Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 30, 2005
Publication Date: November 30, 2005
Citation: McCarty, G.W., Doraiswamy, P.C., Hunt, E.R., Pachinkin, K. 2005. Estimates of current and potential soil carbon sequestration for Shetsky Rayon in Kazakhstan [abstract]. An International Conference on Carbon Sequestration in Central Asia. 2005 CDROM. Technical Abstract: With implementation of a carbon (C) sequestration project, it is necessary to establish estimates of the capacity to sequester carbon within the region of interest. Investment of international markets in carbon sequestration projects will require robust estimates of capacity to store carbon in soils in the project area. A study was conducted to determine current and potential soil carbon sequestration for the Shetsky Rayon based on landuse changes that will be implemented within the Kazakhstan Dryland Management World Bank Project. Spatial analysis was performed based on landuse classification derived from satellite data and a digitized soil property map for the Shetsky region. Overlay of these data layers provided an estimate of cropland area within the different soil types. The general landuse classification map was developed from satellite imagery to identify the abandoned and cropped fields. The different soil types were assigned different capacity to sequester and storage carbon based on current and projected landuse and landuse changes. Two methods were used to estimate carbon sequestration potential with both methods based on the soil carbon information derived from the soils map for the proposed study area in Shetsky. The first method was based on knowledge of difference in C content in virgin and cultivated soils for each class. The second method was based on assumption that cultivated soils contain 70% of C in virgin soils. The first method is more conservative and probably underestimates true potential for sequestration based on region adoption of landuse changes. Both methods of analysis, however, demonstrate substantial capacity to sequester carbon within the Shetsky region based on the landuse changes to be implemented within the Kazahstan Dryland Management Project. Carbon market payments based on these estimates of carbon storage would result in substantial investment of foreign capital within the Shetsky region.