Mitigation and Adaptation Strategy: Protect, Create, and Enhance Meadows, Gardens, and Farms
Recent studies have documented significant declines in insect and bird population. Meadows provide food and habitat for many insects and birds, as well as other small animals. Meadow wildflowers and native grasses sequester significant amounts of carbon and provide infiltration of stormwater. Moreover, native grasses and wildflowers develop deep, extensive root systems. As these roots decay, organic matter in the soil builds up relatively quickly.
Image left: Big bluestem. Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is one of many deep-rooted prairie grasses in North America that can contribute to soil carbon sequestration. (https://www.flickr.com/photos/
Properly managed gardens can sequester and store large quantities of carbon, especially if compost and organic waste are used as soil amendments. As pollinators decline in the environment, the need for natural pollinator plants increases. Leaving areas unmown and discouraging application of herbicides and pesticides along the margins of fields can provide more refuges for pollinators as well as other wildlife.
According to landscape ecologist Professor Robert Zomer (2017), more than a billion tons of atmospheric carbon could be sequestered and stored in the soil per year by improved agricultural practices alone. The strategies involve both preventing the loss of carbon and sequestering new carbon. Some of the management practices that reduce atmospheric carbon include the following:
- Adding organic amendments such as compost, manure, and crop residues to increase soil carbon and improve soil biology.
- Reducing or eliminating tillage to reduce carbon loss.
- Reducing erosion by contour plowing or terracing to reduce carbon loss.
- Using cover crops to reduce carbon loss and increase carbon input.
- Planting pollinator plants for insects and seed-bearing flowers and native grasses for birds.
