LONGVIEW, TX (KLTV) – “Climate change,” “greenhouse gases,” “carbon footprint” … these are all words of concern used by those calling for a cleaner environment.
But the solution could be a simple process called “carbon farming” that’s being tackled by the Texas A&M University Forest Service.
CO-2 emissions have been a concern of environmentalists for many years… a greenhouse gas that is released into the atmosphere.
But carbon farming may be the answer.
“It takes carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and sequesters it both in biomass above ground and in soil organic carbon below ground,” said Eric Wanlund, a forester with the Texas A&M University Forest Service.
But in its simplest definition, carbon agriculture, or carbon sequestration, is an agricultural management system that helps the land accumulate and store more greenhouse gases, rather than releasing them into the atmosphere.
“If we replant trees and grow timber in a climate-smart way, we can turn it into long-lasting wood products that will lock away carbon for a long time,” Wanlund says.
The main ingredient that makes all this possible is simple: decaying organic matter.
“Forest soils and crop soils are very important components in carbon farming,” Eric says.
This optimizes carbon capture in working landscapes by implementing practices known to increase the rate at which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and stored in plant material and soil organic matter.
“Trees are what we call nature’s climate solution. Trees are nature’s most efficient carbon-sucking machines. They absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it in the process of photosynthesis. Sugar molecules. These sugar molecules are the building blocks of the tree itself,” the forest officer said.
This is being touted as the next wave of East Texas agriculture.
“We can look at some improved approaches to minimise carbon emissions through crop rotation management,” he says.
And not only does it help the environment, it can also benefit the people who practice it.
“I am currently working on a project called the ‘Texas Climate Smart Initiative’ whose sole purpose is to provide financial incentives to both farmers and forest owners to implement and adopt climate smart practices,” Eric says.
Wanland said people can get more information by contacting their local Agricultural Life extension or the Texas A&M Forest Service.
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