Establishing parkland agroforestry on currently treeless cropland in the West African Sahel may help mitigate climate change. To evaluate its potential, we used climatically suitable ranges for parklands for 19 climate scenarios, derived by ecological niche modeling, for estimating potential carbon stocks in parkland and treeless cropland. A biocarbon business model was used to evaluate profitability of hypothetical Terrestrial Carbon Projects (TCPs), across a range of farm sizes, farm numbers, carbon prices and benefit sharing mechanisms. Using climate analogues, we explored potential climate change trajectories for selected locations. If mature parklands covered their maximum range, carbon stocks in Sahelian productive land would be about 1,284\uffc2\uffa0Tg, compared to 725\uffc2\uffa0Tg in a treeless scenario. Due to slow increase rates of total system carbon by 0.4\uffc2\uffa0Mg\uffc2\uffa0C\uffc2\uffa0ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921 a\uffe2\uff88\uff921, most TCPs at carbon prices that seem realistic today were not feasible, or required the participation of large numbers of farmers. For small farms, few TCP scenarios were feasible, and low Net Present Values for farmers made it unlikely that carbon payments would motivate many to participate in TCPs, unless additional benefits were provided. Climate analogue locations indicated an uncertain climate trajectory for the Sahel, but most scenarios projected increasing aridity and reduced suitability for parklands. The potentially severe impacts of climate change on Sahelian ecosystems and the uncertain profitability of TCPs make the Sahel highly risky for carbon investments. Given the likelihood of degrading environmental conditions, the search for appropriate adaptation strategies should take precedence over promoting mitigation activities.
", "keywords": ["Carbon sequestration", "Carbon accounting", "Atmospheric Science", "Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture", "Economics", "Profitability index", "7. Clean energy", "01 natural sciences", "agroforestry", "Agricultural and Biological Sciences", "Climate change mitigation", "Range (aeronautics)", "Rangeland Degradation", "Natural resource economics", "Soil water", "11. Sustainability", "Rangeland Degradation and Pastoral Livelihoods", "Carbon fibers", "Climate change", "Business", "agriculture", "2. Zero hunger", "Global and Planetary Change", "Ecology", "Life Sciences", "Composite number", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "Soil carbon", "Physical Sciences", "Composite material", "Atmospheric carbon cycle", "Management", " Monitoring", " Policy and Law", "Greenhouse gas", "Environmental science", "Global Forest Transition", "Agroforestry", "climate", "Biology", "Ecology", " Evolution", " Behavior and Systematics", "Ecosystem", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "Soil science", "15. Life on land", "carbon sequestration", "Materials science", "Carbon dioxide", "13. Climate action", "FOS: Biological sciences", "Environmental Science", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Drivers and Impacts of Tropical Deforestation", "Finance"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-012-0438-0"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Climatic%20Change", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1007/s10584-012-0438-0", "name": "item", "description": "10.1007/s10584-012-0438-0", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1007/s10584-012-0438-0"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2012-03-28T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.envsci.2011.07.001", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-24T16:16:49Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2011-08-14", "title": "Carbon Accounting And The Climate Politics Of Forestry", "description": "AbstractMany proposals have been made for the more successful inclusion of LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry) in the Kyoto framework. Though the positions of individual states or the goal of avoided deforestation guide many approaches, our model sets cost-effective strategies for climate change mitigation and the efficient and balanced use of forest resources at its center. Current approaches to forest resource-based carbon accounting consider only a fraction of its potential and fail to adequately mobilize the LULUCF sector for the successful stabilization of atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations. The presence of a significantly large \u201cincentive gap\u201d justifies the urgency of reforming the current LULUCF carbon accounting framework. In addition to significantly broadening the scope of carbon pools accounted under LULUCF, we recommend paying far greater attention to the troika of competing but potentially compatible interests surrounding the promotion of standing forests (in particular for the purposes of carbon sequestration, biodiversity protection and ecosystem promotion/ preservation), harvested wood products (HWP) and bioenergy use. The successful balancing of competing interests, the enhancement of efficiency and effectiveness and the balanced use of forest resources require an accounting mechanism that weighs and rewards each component according to its real climate mitigation potential. Further, our data suggest the benefits of such a broadly