What is it about?
This paper provides estimates of the value of additional plant species in increasing the value of prairie grasslands in terms of storing carbon. We find that increasing the number of plant species increases the additional value of the overall grasslands in terms of carbon storage. As more species are added, the additional benefits per each new species become less and less.
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Why is it important?
These results are important as they show that there are additional benefits gained, in terms of carbon storage, of having grasslands with many more species rather than just one or two. This provides incentive to conserve more diverse grasslands, and to prevent their degradation.
Perspectives
One interesting finding is that just as much carbon is stored in the soils as in the vegetation itself. Also, although there are a lot claims in the literature about the greater benefits that could arise from an increase in species richness, this is one of the few studies that quantifies and values this effect.
Edward Barbier
Colorado State University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The economic value of grassland species for carbon storage, Science Advances, April 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science,
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1601880.
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