An analysis of Australia's carbon pollution reduction scheme

The authors review the decision-making since the Labour Government came into office (November 2007). The Australian Government’s ‘Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme’ White Paper (15 December 2008) proposes that an Australian Emissions Trading Scheme (AETS) be implemented in mid-2010. Acknowledging that the scheme is comprehensive, the paper finds that in many cases, Australia will take a softer approach to climate change through the AETS than the European Union ETS(EUETS). The paper assesses key issues in the White Paper such as emissions reduction targets, GHG coverage, sectoral coverage, inclusion of unlimited quantities of offsets from Kyoto international markets and exclusion of deforestation activities

Virtual discussions to support climate risk decision making on farms

Climate variability represents a significant risk to farming enterprises. Effective extension of climate information may improve climate risk decision making and adaptive management responses to climate variability on farms. This paper briefly reviews current agricultural extension approaches and reports stakeholder responses to new web-based virtual world ‘discussion-support’ tools developed for the Australian sugar cane farming industry. These tools incorporate current climate science and sugar industry better management practices, while leveraging the social-learning aspects of farming, to provide a stimulus for discussion and climate risk decision making. Responses suggest that such virtual world tools may provide effective support for climate risk decision making on Australian sugar cane farms. Increasing capacity to deliver such tools online also suggests potential to engage large numbers of farmers globally

The Development of Virtual World Tools to Enhance Learning and Real World Decision Making in the Australian Sugar Farming Industry

In farming, the outcome of critical decisions to enhance productivity and profitability and so ensure the viability of farming enterprises is often influenced by seasonal conditions and weather events over the growing season. This paper reports on a project that uses cutting-edge advances in digital technologies and their application in learning environments to develop and evaluate a web-based virtual ‘discussion-support’ system for improved climate risk management in Australian sugar farming systems. Customized scripted video clips (machinima) are created in the Second Life virtual world environment. The videos use contextualized settings and lifelike avatar actors to model conversations about climate risk and key farm operational decisions relevant to the real-world lives and practices of sugarcane farmers. The tools generate new cognitive schema for farmers to access and provide stimuli for discussions around how to incorporate an understanding of climate risk into operational decision-making. They also have potential to provide cost-effective agricultural extension which simulates real world face-to-face extension services but is accessible anytime anywhere

Expanding woodland regeneration on marginal southern Queensland pastures using market-based instruments: a landowners' perspective

Data collected during interviews with private landowners are used to identify important constraints on how market-based instruments can be used to expand woodland regeneration on marginal pastures in the southern Queensland region of Australia. Landowners highlighted three types of constraints: those related to the uncertainty over what rules will govern a mandatory carbon trading scheme in Australia; those related to how landowners can measure and sell their carbon credits; and those related to whether the initiative will be profitable for landowners. Case analysis of the ‘Emissions Biodiversity Exchange Project for the 21st Century’ (EBEX21)program of Landcare Research New Zealand are then used to reveal ways in which similar constraints have been successfully addressed in the context of marginal pastures in New Zealand. The EBEX21 program demonstrates how a government policy initiative can provide support to landowners by: (1) informing landowners about carbon trading opportunities (2) ensuring satisfactory regeneration of woodlands (including the use of appropriate practices for fire and livestock exclusion and pest and weed management) (3) helping landowners measure and verify their carbon credits; and (4) providing a transparent system (through carboNZero) for landowners to engage with potential buyers of carbon credits

Fine-scale habitat modelling of wildlife species using spatial information tools

Species habitat models (SHM) or species distribution models are numerical tools that combine observations of species occurrence or abundance with environmental estimates. Models that predict distributions of species by combining known occurrence records with digital layers from satellite imagery and Geographic Information System (GIS) inputs together with environmental variables have much potential for conservation applications and scenario modelling. In this research, four analytical techniques for multispecies modelling, i.e. maximum entropy (Maxent), random forest, artificial neural network, and mahalanobis typicality, will be explored to assess the species distribution. A methodological approach will be at the fine (5-10m) spatial scale, where studies at this level are lacking. Spotted-tailquoll, Darling Downs Earless Dragon, Black-Breasted-Button-Quail, and Bulloak Jewel Butterfly, which are endangered and threatened species had been selected as case studies to test this framework

Including the costs of water and greenhouse gas emissions in a reassessment of the profitability of irrigation

