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Enabling the Flow of Ecosystem Services from Agriculture to Improve Puerto Rico's Water Quality and Mitigate Global Climate Change
Jonathan Winsten, Ph.D. Luis Perez-Alegria, Ph.D., P.E.Agricultural Economist Agricultural EngineerWinrock International UPR - Mayaguez
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Project Objectives• To reduce nutrient losses to surface and ground water
and to reduce N2O emissions to the atmosphere. • To increase farmer flexibility and motivation to provide
ecosystem services. • To reduce the costs of effective conservation by
fostering innovation through outcome-based incentives to farmers.
• To develop additional farm revenue streams for the production of ecosystem services from agriculture in Puerto Rico.
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Approach• Assess nitrous oxide (N2O) and nitrate (NO3)
impacts of alternative management practices.• Develop a quantification methodology for
stacked ecosystem service (ES) credits.• Identify specific areas for most cost-effective
emissions reductions.• Estimate regional supply curve for ES credits.
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Background• Crucial issues:
– Climate change – Water quality– Global food security
• Nitrous oxide (N2O) has 298 times the radiative forcing of carbon dioxide (CO2)
• N2O is 5% of U.S. GHG emissions– 74% is from agriculture
• Agriculture is the leading source NPS pollution to ground and surface waters in the U.S.
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Background (cont’d)• Food production and environmental quality
have inherent trade-offs.• Regulations can decrease productivity and
increase costs.• Conservation programs focus on practices, not
outcomes.• Outcome-based incentives can serve as a
“price” for pollution control.• Environmental management becomes
incorporated into farm business planning.
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Ecosystem Service Credit Stacking
• Credit Stacking –– multiple payments for different ecosystem services
from the same parcel of land.• Credit Bundling –
– a single payment for multiple ecosystem services. – not intended to be the sum of individual ES values.
• Stacking GHG and WQ credits should incentivize greater production of ES credits.
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Environmental Markets
• Carbon offset markets –– Functioning voluntary and compliance markets exist– Carbon sequestration has revenue potential for
farmers– Sequestration is reversible, N2O reductions are not– Revenue potential for farmers seems small
• Water quality markets –– Revenue potential for farmers seems significant– Functioning markets do not exist in most locations– Scientific quantification protocols are needed
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Project Site
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Banana/Plantain Production
• Important staple food crop worldwide • Over 100 million metric tons produced per year• Significant revenue potential for producers• Heavy N application rates
– Sometimes in excess of 700 lbs N/acre
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Treatments
• Control: – 300 lbs N/acre
• Slow Release N – Polymer-coated granules– 300 lbs N/acre
• Two Reduced N Rates– 215 lbs N/acre– 0 lbs N/acre
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Manual Chambers
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1
2
3
Plantain GHG chamber placement
Irrigation
Plantain row
Alley (between rows)
Plantain
GHG chamber
3 x chamber per ‘site’(in row [close to plant], between plants, in alley)
3 x ‘sites’ per treatment
1 background chamber per treatment
4 x treatments (control + 3 treatments)
40 chambers used per sample day
‘Top’ view
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N2O Sampling
• 160 samples collected per sampling day– 4 treatments, 9 chambers/treatment, 4 samples/chamber
• 50 sampling days over growing cycle• Trained 4 students, 2 professors, and 1 lab technician• Samples shipped and analyzed at MSU
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Training on Gas Sampling
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Surface and Groundwater Sampling
• 8 lysimeters to be installed– 4 at 12”– 4 at 24”
• 4 surface runoff traps– 1 per treatment– Placed between two center rows
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Quantification Methodology
• Calibration and validation of Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT) using measurement data.
• Methodology will:– Define eligible practice(s)– Outline applicability conditions– Define project boundaries (geographic, temporal)– Determine the baseline scenario– Describe quantification methods / tools (for baseline and with-project
scenarios, including uncertainty assessment)– Guide data collection/parameter monitoring requirements
• Submitted to expert panel for scientific peer review
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Linking to Environmental Markets
• American Carbon Registry (ACR) has expressed interest in registering WQ credits from agriculture that are linked to GHG credits.
• Farmers or aggregators will be able to register verified WQ and GHG reductions for sale.
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Creating Spatial Supply Curves
• Conduct Monte Carlo and regression analysis to develop prediction equations for nutrient and GHG reductions based on biophysical attributes.
• Use GIS to apply prediction equations across the relevant geographic region (MLRA 273).
• Identify specific areas with greatest reduction potential and cost-effectiveness.
• Sum across polygons to estimate supply curves for WQ and GHG credits.
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Acknowledgements
• Funded by USDA-NIFA• Valuable input from:
– Dr. Neville Millar– Kellogg Biological Station– Edwin Almodovar, USDA-NRCS State
Conservationist for Puerto Rico– Angel Dieppa – Jobos Bay National Estuarine
Research Reserve
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Contact Information
Jonathan R. Winsten, Ph.D.Winrock InternationalEmail: [email protected] Tel: (802) 343-3037
Luis Perez-Alegria, Ph.D.University of Puerto Rico – MayaguezEmail: [email protected]: 787.832.4040 x 3337
