Dynamics of SOM on Sown Biodiverse Pastures

The results of the study of Sown Biodiverse Pastures (SBP) conducted by IST were published in three articles in international journals and a PhD thesis.

A first article (Teixeira et al., 2008a) aimed, based on the data made available by Agro 72 and Agro 87, at the determination of a dynamic for annual increments of soil organic matter (SOM) in SBP model projects. This statistical model was calibrated with data collected in eight farms in different parts of the country from 2001 to 2005 (Teixeira et al., 2008b). Subsequently been improved and disclosed in a publication cited in the ISI (Teixeira et al., 2011).

Based on this model, we estimated the sequestration capacity of SBP at 6.5 tCO₂ per hectare per year, considering the modeling of the  dynamics of soil organic matter over 10 years. This result is similar to that obtained in other preliminary studies in Portugal. Herdade dos Esquerdos (Vaiamonte, Portalegre), Engineer David Crespo got an increase of between 0.7% and 1.2% in 1979 to between 1:45% and 4.40% in 2003. This increase in SOM is higher than any other value found in natural pastures under any form of management.