There is some capacity to model carbon changes, if information about climate, soils, species characteristics, fertilizer applications, and livestock usage is sufficiently well known. There may be opportunities to develop approaches to scale up these results by using the approaches that are briefly described in Fact Sheet 4.6 . Agricultural statistics on areas of improved pastures and fertilizer use and associated information on livestock density and characteristics may be needed to make evaluations of likely impacts on system carbon stores. Carbon accumulation will plateau at some point, however, and this time is likely to vary substantially between systems and with specific activities. Removal Biomass is removed by livestock and other herbivores, by fire, and through detachment and decomposition.
Soil carbon is removed mainly by decomposition and erosion.
Both processes are strongly influenced by management. Permanence Cessation of these practices will tend to result in restrictions of further carbon storage. Soil carbon is likely to have varying residence times, extending to millennia. Biomass carbon is vulnerable to disturbance but will recover rapidly in most circumstances, and mean levels of carbon are likely to be higher than in the absence of the activity given suitable grazing regimes. Associated Impacts Increased agricultural productivity is likely, as is some loss of biodiversity from native grass ecosystems.