based carbon accounting strategy and the inclusion of LULUCF in national and international accounting and emission trading mechanisms far outweigh potential disadvantages. Political arguments suggesting countries could take advantage of LULUCF accounting to reduce their commitments are not supported by the evidence we present.", "keywords": ["Carbon accounting", "Geography", " Planning and Development", "LULUCF", "Kyoto Protocol", "Management", " Monitoring", " Policy and Law", "15. Life on land", "7. Clean energy", "01 natural sciences", "12. Responsible consumption", "Climate change mitigation", "13. Climate action", "11. Sustainability", "Bioenergy", "HWP", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2011.07.001"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Environmental%20Science%20%26amp%3B%20Policy", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.envsci.2011.07.001", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.envsci.2011.07.001", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.envsci.2011.07.001"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2011-12-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.06.015", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-24T16:17:11Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2012-09-01", "title": "Global Greenhouse Gas Implications Of Land Conversion To Biofuel Crop Cultivation In Arid And Semi-Arid Lands \u2013 Lessons Learned From Jatropha", "description": "Biofuels are considered as a climate-friendly energy alternative. However, their environmental sustainability is increasingly debated because of land competition with food production, negative carbon balances and impacts on biodiversity. Arid and semi-arid lands have been proposed as a more sustainable alternative without such impacts. In that context this paper evaluates the carbon balance of potential land conversion to Jatropha cultivation, biofuel production and use in arid and semi-arid areas. This evaluation includes the calculation of carbon debt created by these land conversions and calculation of the minimum Jatropha yield necessary to repay the respective carbon debts within 15 or 30 years. The carbon debts caused by conversion of arid and semi-arid lands to Jatropha vary largely as a function of the biomass carbon stocks of the land use types in these regions. Based on global ecosystem carbon mapping, cultivated lands and marginal areas (sparse shrubs, herbaceous and bare areas) show to have similar biomass carbon stocks (on average 4e 8tCh a \ufffd 1 ) and together cover a total of 1.79 billion ha.", "keywords": ["carbon balance", "2. Zero hunger", "biomass", "carbon accounting", "Bio-\u00e9nerg\u00e9tique", "0211 other engineering and technologies", "land use", "Agriculture", "02 engineering and technology", "bioenergy", "15. Life on land", "7. Clean energy", "biofuels", "12. Responsible consumption", "Environnement et pollution", "mitigation", "climate change", "13. Climate action", "11. Sustainability", "0202 electrical engineering", " electronic engineering", " information engineering", "greenhouse effects"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://dipot.ulb.ac.be/dspace/bitstream/2013/150827/2/Achten_etal.2013_Implic.LUC.pdf"}, {"href": "https://dipot.ulb.ac.be/dspace/bitstream/2013/150827/1/WA_JAE2013_OA.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.06.015"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Journal%20of%20Arid%20Environments", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.06.015", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.06.015", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.06.015"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2013-11-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1080/17583004.2024.2410812", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-24T16:18:56Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-10-08", "title": "Towards a modular, multi-ecosystem monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) framework for soil organic carbon stock change assessment", "description": "Soils are the largest terrestrial reservoir of organic carbon, yet they are easily degraded. Consistent and accurate monitoring of changes in soil organic carbon stocks and net greenhouse gas emissions, reporting, and their verification is key to facilitate investment in sustainable land use practices that maintain or increase soil organic carbon stocks, as well as to incorporate soil organic carbon sequestration in national greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Building up on an initial review of monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) schemes with a focus on croplands, grasslands, and forestlands we develop a framework for a modular, scalable MRV system. We then provide an inventory and classification of selected MRV methodologies and subsequently \u201cscore\u201d them against a list of key characteristics. It appears that the main challenge in developing a unified MRV system concerns the monitoring component. Finally, we present a conceptual workflow that shows how a prototype for an operational, modular multi-ecosystem MRV tool could be systematically built.", "keywords": ["Carbon accounting", "[SDV.SA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences", "Carbon sequestration", "Environmental sciences", "carbon