LBA-ECO ND-02 Agricultural and Secondary Forest Soil Trace Gas Flux, Para: 2001-2004

Despite these significantly higher emissions of greenhouse gases during the cropping phase under the alternative chop-and-mulch system, calculated pyrogenic emissions in the slash-and-burn system were much larger, especially for methane. The global warming potential CO2-equivalent emissions calculated for the entire crop cycles were at least five times lower in chop-and-mulch compared to slash-and-burn. The crop yields were similar for the two systems.

While economic and logistical considerations remain to be worked out for alternatives to slash-and-burn, these results demonstrate a potential win-win strategy for maintaining soil fertility and reducing net greenhouse gas emissions, thus simultaneously contributing to sustainability at both spatial scales.