Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2007. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-103). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2006. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Richard E. Engel. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-84).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 118-123).

AQUINO, Deodato do Nascimento. Ciclagem de carbono e caracterização espectral em áreas de caatinga raleada e conservada. 2015. 180 f. Tese (doutorado em engenharia agrícola)- Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza-CE, 2015. / Submitted by Elineudson Ribeiro (elineudsonr@gmail.com) on 2016-03-31T19:05:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_tese_dnaquino.pdf: 3368544 bytes, checksum: 76985c301b115514e30cc2c3841601de (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by José Jairo Viana de Sousa (jairo@ufc.br) on 2016-05-18T20:40:24Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_tese_dnaquino.pdf: 3368544 bytes, checksum: 76985c301b115514e30cc2c3841601de (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-18T20:40:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_tese_dnaquino.pdf: 3368544 bytes, checksum: 76985c301b115514e30cc2c3841601de (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects in the Caatinga biome of the technique of thinning on the dynamics of herbaceous phytomass productivity; fine roots; the deposition, accumulation and rates of decomposition of litter; aggregate stability; respirometry of the soil; stocks of carbon and nitrogen; and characterisation of changes in the spectral behaviour of the canopy. The study was carried out in two stages: the first in watersheds in the town of Iguatu, in the south central region of the State of Ceará, Brazil, and the second in the watershed of the Caxitoré River, in the northern region of the state. The Iguatu experimental area comprised two watersheds, one under thinning for 5 years (CR5) and the other preserved with natural vegetation for 35 years (CS35). The variables to be sampled were: productivity of herbaceous biomass; fine roots; gravimetric moisture; isotope δ13C (‰); aggregate stability; deposition, accumulation and rates of decomposition of litter; and stocks of total organic carbon and total nitrogen in the 0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm layers, from April 2013 to March 2014. The data were submitted to the analysis of means test and compared by t-test (p≤ 0.05). The increase in the intensity of herbaceous plants resulting from thinning contributed to an increase in stocks of total organic carbon (249% and 139% in the 20-40 cm and 40-60 cm layers respectively) and of total nitrogen (142% and 137% respectively), in relation to the area under preservation. The 0-10 cm layer of CR5 stored double the amount of fine roots found in CS35. In the topsoil (0-20 cm) of CR5, aggregates with a size 2.15 times greater than those found in CS35 were obtained. The greater conservation of litter on the soil of CR5 is associated with the greater input of lignified woody biomass from thinning, and consequently with the lower rates of decomposition and respirometry, which are evidenced by the low CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Thinning in a Vertisol of the Caatinga biome has an influence on soil structure and on the stocks of carbon and nitrogen, making possible lower rates of CO2 emission and improving conditions for the infiltration of water. In the second phase of the experiment, SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) data were used to evaluate the effect of the illumination geometry on the spectral characterisation of the canopy, as well as images from the OLI/Landsat 8 sensor, representative of the rainy and dry seasons of 2013. The images were converted into physical values (surface reflectance factors), the NDVI was calculated, and with the technique of principal component analysis images PC1 and PC2 were generated. Dispersion for the values of PC1 and PC2 from the different canopies was evaluated in a two-dimensional space. It was found that the reflectance intensity of the incident electromagnetic radiation in canopies of the caatinga biome is not only influenced by seasonality, but also by the illumination geometry arising from the topographical characteristics of the terrain. The effect of shading was predominant during the dry season, especially under low lighting conditions, irrespective of the structure of the plant cover. The NDVI proved to be unsuitable for detecting changes in the spectral behaviour of the Caatinga biome during the rainy season. / Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar os efeitos da técnica de