Indicator: LD-05 Terrestrial carbon loss rate and rate of land carbon sequestration

Data

Australia-wide annual soil carbon loss
Year	Area Reported	C Stock Loss in Soil (t)	C Stock of Soil in area reported (t)
1990	10,835,879	4,928,797	675,347,625
1991	11,293,601	2,004,488	673,343,137
1992	11,719,649	2,897,911	670,445,226
1993	12,124,093	1,556,567	668,888,659
1994	12,514,305	1,102,088	667,786,571
1995	12,870,910	2,168,372	665,618,199
1996	13,224,008	2,866,663	662,751,536
1997	13,548,446	1,480,221	661,271,315
1998	13,859,607	5,158,127	656,113,188
1999	14,177,365	2,464,017	653,649,171
2000	14,557,985	3,387,580	650,261,592
2001	14,938,784	508,677	649,752,915
2002	15,259,340	1,365,802	648,387,113
2003	15,556,871	2,967,336	645,419,777
2004	15,882,379	1,423,024	643,996,753

Source: Australian Greenhouse Office, unpublished paper, 2006

Soil Carbon Biomass (Word - 59 KB)

The data show that it is only the forestland conversion to cropland and grassland that have significant impacts on soil carbon stocks. Australia reports ‘0’ emissions against other categories. The forest land conversion to both cropland and grassland includes all deforestation on these lands that has occurred since 1972, when the land cover change record commenced. The table shows the areas, soil carbon stock changes and estimated soil carbon stock in these areas of land since 1990.

Across all land uses, in the area reported, about 36 million tonnes of soil carbon has been lost, through emissions and removal of vegetation or product, since 1990, The net loss of soil carbon over the period is about 31 million tonnes.

Data Limitations

Issues for which this is an indicator and why

Land — Land condition - Soil stability and quality

Carbon is an essential component of the chemistry of all organisms. Carbon cycles between the atmosphere, the soil, the vegetation that grows in the soil and the other life that inhabits and feeds on the vegetation. Soil carbon is essential for plant growth and carbon is returned to the soil through the decay of organic matter. The condition of the land is dependent on the availability of terrestrial carbon. Rates of loss and sequestration are indicative of the carbon status of the land and therefore of this aspect of its condition.