Chapter 1: Introduction

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

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Volume 4: Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use

Authors
Keith Paustian (USA), N.H. Ravindranath (India), and Andre van Amstel (Netherlands)
Michael Gytarsky (Russian Federation), Werner A. Kurz (Canada), Stephen Ogle (USA), Gary Richards(Australia), and Zoltan Somogyi (European Commission/Hungary)

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Chapter 1: Introduction

Contents
1.1

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1.4

1.2

Overview of greenhouse gas emissions and removals in the AFOLU Sector ....................................... 1.5

1.2.1

Science background ....................................................................................................................... 1.5

1.2.2

Carbon pool definitions and non-CO2 gases .................................................................................. 1.8

1.3

Overview of inventory preparation for the AFOLU Sector................................................................... 1.8

1.3.1

Land-use and management categories ........................................................................................... 1.9

1.3.2

Tier definitions for methods in AFOLU ...................................................................................... 1.10

1.3.3

Identification of key categories ................................................................................................... 1.10

1.3.4

Steps in preparing inventory estimates ........................................................................................ 1.14

1.4

Organisation of Volume 4 in 2006 IPCC Guidelines .......................................................................... 1.14

Annex 1A

Historical background on IPCC greenhouse gas inventory guidance for AFOLU Sector ........... 1.20

References..................................................................................................................................................... 1.21

FiguresFigure 1.1

The main greenhouse gas emission sources/removals and processes inmanaged ecosystems. ............................................................................................................ 1.6

Figure 1.2

Decision tree for identification of appropriate tier level for land remaining
in the same land-use category, using Forest Land Remaining Forest Land as an example. 1.12

Figure 1.3

Decision tree for identification of appropriate Tier level for land converted
to another land-use category, using Land Converted to Forest Land as an example. .......... 1.13

Figure 1.4

Structure of AFOLU Reporting ........................................................................................... 1.16

TablesTable 1.1

Definitions for carbon pools used in AFOLU for each land-use category ........................... 1.9

Table 1.2

Land-use categories, carbon pools and non-CO2 gases to be estimated under Tier 1,
their relevance to AFOLU sections, and the reference to 1996 IPCC Guidelines ............... 1.17

Box
Box 1.1

Framework of tier structure for AFOLU methods ............................................................... 1.11

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Volume 4: Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use

1.1

INTRODUCTION

Volume 4 provides guidance for preparing annual greenhouse gas inventories in the Agriculture, Forestry andOther Land Use (AFOLU) Sector. This volume integrates the previously separate guidance in the Revised 1996
IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories for Agriculture (Chapter 4) and Land Use, Land-Use
Change and Forestry (Chapter 5). This integration recognizes that the processes underlying greenhouse gas
emissions and removals, as well as the different forms of terrestrial carbon stocks, can occur across all types ofland. It recognizes that land-use changes can involve all types of land. This approach is intended to improveconsistency and completeness in the estimation and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals.
The principal changes made in the 2006 IPCC Guidelines, as compared with the 1996 IPCC Guidelines (for bothLand-Use Change and Forestry, and Agriculture), reflect the elaborations of the 1996 IPCC Guidelines
introduced in the Good Practice Guidance and Uncertainty Management in National Greenhouse Gas Inventories(GPG2000) and the Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (GPG-LULUCF).
These include:•

Adoption of the six land-use categories used in GPG-LULUCF (i.e., Forest Land, Cropland, Grassland,
Wetlands, Settlements, and Other Land – see Chapter 3). These land categories are further sub-divided into
land remaining in the same category and land converted from one category to another. The land-use
categories are designed to enable inclusion of all managed land area within a country;•

Reporting on all emissions by sources and removals by sinks from managed lands, which are considered to
be anthropogenic, while emissions and removals for unmanaged lands are not reported.

•

Additional reporting elements introduced in reporting all emissions and removals for managed lands, (seeTable 1.2).

•

Generic methods for accounting of biomass, dead organic matter and soil C stock changes in all land-use
categories and generic methods for greenhouse gas emissions from biomass burning that can be applied in
all land-use categories;•

Incorporating methods for non-CO2 emissions from managed soils and biomass burning, and livestock
population characterization and manure management systems from Agriculture (Chapter 5 of the 1996 IPCC
Guidelines and GPG2000;•

Adoption of three hierarchical tiers of methods that range from default emission factors and simple
equations to the use of country-specific data and models to accommodate national circumstances;•

Description of alternative methods to estimate and report C stock changes associated with harvested wood
products;•

Incorporation of key category analysis for land-use categories, C pools, and CO2 and non-CO2 greenhousegas emissions;•

Adherence to principles of mass balance in computing carbon stock changes;•

Greater consistency in land area classification for selecting appropriate emission and stock change factors
and activity data;•

Improvements of default emissions and stock change factors, as well as development of an Emission Factor
Database (EFDB) that is a supplementary tool to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines, providing alternative emission
factors with associated documentation. The EFDB is described in Chapter 2 of Volume 1.

•

Incorporation of methods to estimate CO2 emissions from flooded land with methods for CH4 emissions
contained in Appendix 3 (CH4 Emissions from Flooded Land: Basis for future methodological development),
reflecting the limited availability of scientific information.

The AFOLU Sector has some unique characteristics with respect to developing inventory methods. There aremany processes leading to emissions and removals of greenhouse gases, which can be widely dispersed in spaceand highly variable in time. The factors governing emissions and removals can be both natural andanthropogenic (direct and indirect) and it can be difficult to clearly distinguish between causal factors 1. While

1

This general observation was made in the IPCC Report on Current Scientific Understanding of the Processes Affecting
Terrestrial Carbon Stocks and Human Influences upon Them (July 2003, Geneva, Switzerland). As a specific example,
emissions from wildfires on managed (and unmanaged) land can exhibit large interannual variations that may be driven byeither natural causes (e.g. climate cycles, random variation in lightning ignitions), or indirect and direct human causes (e.g.

