Cover Crops May Cause Winter Warming in Snow-Covered Regions

Lombardozzi, D. L.; Bonan, G. B.; Wieder, W.; Grandy, A. S.; Morris, C.; Lawrence, D. L.

doi:10.1029/2018gl079000

Cover Crops May Cause Winter Warming in Snow-Covered Regions

Journal Article · Wed Sep 12 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl079000· OSTI ID:1539749

^[1]; ^[2]; ^[3]; Grandy, A. S. ^[4]; ^[5]; ^[2]

National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States); DOE/OSTI
National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States); Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States)
Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)

Cover crops, grown between cash crops when soil is fallow, are a management strategy that may help mitigate climate change. The biogeochemical effects of cover crops are well documented, as they provide numerous localized benefits to farmers. We test potential biogeophysical climate impacts of idealized cover crop scenarios by assuming that cover crops are planted offseason in all crop regions throughout North America. Our results suggest that planting cover crops increases wintertime temperature up to 3 °C in central North America by decreasing albedo in regions with variable snowpack. Cover crops with higher leaf area indices increase temperature more by decreasing broadband albedo, while decreasing cover crop height helped to mitigate the temperature increase as the shorter height was more frequently buried by snow. Thus, climate mitigation potential must consider the biogeophysical impacts of planting cover crops, and varietal selection can minimize winter warming.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: FC03-97ER62402; SC0012972

OSTI ID:: 1539749

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1479149

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 18 Vol. 45; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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