Measuring Carbon and Biodiversity

Image: Matthew Harrison Presenting at the Navigating Carbon & Biodiversity Markets Workshop Huonville (Yimin Lieww 2023) 

Monitoring and measuring carbon and biodiversity on your land can offer important benefits, both for the environment and for your own interests. The following resources, tools and methods can be used to create baseline data, show change over time, help plan projects, inform land management and decision-making, as well as access Carbon Markets and the upcoming Nature Repair Market.

If you haven’t already…do a baseline assessment of your land today! It is worthwhile even if not considering an environmental market.

As of November 2023, the methods for the Nature Repair Market have not yet been determined. If the Bill is passed, methods will then be decided and standardised. These resources offer some approaches and tools for measuring and monitoring carbon & biodiversity, particularly if you are interested in accessing the market.

Nature Repair Market

•  An overview of how the Nature Repair Market works
•  Details on the first method – replanting native forests and woodlands – which is already open to landholders in northern Tasmania
•  A look at online tools to help plan and register projects, including PLANR and the Environmental Knowledge System (EKS)

Resources:

• The Natural Capital Handbook (CSIRO)
• Farmers handbook for on-farm carbon management (AgriFutures)
• Natural Asset Farming (CSIRO)
• Carbon + Biodiversity Pilot Planting Protocol: Southern Tasmania NRM Region (NRM South)
• Soil and vegetation sequestration decision tree (Clean Energy Regulator)

Tools and Methods for Carbon: 

• SOCRATES: Estimate change in soil carbon with crop rotation
• LOOC-C: A Landscape Options and Opportunities Calculator - for Carbon
• LOOC-B: A Landscape Options and Opportunities Calculator - for Biodiversity
• FullCAM: Official Tier 3 model for Australia to estimate tree and soil carbon sequestration. Site-specific data that underpins many of ERF methodologies
• See Landcare Tas "Farms" Reading Room for more info on Carbon Farming initiatives.
• ACCU schemes for land sector

 GHG gas Calculators 

Watch this tutorial on how to use GHG accounting tools

• Greenhouse Accounting Framework (GAF) H-GAF (horticulture), SB-GAF (sheep and beef), D-GAF (dairy), G-GAF (cropping),
• Zero30 Beef farmer carbon tracker Web-based version of B-GAF, managed by UNE
• FarmGas: AFI Calculator Web-based tool but no longer contains the most-current NGGI methodology
• FarmPrint 
• Australian Dairy Carbon Calculator Stand-alone excel based dairy emissions including some mitigation options
• Cool Farm Tool Similar to the GAF tools, but does not contain Australian inventory method

Tools and Methods for Biodiversity:

• National Stewardship Trading Platform: Helping landholders to improve environmental outcomes and access future nature markets.
• Accounting for Nature Framework Read a summary of our Natural Capital Accounting info day here
• 10 Ways to improve natural assets on a farm (Sustainable Farms)
• Citizen Science Tools

Tasmanian Case Studies

• Environmental Account Five Rivers Reserve (TLC) 

Information provided by Matthew Harrison (TIA), Nature Repair Market (DCCEEW), Tasmanian Land Conservancy and NRM South (2023)