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Chapter 1: Introduction

recognizing this complexity, inventory methods need to be practical and operational. The 2006 IPCC Guidelines
are designed to assist in estimating and reporting national inventories of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions
and removals. For the AFOLU Sector, anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and removals by sinks aredefined as all those occurring on ‘managed land’. Managed land is land where human interventions and practices
have been applied to perform production, ecological or social functions. All land definitions and classifications
should be specified at the national level, described in a transparent manner, and be applied consistently over time.
Emissions/removals of greenhouse gases do not need to be reported for unmanaged land. However, it is goodpractice for countries to quantify, and track over time, the area of unmanaged land so that consistency in area
accounting is maintained as land-use change occurs.
This approach, i.e., the use of managed land as a proxy for anthropogenic effects, was adopted in the GPGLULUCF and that use is maintained in the present guidelines. The key rationale for this approach is that the
preponderance of anthropogenic effects occurs on managed lands. By definition, all direct human-induced
effects on greenhouse gas emissions and removals occur on managed lands only. While it is recognized that noarea of the Earth’s surface is entirely free of human influence (e.g., CO2 fertilization), many indirect human
influences on greenhouse gases (e.g., increased N deposition, accidental fire) will be manifested predominately
on managed lands, where human activities are concentrated. Finally, while local and short-term variability inemissions and removals due to natural causes can be substantial (e.g., emissions from fire, see footnote 1), thenatural ‘background’ of greenhouse gas emissions and removals by sinks tends to average out over time andspace. This leaves the greenhouse gas emissions and removals from managed lands as the dominant result of
human activity.
Guidance and methods for estimating greenhouse gas emissions and removals for the AFOLU Sector now
include:•CO2 emissions and removals resulting from C stock changes in biomass, dead organic matter and mineralsoils, for all managed lands;•

CO2 and non-CO2 emissions from fire on all managed land;•N2O emissions from all managed soils;•

CO2 emissions associated with liming and urea application to managed soils;•

CH4 emissions from rice cultivation;•

CO2 and N2O emissions from cultivated organic soils;•

CO2 and N2O emissions from managed wetlands (with a basis for methodological development for CH4
emissions from flooded land in an Appendix 3);•

CH4 emission from livestock (enteric fermentation);•CH4 and N2O emissions from manure management systems; and•C stock change associated with harvested wood products.

The scientific background and rationale for these inventory components are given in the next section.

1.2

OVERVIEW OF GREENHOUSE GASEMISSIONS AND REMOVALS IN THE AFOLU
SECTOR

1.2.1

Science background

Land use and management influence a variety of ecosystem processes that affect greenhouse gas fluxes (Figure1.1), such as photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, nitrification/denitrification, enteric fermentation, andcombustion. These processes involve transformations of carbon and nitrogen that are driven by the biological(activity of microorganisms, plants, and animals) and physical processes (combustion, leaching, and run-off).

historical fire suppression and past forest harvest activities) or a combination of all three causes, the effects of whichcannot be readily separated.

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Volume 4: Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use

Greenhouse Gases in AFOLUThe key greenhouse gases of concern are CO2, N2O and CH4. CO2 fluxes between the atmosphere andecosystems are primarily controlled by uptake through plant photosynthesis and releases via respiration,
decomposition and combustion of organic matter. N2O is primarily emitted from ecosystems as a by-product ofnitrification and denitrification, while CH4 is emitted through methanogenesis under anaerobic conditions insoils and manure storage, through enteric fermentation, and during incomplete combustion while burning organic
matter. Other gases of interest (from combustion and from soils) are NOx, NH3, NMVOC and CO, because they
are precursors for the formation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Formation of greenhouse gases fromprecursor gases is considered an indirect emission. Indirect emissions are also associated with leaching or runoff of nitrogen compounds, particularly NO3- losses from soils, some of which can be subsequently converted to
N2O through denitrification.
Figure 1.1

The main greenhouse gas emission sources/removals and processes inmanaged ecosystems.

Emission and Removal Processes
Greenhouse gas fluxes in the AFOLU Sector can be estimated in two ways: 1) as net changes in C stocks overtime (used for most CO2 fluxes) and 2) directly as gas flux rates to and from the atmosphere (used for estimating
non-CO2 emissions and some CO2 emissions and removals). The use of C stock changes to estimate CO2
emissions and removals, is based on the fact that changes in ecosystem C stocks are predominately (but not
exclusively) through CO2 exchange between the land surface and the atmosphere (i.e. other C transfer process
such as leaching are assumed to be negligible). Hence, increases in total C stocks over time are equated with a
net removal of CO2 from the atmosphere and decreases in total C stocks (less transfers to other pools such as
harvested wood products) are equated with net emission of CO2. Non-CO2 emissions are largely a product of
microbiological processes (i.e., within soils, animal digestive tracts and manure) and combustion of organic
materials. Below, emission and removal processes in the AFOLU Sector are described for the major ecosystem
stocks and processes, organized by ecosystem components, i.e., 1) biomass, 2) dead organic matter, 3) soils and4) livestock.

Biomass

Plant biomass, including above-ground and below-ground parts, is the main conduit for CO2 removal from theatmosphere. Large amounts of CO2 are transferred between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems, primarily
through photosynthesis and respiration. The uptake of CO2 through photosynthesis is referred to as gross primary
production (GPP). About half of the GPP is respired by plants, and returned to the atmosphere, with theremainder constituting net primary production (NPP), which is the total production of biomass and dead organic

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Chapter 1: Introduction

matter in a year. NPP minus losses from heterotrophic respiration (decomposition of organic matter in litter,dead wood and soils) is equal to the net carbon stock change in an ecosystem and, in the absence of disturbancelosses, is referred to as net ecosystem production (NEP).
Net Ecosystem Production (NEP) = Net Primary Production (NPP) – Heterotrophic respiration
NEP minus additional C losses from disturbance (e.g., fire), harvesting and land clearing during land-use change,
is often referred to as net biome production (NBP). The carbon stock change that is reported in national
greenhouse gas inventories for land-use categories is equal to NBP 2.
Net Biome Production (NBP) = NEP – Carbon Losses from Disturbance/Land-Clearing/Harvest
NPP is influenced by land use and management through a variety of anthropogenic actions such as deforestation,afforestation, fertilization, irrigation, harvest, and species choice. For example, tree harvesting reduces biomass
stocks on the land. However, harvested wood requires additional consideration because some of the carbon may
be stored in wood products in use and in landfills for years to centuries. Thus, some of the carbon removed fromthe ecosystem is rapidly emitted to the atmosphere while some carbon is transferred to other stocks in which theemissions are delayed. In non-forest ecosystems (i.e., Cropland, Grassland), biomass is predominantly nonwoody perennial and annual vegetation, which makes up a much smaller part of total ecosystem carbon stocks
than in forest lands. The non-woody biomass turns over annually or within a few years and hence net biomass
carbon stocks may remain roughly constant, although stocks may diminish over time if land degradation is
occurring. Land managers may use fire as a management tool in grasslands and forests or wild fires may
inadvertently burn through managed lands, particularly forest lands, leading to significant losses of biomass
carbon. Fires not only return CO2 to the atmosphere through combustion of biomass, but also emit othergreenhouse gases, directly or indirectly, including CH4, N2O, NMVOC, NOx and CO.

Dead Organic Matter

The bulk of biomass production (NPP) contained in living plant material is eventually transferred to deadorganic matter (DOM) pools (i.e., dead wood and litter – see Table 1.1 for definitions). Some DOM decomposes
quickly, returning carbon to the atmosphere, but a portion is retained for months to years to decades. Land use
and management influence C stocks of dead organic matter by affecting the decomposition rates and input offresh detritus. Losses due to burning dead organic matter include emissions of CO2, N2O, CH4, NOx, NMVOC,
and CO.

