Task 1:Basic Understanding of Processes and Mechanisms.

1
Consortium for Agricultural Soil Mitigation of
Greenhouse Gases
What is CASMGS? A team of scientists at 10
institutions formed CASMGS to provide the
science and technology necessary to help our
nation realize the benefits of carbon
sequestration in agricultural and grassland
soils.
CASMGS Research Tasks and Projects

• Task 1 Basic Understanding of Processes and
  Mechanisms.
• Research on biophysical processes that control
  soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics and greenhouse
  gas (GHG) emissions.
• Subtask 1 Influence of management
  on plant primary production and transformation of
  plant material into soil C
• The effects of grazing management and woody plant
  invasion on primary production in grassland
  systems.
• Primary production and C dynamics of several
  cropping systems in the Great Plains.
• Potential for plant breeding to enhance soil C
  sequestration in soils.
• Subtask 2 Influence of soil aggregation and
  microbial community composition on C
  sequestration in agricultural soils
• Cross-site comparison of the influence of tillage
  and crop rotation on the chemical and
  microbiological properties of soil aggregate
  fractions.
• Physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms
  controlling long-term soil C storage.
• Analytical methods of determining aggregate SOC
  fractionation molecular, isotopic, and elemental
  composition of SOC fractions microbial yield
  and substrate partitioning and microbial
  community composition.
• Kinetics of formation and destruction of humic
  materials.
• Subtask 3 Factors controlling losses of C from
  agricultural soils to infiltrating water
• Characterization of the amount and nature of
  dissolved organic matter that leaches from
  agricultural soils.
• Effects of soil water status and limestone
  amendments on C exports via leaching.
• Task 2 Best Management Practices for Carbon
  Sequestration.
• Identify, develop, and evaluate agricultural Best
  Management Practices (BMPs) with respect to C
  sequestration, GHG mitigation, and associated
  co-benefits and costs.

• Task 3 Prediction and Assessment (cont.)
• Adapt the Resource and Agricultural Policy
  Systems (RAPS) economic model for carbon policy
  analysis.
• Subtask 6 Model Comparisons and
  Databases for Integrated Assessment Models
• Subtask 7 Integrated Assessments of GHG
  Mitigation at Field and Farm Scale
• Combine the RAPS economic model with the
  CENTURY and EPIC physical models to estimate the
  impact of management decisions on soil C.
• Linking CSTORE to a farm-level
  economic/financial decision model.
• Subtask 8 Regional and national Level
  Integrated Models and Policy Assessment
• Integrate results from CENTURY and EPIC with
  economic models to generate information on a
  national scale.
• Estimate co-effects of mitigation policies
  using RAPS economic model integrated with the
  CENTURY and EPIC.
• Task 4 Measuring and Monitoring.
• Develop mechanisms to estimate and verify changes
  in soil carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in
  the context of likely changes in policy and land
  use.
• Subtask 1 Estimating SOC at Multiple
  Scales
• Fine, field-scale modeling of variability in
  SOC estimates.
• Soil survey-scale estimates of organic matter
  distribution.
• Whole-farm estimates of SOC.
• SOC in rangelands.
• Subtask 2 Measuring Fluxes of GHGs

Who is CASMGS?

• Cooperating Institutions
• Colorado State University
• Iowa State University
• Kansas State University
• Michigan State University
• Montana State University
• Purdue University
• The Ohio State University
• Texas AM University
• University of Nebraska
• Battelle-Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

• Executive Committee
• Keith Paustian, CSU
• Cathy Kling, ISU
• Chuck Rice, K-State
• Phil Robertson, MiSU
• Susan Capalbo, MoSU
• Ron Turco, Purdue
• Rattan Lal, OSU
• Neville Clark, Texas AM
• Shashi Verma, UNL
• Cesar Izaurralde, PNNL

CASMGS Why Its Important CASMGS researchers
are producing and coordinating information that
is vital to the effort to mitigate greenhouse
gases within agroecosystems. This coordination of
research efforts will lead to greater and more
rapid breakthroughs in modeling solutions to
environmental challenges. For more information
contact Chuck Rice, Director
cwrice_at_ksu.edu 785-532-7217
CASMGS Website http//www.casmgs.colostate.edu