| The project aims to provide a basis for estimating changes in soil carbon stocks in Austria’s grassland through management and thus improve the greenhouse gas inventory in the sector LULUCF in the sub-category grassland. In addition the basis soil parameters acidity (pH), and the nutrient contents of phosphorus and potassium are evaluated and interpreted with regard to sustainable nutrient and environmentally compatible management.
Based on results of soil monitoring and long-term experiments data, influencing factors of management and location on the grassland soil carbon stock and its development will be identified and quantified. These management parameters could then be specifically addressed in future ÖPUL support measures.
Specific management factors will then be derived from the different types of management, for which (in a next step) parameters and activity data (areas) will be available and evaluated in IACS and other agricultural statistics. These include, for example, the number of cuttings and the LU stocking rate per hectare, as a measure of the intensity of manure application on grassland. Based on the derived management factors (relative soil-carbon changes of different grassland management types), typical soil-carbon stocks (e.g. from the national soil inventories of the Federal Provinces and various soil mapping results aggregated in the ASOC map) as well as the farming history according to IACS data and agricultural statistics, an estimation of the changes in grassland soil carbon stocks in Austria in recent years is to be carried out.
The future possible contribution of grassland management to the achievement of the climate objectives can thus be better defined and measures can be formulated which are listed as recommendations for climate action in the final report. |