Soils

As dead organic matter is fragmented and decomposed, it is transformed into soil organic matter (SOM). Soilorganic matter includes a wide variety of materials that differ greatly in their residence time in soil. Some of thismaterial is composed of labile compounds that are easily decomposed by microbial organisms, returning carbon
to the atmosphere. Some of the soil organic carbon, however, is converted into recalcitrant compounds (e.g.,organic-mineral complexes) that are very slowly decomposed and thus can be retained in the soil for decades tocenturies or more. Following fires, small amounts of so-called ‘black carbon’ are produced, which constitute anearly inert carbon fraction with turnover times that may span millennia.
Soil organic carbon stocks are influenced by land-use and management activities that affect litter input rates andsoil organic matter loss rates. Although the dominant processes governing the balance of soil organic carbon
stocks are C inputs from plant residues and C emissions from decomposition, losses as particulate or dissolved
carbon can be significant in some ecosystems. Inputs are primarily controlled by decisions impacting NPP and/or
the retention of dead organic matter, such as how much harvested biomass is removed as products and how muchis left as residues. Outputs are mostly influenced by management decisions that affect microbial and physicaldecomposition of soil organic matter, such as tillage intensity. Depending on interactions with previous land use,
climate and soil properties, changes in management practices may induce increases or decreases in soil C stocks.
Generally, management-induced C stock changes are manifested over a period of several years to a few decades,
until soil C stocks approach a new equilibrium. In addition to the influence of human activities, climate
variability and other environmental factors affect soil C dynamics (as well as biomass and DOM).
In flooded conditions, such as wetland environments and paddy rice production, a significant fraction of thedecomposing dead organic matter and soil organic matter is returned to the atmosphere as CH4. This can be a2

Harvested wood or other durable products derived from biomass (e.g., clothing) products are not included in NBP;
harvested wood products (HWP) are dealt with in Chapter 12.

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major source of emissions in countries with a considerable amount of land dedicated to paddy rice production.
Although virtually all flooded soils emit methane, net soil C stocks may either increase, decrease or remain
constant over time, depending on management and environmental controls on the overall carbon balance. In
well-drained soils, small amounts of CH4 are consumed (oxidized) by methanotrophic bacteria. 3
Soils also contain inorganic C pools, either as primary minerals in the parent material from which the soil wasformed (e.g., limestone), or as secondary minerals (i.e., pedogenic carbonates) that arise during soil formation.
Inorganic soil C stocks can be affected by management, although typically not to the extent of organic C pools.
Some soil management practices impact greenhouse gas emissions beyond simply changing the C stock. For
example, liming is used to reduce soil acidity and improve plant productivity, but it is also a direct source of CO2
emissions. Specifically, liming transfers C from the earth’s crust to the atmosphere by removing calcium
carbonate from limestone and dolomite deposits and applying it to soils where the carbonate ion evolves into
CO2.
Nitrogen additions are a common practice for increasing NPP and crop yields, including application of synthetic
N fertilizers and organic amendments (e.g., manure), particularly to Cropland and Grassland. This increase insoil N availability increases N2O emissions from soils as a by-product of nitrification and denitrification.
Nitrogen additions (in dung and urine) by grazing animals can also stimulate N2O emissions. Similarly, land-use
change enhances N2O emissions if associated with heightened decomposition of soil organic matter andsubsequent N mineralization, such as initiating cultivation on wetlands, forests or grasslands.
With current state of scientific knowledge, it is possible to provide methods for estimating CO2 and N2Oemissions associated with management of peatlands, and CO2 from conversion to wetlands by flooding. A
methodological appendix (Appendix 3) has been included setting out a basis for development of a methodology
for estimating CH4 emissions from flooded land.

Livestock

Animal production systems, particularly those with ruminant animals, can be significant sources of greenhousegas emissions. For example, enteric fermentation in the digestive systems of ruminants leads to production andemission of CH4. Management decisions about manure disposal and storage affect emissions of CH4 and N2O,
which are formed in decomposing manures as a by-product of methanogenesis and nitrification/denitrification,
respectively. Furthermore, volatilization losses of NH3 and NOx from manure management systems and soils
leads to indirect greenhouse gas emissions.

1.2.2

Carbon pool definitions and non-CO 2 gases

Within each land-use category, C stock changes and emission/removal estimations can involve the five carbon
pools that are defined in Table 1.1. For some land-use categories and estimation methods, C stock changes may
be based on the three aggregate carbon pools (i.e., biomass, DOM and soils). National circumstances may
require modifications of the pool definitions introduced here. Where modified definitions are used, it is goodpractice to report and document them clearly, to ensure that modified definitions are used consistently over time,
and to demonstrate that pools are neither omitted nor double counted. Carbon stock changes associated withharvested wood products are normally reported at the national scale (see Chapter 12).
The non-CO2 gases of primary concern for the AFOLU Sector are methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O).
Emissions of other nitrogenous gases including NOx and NH3, which can serve as a source of subsequent N2Oemissions (and hence referred to as indirect emission sources), are also considered (see Chapter 11).

1.3

OVERVIEW OF INVENTORY PREPARATIONFOR THE AFOLU SECTOR

To prepare inventories for the AFOLU Sector, emissions and removals of CO2 and non-CO2 greenhouse gases
are estimated separately for each of six land-use categories. Other CO2 emission and non-CO2 categories, such as
livestock related emissions, emissions from soil N management, soil liming emissions and harvested wood
products, may be estimated at the national scale, since often only aggregate data are available. However, they
can be broken out according to land-use category if data are available.

3

Disturbance through land-use change and addition of nitrogen (i.e., as fertilizer) have been found to reduce rates ofmethane oxidation.

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Chapter 1: Introduction

TABLE 1.1
DEFINITIONS FOR CARBON POOLS USED IN AFOLU FOR EACH LAND-USE CATEGORY

Pool
Biomass

Dead organic
matterSoils

Description
Abovegroundbiomass

All biomass of living vegetation, both woody and herbaceous, above the soil
including stems, stumps, branches, bark, seeds, and foliage.
Note: In cases where forest understory is a relatively small component of theabove-ground biomass carbon pool, it is acceptable for the methodologies andassociated data used in some tiers to exclude it, provided the tiers are used in aconsistent manner throughout the inventory time series.

Belowgroundbiomass

All biomass of live roots. Fine roots of less than (suggested) 2mm diameter areoften excluded because these often cannot be distinguished empirically from soilorganic matter or litter.

Dead wood

Includes all non-living woody biomass not contained in the litter, either standing,lying on the ground, or in the soil. Dead wood includes wood lying on the surface,dead roots, and stumps, larger than or equal to 10 cm in diameter (or the diameter
specified by the country).

