Biogenic carbon fluxes from global agriculturalproduction and consumption

Quantification of biogenic carbon fluxes from agricultural lands is needed to generate comprehensive bottom-up estimates of net carbon exchange for global and regional carbon monitoring. We estimated global agricultural carbon fluxes associated with annual crop net primary production (NPP), harvested biomass, and consumption of biomass by humans and livestock. These estimates were combined for a single estimate of net carbon exchange and spatially distributed to 0.05° resolution usingModerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometersatellite land cover data. Global crop NPP in 2011 was estimated at 5.25± 0.46 PgC yr , of which 2.05± 0.05 PgCyr 1 was harvested and 0.54 PgC yr 1 was collected from crop residuesfor livestockfodder. Total livestockfeed intake in 2011 was 2.42± 0.21 PgC yr , of which 2.31± 0.21 PgCyr 1 was emitted as CO2, 0.07± 0.01 PgC yr 1 was emitted as CH4, and 0.04 PgC yr 1 was contained within milk and egg production. Livestockgrazed an estimated 1.27 PgC yr 1 in 2011, which constituted 52.4% of total feed intake. Global human food intake was 0.57± 0.03 PgCyr 1 in 2011, the majority of which was respired as CO2. Completed global cropland carbon budgets accounted for the ultimate use of approximately 80% of harvested biomass. The spatial distribution of these fluxes may be used for global carbon monitoring, estimation of regional uncertainty, and for use as input to Earth systemmodels.