LBA-ECO ND-02: Soil Trace Gas Flux in Amazonian Agriculture

2001-2004 measurements compare greenhouse gas emissions from slash-and-burn and chop-and-mulch farming systems in the Amazon Basin. Global warming potential CO2-equivalent emissions were at least five times lower in the chop-and-mulch system, while crop yields remained similar. The dataset includes soil fluxes of methane, nitric oxide, and nitrous oxide, along with data on fertilizer and fuel use.

Use Cases

• Comparing the global warming potential of different smallholder farming systems based on measured soil gas fluxes.
• Assessing the impact of agricultural practices on soil methane consumption and emission.
• Modeling trade-offs between soil fertility management and greenhouse gas emissions in the Amazon.
• Evaluating the feasibility of chop-and-mulch as an alternative to slash-and-burn for policy and extension work.

Strengths

• Provides a direct, integrated assessment of a key environmental issue with data spanning 2001-2004.
• Cross-platform presence (Data.gov, NASA EarthData) indicates peer-reviewed, authoritative origin from NASA.
• Contains specific, quantified findings, such as a 50% increase in soil NO/N2O emissions under mulch treatment.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is sparse; column names and exact row counts are unknown, limiting reproducibility.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2004 vs. 2026) create uncertainty about data currency and maintenance.
• Documentation gaps exist, as file formats are listed but specific data file contents are not described.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Field measurements from an integrated assessment study in Para, Brazil.

Time Range

2001 to 2004

Freshness

2026-04-10 (most recent platform update, though underlying data is from 2001-2004)

Geography

Amazon Basin, Para, Brazil