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.
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

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 UF/IFAS