LitterIncludes all non-living biomass with a size greater than the limit for soil organic
matter (suggested 2 mm) and less than the minimum diameter chosen for dead wood(e.g. 10 cm), lying dead, in various states of decomposition above or within themineral or organic soil. This includes the litter layer as usually defined in soil
typologies. Live fine roots above the mineral or organic soil (of less than theminimum diameter limit chosen for below-ground biomass) are included in litter
where they cannot be distinguished from it empirically.

Soil organic
matter1

Includes organic carbon in mineral soils to a specified depth chosen by the country
and applied consistently through the time series2. Live and dead fine roots andDOM within the soil, that are less than the minimum diameter limit (suggested 2mm) for roots and DOM, are included with soil organic matter where they cannot be
distinguished from it empirically. The default for soil depth is 30 cm and guidanceon determining country-specific depths is given in Chapter 2.3.3.1.

1

Includes organic material (living and non-living) within the soil matrix, operationally defined as a specific size fraction (e.g., all matter
passing through a 2 mm sieve). Soil C stock estimates may also include soil inorganic C if using a Tier 3 method. CO2 emissions fromliming and urea applications to soils are estimated as fluxes using Tier 1 or Tier 2 method.

2

Carbon stocks in organic soils are not explicitly computed using Tier 1 or Tier 2 method, (which estimate only annual C flux fromorganic soils), but C stocks in organic soils can be estimated in a Tier 3 method. Definition of organic soils for classification purposes
is provided in Chapter 3.

1.3.1

Land-use and management categories

A brief overview of how land area is categorized for inventory purposes is given here. Chapter 3 provides adetailed description of land representation and categorization of land area by land-use and management systems
as well as stratification of land area by climate, soil and other environmental strata.
The six land-use categories (see definitions in Chapter 3) in the 2006 IPCC Guidelines are:•Forest Land•

Cropland•

Grassland•

Wetlands•

Settlements•

Other Land

Each land-use category is further subdivided into land remaining in that category (e.g., Forest Land Remaining
Forest Land) and land converted from one category to another (e.g., Forest Land converted to Cropland).
Countries may choose to further stratify land in each category by climatic or other ecological regions, dependingon the choice of the method and its requirements. Greenhouse gas emissions and removals determined for eachspecific land use includes CO2 (as carbon stock changes) from biomass, dead organic matter and soils, as well as2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

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Volume 4: Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use

non-CO2 emissions from burning and, depending on the land-use category, emissions from other specific sources(e.g. CH4 emissions from rice).
CH4 and N2O emissions from livestock management are estimated for major animal types, e.g., dairy cows, othercattle, poultry, sheep, swine and other livestock (buffalo, goats, llamas, alpacas, camels, etc). The animal waste
management systems include anaerobic lagoons, liquid systems, daily spread, solid storage, dry-lot,pasture/range/paddock, and other miscellaneous systems.
Nitrous oxide emissions from managed soils are usually estimated from aggregate (national-level) data on N
supplied to soils, including N fertilizer usage or sales, crop residue management, organic amendments and landuse conversions that enhance mineralization of N in soil organic matter. Similarly, CO2 emissions from liming
and from urea application to managed soils are typically estimated using aggregate data (e.g., national-level). 4Harvested wood products constitute a component of the carbon cycle for which carbon stock changes can be
estimated (guidance provided in Chapter 12), based on national-level data; however, estimation and reporting ofgreenhouse gas emissions for HWP is currently a matter of policy negotiations.

1.3.2

Tier definitions for methods in AFOLU

The concepts underpinning the three tiered approach, as they relate to methods used in the AFOLU Sector, areoutlined here (see Box 1.1). In general, moving to higher tiers improves the accuracy of the inventory andreduces uncertainty, but the complexity and resources required for conducting inventories also increases forhigher tiers. If needed, a combination of tiers can be used, e.g., Tier 2 can be used for biomass and Tier 1 forsoil carbon.
The methods and data presented focus on Tier 1 inventories. The methods will be generally applicable to Tier 2inventories, but the default data presented for Tier 1 will be partly or wholly replaced with national data as partof a Tier 2 estimation. Tier 3 methods are not described in detail, but good practice in application is outlined.

1.3.3

Identification of key categories

The background discussion on the approach and methods for key category analysis are given in Volume 1
Chapter 4 (Methodological Choice and Identification of Key Categories). This chapter describes the approach to
key category analysis for AFOLU. A key source/sink category is defined in Volume 1 Chapter 4 as one that isprioritised within the national inventory system because its estimate has a significant influence on a country’s
total inventory of greenhouse gases in terms of the absolute level, the trend, or the uncertainty in emissions andremovals. Key category analysis helps a country to achieve the most reliable inventory given the resources
available. Key category analysis is required to identify the following:•

which land-use and management activities are significant;•which land-use or livestock (sub)category is significant;•which CO2 emissions or removals by sinks from various carbon pools are significant;•which non-CO2 gases and from what categories are significant; and•which tier is required for reporting.

4

No default methodology exists for estimation of CH4 removals in aerobic soils because of limited studies addressing landuse and management impacts on methane oxidation. Countries that wish to estimate and report CH4 removals should
develop, validate and document an appropriate national methodology for estimating CH4 removals, including analysis of
uncertainty. It is good practice for countries reporting CH4 removals to also ensure symmetry by including all emissions of
CH4 on lands were CH4 removals are reported.

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Chapter 1: Introduction

BOX 1.1
FRAMEWORK OF TIER STRUCTURE FOR AFOLU METHODS

Tier 1 methods are designed to be the simplest to use, for which equations and default parametervalues (e.g., emission and stock change factors) are provided in this volume. Country-specificactivity data are needed, but for Tier 1 there are often globally available sources of activity data
estimates (e.g., deforestation rates, agricultural production statistics, global land cover maps,
fertilizer use, livestock population data, etc.), although these data are usually spatially coarse.
Tier 2 can use the same methodological approach as Tier 1 but applies emission and stock change
factors that are based on country- or region-specific data, for the most important land-use or
livestock categories. Country-defined emission factors are more appropriate for the climatic
regions, land-use systems and livestock categories in that country. Higher temporal and spatial
resolution and more disaggregated activity data are typically used in Tier 2 to correspond withcountry-defined coefficients for specific regions and specialized land-use or livestock categories.
At Tier 3, higher order methods are used, including models and inventory measurement systems
tailored to address national circumstances, repeated over time, and driven by high-resolution
activity data and disaggregated at sub-national level. These higher order methods provide estimatesof greater certainty than lower tiers. Such systems may include comprehensive field sampling
repeated at regular time intervals and/or GIS-based systems of age, class/production data, soils
data, and land-use and management activity data, integrating several types of monitoring. Pieces ofland where a land-use change occurs can usually be tracked over time, at least statistically. In mostcases these systems have a climate dependency, and thus provide source estimates with interannual
variability. Detailed disaggregation of livestock population according to animal type, age, bodyweight etc., can be used. Models should undergo quality checks, audits, and validations and bethoroughly documented.