raleamento do bioma caatinga sobre a dinâmica da produtividade de fitomassa herbácea; raízes finas; deposição, acumulação e taxas de decomposição da serapilheira; estabilidade de agregados; respirometria do solo; estoque de carbono, nitrogênio e caracterização das alterações no comportamento espectral do dossel. O estudo foi conduzido em duas etapas: a primeira em microbacias hidrográficas no município de Iguatu, região centro sul e a segunda na bacia hidrográfica do rio Caxitoré, região norte, ambas no estado do Ceará. A área experimental de Iguatu consistiu de duas microbacias adjacentes, sendo uma raleada por 5 anos (CR5) e a outra conservada com vegetação natural há 35 anos (CS35). As variáveis amostradas foram: produtividade de fitomassa herbácea, raízes finas, umidade gravimétrica, isótopo δ13C (‰), estabilidade de agregados, deposição, acumulação e taxas de decomposição da serapilheira, estoque de carbono orgânico total e nitrogênio total nas camadas de 0-20, 20-40 e 40-60 cm entre abril/2013 e março/2014. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de teste de média e confrontados pelo Teste T (p≤0,05). O aumento da intensidade de plantas herbáceas decorrente da técnica de raleamento contribuiu para o acréscimo nos estoques de carbono orgânico total (249% e 139% nas camadas 20-40 cm e 40-60 cm, respectivamente) e do nitrogênio total (142% e 137%, respectivamente) em relação à área conservada. A camada de 0-10 cm da parcela CR5 armazenou o dobro do quantitativo de raízes finas encontradas em relação a CS35. Na camada superficial do solo (0-20 cm) da CR5 foram obtidos agregados com tamanho de 2,15 vezes acima dos obtidos na CS35. A maior conservação de serapilheira no solo da CR5 está associada aos maiores aportes de fitomassa lenhosa lignificada proveniente do raleamento, e consequentemente das menores taxas de decomposição e respirometria, constatada pelas baixas emissões de CO2 à atmosfera. O raleamento em Vertissolo do bioma Caatinga exerce influência na estruturação do solo, no estoque de Carbono e Nitrogênio, possibilitando as menores taxas de emissão de CO2 e melhorando as condições para a infiltração de água. Já na segunda etapa do experimento, foram utilizados dados do SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) para avaliação do efeito da geometria de iluminação na caracterização espectral do dossel, além de imagens do sensor OLI/LANDSAT 8 representativas da estação chuvosa e seca de 2013. As imagens foram convertidas em valores físicos (fatores de reflectância de superfície), calculado o índice NDVI e, a partir da técnica de componentes principais, geradas imagens PC1 e PC2. Foram avaliadas as dispersões dos valores de PC1 e PC2, em um espaço bidimensional, provenientes dos diferentes dosséis. Os resultados indicaram que a intensidade de reflectância da radiação eletromagnética incidente em dosséis do bioma caatinga é influenciada tanto pela sazonalidade climática quanto pela geometria de iluminação decorrentes das características topográficas do relevo. O efeito sombreamento foi predominante durante o período seco, principalmente para condição de pouca iluminação independentemente da estrutura de cobertura vegetal. O NDVI não se mostrou adequado para detectar alterações no comportamento espectral do bioma caatinga durante a estação chuvosa.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-08-20T17:10:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-04-08. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-20T17:26:59Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000842997_20200414.pdf: 86943 bytes, checksum: 7412fff38136c54a3f28ead5328f0880 (MD5) / O desafio do setor agrícola é reduzir as emissões e aumentar a produção de alimentos, tendo em conta os aspectos ambientais. Na zona andina da Colômbia, há uma crescente necessidade de se desenvolver técnicas de mitigação de GEE (gases de efeito estufa) associados à produção de leite. Este trabalho considera as emissões de GEE e os potenciais sumidouros de carbono associados aos cenários de produção de leite na zona andina da Colômbia. Os cenários considerados foram: agricultura convencional de Pennisetum clandestinum em rotação com batatas (PRP), pastagens melhoradas de Lolium multiflorum (IP) e sistema silvipastoril de Pennisetum clandestinum em consórcio com Acacia decurrens e Trifolium repens (SPS). Com base nas metodologias do IPCC (2006) e considerando-se um ciclo de produção de 6 anos, o balanço anual das emissões compreende as fontes agrícolas e o consumo de gasolina relacionadas com as principais fases de produção agrícola, e o potencial de acúmulo de C no solo e a fixação de C na biomassa em todos os cenários estudados. Menores emissões de GEE foram estimados