Can the carbon market curb grassland loss in the Northern Great Plains?
By Kristen Johnson In recent years dramatic amounts of grassland have been converted to cropland in the Northern Great Plains, specifically in North and South Dakota. This article estimates the large CO2 emissions generated from this conversion, making this issue relevant to not just habitat protection but also climate change mitigation. The article considers whether the current carbon market provides landowners with ample financial incentives to conserve grassland compared to potential profits from crop production. A simple economic comparison reveals that carbon credit payments at current rates are not likely, if used in isolation, to result in large-scale conservation of North and South Dakota grassland. Conservationists in North and South Dakota have witnessed what has been termed a “perfect storm” of high commodity prices, under-funded conservation programs, diminished ranching profits, and incentives for corn ethanol production (Checkett 2008). Many argue that this perfect storm
