Carbon Sequestration

The process of capturing and then storing carbon dioxide for a long period of time. The capturing process might occur as atmospheric capture, such as through photosynthesis which can store CO2 in trees, or as part of a manufacturing process, especially after combustion of fuel and materials. The storage of CO2 might be enhanced by creating more peat bogs, woodlands, allowing more forest regrowth, restoring drained or reclaimed saltmarshes and inland wetland, as well as using underground saline sedimentary rocks and disused oil or gas fields.

Increasing root depth and density in turfgrass swards could be used to improve carbon capture and storage of CO2 and this could provide the basis for a sustainability indicator as well as an enhanced technical performance standard for the assessment of sports pitches. Rather than just root depth being measured, more of a focus could be on root mass. From a practical perspective the assessment might be determining the, estimated, mid-point depth for 50% of the mass of roots; thus 50% of the mass will be at a depth greater than the desired value and 50% less than the value. This could be then related to overall pitch qualities, for example, a medium-shallow mid-point depth of 50-75mm might be classed as a grade 2 pitch, whilst a medium-deep mid-point depth of 100-125mm could be considered a grade 4 pitch.

Where new facilities are constructed, especially artificial surfaces, there could be a requirement to ensure that the carbon sequestration for the area that would typically have occurred is offset to allow for adequate compensatory loss of the previously natural vegetative area.