no cenário de PRP (3.864 kg CO2eq ha-1 ano-1), porém apresenta uma menor produtividade de leite. As maiores emissões de GEE foram observadas no cenário IP (7.711 kg CO2eq ha-1 ano-1), que apresentou uma maior produtividade de leite e um potencial considerável para o acúmulo de C no solo, que poderia ajudar na compensação das emissões. No cenário SPS, que tem uma produtividade de leite próximo de IP, apresentou o maior potencial para compensar as emissões de GEE (4.878 kg CO2eq ha-1 ano-1) devido ao acúmulo de C solo e a fixação de C na biomassa em árvores / The challenge of agricultural sector is to reduce emissions and increase food production, taking into account environmental aspects. In Andean zone of Colombia, there is a growing need to develop GHG (greenhouse gas) mitigation techniques associated to milk production. This work focuses on the GHG emissions and potential sinks associated to milk production scenarios in the Andean zone of Colombia. The scenarios considered were: conventional agriculture of Pennisetum clandestinum in rotation with potatoes (PRP), improved pastures of Lolium multiflorum (IP) and silvopastoral system of Pennisetum clandestinum in consortium with Acacia decurrens and Trifolium repens (SPS). Based on the IPCC (2006) methodologies, the annual emission balance for a 6-year production cycle included agricultural sources and gasoline consumption related to the main agricultural phases in field, and the potential for soil C accumulation and biomass C fixation in all studied scenarios. Lower GHG emissions were estimated in PRP scenario (3,864 kg CO2eq ha-1 yr-1), but this presents the lower milk productivity. The higher GHG emissions were observed in IP scenario (7,711 kg CO2eq ha-1 yr-1), which presented the highest milk productivity and a considerable potential for soil C accumulation, that could help into the offset of its emissions. But SPS scenario, which has a milk productivity close to IP, presented the highest potential to offset GHG emission (4,878 kg CO2eq ha-1 yr-1) due to soil C accumulation plus biomass C fixation in trees

Orientadora: Ivonete Ávila / Coorientadora: Gretta Larisa Aurora Arce / Banca: João Andrade de Carvalho / Banca: Turibio Gomes Soares Neto / Resumo: Nesta dissertação, investiga-se a reação de dissolução ácida de rochas silicatos brasileiras visando a aplicação em um processo de captura e sequestro de carbono denominado por Carbonatação Mineral. Na carbonatação mineral pela rota indireta utiliza-se ácidos, bases ou sais de amônia para a extração do magnésio, principalmente, presente na rocha silicato a fim de a formar carbonatos estáveis. Destaca-se que a etapa de dissolução ácida é uma fase limitante para o processo de carbonatação mineral, principalmente por apresentar baixa taxa de reação. O objetivo deste trabalho é utilizar o ácido clorídrico (HCl) e dois serpentinitos oriundos do estado de Goiás e Minas Gerais para avaliar o processo de dissolução ácida. Os serpentinitos foram preparados, selecionados e caracterizados para determinar a composição elementar. Aplicou-se o planejamento experimental e arranjo L9 de Taguchi na avaliação dos fatores que influenciam o processo de dissolução, tais como, temperatura do processo, concentração do HCl, tamanho médio das partículas da matéria prima e excesso de ácido. Os 9 ensaios previstos na matriz de planejamento para cada serpentinito foram executados de forma aleatória e em duplicata. Os produtos finais, resíduo sólido retido no papel filtro e solução contendo os elementos de interesse, foram analisados obtendo-se a composição elementar das soluções. Considerando-se os testes previstos na matriz de planejamento, a condição de melhor ajuste para extração de Mg foi utilizando-se a granulometria média de 69 µm, temperatura de 70oC, HCl 2 M com quatro vezes a quantidade estequiométrica. Nas soluções foram obtidas as concentrações de 29% e 76% de Mg para as amostras de serpentinito de Minas Gerais e de Goiás, respectivamente. Foram também avaliadas ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In this dissertation, acid dissolution reaction of Brazilian silicate rocks was investigated aiming the implementation in a Carbon Capture and Storage process named Mineral Carbonation. In the mineral carbonation by indirect route, acids, bases or salts of ammonia are used for magnesium extraction, mainly, present in the silicate rock in order to form stable carbonates. It is noteworthy that the acid dissolution step is a limiting step in the process of mineral carbonation, mainly because of its low reaction rate. The objective of this study was to use hydrochloric acid (HCl) and two serpentinites from Goiás and Minas Gerais states to evaluate the acid dissolution