Selection of appropriate calculators for landscape-scale greenhouse gas assessment for agriculture and forestry

Colomb , Vincent
        INRA
        , Montpellier .
         UMR 1222 Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Biogéochimie des Sols et Agrosystèmes; Touchemoulin , Ophelie
        . Policy & Programme Dev Support Div, FAO; Bockel , Louis
        . Policy & Programme Dev Support Div, FAOAgr Dev Econ Div ESA, FAO; Chotte , Jean Luc
        INRA
        , Montpellier .
         UMR 1222 Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Biogéochimie des Sols et Agrosystèmes; Martin , Sarah
        . Serv Agr & Forets; Tinlot , Marianne
        . Policy & Programme Dev Support Div, FAO; Bernoux , MARTIAL
        INRA
        , Montpellier .
         UMR 1222 Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Biogéochimie des Sols et Agrosystèmes

Selection of appropriate calculators for landscape-scale greenhouse gas assessment for agriculture and forestry

2013

Colomb , Vincent (INRA , Montpellier (France). UMR 1222 Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Biogéochimie des Sols et Agrosystèmes ) | Touchemoulin , Ophelie (Policy Assistance Support Serv TCSP, Rome(Italie). Policy & Programme Dev Support Div, FAO) | Bockel , Louis (Policy Assistance Support Serv TCSP, RomeRome(Italie). Policy & Programme Dev Support Div, FAOAgr Dev Econ Div ESA, FAO) | Chotte , Jean Luc (INRA , Montpellier (France). UMR 1222 Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Biogéochimie des Sols et Agrosystèmes ) | Martin , Sarah (Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Energie, Angers 1(France). Serv Agr & Forets) | Tinlot , Marianne (Policy Assistance Support Serv TCSP, Rome(Italie). Policy & Programme Dev Support Div, FAO) | Bernoux , MARTIAL (INRA , Montpellier (France). UMR 1222 Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Biogéochimie des Sols et Agrosystèmes )

This letter is intended to help potential users select the most appropriate calculator for a landscape-scale greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment of activities for agriculture and forestry. Eighteen calculators were assessed. These calculators were designed for different aims and to be used in different geographical areas and they use slightly different accounting methodologies. The classification proposed is based on the main aim of the assessment: raising awareness, reporting, project evaluation or product assessment. When the aims have been clearly formulated, the most suitable calculator can be selected from the comparison tables, taking account of the geographical area and the scope of the calculation as well as the time and skills required for the calculation. The main issues for interpreting GHG assessments are discussed, highlighting the difficulty of comparing the results obtained from different calculators, mainly owing to differences in scope, calculation methods and reporting units. A major problem is the poor accounting for land use change; the calculators are usually able to account satisfactorily for other emission sources. One of the main challenges at landscape-scale level is to produce a realistic assessment of the various production systems as the uncertainty levels are very high. The results should always give some indication of the link between GHG emissions and the productivity of the area, although no single indicator is able to encompass all the services produced by agriculture and forestry (e. g. food, goods, landscape value and revenue).

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