The potential of U.S. grazing lands to sequester carbon and mitigate the greenhouse effect

Content: Foreword / H. Mayeux -- The Extent, General Characteristics, and Carbon Dynamics of U.S. Grazing Lands -- Introduction: The Characteristics and Extent of U.S. Grazing Lands / J.M. Kimble, R.F. Follett, R. Lal -- A Broad-Scale Perspective on the Extent, Distribution, and Characteristics of U.S. Grazing Lands / T.M. Sobecki, D.L. Moffitt, J. Stone, C.D. Franks, A.G. Mendenhall -- Organic Carbon Pools in Grazing Land Soils / R.F. Follett -- Inorganic Carbon Sequestration in Grazing Lands / H.C. Monger, J.J. Martinez-Rios -- Soil Processes, Plant Processes, and Carbon Dynamics on U.S. Grazing Land -- Exploiting Heterogeneity of Soil Organic Matter in Rangelands: Benefits for Carbon Sequestration / S.B. Bird, J.E. Herrick, M.M. Wander -- Root Biomass and Microbial Processes / J.D. Reeder, C.D. Franks, D.G. Milchunas -- Carbon Dioxide Fluxes over Three Great Plains Grasslands / A.B. Frank, P.L. Sims, J.A. Bradford, P.C. Mielnick, W.A. Dugas, H.S. Mayeux -- Carbon Sequestration in Arctic and Alpine Tundra and Mountain Meadow Ecosystems / K.L. Povirk, J.M. Welker, G.F. Vance -- Managerial and Environmental Impacts on U.S. Grazing Land -- Soil Erosion and Carbon Dynamics on Grazing Land / R. Lal -- The Physical Quality of Soil on Grazing Lands and Its Effects on Sequestering Carbon / R. Lal -- The Dynamics of Soil Carbon in Rangelands / G.E. Schuman, J.E. Herrick, H.H. Janzen -- The Effects of Pasture Management Practices / R.R. Schnabel, A.J. Franzluebbers, W.L. Stout, M.A. Sanderson, J.A. Stuedemann. Introduction : the characteristics and extent of U.S. grazing lands / J.M. Kimble, R.F. Follett, and R. Lal -- A broad-scale perspective on the extent, distribution, and characteristics of U.S. grazing lands / T.M. Sobecki...[et al.] -- Organic carbon pools in grazing land soils / R.F. Follett -- Inorganic carbon sequestration in grazing lands / H.C. Monger and J.J. Martinez-Rios -- Exploiting heterogeneity of soil organic matter in rangelands : benefits for carbon sequestration / S.B. Bird, J.E. Herrick, and M.M. Wander -- Root biomass and microbial processes / J.D Reeder, C.D. Franks, and D.G. Milchunas -- Carbon dioxide fluxes over three Great Plains grasslands / A.B. Frank...[et al.] -- Carbon sequestration in arctic and alpine tundra and mountain meadow ecosystems / K.L. Povirk, J.M. Welker, and G.F. Vance -- Soil erosion and carbon dynamics on grazing land / R. Lal -- The physical quality of soil on grazing lands and its effects on sequestering carbon / R. Lal -- The dynamics of soil carbon in rangelands / G.E. Schuman, J.E. Herrick, and H.H. Janzen -- The effects of pasture management practices / R.R. Schnabel...[et al.] -- The effects of fire and grazing on soil carbon in rangelands / C.W. Rice and C.E. Owensby -- Simulating rangeland production and carbon sequestration / J.D. Hanson, M.J. Shaffer, and L.R. Ahuja -- Modeling soil C responses to environmental change / W.J. Parton...[et al.] -- The potential of U.S. grazing lands to sequester soil carbon / R.F. Follett, J.M. Kimble, and R. Lal -- Research and development priorities / R. Lal, R.F. Follett, and J.M. Kimble The Extent, General Characteristics, and Carbon Dynamics of U.S. Grazing LandsIntroduction-The Characteristics and Extent of U.S. Grazing Lands, J.M. Kimble, R.F. Follett, and R. LalA Broad Scale Perspective on the Extent, Distribution, and Characteristics of U.S. Grazing Lands, T.M. Sobecki, D.L. Moffitt, J. Stone, C.D. Franks, and A. MendenhallOrganic Carbon Pools in Grazing Land Soils, R.F. FollettInorganic Carbon Sequestration in Grazing Lands, H.C. Monger and J. Martinez-RiosSoil Processes, Plant Processes, and Carbon Dynamics on U.S. Grazing LandsExploiting Heterogeneity of Soil Organic Grazing lands represent the largest and most diverse land resource-tak ing up over half the earth's land surface. The large area grazing land occupies, its diversity of climates and soils, and the potential to i mprove its use and productivity all contribute to its importance for s equestering C and mitigating the greenhouse effect and other condition s brought about by climate change. The Potential of U.S. Grazing Lands to Sequester Carbon and Mitigate the Greenhouse Effect gives you an i n-depth look at this possibility. Offers a comprehensive evaluation of the soil C containment potential of grazing lands. This book describes grazing lands, the areas they occupy, and their role in improving the environment. It compares practices that result in soil carbon sequestration and summarizes approaches for policy makers and research agencies. For the purposes of this book, the definition of grazing land is the Society for Range Management's, "a collective term that includes all lands having plants harvested by grazing without reference to land tenure or other land uses, management, or treatment practices." This text provides a framework in which to consider grazing land issues, especially Soil C containment potential. The text describes grazing lands, the areas they occupy, and their role in improving the environment