# US 2014/0156549 A1 · Method for estimating carbon sequestration in grasslands > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0156549 A1 - Document ID: US20140156549A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/084,567 - Filed: 2013-11-19 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-19 - Assignees: Syracuse University - Inventors: Mark Ritchie - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156549A1 ## CPC - G01N 33/24: Earth materials (G01N33/42 takes precedence) - Y02P 80/20: using renewable energy - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A method of estimating the soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks for a grassland based on the plant-derived SOC plus the dung-derived SOC minus the carbon lost through microbial maintenance respiration. The plant-derived SOC, dung-derived SOC, and microbial maintenance respiration are estimated by considering the effect of one or more of the lignin and cellulose content of the plant material, the estimated annual aboveground and belowground plant production, the grazing intensity, the number of fires per year, the mean annual rainfall, the belowground net primary production, and the soil texture. The method thus provides an allowance of plants to compensate for grazing without losing leaf area, and the diversion of carbon through grazing animals and into soil through the deposit of dung. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of determining a change in sequestered carbon in a predetermined area of a grassland, comprising the steps of: calculating a maximum aboveground net primary productivity based on an annual rainfall amount; determining a leaf area index based on a proportion of leaves and a grazing intensity; calculating an estimated aboveground net primary productivity based on said leaf area index and said maximum aboveground net primary productivity calculating an estimated belowground net primary production; determining a plant derived soil organic carbon from a fire frequency, a measurement of the lignin and cellulose content of the aboveground plant tissue, and said estimated aboveground net primary productivity; calculating an amount of dung derived soil organic carbon based on said measurement of the lignin and cellulose content of the aboveground plant tissue, said grazing intensity, and said aboveground net primary productivity; calculating a carbon loss associated with maintenance respiration; and determining a change in sequestered carbon by adding said plant derived soil organic carbon to said dung derived soil organic carbon and subtracting said carbon loss associated with maintenance respiration. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the maximum aboveground net primary productivity based on annual rainfall is weighted by a water holding capacity calculated from a sand content in the predetermined area. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said grazing intensity comprises the difference in an aboveground biomass under ungrazed conditions and an aboveground biomass under grazed conditions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said fire frequency comprises a measurement of the number of fires in said predetermined location every ten years. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said fire frequency comprises a measurement of the fraction of landscape burned each year on average. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said lignin and cellulose content of the aboveground plant tissue is measured by sequential digestion of tissue material in a predetermined plot with said predetermined location. ### Claim 7 A system for determining a change in sequestered carbon in a predetermined area of a grassland, comprising: means for calculating a maximum aboveground net primary productivity based on an annual rainfall amount; means for determining a leaf area index based on a proportion of leaves and a grazing intensity; means for calculating an estimated aboveground net primary productivity based on said leaf area index and said maximum aboveground net primary productivity means for calculating an estimated belowground net primary production; means for determining a plant derived soil organic carbon from a fire frequency, a measurement of the lignin and cellulose content of the aboveground plant tissue, and said estimated aboveground net primary productivity; means for calculating an amount of dung derived soil organic carbon based on said measurement of the lignin and cellulose content of the aboveground plant tissue, said grazing intensity, and said aboveground net primary productivity; means for calculating a carbon loss associated with maintenance respiration; and means for determining a change in sequestered carbon by adding said plant derived soil organic carbon to said dung derived soil organic carbon and subtracting said carbon loss associated with maintenance respiration. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the maximum aboveground net primary productivity based on annual rainfall is weighted by a water holding capacity calculated from a sand content in the predetermined area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said grazing intensity comprises the difference in an aboveground biomass under ungrazed conditions and an aboveground biomass under grazed conditions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said fire frequency comprises a measurement of the number of fires in said predetermined location every ten years. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said fire frequency comprises a measurement of the fraction of landscape burned each year on average. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said lignin and cellulose content of the aboveground plant tissue is measured by sequential digestion of tissue material in a predetermined plot with said predetermined location. ### Claim 13 A method of certifying the appropriate number of carbon credits associated with a carbon offset project, comprising the steps of: defining an area of grassland to be used as a carbon credit offset; establishing a baseline measurement of the soil organic carbon; measuring the change in sequestered carbon over time; and obtaining a number of carbon credit corresponding to the change in sequestered carbon over time. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the step of measuring the change in sequestered carbon over time comprises the steps of: calculating a maximum aboveground net primary productivity based on an annual rainfall amount; determining a leaf area index based on a proportion of leaves and a grazing intensity; calculating an estimated aboveground net primary productivity based on said leaf area index and said maximum aboveground net primary productivity calculating an estimated belowground net primary production; determining a plant derived soil organic carbon from a fire frequency, a measurement of the lignin and cellulose content of the aboveground plant tissue, and said estimated aboveground net primary productivity; calculating an amount of dung derived soil organic carbon based on said measurement of the lignin and cellulose content of the aboveground plant tissue, said grazing intensity, and said aboveground net primary productivity; calculating a carbon loss associated with maintenance respiration; and determining a change in sequestered carbon by adding said plant derived soil organic carbon to said dung derived soil organic carbon and subtracting said carbon loss associated with maintenance respiration. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the maximum aboveground net primary productivity based on annual rainfall is weighted by a water holding capacity calculated from a sand content in the predetermined area. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein said grazing intensity comprises the difference in an aboveground biomass under ungrazed conditions and an aboveground biomass under grazed conditions. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein said fire frequency comprises a measurement of the number of fires in said predetermined location every ten years. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein said fire frequency comprises a measurement of the fraction of landscape burned each year on average. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein said lignin and cellulose content of the aboveground plant tissue is measured by sequential digestion of tissue material in a predetermined plot with said predetermined location.