Project Grant 20236702339813

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** AS AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF ECOSYSTEMS, AGRICULTURE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PROVIDE VARIOUS ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, INCLUDING CARBON SEQUESTRATION. CROP PRODUCTION REMOVES CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE ATMOSPHERE TO BE STORED IN SOILS, BIOMASS, AND FINAL PRODUCTS. IN ADDITION, EMISSIONS OF GREENHOUSE GASES (GHG) FROM AGRICULTURE CAN BE REDUCED THROUGH IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF FERTILIZER AND MANURE APPLICATION AND IMPROVED EFFICIENCY OF ON-FARM VEHICLES AND FUEL-BURNING EQUIPMENT.AFTER REJOINING THE PARIS AGREEMENT, PRESIDENT BIDEN SET A NEW TARGET OF REDUCING GHG EMISSIONS BY 50%--52% FROM THE 2005 LEVELS IN 2030. TO ASSESS THE POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTION FROM AGRICULTURE TO GHG EMISSIONS REDUCTION TARGETS, WE NEED ESTIMATES OF THE COSTS OF INCREASING CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND REDUCING ON-FARM GHG EMISSIONS THROUGH IMPLEMENTING CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES (CSAP).OUR RESEARCH PROPOSES TO FIRSTESTIMATE THE COSTS OF CSAP TO PROVIDE GHG MITIGATION AT A PARTICULAR LOCATION. WE WILL THEN ASSESS THE COSTSOF GHG MITIGATION THROUGH IMPLEMENTING CSAP BOTH REGIONALLY AND FOR THE UNITED STATES. USING THESE COSTS, WE WILL QUANTIFY THE COST SAVINGS FROM INCLUDING CSAP TO ACHIEVE A U.S. GHG EMISSIONS REDUCTION TARGET. WEWILL ALSO ESTIMATE THE POTENTIAL OF GHG MITIGATION TO INCREASES IN PAYMENTS FOR CSAP.THIS PROJECT FOCUSES ON THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN AGRICULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE DESIGN OF AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. BROADLY SPEAKING, THROUGH ASSESSMENT OF THE COSTS FOR ADOPTING CONSERVATION PRACTICES, WE SEEK TO DEEPEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROVISION OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES ON AGRICULTURAL LANDS AND TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DESIGN OF COST-EFFECTIVE AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION PROGRAMS.