process. The serpentinites were prepared, selected, and characterized to determine the elemental composition. The L9 experimental design and Taguchi arrangement were applied to evaluate the factors that influence in the dissolution process, such as process temperature, HCl concentration, average particle size of material and acid excess. The nine tests prescribed in planning matrix for each serpentinite were performed at random and in duplicate. The end products, solid residue retained on the filter paper and the solution containing the elements of interest were analyzed obtaining the elemental composition of the solutions. Considering the prevised tests on planning matrix, the best adjust condition for Mg extraction was using the average particle size of 69 µm temperature of 70°C, 2 M HCl with four times the stoichiometric amount. In the solutions, the concentrations obtained were 29% and 76% Mg for samples of serpentinite from Minas Gerais and Goiás, respectively. The best conditions for the extraction of Fe and Ca and lower extraction of Si were evaluated, since Si decreases the conversion in the process. In the statistical analysis was found ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Holding approximately 89,000 Tg of organic carbon, tropical peatlands are one of the largest pedological sinks of carbon (Page et al., 2011). Waterlogged conditions in undisturbed peatlands reduce heterotrophic respiration and provide environments in which organic matter accumulates (Moore et al., 2013). However, from 1990 to 2010, the forest cover in the peatlands of South East Asia fell from 77% to 36%; at this rate of decline, all of the undisturbed peatlands are likely to have disappeared by 2030 (Li et al., 2007; Koh et al., 2011; Miettinen et al., 2011). Land-use changes in these ecosystems can have important consequences for carbon (C) budgets (Page et al., 2002; Hooijer et al., 2010). Recently a number of studies have been carried out on tropical peatlands (e.g. Couwenberg et al., 2010; Hergoualc'h and Verchot, 2011; Hirano et al., 2012; Jauhiainen et al., 2005, 2012; Li et al., 2007; Melling et al., 2005; Page et al., 2009), but some parts of the C budget are yet to be quantified. In order to fill these gaps in our knowledge, the goal of this work was to assess heterotrophic and total soil respiration, litterfall, litter decomposition and evaluate peat properties in an intact peat swamp forest, a transitional logged drained forest and an oil palm plantation located on the same alluvial peat plain. This in-situ research lasted two years, and heterotrophic and total soil respiration were separated using the trenching method. Our results from the carbon dioxide flux monitoring in the three land uses showed that the trenched plots provided a good proxy for heterotrophic respiration. The annual integrated total soil respiration was lower in the intact and drained forest than in the oil palm plantation, at 20.2 ±3.4, 18.7 ±1.1 and 26.4 ±1.7 Mg C ha-1 y-1, respectively. A similar pattern was seen in the heterotrophic respiration for the same land uses, 9.6 ±7.7, 15.7 ±1.0 and 22.9 ±2.0 Mg C ha-1 y-1, respectively. When extrapolated to the landscape, the percentage of heterotrophic 4 respiration appeared to have significantly increased following drainage, even before the conversion to oil palm, with percentages of 47.6 ±10.1, 83.9 ±7.3, 86.6 ±1.9 for intact forest, drained forest and oil palm plantation, respectively. The average litterfall in the three land uses was not significantly different, at 26.3 ±4.1, 23.2 ±4.2 and 18.6 ±3.5 kg dry litter ha-1 d-1 respectively. Overall, the C fluxes results produced in this thesis point towards a negative C balance (i.e. net ecosystem loss of C) for the drained forest, a pronounced negative C balance for the oil palm plantation and a near neutral balance for the intact forest. Other relevant findings in the study were: (1) the impacts of N fertilizer application in the oil palm plantation lasted only a few days and were unlikely to have significant consequences on the annual C budget; (2) concerns over the diurnal variability of carbon dioxide fluxes are not particularly pertinent in these tropical peatlands; and (3) the principal soil property affected by drainage and land-use change was the abundance of logs in the soil. In summary, the results produced in this thesis represent noteworthy data about the C budget and C dynamics in tropical peatlands and will help decision making by policy makers and land managers for sustainable use of these ecosystems.