Annual Greenhouse Gas Removal Estimates of Grassland Soil in Korea

The study was conducted to determine greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories in grasslands. After Low Carbon Green Growth was declared a national vision on 2008, Medium-term greenhouse gas reduction was anticipated for 30% reduction compared to Business As Usual (BAU) by 2020. To achieve the reduction targets and prepare to enforce emissions trading (2015), national GHG inventories were measured based on the 1996 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Guidelines (IPCC GL). The national Inventory Report (NIR) of Korea is published every year. Grassland sector measurement was officially added in 2014. GHG removal of grassland soil was measured from 1990 to 2012. Grassland area data of Korea was used for farmland area data in the Cadastral Statistical Annual Report (1976~2012) . Annual grassland area corresponding to the soil classification was used Soil classification and commentary in Korea (2011) . Grassland area was divided into Grassland remaining Grassland and Land converted to Grassland. The accumulated variation coefficient was assumed to be the same without time series changes in grassland remaining grassland. Therefore, GHG removal of soil carbon was calculated as zero (0) in grassland remaining grassland. Since the grassland area increases constantly, the grassland soil sinks constantly . However, the land converted to grassland area continued to decrease and GHG removal of soil carbon was reduced. In 2012 (127.35Gg CO2), this removal decreased by 76% compared to 1990 (535.71 Gg CO2). GHG sinks are only grasslands and woodlands. The GHG removaled in grasslands was very small, accounting for 0.2% of the total. However, the study provides value by identifying grasslands as GHG sinks along with forests.