and composting strategies are often very advanced.
Nonetheless, soil carbon stocks in highland cropping systems have
dropped to less than 50 per cent of their original levels.
f) Mechanised continuous cropping (residue management): continuous
mechanised cropping became a major land use in Asia with the advent of
the Green Revolution. Major crops are rice and wheat, and the degreeof residue return varies greatly with either burning residues andcomplete removal for animal feed common, but a trend toward residue
incorporation is increasing as burning is prohibited. Some parts of Latin

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LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRY

America have converted native deciduous forest to mechanicalcontinuous cultivation of soybean, rice and maize.
g) Plantations: the plantations of the tropics are generally located in thiszone and the subhumid zone with a shorter dry season, teak plantations
being the most renowned. Other plantations include coffee, tea andpineapple. One trend which has reduced carbon stocks in coffee is theconversion of shade coffee, with its accompanying shade trees, to sun
grown coffee.
h) Irrigated cropping: can include crops similar to that described for thesemi-arid zone as well as wetland rice. Only one crop per year of
wetland rice is possible where there is an extended dry season. This isprobably the dominant cropping system in India and Southeast Asia but
is seldom found in Africa or Latin America.

8. TROPICAL, WET
Characterised by MAT of above 20°C and annual precipitation >2000 mm, with no significant dry season. Crop production is
generally limited by low soil fertility and soil acidity on heavily leached soils
and/or by rapid invasion of weeds such as Imperata. Exceptions are thefertile soils of recent volcanic origin and the rice paddies, which often
benefit from sediments eroded from the uplands.
Perennial-based
production systems are the most sustainable land use. Covers substantial
parts of South America (the Amazon basin), equatorial Africa andSoutheast Asia.
a) Forest: the natural climax vegetation in this zone, with the highest
biodiversity of the world. Forest degradation and soil damage can occur
due to logging impacts, especially on skidding trails and roads; non-climax
natural vegetation often occurs in mosaics with “shifting cultivation” andis dealt with under that category.
b) Agroforests and other mixed perennial (multi-strata) systems: humanmade, diverse forest-like vegetation with a mixture of useful trees andelements of the natural vegetation; ecological functions, such as soil C
storage, are close to those of natural secondary forests of similar age;
this land use category is often not (yet) recognised in the available
statistics.
c) Intensive upland food crop production with all crop residues maintained:mechanised or based or human labour, intensive food crop production
while retaining all crop residues and providing sufficient nutrient inputs
can maintain adequate soil organic matter levels and meet sustainableproduction targets. This group includes intensive vegetable production
at higher elevations, unless soil erosion is dominant.
d) Monoculture plantations of perennial crops: monospecific stands ofperennial crops (e.g., industrial trees, rubber, oil palm, coconut,
sugarcane, pineapple); generally intermediate levels of soil organic
matter, depending on residue management. Substantial differences insoil organic carbon with sugarcane occur, as on part of the area all
residues are (still) burned after harvest, while on others they areincorporated into the soil.

Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories:

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5.37

LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRYe) Shifting cultivation and fallow rotation systems: a very broad group ofland-use systems, based on a few years of crop production with declining
soil organic carbon contents and a “recovery” fallow period of a few
years (short (bush) fallow rotation systems) or longer (long fallow
rotation and classical shifting cultivation, based on secondary forest
succession). Calculations of C stocks should be based on a weighted
average of the currently cropped fields and the fallow vegetation. In
Southeast Asia, the system can be an early stage of “agroforest”
development, but can also lead to “degraded grasslands”.
f) Improved pastures: with the use of introduced grasses, a sufficientlegume component, adequate soil fertility maintenance and carefully
managed animal stocking rates, soil organic carbon can be maintained
close to that of the forests which were replaced.
g) Degraded pastures and frequently burnt grasslands: low amounts oforganic inputs due to burning or physical damage to the standing
vegetation lead to a decrease in soil organic carbon.
h) Wetland or paddy rice fields, on a range of soils: variation occurs in thenumber of rice crops per year, the presence or absence of a dry period(with or without dryland food crops) during which soil organic carbon
decomposes rapidly, and the burning, removal or incorporation of crop
residues will affect organic carbon levels.

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MODULE LAND USE CHANGE AND FORESTRYSUBMODULE CHANGES IN FOREST AND OTHER WOODY BIOMASS STOCKSWORKSHEET 5-1
SHEET 1 OF 3
STEP 1B
ACD
Annual Growth Annual Biomass Carbon Fraction
Area of
Rate
Forest/Biomassof Dry Matter
Increment
Stocks(kha)

Tropical

Plantations(t dm/ha)E
Total Carbon
UptakeIncrement(kt dm)(kt C)

C=(A x B)

E=(C x D)

Acacia spp.
Eucalyptus spp.
Tectona grandis
Pinus spp
Pinus caribaea
Mixed
Hardwoods
Mixed FastGrowing
Hardwoods
Mixed
Softwoods

Other Forests

Moist
Seasonal
Dry

Other (specify)
Temperate

Plantations

Douglas fir
Loblolly pine

Commercial

Evergreen
Deciduous

Other
BorealNon-Forest Trees (specify type)

A
Number ofTrees

B
Annual Growth
Rate(1000s of trees)(kt dm/1000
trees)

Total

Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories:

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LAND USE CHANGE & FORESTRY

MODULE LAND USE CHANGE AND FORESTRYSUBMODULE CHANGES IN FOREST AND OTHER WOODY BIOMASS STOCKSWORKSHEET 5-1
SHEET 2 OF 3
STEP 2Harvest Categories(specify)

F
G
H
Commercial
Biomass
Total Biomass
HarvestConversion/ Removed in(if applicable) Expansion
Commercial
Ratio
Harvest(if applicable)(1000 m3
(kt dm)roundwood) (t dm/m3)

I
Total
Traditional
Fuelwood
ConsumedH = (F x G)

FAO data(kt dm)J
K
Total Other Total Biomass
Wood Use Consumption(kt dm)M
L
Total Biomass
Wood
Consumption
RemovedFrom Forest From Stocks
Clearing(kt dm)(kt dm)(kt dm)K=(H + I + J)

(From column
M, Worksheet
5-2, sheet 3)

M=K-L

Totals

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Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories:

Workbook