Potential and Economic Valuation of Carbon in Grasslands
Grassland. Photo taken 08-09-23. UF/IFAS Photo by Cat Wofford.
View on Ask IFAS
PDF-2025

Keywords

grasslands
carbon cycle
carbon farming
carbon markets

Categories

How to Cite

Trumpp, Kevin Roger, Chang Zhao, and José C. Dubeux. 2025. “Potential and Economic Valuation of Carbon in Grasslands: SS-AGR-494 AG491, 9 2025”. EDIS 2025 (5). Gainesville, FL. https://doi.org/10.32473/EDIS-AG491-2025.

Abstract

Grasslands have great potential for removing carbon from the atmosphere, helping contribute to the state economy while regulating greenhouse gases. This publication targets the education of Extension faculty and producers on understanding the carbon cycle in grasslands and the potential for economic valuation of carbon accrual in grazing lands. Written by Kevin R. Trumpp, Chang Zhao, and José Dubeux, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agronomy, September 2025.

https://doi.org/10.32473/EDIS-AG491-2025
View on Ask IFAS
PDF-2025

References

Allen, L. H., S. L. Albrecht, K. J. Boote, J. M. G. Thomas, Y. C. Newman, and K. W. Skirvin. 2006. “Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Accumulation in Plots of Rhizoma Perennial Peanut and Bahiagrass Grown in Elevated Carbon Dioxide and Temperature.” Journal of Environmental Quality 35(4): 1405–1412. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2005.0156

Boddey, R. M., D. R. Casagrande, B. G. C. Homem, and B. J. R. Alves. 2020. “Forage Legumes in Grass Pastures in Tropical Brazil and Likely Impacts on Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Review.” Grass and Forage Science 75(4): 357–371. https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.12498

Boufous, S., T. Wade, S. Chakravarty, M. Andreu, J. H. Bhadha, Y. G. Her, and Z. Yu. 2024. “An Introduction to Carbon Credit Markets and Their Potential for Florida Agricultural Producers: FE1154, 9/2024.” EDIS 2024(5). https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-fe1154-2024

Bracho, R., M. L. Silveira, R. Boughton, J. M. D. Sanchez, M. M. Kohmann, C. B. Brandani, and G. Celis. 2021. “Carbon Dynamics and Soil Greenhouse Fluxes in a Florida's Native Rangeland Before and After Fire.” Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 311: 108682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2021.108682

Bracho, R., G. Starr, H. L. Gholz, T. A. Martin, W. P. Cropper, and H. W. Loescher. 2012. “Controls on Carbon Dynamics by Ecosystem Structure and Climate for Southeastern U.S. Slash Pine Plantations.” Ecological Monographs 82: 101–128. https://doi.org/10.1890/11-0587.1

Chamberlain, S. D., P. M. Groffman, E. H. Boughton, N. Gomez‐Casanovas, E. H. DeLucia, C. J. Bernacchi, and J. P. Sparks. 2017. “The Impact of Water Management Practices on Subtropical Pasture Methane Emissions and Ecosystem Service Payments.” Ecological Applications 27(4): 1199–1209. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1514

da Silva, L. S., L. E. Sollenberger, M. Kimberly Mullenix, M. M. Kohmann, J. C. B. Dubeux, and M. L. Silveira. 2022. “Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Stocks in Nitrogen‐Fertilized Grass and Legume–Grass Forage Systems.” Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 122(1): 105–117. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-021-10188-9

Dubeux, J. C. B, L. Garcia, L. M. D. Queiroz, E. R. S. Santos, K. T. Oduor, and I. L. Bretas. 2023. “Carbon Footprint of Beef Cattle Systems in the Southeast United States.” Carbon Footprints 2–8. https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/cf.2022.16

Gomez‐Casanovas, N., N. J. DeLucia, C. J. Bernacchi, E. H. Boughton, J. P. Sparks, S. D. Chamberlain, and E. H. DeLucia. 2018. “Grazing alters net ecosystem C fluxes and the global warming potential of a subtropical pasture.” Ecological Applications 28(2): 557–572. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1670

Her, Y. G., T. Wade, S. Boufous, J. Bhadha, and M. Andreu. 2023. “Florida’s Agricultural Carbon Economy as Climate Action: The Potential Role of Farmers and Ranchers: AE573/AE573, 5/2022.” EDIS 2022(3). https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-AE573-2022