The following chapters provide methodologies covering a broad array of source/sink categories in AFOLU. Not
all categories are expected to be key and hence simple default methods (Tier 1) are provided to enable acomplete inventory of AFOLU without requiring large investments of resources in relatively minor categories.
The analysis should be performed at the level of IPCC source or sink categories as suggested in Table 4.1 ofVolume 1. The analysis should be performed using CO2-equivalent emissions estimated using the global
warming potentials for each gas. The key category evaluation should be performed for each of these gases
separately because the methods, emission factors and related uncertainties differ for each gas, pool and category.
Source categories that use the same emission factors based on common assumptions should be aggregated before
analysis. For each key category, the inventory agency should determine if certain sub-categories represent asignificant share of the emissions. In the case of CH4 emissions from enteric fermentation in domestic livestock,for example, emissions from particular species (e.g., cattle, buffalo or sheep) are likely to represent the major
share of emissions (GPG2000, Chapter 7). In the case of CO2 emissions/removals, a certain land category (e.g.,
Land Converted to Forest Land) and further a certain carbon pool (e.g., above-ground biomass) may contributeto a dominant share of net CO2 emissions/removals.
The level of aggregation or disaggregation of different land-use (see Chapter 3) and livestock categories (seeChapter 10) depends on the share of a given land-use or livestock system within a country’s greenhouse gas
inventory and on the level of resources available in the country for inventory activities. Disaggregation of land
and livestock categories helps in reducing the uncertainty; however it increases the cost of the inventory process.
Thus, there is a need for balance between level of disaggregation and the resources available for inventory.
Once identified, the key sources are used for methodological choice via decision trees as shown below. Those for
the AFOLU include:•

decision tree for identification of appropriate tier level for land remaining in the same land-use category(Figure 1.2), for e.g., Forest Land Remaining Forest Land;•decision tree for identification of appropriate tier level for land converted to another land-use category(Figure 1.3), for e.g., other Land Converted to Forest Land; and•decision trees for enteric fermentation and manure management which are provided in the relevant sectoral
chapter (see Chapter 10).

2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

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Volume 4: Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use

Figure 1.2

Decision tree for identification of appropriate tier level for land remaining inthe same land-use category, using Forest Land Remaining Forest Land as an
example.

Start
Repeat for each land-use category:- FF-Forest land remaining Forest land
- CC-Cropland remaining Cropland- GG-Grassland remaining Grassland- WW-Wetland remaining Wetlands- SS-Settlement remaining Settlements- OO-Other land remaining Other land

Do managed
forests exist1?

No

Report "Not
Occurring".

No

Use tierlevel mostappropriate foravailable6 data.

Yes
Is FF a key
category2?

Repeat for each gas:
- CO2 (carbon)
- CH4
- N2O

Yes

Repeat for each subcategory*:- Biomass- Dead organic matter- SoilsAsk
for eachsubcategory3 under FF:
Is this subcategory
significant4?
Yes

No
Develop or obtainrepresentative
data and EFs.

Yes
Use advanced methods
and detailed countryspecific activity data 5.
Box 3: Tier 3

Are
country-specificdata available6?

No

Are
country-specificdata available6?

Yes
Yes
Are
advancedmethods and detailed
data for FF available inyour country?

No

No
Use countryspecific EFs5.

Use default
methods and EFs5.

Box 2: Tier 2

Box 1: Tier 1

Note:
1: The use of 20 years, as a threshold, is consistent with the defaults contained in IPCC Guidelines. Countries may use different
periods where appropriate to national circumstances (see Chapter 2).
2: See Volume 1 Chapter 4, "Methodological Choice and Identification of Key Categories" (noting section 4.1.2 on limited
resources), for discussion of key categories and use of decision trees.
3: See Table 1.2 for the characterisation of subcategories.
4: A subcategory is significant if it accounts for 25-30% of emissions/removals for the overall category.
5: See Box 1.1 for definition of Tier levels.
6: Data availability refers to both data needed for developing country-specific emission factors and data on land use andmanagement practices (activity data).
* If a country reports harvested wood products (HWP) as a separate pool, it should be treated as a subcategory.

1.12

2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

Chapter 1: Introduction

Figure 1.3

Decision tree for identification of appropriate Tier level for land converted
to another land-use category, using Land Converted to Forest Land as an
example.

Start
Repeat for each land-use category:- LF- Land converted to Forest land
- LC- Land converted to Cropland- LG- Land converted to Grassland- LW- Land converted to Wetlands- LS- Land converted to Settlements- LO- Land converted to Other landAre
there any land
conversions to Forest
land1?

No

Report "Not
Occurring".

Yes

Repeat for each gas:
- CO2 (carbon)
- CH4
- N2O

Is LF a key
category2?

No

Use tierlevel mostappropriate foravailable6 data.

Yes

Repeat for each subcategory*:- Biomass- Dead organic matter- SoilsAsk
for eachsubcategory3 under LF:
Is this subcategory
significant4?
Yes

No
Develop or obtainrepresentative
data and EFs.

Yes
Use advanced methods
and detailed countryspecific activity data 5.

Are
country-specificdata available6?

No

Are
country-specificdata available6?

Yes

No

Yes
Are
advancedmethods and detailed
data for LF available inyour country?

Box 3: Tier 3No
Use countryspecific EFs5.
Box 2: Tier 2

Use default
methods and EFs5.
Box 1: Tier 1

Note:
1: The use of 20 years, as a threshold, is consistent with the defaults contained in IPCC Guidelines. Countries may use different periods
where appropriate to national circumstances (see Chapter 2).
2: See Volume 1 Chapter 4, "Methodological Choice and Identification of Key Categories" (noting section 4.1.2 on limited resources), for
discussion of key categories and use of decision trees.
3: See Table 1.2 for the characterisation of subcategories.
4: A subcategory is significant if it accounts for 25-30% of emissions/removals for the overall category.
5: See Box 1.1 for definition of Tier levels.
6: Data availability refers to both data needed for developing country-specific emission factors and data on land use and management
practices (activity data)* If a country reports harvested wood products (HWP) as a separate pool, it should be treated as a subcategory.

2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

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Volume 4: Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use

1.3.4

Steps in preparing inventory estimates

The following steps describe the compilation of the greenhouse gas inventory for the AFOLU Sector:
1.

Divide all land into managed and unmanaged (Chapter 3).

2.

Develop a national land classification system applicable to all six land-use categories (Forest Land,
Cropland, Grassland, Wetlands, Settlements and Other Land) and further subdivide by climate, soil type
and/or ecological regions (i.e., strata) appropriate for the country, as described in Chapter 3.

3.

