- 1University of Tuscia, DIBAF, Viterbo, Italy (martina.leoni@unitus.it)
- 2CMCC Foundation - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, Viterbo, Italy
- 3University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", DISTABIF, Caserta, Italy
The European Union’s Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) establishes robust quality standards and transparent monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems to ensure the credibility of carbon removal initiatives. Reliable MRV systems are critical for maintaining the environmental integrity of European carbon farming efforts and building stakeholder confidence in carbon accounting and reporting. Achieving these objectives requires the integration of innovative technologies with traditional methods to enhance accuracy and scalability carbon stock estimations.
Within this framework, growing attention is being directed toward methodologies for estimating carbon stocks across various pools in agroecosystems. While soil carbon estimation methods are well-established, the estimation of above-ground biomass (AGB) in agroforestry systems remains underexplored. Significant challenges in this domain include the difficulty of conducting destructive sampling in productive agricultural systems, the lack of species-specific allometric equations for woody crops, and the variability in tree structure introduced by pruning and other anthropogenic interventions.
This study applies terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) in a plum (Prunus domestica L.) orchard to address these challenges and perform non-destructive sampling of AGB for carbon stock assessment. The research employs quantitative structure modeling (QSM) to estimate tree volume and AGB with high precision, demonstrating TLS's ability to overcome limitations associated with destructive sampling, offering a scalable and repeatable approach for accurate biomass estimation in agroforestry systems. Furthermore, the study highlights the role of agroforestry in carbon sequestration efforts.
The findings highlight TLS as a valuable tool for improving the precision and reliability of carbon accounting in agroforestry systems. Its ability to provide accurate, non-destructive AGB estimates supports the effective implementation of the CRCF and advances the EU’s climate goals. Moreover, the scalability and adaptability of TLS make it a promising addition to MRV frameworks, offering stakeholders practical solutions for enhancing carbon removal initiatives.
How to cite: Leoni, M., Chiriacò, M. V., Castaldi, S., and Valentini, R.: Innovative Approaches to Carbon Stock Assessment in Agroecosystems: The Potential of TLS, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18174, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18174, 2025.