Agroforestry perennials reduce nitrous oxide emissions and their live and dead trees increase ecosystem carbon storage.

Agroforestry systems (AFS) contribute to carbon (C) sequestration and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural lands. However, previously understudied differences among AFS may underestimate their climate change mitigation potential. In this 3-year field study, we assessed various C stocks and greenhouse gas emissions across two common AFS (hedgerows and shelterbelts) and their component land uses: perennial vegetated areas with and without trees (woodland and grassland, respectively), newly planted saplings in grassland, and adjacent annual cropland in central Alberta, Canada.

Biochar and its manure-based feedstock have divergent effects on soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in croplands.

Applying organic amendments to soil can increase soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by agriculture, helping to mitigate climate change. However, it is necessary to determine which type of amendment produces the most desirable results. We conducted a 3-y field study comparing one-time addition of manure compost and its biochar derivative to a control to assess their effects on SOC and GHG emissions at ten annually cropped sites in central Alberta, Canada.