Compile data on the area of land and the change in area of land in each land-use category (by category) if
available. Categorize land area by specific management systems defined for each land-use category (bycategory), if available -this categorization provides the basis for assigning emission factors and stock change
factors, required for a particular estimation approach (see Chapter 3).

4.

Compile national-level statistics for livestock, manure management systems, soil N management, liming andurea application (if land-use specific activity data are available for soil fertilization and liming activities,
these emissions categories can be stratified as in Step 2).

5.

Estimate CO2 emissions and removals and non-CO2 emissions at the appropriate tier level in support of a
key category analysis. A preliminary inventory is likely to utilize a Tier 1 or Tier 2 approach. However, it
may be preferable to proceed with a Tier 3 approach if the methods have been previously developed and the
supporting activity and input data have been compiled (see Chapter 2 for general guidance on methods).

6.

Re-estimate CO2 emissions and removals and non-CO2 emissions if a higher Tier is recommended, based on
the key category analysis (see Volume 1 Chapter 4 for methods to identify Key Categories).

7.

Estimate uncertainties (see Volume 1 Chapter 3) and complete QA/QC procedures (which are initiated at
Step 1) using the methods provided in Volume 1 Chapter 6, along with additional guidance provided in
Chapters 2 to 12 of this Volume.

8.

Sum CO2 emissions and removals and non-CO2 emissions over the inventory period for each source
category by land use and stratum, as well as emissions from livestock, manure, and N management (if notanalyzed separately for each land-use category).

9.

Transcribe summary information into reporting tables, converting C stock changes to emissions or removalsof CO2 and entering non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions, by land-use categories, if available. Combine withany emission estimates that are based on national aggregate data (e.g. livestock, manure management andsoil management/amendment) to estimate the total emissions and removals for the AFOLU Sector (SeeVolume 1 Chapter 8, Reporting Guidance and Tables).

10. Document and archive all information used to produce an inventory, including activity and other input data,
emission factors, sources of data and metadata documentation, methods descriptions and model software orcode, QA/QC procedures and reports, in addition to the results for each source category.
11. Set priorities for future inventories in AFOLU Sector based on completeness of current inventories,
uncertainties, and issues arising during QA/QC. Revise key category analysis based on the newly
completed inventory to aid in decisions regarding future priorities.

1.4

ORGANISATION OF VOLUME 4 IN 2006 IPCC
GUIDELINES

The material in Volume 4 should be used as follows:•

Chapter 2 describes generic methods for carbon pools and biomass burning that can be applied within eachof the six land-use categories, i.e., the methods are not specific to a particular land use. These consist of
estimating ecosystem C stock changes and CO2 and non-CO2 emissions from fires and biomass burning. To
avoid redundancy in the subsequent land-use specific chapters, Chapter 2 provides guidance on choice of
method and decision trees for tier selection. Tier 1 equations are provided along with tables of genericemission factors and other parameters.

•

Chapter 3 deals with the consistent representation of land. In particular, the multiple approaches forclassification of land-use categories are presented in this chapter, along with the level of disaggregation.
Users will find this material helpful for understanding the general issues surrounding representation ofsystems, which will be needed later in order to use the estimation methods that are specific to a particular

1.14

2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

Chapter 1: Introduction

land-use and/or source category. After consulting Chapter 2 and Chapter 3, users should proceed to theappropriate chapter addressing the issues specific to a particular land-use or source category.
•

Chapters 4 to 9 provide information for specific land-use categories. These chapters contain information on
the application of the generic methods described in Chapter 2 and they also contain full method descriptions
and application for any land-use specific methods.
oChapter 4 deals with estimation of emissions and removals from forest lands. Separate
sections cover Forest Land Remaining Forest Land and Land Converted to Forest Land.
Harvested wood products are addressed separately in Chapter 12.

oChapter 5 deals with estimation of emissions and removals from cropland. Separate sections
cover Cropland Remaining Cropland and Land Converted to Cropland. Methane production
from rice cultivation, which is specific to cropland, is also addressed in this chapter.

o

Chapter 6 deals with estimation of emissions and removals from the Grassland. Separate
sections cover Grassland Remaining Grassland and Land Converted to Grassland.

oChapter 7 deals with estimation of emissions and removals from Wetlands, including peat
extraction in natural peatlands and flooded lands. Methods specific to wetlands, for estimationof CO2 and CH4 emissions, are provided in Appendices with a basis for future methodologicaldevelopment.

oChapter 8 deals with estimation of emissions and removals from Settlements. Separate sections
cover Settlements Remaining Settlements and Land Converted to Settlements.

oChapter 9 deals with ‘Other Land’, which includes areas with bare soil, rock, and ice, in
addition to all land areas that do not fall into the other five land-use categories treated in
Chapters 4 to 8. Since greenhouse gas emissions and removals are not reported for unmanaged
lands, methods and guidance in this chapter apply only to ‘Land Converted to Other Land’, forexample, from extreme degradation of forest, cropland or grassland to barren land that is nolonger managed for useful purposes.

•

Chapter 10 provides guidance on livestock related emissions, including methane emissions from entericfermentation and CH4 and N2O (direct and indirect) emissions from manure management.

•

Chapter 11 provides guidance for emissions sources from managed soils, associated primarily withapplication of fertilizer, crop residues, manure, lime, and urea to soils. Specifically, methods and guidance
are provided for estimating N2O emissions from managed soils and CO2 emissions from liming and urea
applications. Activity data for these sources are typically not broken out by individual land use, hence Tier
1 methods are based on (national) aggregate data.

•

Chapter 12 provides methodological guidance for estimation of C stock changes and emissions fromharvested wood products, and is neutral with regards to the multiple alternative approaches to inventory
estimation that are given.

Figure 1.4 presents the structure of AFOLU reporting with categories (including category codes) that are listed inTable 8.2 of Volume 1.
Annex 1 provides worksheets for each sub-category that can be used to estimate emissions based on Tier 1
methods and appropriate emission/stock change factors and activity data. The Reporting Tables for thegreenhouse gas emissions/removals at sectoral and national levels are provided in Volume 1 Chapter 8 of the
Guidelines.
Annex 2 is the summary of all equations in AFOLU that serves as quick reference for inventory compilers.
Table 1.2 provides the summary information as to what carbon pools and activities emitting non-CO2 gases ineach land-use category are treated under Tier 1 methods; in what section in AFOLU Volume the guidance are
discussed, and their reference to the 1996 IPCC Guidelines.

