CO2 emissions from liming of agricultural soils in Brazil

[1] This paper presents a first estimation of net CO2 fluxes from liming of agricultural soils in Brazil for the period 1990–2000. The calculation was based on the methodology proposed by the IPCC, but separately conducted for the five administrative Brazilian regions. The summarized annual CO2 emission for Brazil varied from 4.9 to 9.4 Tg CO2 yr−1 with a mean CO2 emission of about 7.2 Tg CO2 yr−1. The South, Southeast and Center region accounted for a least 92% of total emission. Neglecting the emissions from organic soils, the CO2 fluxes from soils (reported under the category 5-D in the National Inventories of Greenhouse Gas Emission) amounted an updated value of around 51.9 Tg CO2 yr−1 for the period 1975–1995. Uncertainties, projection and other correlated fluxes related with liming are briefly discussed.