HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Duke Farms and Rutgers University are collaborating to conduct research on natural solutions to climate change.
The Duke Farms property is the site of a range of wetlands, grasslands, stream corridor, and lakeshore restorations, afforestation and reforestation projects, as well as sustainable farming practices. These areas and practices offer great promise as natural ways to sequester carbon.
“The very forward-thinking team of land managers at Duke Farms is providing us with an exciting living laboratory opportunity to conduct research regarding carbon sinks that will have value for these types of vegetative and agronomic systems within and beyond our region,” said Marjorie Kaplan, associate director of the Rutgers Climate Institute and research project director.
“Applied research such as this project, which will help improve practices and technologies at the critical nexus of agriculture, natural resources, and climate change, is a prime example of Rutgers’ land grant mission,” said Bradley Hillman, director of research at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers.
Rutgers University researchers will conduct research and monitoring on-site at Duke Farms, starting with baseline data to understand carbon stocks associated with various land types and land management strategies. They plan to devise strategies to remove significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and store it in soils and vegetation (referred to as a carbon sink).
There are three main components to establishing this carbon mitigation and research monitoring program:
• Field Sampling and Assessment Elements: measuring vegetation and soil carbon in different land types and uses (e.g., forest lands, wetlands, grasslands, and agricultural lands);
• Scaling Up Element: estimating Duke Farms’ baseline carbon stocks and sequestration based on the field sampling, mapped soils, vegetation and terrain data, and computer modeling;
• Carbon Footprint Element: estimating the net greenhouse gas emissions supporting the operation of Duke Farms in comparison to the amount of carbon stored at DukeFarms.
Through this partnership with Rutgers Climate Institute, Duke Farms seeks to demonstrate techniques in mitigating climate change through minimizing carbon emissions and maximizing the 2,742-acre property as a carbon sink. Ideally, these practices can be replicated by private and public landowners to empower people in the face of climate change.
“Natural climate solutions offer a great opportunity to complement emissions reductions and prevent the worst adverse impacts of climate change,” said Michael Catania, executive director of Duke Farms. “While there has been much discussion of these solutions in the recent scientific literature, what is needed now are specific, scientifically valid data generated by monitoring recent restoration projects and changed farming practices. Our partnership with Rutgers should address that need and help demonstrate the efficacy of using natural climate solutions.”
About Duke Farms: Duke Farms Foundation is a leader of environmental stewardship and education. Through the beauty of its natural setting, the diversity of its wildlife and the scope and quality of its programming and research, Duke Farms inspires people to transform their approach to conservation and to start building a more sustainable future. Duke Farms is a private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, which is supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, 501(c)(3).
About Rutgers Climate Institute: Rutgers Climate Institute is a university-wide effort to address one of the most important issues of our time through research, education, and outreach. The Institute draws upon the strengths in many departments at Rutgers University by facilitating collaboration across a broad range of disciplines in the natural and social sciences, the humanities, engineering, law, and medicine. Faculty affiliates are scholars whose research covers areas as close to home as the Raritan River and Jersey Shore and as far away as Africa and Indonesia. A key aspect of Rutgers Climate Institute is public outreach, education, and service to New Jersey.
