Browsing by Author "Gray, Kara Michelle"
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Item Changing soil degradation trends in Senegal with carbon sequestration payments(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2005) Gray, Kara Michelle; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: John Antle.In Sudo-Sahelian Africa, erosion and nutrient mining are prominent causes of soil degradation. In Senegal, harvesting grains and crop residue from the land impact heavily on soil carbon content, while the insufficient replacement of soil nutrients with fertilizers contributes to negative nutrient balances. Given the economic perspective of the rational farmer and the dynamic nature of crop and soil management issues, this thesis used a regional case study in the Groundnut Basin of Senegal to do the following: describe and assess economic incentives specific the to the case study region; model the farmer's production and decision making process; design carbon contract policies and model them within the farmer's decision making process; simulate the interaction between the current agricultural marketplace and potential carbon policies; and to assess the role that carbon sequestration could play in helping the region deal with soil degradation problems, if and when international action is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.