2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

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Volume 4: Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use

Figure 1.4

1.16

Structure of AFOLU Reporting

2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

Chapter 1: Introduction

TABLE 1.2
LAND-USE CATEGORIES, CARBON POOLS AND NON-CO2 GASES TO BE ESTIMATED UNDER TIER 1, THEIR RELEVANCE TO
AFOLU SECTIONS, AND THE REFERENCE TO 1996 IPCC GUIDELINES
Land-usecategory/
Chapter

Subcategory

Forest Land
Remaining
Forest Land (FF)Forest Land
(Chapter 4)

Land Converted
to Forest Land
(LF)

CroplandRemaining
Cropland (CC)
Cropland(Chapter 5)

Land Converted
to Cropland (LC)C pool & non-CO2
gases

Methods
Section

Chapter 2
MethodLinkage to1996 IPCC
Guidelines

Tier 1
MethodAbove-groundbiomass

4.2.1

2.3.1.1

5A⊕

Below-groundbiomass

4.2.1

2.3.1.1

NE⊕

Dead organic matter

4.2.2

2.3.2.1

NE

0

Soil carbon

4.2.3

2.3.3.1

5D⊕1

Non-CO2 frombiomass burning

4.2.4

2.4.1

NE

⊕

Above-groundbiomass

4.3.1

2.3.1.2

5A, 5C⊕

Below-groundbiomass

4.3.1

2.3.1.2

NE⊕

Dead organic matter

4.3.2

2.3.2.2

NE⊕

Soil carbon

4.3.3

2.3.3.1

5D⊕

Non-CO2 frombiomass burning

4.3.4

2.4.1

4E, 4F⊕

Above-groundbiomass

5.2.1

2.3.1.1

5A⊕

Dead organic matter

5.2.2

2.3.2.1

NE

0

Soil carbon

5.2.3

2.3.3.1

5D⊕

Non-CO2 from crop
residue burning

5.2.4

2.4.1

4F

⊕

Methane emissions
from rice

5.5

-

4C

⊕

Above-groundbiomass

5.3.1

2.3.1.2

5B⊕

Dead organic matter

5.3.2

2.3.2.2

NE⊕

Soil carbon

5.3.3

2.3.3.1

5D⊕

Non-CO2 frombiomass (cropresidue) burning

5.3.4

2.4

4E, 5B⊕

2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

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Volume 4: Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use

TABLE 1.2 (CONTINUED)
LAND-USE CATEGORIES, CARBON POOLS AND NON-CO2 GASES TO BE ESTIMATED UNDER TIER 1, THEIR RELEVANCE TO
AFOLU SECTIONS, AND THE REFERENCE TO 1996 IPCC GUIDELINES
Land-usecategory/
Chapter

Methods
Section

Chapter 2
MethodLinkageto 1996
IPCC
Guidelines

Tier 1
MethodAbove-groundbiomass

6.2.1

2.3.1.1

5A

0

Dead organic matter

6.2.2

2.3.2.1

NE

0

Soil carbon

6.2.3

2.3.3.1

5D⊕

Non-CO2 frombiomass burning

6.2.4

2.4

4E

⊕

Above-groundbiomass

6.3.1

2.3.1.2

5B⊕

Dead organic matter

6.3.2

2.3.2.2

NE⊕

Soil carbon

6.3.3

2.3.3.1

5D⊕

Non-CO2 frombiomass burning

6.3.4

2.4

4F, 5B⊕

CO2 emissions

7.2.1.1-

NE⊕

Non-CO2 emissions

7.2.1.2-

NE⊕

Land Being
Converted forPeat Extraction

CO2 emissions

7.2.2.1-

NE

NA

Non-CO2 emissions

7.2.2.2-

NE⊕

Flooded Land
Remaining
Flooded Land

CO2 emissions

NG

-

NE

⊕

Non-CO2 emissions

Appendix
3-

CO2 emissions

7.3.2
Appendix2-

Non-CO2 emissions

Appendix3-

Above-groundbiomass

8.2.1

2.3.1.1

5A

0

Dead organic matter

8.2.2

2.3.2.1

NE

0

Soil carbon

8.2.3

2.3.3.1

NE⊕1

Above-groundbiomass

8.3.1

2.3.1.2

5B⊕

Dead Organic
Matter

8.3.2

2.3.2.2

NE⊕

Soil carbon

8.3.3

2.3.3.1

NE⊕

Above-groundbiomass

9.3.1

2.3.1.2

5B⊕

Dead Organic
Matter

9.3.2

2.3.2.2

NE

NA

Soil carbon

9.3.3

2.3.3.1

NE⊕

Subcategory

Grassland
Remaining
Grassland (GG)
Grassland(Chapter 6)
Land Converted
to Grassland(LG)

Peatlands
Remaining
Peatlands

Wetlands(Chapter 7)

Land Converted
to Flooded Land

Settlements
Remaining
Settlements (SS)Settlements(Chapter 8)Land Converted
to Settlements(LS)

Other Land
(Chapter 9)

1.18

Land Converted
to Other Land(LO)

C pool & non-CO2
gases

⊕
NE

⊕

⊕

2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

Chapter 1: Introduction

TABLE 1.2 (CONTINUED)
LAND-USE CATEGORIES, CARBON POOLS AND NON-CO2 GASES TO BE ESTIMATED UNDER TIER 1, THEIR RELEVANCE TO
AFOLU SECTIONS, AND THE REFERENCE TO 1996 IPCC GUIDELINES
Land-usecategory/
Chapter

Livestock(Chapter 10)

Managed soils(Chapter 11)
Harvested
wood
products(Chapter 12)

Subcategory

C pool & non-CO2
gases

Methods
Section

Chapter 2
MethodLinkageto 1996
IPCC
Guidelines

Tier 1
MethodEnteric
Fermentation

CH4 emissions

10.3

-

4A

⊕

ManureManagement

CH4 emissions

10.4

-

4B

⊕

N2O emissions

10.5

-

4B

⊕

Soil Management

N2O emissions

11.2

-

4D

⊕

Liming

CO2 emissions

11.3

-

_

⊕

Urea Fertilization

CO2 emissions

11.4

-

NE

⊕

Wood Products

C stock changes

Chapter
12

-

NE

⊕2

The 1996 IPCC Guidelines cover the following categories: 5A Changes in Forest and Other Woody Biomass Stocks; 5B Forest andGrassland Conversion; 5C Abandonment of Managed Lands; 5D Emissions and Removals from Soils, and 5E Other (Reporting
Instructions p. 1.14 - 1.16)
NE: not estimated under default method in the 1996 IPCC Guidelines
NG – no guidance provided in the Guidelines
Notes for column “Tier 1 Method”:⊕ - Tier 1 methods and default parameters are available in the Guidelines.
0 = Tier 1 (default) assumption is that emissions are zero or in equilibrium; no methods and parameters are provided in the Guidelines.
1 = Tier 1 and default parameters available only for organic soils.
2 = Tier 1 method available to estimate HWP variables which may be used to compute HWP Contribution to AFOLU.
NA – not applicable2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

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Volume 4: Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use

Annex 1A
1A.1

Historical background on IPCC greenhouse gas
inventory guidance for AFOLU Sector

Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines

The emission and removal categories covered together in Volume 4 of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines werepreviously separated in different chapters of the 1996 IPCC Guidelines (IPCC, 1997): Chapter 4 (Agriculture)
and Chapter 5 (Land-Use Change and Forestry, LUCF). The fundamental basis for the methodology in LUCF
rested upon two linked themes: i) that the flux of CO2 to and from the atmosphere can be equated to changes interrestrial carbon stocks and product pools, and ii) changes in carbon stocks can be estimated by determining
land use and management (e.g., logging, burning, tillage, grazing, etc.) at various points in time. Simple
assumptions are then applied about their impact on carbon stocks and biological response to a given land-use andmanagement system. In contrast, the Agricultural chapter dealt only with direct flux estimates from different
source categories and therefore did not incorporate the stock change concept.

