{"id":788,"date":"2015-11-24T09:10:32","date_gmt":"2015-11-24T16:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/?p=788"},"modified":"2024-03-04T09:52:42","modified_gmt":"2024-03-04T16:52:42","slug":"greenhouse-gas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/research\/greenhouse-gas\/","title":{"rendered":"Research Summary: Greenhouse Gas Inventory"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department offers grants for research on county open space lands each year. The following is a summary of a 2014 study conducted by Mark Easter, Amy Swan, and Stephen Williams with the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Their research project focused on greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory from agriculture, forestry and other land uses.<\/p>\n

Executive Summary<\/h2>\n

This study was done for the Boulder County Parks and Open Space (BCPOS). There were six key tasks to accomplish:<\/p>\n

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  1. Quantify a baseline of GHG based on existing vegetation, use, and condition on BCPOS lands.<\/li>\n
  2. Identify and quantify the inputs and outputs of GHG on BCPOS lands based on existing agricultural production on cropland, pasture and rangeland including livestock.<\/li>\n
  3. Identify and quantify the inputs and outputs of GHG on BCPOS grassland restoration.<\/li>\n
  4. Identify and quantify the inputs and outputs of GHG on BCPOS forestry land based on forest type and management (e.g. thinning and prescribed fire).<\/li>\n
  5. Provide a forecast of carbon emissions for a 10 year period.<\/li>\n
  6. Make recommendations about best management practices to reduce GHG emissions and increase carbon sinks on BCPOS lands.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    We worked closely with BCPOS staff to collect GIS layers and identify land management details which affect soil and biomass carbon and greenhouse gas emissions on BCPOS lands. We utilized a combination of IPCC Tier 1, 2 and 3 methods as follows:<\/p>\n