Factors Affecting Carbon Sequestration in Luxembourg

The project aims to study factors affecting carbon sequestration. Various aspects are analyzed in terms of qualitative and quantitative analysis. Multiple layers of analysis was carried out to analyse focus areas- the Land Use , Geology, Terrain Analysis, Pollutants Released in Various mediums along with Geographical locations, Soil Sealing in years and changes.

Content

Luxembourg is covered with 37.2% forest,52.5% of Agricultural Land,0.5% of wetlands,9.8% of Artificial Areas. The land use patterns have major effects of carbon sequestration.

Forests need restoration by thinning dead and deceased trees and plantations of young forests. Agricultural practices show steep rise in the soil’s acidic value. Soil acidity value can be restored by altering land use methods and turning them into grasslands with cross grazing activities. Wetlands share a very small percentage in Luxembourg. Wetlands sequester more carbon and help soil to enhance biomass due to increased humidity levels in soil due to proximity to water. Wetlands also help around 1000 other organisms and their ecology which is turn fixes carbon from the atmosphere.

Soils play major role in carbon sequestration. Organic soils show higher capacity to sequester carbon and maintain ecological balance. Soil sealing has affected the soil bio-diversity and measures to restore soil ecology which is essential in urban areas. Soil sealing can be seen higher in some cantons in entire Luxembourg as the road network is very dense and there has been rise in it every year. Urban sprawl show increase of 10% of rise in footprint.

Also soils are getting contaminated with chemicals ad inorganic substances like polycyclic materials. Thus reducing the biomass generating cycle and affecting the biology. In return affecting plant and tree growth which is one of the important factors in sequestering Co2 from the atmosphere.

The study focuses on various aspects and areas which affect carbon sequestration with data analysis from Geoportal Data. This gives a comprehensive idea and layers of ecology where the reforms for the carbon capture can be proposed.

Sources: https: www.geoportail.lu.

Factors Affecting Carbon Capture in Luxembourg is a project of IAAC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia developed at Master in City & Technology in 2020/21 by student: Kshama Patil, and faculty: Diego Pajarito