accounting", "Monitoring framework", "GE1-350", "[SDV.SA.SDS]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences/Soil study", "[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology", "monitoring framework", "climate change mitigation", "sustainable land management"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Batjes, N.H., Ceschia, Eric, Heuvelink, G.B.M., Demenois, Julien, Le Maire, Guerric, Cardinael, R\u00e9mi, Arias-Navarro, Cristina, van Egmond, F.M.,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1080/17583004.2024.2410812"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Carbon%20Management", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1080/17583004.2024.2410812", "name": "item", "description": "10.1080/17583004.2024.2410812", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1080/17583004.2024.2410812"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-10-08T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.10060735", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-24T16:22:37Z", "type": "Dataset", "title": "Carbon storage in old hedgerows: The importance of below-ground biomass", "description": "Dataset to the manuscript: Drexler, S., Thiessen, E., & Don, A. (2023). Carbon storage in old hedgerows: The importance of below-ground biomass. GCB Bioenergy. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.13112 Drexler_et_al_2023-cn_biomass: contains the data on the biomass\u00a0C/N measurements Drexler_et_al_2023-overallstocks: contains the calculated carbon\u00a0stocks per subplot for all carbon pools Drexler_et_al_2023-soc_cropland: contains the calculated soil organic carbon stocks (0-100cm soil depth) of the reference cropland Drexler_et_al_2023-soc_weight_fine_roots: contains the raw data on the dry weight of the fine roots and the raw data on the soil samples (C/N data, dry weight, stone/root fraction) per subplot and sampling depth Drexler_et_al_2023-weight_above_ground_biomass: contains the raw\u00a0data on the dry weight of the harvestable biomass and biomass of the mature trees per subplot Drexler_et_al_2023-weight_coarse_roots_litter: contains the raw\u00a0data on the dry weight of the coarse roots, litter and stumps per subplot", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "root sampling", "below-ground biomass", "carbon accounting", "climate-smart agriculture", "15. Life on land", "agroforestry", "root carbon"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Drexler, Sophie, Thiessen, Eiko, Don, Axel,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10060735"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.10060735", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.10060735", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.10060735"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2023-11-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "4d99f73c97bbb80595b46f5579dd60b6", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-24T16:27:52Z", "type": "Report", "title": "Towards a modular, multi-ecosystem monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) framework for soil organic carbon stock change assessment", "description": "Soils are the largest terrestrial reservoir of organic carbon, yet they are easily degraded. Consistent and accurate monitoring of changes in soil organic carbon stocks and net greenhouse gas emissions, reporting, and their verification is key to facilitate investment in sustainable land use practices that maintain or increase soil organic carbon stocks, as well as to incorporate soil organic carbon sequestration in national greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Building up on an initial review of monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) schemes with a focus on croplands, grasslands, and forestlands we develop a framework for a modular, scalable MRV system. We then provide an inventory and classification of selected MRV methodologies and subsequently 'score' them against a list of key characteristics. It appears that the main challenge in developing a unified MRV system concerns the monitoring component. Finally, we present a conceptual workflow that shows how a prototype for an operational, modular multi-ecosystem MRV tool could be systematically built.
Soils are the largest terrestrial reservoir of organic carbon, yet they are easily degraded. Consistent and accurate monitoring of changes in soil organic carbon stocks and net greenhouse gas emissions, reporting, and their verification is key to facilitate investment in sustainable land use practices that maintain or increase soil organic carbon stocks, as well as to incorporate soil organic carbon sequestration in national greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Building up on an initial review of monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) schemes with a focus on croplands, grasslands, and forestlands we develop a framework for a modular, scalable MRV system. We then provide an inventory and classification of selected MRV methodologies and subsequently 'score' them against a list of key characteristics. It appears that the main challenge in developing a unified MRV system concerns the monitoring component. Finally, we present a conceptual workflow that shows how a prototype for an operational, modular multi-ecosystem MRV tool could be systematically built.