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Agronomy / Charles W. Rice / Atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gases (GHG) carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide, and methane have been increasing since the Industrial Revolution. An expanding human population, increased fossil fuel use, extensive ecosystem disturbance, and intensive production agriculture have contributed to this increase. Storing carbon (C) in soil in natural and agricultural ecosystems has the potential to offset a portion of the future atmospheric increases in CO2 levels. Laboratory and field studies were conducted to evaluate basic mechanisms of C sequestration. The research reported here focuses on identifying strategies to reduce C loss from soil by (1) slowing plant residue decomposition rates, or (2) increasing soil fungal dominance and physical protection of soil C. Grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) hybrids were used in a laboratory experiment to determine the effect of varied amounts of lignin on plant residue C mineralization. The different levels of lignin in the hybrids was not strongly correlated with plant residue C mineralization. Another laboratory experiment investigated larger differences in lignin content between crop plants. Plant residue exhibiting the natural mutation referred to as brown midrib (bmr) also had lowered total lignin and different lignin chemistry. The bmr plants decomposed faster than the normal isolines, and the addition of nitrogen lowered overall mineralization. Nitrogen additions also significantly impacted the microbial community by lowering total phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) and shifting fungal energy storage physiology. A field experiment was conducted to measure the soil microbial response to adding grain sorghum residue in both tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT) agricultural ecosystems. The residue mineralized similarly in both systems, but the NT microbial population was stimulated significantly greater than CT. The fungal PLFA in NT 0-5 cm was higher than NT 5-15 cm, CT 0-5 cm, or CT 5-15 cm. A significantly greater amount of plant residue C was found in soil macroaggregates, as compared to microaggregates, at the conclusion of the experiment, regardless of tillage. More N was found in NT macroaggregates than in CT macroaggregates. The experiment identified two mechanisms for increased C storage in NT soils, as compared to CT soils.

Orientador: Ciro Antonio Rosolem / Coorientador: Wander Luis Barbosa Borges / Banca: Carlos Alexandre Costa Crusciol / Banca: Antonio Costa do Nascimento / Banca: José Leonardo de Moraes Gonçalves / Resumo: Os objetivos deste trabalho foram investigar a contribuição do sistema radicular de eucalipto e U. brizantha, no sequestro de carbono, e as propriedades microbiológicas do solo em sistema integrado de produção agropecuária. O sistema era composto por 2 eucaliptos, E. grancam e E. urograndis, integrados com a forrageira [Urochloa brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) R. Webster 'Marandu'] em região tropical. A inserção do eucalipto em área de pastagem reduz a produtividade de forragem até pelo menos 2 m de distância do eucalipto. A produtividade de forragem integrada aumenta ao longo do transecto de 1,7 Mg ha-1 a 0 m para 4,45 Mg ha-1 aos 6 m do eucalipto. A densidade de comprimento radicular é modificada mais na superfície do solo principalmente até 0,4 m, sendo que a inserção do eucalipto em área de pastagem reduz a densidade de comprimento, densidade e diâmetro radicular. As quantidades de raízes de eucalipto (C3) são mais abundantes próximo das árvores, e são reduzidas com a distância do eucalipto até 1 m de profundidade. A quantidade total de raízes no solo é menor com a inserção do componente florestal em área de pastagem bem manejadas, de 11,6 Mg ha-1 em sistema integrado de produção para 18,4 Mg ha-1 na pastagem a pleno sol, correspondendo a redução de 36 % na quantidade de raízes no solo até 1 m de profundidade. Os estoques de C variaram de 62-65 Mg ha-1 no sistema integrado de produção, não diferindo entre os eucaliptos, e nem quanto às distâncias do eucalipto, o sistema i... