El guerrero pacifico

CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN PASTURE AND SILVO-PASTORAL SYSTEMS UNDER CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT IN FOUR ECOSYSTEMS OF TROPICAL AMERICA
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María Cristina Amézquita*, Enrique Murgueitio, Muhammad Ibrahim,and Bertha Ramírez Scientific Director, Carbon Sequestration Project, CIPAV-U. Amazonia-CIAT-CATIE-WUR The Netherlands Cooperation CO-010402. CIAT’s Science Park, AA 67-13, Cali, Colombia. E-mail:m.amezquita@cgiar.org ABSTRACT

This research aims at identifying pasture and silvo-pastoral systems that provide economically attractive solutions to farmers and offer environmental services,particularly the recovery of degraded areas and C sequestration, in four ecosystems of Tropical America vulnerable to climate change. Soil C stocks, C contents in biomass, and socio-economic indicators wereevaluated in a wide range of pasture and silvo-pastoral systems under grazing, in commercial farms under conservation management practices. At each ecosystem and site, C evaluations were also performedfor native forest (positive reference) and degraded soil (negative reference). Results of 5 years of research (2002-2007) show that improved and well-managed pasture and silvo-pastoral systems cancontribute to the recovery of degraded areas as C-improved systems. INTRODUCTION The deforestation of native forests and the final conversion of these areas in pastures represent the most importantchange in land use in Tropical America (TA) in the last 50 years (Kaimowitz, 1996). Close to 77% of agricultural lands in TA are currently under pastures (FAO, 2002) and, due to poor management, more than60% of these lands are severely degraded (CIAT, 19992005). Improved, well-managed pasture and silvo-pastoral systems represent an important alternative to the recovery of degraded areas and are aviable business activity for the producer (Toledo, 1985). Previous literature also suggest they have high potential for C sequestration (Veldkamp, 1994). The Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations...