"Emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero y biomasa aérea de cuatro fincas agroecológicas en el Área de Conservación Tortuguero, Costa Rica."

Abstract

Adaptation to climate change has generated a great interest in organic agriculture and forestry. One of such systems is agro-ecological farms. In order to understand the greenhouse budget of this kind of farms, four agro-ecological farms at Pococí, in the Tortuguero Conservation Area were assessed in terms of their emissions and possible carbon sinks. For the year 2014 major emissions were caused by enteric fermentation (from 0,15 to 4,88 tCH4/year or 3,20 to 102,5 tCO2e/year), followed by combustion of energy sources (1,08 to 3,4 tCO2e/year). Other emissions were calculated from manure management, nitrogen fertilizers and waste management, which summed up 2,14 to 3,72 tCO2e/year. Concerning greenhouse gas removals, the biomass at each farm was also recorded, Genesis 71,34 t in 4,3 ha; Amistad 220,06 t in 3,82 ha; Pulga 291,21 t in 7,32 ha. Progreso shows a general average of 6707,64 t biomass in 29,98 ha of forestry ecosystems and 2154,97 t of biomass of living fences and trees in the pastures in 52,65 ha. The carbon balance in carbon dioxide tons per year equivalent were calculated with Pulga and Amistad obtaining the classification of carbon neutral with a negative balance that indicates more removals that emissions, however Genesis and Progreso have a positive emissions budget most likely influence by the cattle ling activities therein.