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The objective of this work was to investigate the contributions of the eucalyptus and U. brizantha root system, carbon sequestration, and microbiological soil properties in an integrated crop-livestock system (ICLS). The system was composed of two eucalyptus, E. grancam and E. urograndis, integrated with a forage [Urochloa brizantha (Hochst. Ex A. Rich.) R. Webster 'Marandu'] in a tropical region. The insertion of eucalyptus in a pasture area reduces forage production up to 2 m away from the eucalyptus. An integrated forage yield increased along the transect from 1.7 Mg ha-1 to 0 m to 4.45 Mg ha-1 to 6 m of eucalyptus. The root length density was modified more in the soil surface, up to 0.4 m, than deep in the soil and the insertion of the eucalyptus in the pasture area reduced the density of length, overall density, and root diameter of the eucalyptus. The amounts of eucalyptus (C3) roots are more abundant near the trees and most of these are within a depth of 1 m. The total amount of non-soil roots is lower with an insertion of the forest component in a well-managed pasture area, from 11.6 Mg ha-1 in an integrated production system to 18.4 Mg ha-1 in the pasture in full sun, corresponding to a 36% reduction in the amount of roots in the soil up to 1 m in depth. C stocks ranged from 62-65 Mg ha-1 without an integrated production system, not differing between eucalyptus, nor even at the distances of eucalyptus, and the integrated production system maintained C stocks close to the initial condition (66 Mg ha-1). C stocks were higher in the production of an integrated agricultural production system only in the layer 0-0.20 m deep. The soil isotopic analysis showed no change in δ13C values as a function of the insertion of eucalyptus (C3) in ICLS up to 1 m. In the integrated system there is stratification of the soil unit, with lower soil moisture near the eucalyptus. Despite increasing ... / Doutor

Orientador: Newton La Scala Junior / Coorientador: Eduardo Barretto de Figueiredo / Banca: Débora Marcondes Bastos Pereira Milori / Banca: Marcelo Valadares Galdos / Banca: Gener Tadeu Pereira / Banca: Glauco de Souza Rolim / Resumo: O desafio do setor agrícola é reduzir as emissões e aumentar a produção de alimentos, tendo em conta os aspectos ambientais. Na zona andina da Colômbia, há uma crescente necessidade de se desenvolver técnicas de mitigação de GEE (gases de efeito estufa) associados à produção de leite. Este trabalho considera as emissões de GEE e os potenciais sumidouros de carbono associados aos cenários de produção de leite na zona andina da Colômbia. Os cenários considerados foram: agricultura convencional de Pennisetum clandestinum em rotação com batatas (PRP), pastagens melhoradas de Lolium multiflorum (IP) e sistema silvipastoril de Pennisetum clandestinum em consórcio com Acacia decurrens e Trifolium repens (SPS). Com base nas metodologias do IPCC (2006) e considerando-se um ciclo de produção de 6 anos, o balanço anual das emissões compreende as fontes agrícolas e o consumo de gasolina relacionadas com as principais fases de produção agrícola, e o potencial de acúmulo de C no solo e a fixação de C na biomassa em todos os cenários estudados. Menores emissões de GEE foram estimados no cenário de PRP (3.864 kg CO2eq ha-1 ano-1), porém apresenta uma menor produtividade de leite. As maiores emissões de GEE foram observadas no cenário IP (7.711 kg CO2eq ha-1 ano-1), que apresentou uma maior produtividade de leite e um potencial considerável para o acúmulo de C no solo, que poderia ajudar na compensação das emissões. No cenário SPS, que tem uma produtividade de leite próximo de IP, apresentou o maior potencial para compensar as emissões de GEE (4.878 kg CO2eq ha-1 ano-1) devido ao acúmulo de C solo e a fixação de C na biomassa em árvores / Abstract: The challenge of agricultural sector is to reduce emissions and increase food production, taking into account environmental aspects. In Andean zone of Colombia, there is a growing need to develop GHG (greenhouse gas) mitigation techniques associated to milk production. This work focuses on the GHG emissions and potential sinks associated to milk production scenarios in the Andean zone of Colombia. The scenarios considered were: conventional agriculture of Pennisetum clandestinum in rotation with potatoes (PRP), improved pastures of Lolium multiflorum (IP) and silvopastoral system of Pennisetum clandestinum in consortium with Acacia decurrens and Trifolium repens (SPS). Based on the IPCC (2006) methodologies, the annual emission balance for a 6-year production cycle included agricultural sources and gasoline consumption related to the main agricultural phases in field, and the potential for soil C accumulation and biomass C fixation in all studied scenarios. Lower GHG emissions were estimated in PRP scenario (3,864 kg CO2eq ha-1 yr-1), but this presents the lower milk productivity. The higher GHG emissions were observed in IP scenario (7,711 kg CO2eq ha-1 yr-1), which presented the highest milk productivity and a considerable potential for soil C accumulation, that could help into the offset of its emissions. But SPS scenario, which has a milk productivity close to IP, presented the highest potential to offset GHG emission (4,878 kg CO2eq ha-1 yr-1) due to soil C accumulation plus biomass C fixation in trees / Arvores. / Doutor