Sequestering carbon and restoring renosterveld through fallowing: a practical conservation approach for the Overberg, Cape Floristic Region, South Africa

Conservation Letters

Anthony J. Mills¹  Sarah-Jane C. Birch¹  Rosanne Stanway¹  Onno Huyser³  Ryan A. Chisholm²  Clelia Sirami¹ 

[1] Department of Soil Science, University of Stellenbosch, Matieland, South Africa;Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa Ancón, Republic of Panamá;Fynbos and Succulent Karoo and The Table Mountain Fund, WWF South Africa, Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa

关键词: Biodiversity hotspot;    carbon markets;    conservation incentives;    corridor network;    land use changes;   

DOI  :  10.1111/conl.12003

来源: Wiley

【 摘 要 】

Abstract

Carbon credits are a potential source of funding for restoration initiatives that contribute to achieving conservation targets in important biodiversity areas. Here we investigated whether fallowing sequesters carbon; a first step in assessing the viability of using carbon financing to promote restoration of threatened vegetation in agricultural landscapes. We used renosterveld, a critically endangered shrubland vegetation of the Cape Floristic Region, as a case study. Carbon stocks of soil and biomass in active fields, fallow fields and intact renosterveld were compared. The total carbon stocks measured in fallow fields (82 Mg C ha⁻¹) show that fallowing can sequester carbon lost in the conversion from intact renosterveld (84 Mg C ha⁻¹) to active fields (69 Mg C ha⁻¹) and that revenues of US$ 10 – 48 ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ from carbon credits could accrue. Our findings suggest that carbon financing could be used to incentivise ecological restoration in marginal agricultural landscapes.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
©2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.