A GRICULTURE (C HAPTER 4 IN THE R EVISED 1996 IPCC
G UIDELINES )The 1996 IPCC Guidelines focused on activities associated with managed agricultural systems and that arepotentially large sources of emissions in a country, including:•CH4 emissions from enteric fermentation in domestic livestock. Methane is produced as a by-product ofenteric fermentation, where ruminant animals (e.g., cattle, sheep) are the major source but some nonruminant animals (e.g., pigs, horses) also emit CH4.

•CH4 and N2O emissions from manure management. Methane is produced from the decomposition ofmanure under anaerobic conditions while N2O is produced under aerobic or mixed aerobic/anaerobic
conditions. Hence emissions of each gas depend on the type of manure and the storage system.

•

CH4 emissions from rice cultivation. Anaerobic decomposition of organic material in flooded rice fields
produces methane, which escapes to the atmosphere primarily through air-bubbles and by transport throughthe rice plants. The amount emitted is a function of rice species, number and duration of harvests, soil type
and temperature, irrigation method, and fertilizer use.

•

CH4, N2O, CO, NOX emissions from prescribed burning of savannas (or other types of grassland) andcrop residues. Burning of savannas and crop residues does not create a net-release of CO2 to theatmosphere because vegetation regrows between burning cycles. However, burning releases other gases thatare either direct or indirect sources of greenhouse gases, including CH4, N2O, CO, and NOx.

•

Emissions of N2O from soils. Produced through microbial processes in soils, emissions are largely afunction of the amount of nitrogen added to soils from (1) synthetic fertilizers, (2) animal waste, (3)biological fixation, (4) crop residues, and (5) sewage sludge or other organic N additions, which can beemitted ‘directly’ where the N is applied, or ‘indirectly’, from N leached as NO3 or volatilized as NH3 andNOx and redeposited in other locations.

LUCF (C HAPTER 5 IN THE R EVISED 1996 IPCC G UIDELINES )The inventory methods for Land-Use Change and Forestry (LUCF) focused on the most important land-use andmanagement changes that result in CO2 emissions and removals, including four broad categories:•

Changes in forest and other woody biomass stocks. Effects of human interaction with forests and wood
products are considered in a single broad category, which includes commercial management, harvest ofindustrial roundwood (logs) and fuelwood, production and use of wood commodities, and establishment andoperation of forest plantations as well as planting of trees in urban, village and other non-forest locations.

•

Forest and grassland conversion. Conversion of forests and grasslands to pasture, cropland or othermanaged land uses, can significantly reduce carbon stores in biomass and soils. Deforestation is an exampleof this type of conversion.

1.20

2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

Chapter 1: Introduction•

Abandonment of managed lands (croplands, pastures, plantation forests, or other managed lands).
Abandoned lands often accrue carbon in biomass and soils over time, particularly if the conditions approach
those found in natural grasslands or forests.

•

CO2 Emissions and removals from soils. Changing management can alter the CO2 emissions andremovals from soils, particularly through adoption of conservation practices or increasing crop and forage
production.

The 1996 IPCC Guidelines briefly described general issues and methodological approaches for other possible
categories such as below-ground biomass, natural disturbances (including fire), shifting cultivation and flooding
and drainage of wetlands. The methods also addressed release of non-CO2 trace gases (CH4, CO, N2O, NOx)from the open burning of biomass from forest clearing.

1A.2

Good Practice Guidance and Uncertainty
Management in National Greenhouse Gas Inventories(GPG2000)

GPG2000 (IPCC, 2000) provided supplementary information to the 1996 IPCC Guidelines to improve inventorytransparency, documentation, consistency over time, completeness, and comparability. GPG2000 also provided
methods for addressing uncertainties and implementing quality control and quality assurance. In the Agriculture
Sector, guidance was provided for all of the emission sources included in the 1996 IPCC Guidelines (see above).
GPG2000 introduced a method for identifying key sources that should be given high priority because of theirsignificance in affecting the absolute level or trend in emissions, their uncertainty, or qualitative factors such as
unexpectedly high or low estimates. The goal of this method is to provide practical guidance on how to develop
a national inventory with an efficient use of resources, identifying sources that are candidates for using a moredetailed (higher tier) estimation method.

1A.3

Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use
Change and Forestry (GPG-LULUCF)

GPG-LULUCF (IPCC, 2003) elaborated on the 1996 IPCC Guidelines to adopt an approach based on land-use
categories for organizing the methodologies and good practices associated with estimating emissions andremovals in the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) Sector, including Forest Land, Cropland,
Grassland, Wetlands, Settlements and Other Land. Each land category was further sub-divided into landremaining in the same category (e.g., Forest Land Remaining Forest Land) or land converted to another land
category (e.g., Grassland converted to Forest Land). Methods for estimating carbon stock changes associatedwith harvested wood products (HWP) were included as an appendix, reflecting the unresolved issues andongoing negotiations of including HWP in national inventories. As with GPG2000, GPG-LULUCF adopted thehierarchical Tier approach for methods descriptions, as well as the concept of key source categories, andsimilarly included guidance on quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC), reconstruction of missing data, timeseries consistency, sampling techniques, quantification and combination of uncertainties, and verification.

References
IPCC (1997). Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Inventories. Houghton J.T., Meira Filho
L.G., Lim B., Tréanton K., Mamaty I., Bonduki Y., Griggs D.J. Callander B.A. (Eds). Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), IPCC/OECD/IEA, Paris, France.
IPCC (2000). Good Practice Guidance and Uncertainty Management in National Greenhouse Gas Inventories.
Penman J., Kruger D., Galbally I., Hiraishi T., Nyenzi B., Emmanuel S., Buendia L., Hoppaus R.,
Martinsen T., Meijer J., Miwa K., Tanabe K. (Eds). Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),
IPCC/OECD/IEA/IGES, Hayama, Japan.
IPCC (2003). Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry. Penman J., Gytarsky M.,
Hiraishi T., Krug, T., Kruger D., Pipatti R., Buendia L., Miwa K., Ngara T., Tanabe K., Wagner F.
(Eds).Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), IPCC/IGES, Hayama, Japan.

2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

1.21