Changes in cycling and accumulation of C induced by intensification and diversification of the pasture management system

Abstract

Pasture areas in Brazil have great potential for soil carbon accumulation, contributing to the mitigation of global climate change. However, extensive management traditionally adopted in these areas has resulted in the degradation of pasture and soil, limiting the potential environmental benefits provided by this land use. Thus, the present project has the objective of evaluating the evaluate the potential of C accumulation in pasture areas related to the transition from degraded pasture to rotational system, crop-livestock integration and agroforestry systems. The study will be conducted in the states of São Paulo, Mato Grosso and Rio Grande do Sul. For the calculation of the Carbon (C) and Nitrogen (N) accumulation, physical fractionation of Soil Organic Matter (SOM), characterization of the quality of the MOS fractions and microbial characterization, the soil will be sampled at 1 m depth. In addition, simulations will be made on the dynamics of C and N stocks in pasture management systems through mathematical modeling. The obtained final data will be integrated by means of multivariate statistics (principal component analysis). With the results generated in this project, we intend to improve the predictions of models to increase C in pasture areas and contribute to environmental sustainability. (AU)