Herrero, M., B. Henderson, P. Havlík, P. K. Thornton, R. T. Conant, P. Smith, S. Wirsenius, A. N. Hristov, P. Gerber, M. Gill, K. Butterbach-Bahl, H. Valin, T. Garnett, and E. Stehfest. 2016. “Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Potentials in the Livestock Sector.” Nature Climate Change 6(5): 452–461. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2925

Hristov, A. N., J. Oh, J. L. Firkins, J. Dijkstra, E. Kebreab, G. Waghorn, H. P. S. Makkar, A. T. Adesogan, W. Yang, C. Lee, P. J. Gerber, B. Henderson, and J. M. Tricarico. 2013. “Special Topics — Mitigation of Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Animal Operations: I. A Review of Enteric Methane Mitigation Options.” Journal of Animal Science 91: 5045–5069. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2013-6583

Interagency Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases (IWG). 2021. “Technical Support Document: Social Cost of Carbon, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide: Interim Estimates under Executive Order 13990.” United States Government.

Jensen, E. S., M. B. Peoples, R. M. Boddey, P. M. Gresshoff, H. N. Henrik, B. J. R. Alves, and M. J. Morrison. 2012. “Legumes for Mitigation of Climate Change and the Provision of Feedstock for Biofuels and Biorefineries. A Review.” Agronomy for Sustainable Development 32(2): 329–364. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-011-0056-7

Knight, B. 2024. “Beyond Cover Crops and Tillage: How Can We Really Calculate Farm Carbon Emissions?” Agri-Pulse Webinar. https://www.agri-pulse.com/media/videos/play/1050

Peters, M., M. Herrero, M. Fisher, K.-H. Erb, I. Rao, G. V. Subbarao, A. Castro, J. Arango, J. Chará, E. Murgueitio, R. van der Hoek, P. Läderach, G. Hyman, J. Tapasco, B. Strassburg, B. K. Paul, A. Rincón, R. Schultze-Kraft, S. Fonte, and T. Searchinger. 2013. “Challenges and Opportunities for Improving Eco-efficiency of Tropical Forage-based Systems to Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” Tropical Grasslands — Forrajes Tropicales 1(2): 156–167. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc

Poeplau, C., and A. Don. 2015. “Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Soils via Cultivation of Cover Crops — A Meta-analysis.” Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 200: 33–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2014.10.024

Samuelson, L. J., T. A. Stokes, J. R. Butnor, K. H. Johnsen, C. A. Gonzales-Benecke, T. A. Martin, W. P. Cropper Jr., P. H. Anderson, M. R. Ramirez, and J. C. Lewis. 2017. “Ecosystem Carbon Density and Allocation across a Chronosequence of Longleaf Pine Forests.” Ecological Applications 27(1): 244–259. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1439

Silveira, M. L., P. J. Rodrigues da Cruz, J. M. B. Vendramini, E. Boughton, R. Bracho, and A. da Silva Cardoso. 2024. “Opportunities to Increase Soil Carbon Sequestration in Grazing Lands in the Southeastern United States.” Grassland Research 3(1): 69–78. https://doi.org/10.1002/glr2.12074

Silveira, M. L., S. Xu, J. Adewopo, A. J. Franzluebbers, and G. Buonadio. 2014. “Grazing Land Intensification Effects on Soil C Dynamics in Aggregate Size Fractions of a Spodosol.” Geoderma 230–231: 185–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2014.04.012

Sollenberger, L. E., M. M. Kohmann, J. C. B. Dubeux, and M. L. Silveira. 2019. “Grassland management affects delivery of regulating and supporting ecosystem services.” Crop Science 59(2): 441–459. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2018.09.0594

Vogel, J. G., R. Bracho, M. Akers, R. Amateis, A. Bacon, H. E. Burkhart, C. A. Gonzales-Benecke, S. Grunwald, E. J. Jokela, M. B. Kane, M. A. Laviner, D. Markewitz, T. A. Martin, C. Meek, C. W. Ross, R. E. Will, and T. R. Fox. 2022. “Regional Assessment of Carbon Pool Response to Intensive Silvicultural Practices in Loblolly Pine Plantations.” Forests 13(1): 36. https://doi.org/10.3390/f13010036

Wade, T. 2024. “An Introduction to Carbon Programs and Markets.” UF/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE6kcNBHSGA&t=9s

Xu, S., M. L. Silveira, K. S. Inglett, L. E. Sollenberger, and S. Gerber. 2016. “Effect of Land-use Conversion on Ecosystem C Stock and Distribution in Subtropical Grazing Lands.” Plant Soil 399: 233–245. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2690-3

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) 2025 UF/IFAS