Irrigated cropping helps stabilise farm and regional income and contributes to productivity gains but the net benefits should include the full cost of water and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study examines the costs and returns of switching from a dryland rotation for four crops in the Darling Downs region of Australia, to a rotation of the same crops under irrigation, including greenhouse gas (GHG) values. The value chain, including all inputs was identified and emissions estimated using a range of studies and models. Over four year cropping cycle, the irrigated system would result in more than six times the emissions than from the dryland system. If GHG and water prices are not embedded in the production process, irrigation is more profitable per hectare. In this scenario, the landholder makes more than twice as much from the irrigated crops, with gross margins for the dryland and irrigated crop rotations of $1597 and$3490/ha, respectively. If the value of GHGs is included, the gap closes but irrigated crops are still more profitable. If however, a relatively high cost of the water, based on price ranges from the last decade, is included, then dryland crops are financially preferable. These results could be useful in designing national mitigation and water buy-back policies, both of which are being developed in Australia

Does the adoption of zero tillage reduce greenhouse gas emissions? An assessment for the grains industry in Australia

The Australian Government has recommended that farmers move from cultivation-based dryland farming to reduced or zero tillage systems. The private benefits could include improvements in yields and a decrease in costs while the public benefits could include a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to a diminution in the use of heavy machinery. The aim of this study is to estimate and compare total on-farm GHG emissions from conventional and zero tillage systems based on selected grain crop rotations in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. The value chain was identified, including all inputs, and emissions. In addition, studies of soil carbon sequestration and nitrous oxide emissions under the different cropping systems were reviewed. The value chain analysis revealed that the net effect on GHG emissions by switching to zero tillage is positive but relatively small. In addition though, the review of the sequestration studies suggests that there might be soil-based emissions that result from zero tillage that are being under-estimated. Therefore, zero tillage may not necessarily reduce overall GHG emissions. This could have major implication on current carbon credits offered from volunteer carbon markets for converting conventional tillage to reduced tillage system

An assessment of carbon sequestration potential of riparian zone of Condamine Catchment, Queensland, Australia

Riparian vegetation is crucial for providing a diverse range of ecosystem services. However, the role of riparian vegetation in storing carbon is recently being realised. This study aims to estimate the current status of biomass carbon from riparian vegetation and coarse-woody debris (CWD) along the Condamine River and its tributaries in Queensland, Australia. Trees, shrubs and CWD from 17 sample plots were inventoried using standard protocol and were converted into biomass and carbon mass. The average of total carbon for poor, good and excellent plots were 4.3 t/ha, 134.8 t/ha and 291.7 t/ha, respectively. This indicates that 291.7 tC/ha is easily achievable in riparian zone of Condamine Catchment where the edaphic, topographic and climatic factors are favourable for riparian vegetation. The results of this study would help landholders and policy makers to understand the carbon sequestration potential of riparian zones, and promote current government mixed species environmental plantings (MSEPs) activities under the Emissions Reduction Fund, which ultimately promotes more resilient, economically viable and environmentally sustainable land use practices on a landscape level

Can vegetation types work as an indicator of soil organic carbon? An insight from native vegetations in Nepal

Soil is the largest pool of carbon after the ocean. The assessment of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks under different types of vegetations is critical for evidence-based implementation of soil carbon trading under different market mechanisms. Using data from 490 permanent soil sample plots with elevations ranging from 271m to 3238m above sea level, from three different watersheds in Nepal, this study aims to compare SOC under five different forest types and determine whether forest types could be indicator of SOC: Shorea robusta; mixed broadleaf; Schima-Castanopsis; pine; and Rhododendron-Quercus forests.In each vegetation type forests with dense canopies (≥70% canopy cover) have higher amounts of SOC than that of open canopy forests (<70% canopy cover). On average, with up to 30 cm soil depth, dense canopy Rhododendron-Quercus forest has the highest amount of SOC (14,136 g C/m2), followed by dense canopy mixed broadleaf forest (12,576 g C/m2). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicates significant differences in soil organic carbon (SOC) amounts across the five forest types (df = 485, F = 17.299,p = 0.000) and therefore forest types could be indicator of SOC. Moreover, within the similar altitudinal zone and topographic, edaphic and climatic environments: soils under the mixed species forests have higher amounts of SOC than that of single species dominated forests; and soils under forests with nitro-gen fixing trees have a higher amount of SOC than those from other forests. Therefore, in addition to forest types these two conditions within the given vegetation types could work as sub-indicators of SOC.In comparison with global studies, all Nepalese forest types had much higher levels of SOC. Only two of the seven factors/indicators investigated (altitude and average age of dominant trees) were found to have significant impacts (r = 0.33 to 0.64) on SOC and only in the dense and sparse canopy pine forests.The reasons of not having any impacts of all other factors on SOC in different vegetation types have been discussed