SOIL CARBON & AGROECOSYSTEM MRV
CARBON CREDIT PROJECTS IN AGROFORESTRY AND REGENERATIVE SYSTEMS
WHAT IS SOIL CARBON MRV?
Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) is the scientific and operational backbone of any credible carbon credit project. It answers three fundamental questions: How much carbon is the system sequestering? How is that change documented and reported? And how can it be independently verified?
In agroecological and agroforestry systems, MRV goes beyond simple soil sampling. It integrates field data collection, satellite remote sensing, and standardised protocols to produce rigorous, audit-ready evidence of carbon stock changes over time.
Without robust MRV, carbon credits have no scientific foundation — and no market value.
WHAT DOES TERRATURTLE OFFER?
FARM DIAGNOSTIC & BASELINE ASSESSMENT
Before a carbon project can begin, we need to understand what is already there. I conduct an on-site agroecosystem assessment covering soil organic carbon stocks, land use history, vegetation structure, and current management practices. This baseline is the reference point against which all future carbon sequestration will be measured.
FIELD DATA COLLECTION & SOIL SAMPLING DESIGN
Carbon credits are only as reliable as the sampling behind them. I design field protocols that account for the real variability of the landscape: soil type transitions, slope, land use history, vegetation cover, rather than applying a generic grid across the farm.
This includes sampling depth selection per soil horizon, composite sample design to capture spatial heterogeneity, GPS georeferencing of every sampling point for long-term spatial traceability, and coordination with accredited laboratories for TOC, bulk density, and texture analysis. The result is a sampling design that holds up under independent verification and can be repeated consistently across monitoring cycles.
REMOTE SENSING & SATELLITE DATA ANALYSIS
REMOTE SENSING DATA ANALYSIS
Field sampling captures what is happening at specific points in the soil. Satellite analysis captures what is happening across the entire landscape. Using Google Earth Engine, Sentinel-1 SAR imagery, and Sentinel-2 multispectral data, I process and analyse time series of vegetation indices (NDVI, EVI, LAI), land cover change, and above-ground biomass dynamics at farm and landscape scale.
The integration of field and satellite data produces a monitoring system that is spatially comprehensive, temporally continuous, and reproducible across annual reporting cycles.
MRV PROJECT WRITING & DOCUMENTATION
Carbon sequestration is a long-term process. I provide ongoing monitoring support, repeat sampling campaigns, satellite data updates, and annual reporting, to ensure the integrity of the project over its full crediting period.
