How do hedgerows influence soil organic carbon stock in livestock‐grazed pasture?

Hedgerows have the potential to influence ecosystem function in livestock‐grazed pasture. Despite this, they are often ignored when quantifying farmland ecosystem service delivery. In this study, we assess the contribution of hedgerows to the ecosystem function of carbon (C) storage, with a particular emphasis on soil organic carbon (SOC). We measured SOC stock (kg C m^?2), on an equivalent soil mass basis, at 0–0.15 m depth in pasture adjacent to 38 hedgerows (biotic) and 16 stone walls or fences (abiotic controls) across ten farms in the county of Conwy, Wales, UK. Pasture SOC stock (~7 kg C m^?2) was similar adjacent to biotic and abiotic field boundaries, positively associated with soil moisture and negatively with soil bulk density (BD). For biotic boundaries, two further variables were significantly associated with SOC stock, distance from hedgerow (decrease in SOC stock) and slope orientation (upslope SOC stock greater than downslope). For pasture adjacent to hedgerows, a model combining the aforementioned variables (BD, soil moisture, distance from hedgerow, slope orientation) explained 78% of variation in SOC stock. This study demonstrates that whilst hedgerows do have subtle positive effects on SOC stock in adjacent pasture, SOC storage adjacent to field boundaries is influenced more by soil moisture content and BD than field boundary type.     

耕作与轮作方式对黑土有机碳和全氮储量的影响

土壤有机碳(SOC)及全氮(TN)对土壤肥力、作物产量、农业可持续发展以及全球碳、氮循环等都具有重要影响。为探索不同耕作和轮作方式对耕层黑土SOC和TN储量的影响,本文以吉林省德惠市进行了8 a的田间定位试验中层黑土为研究对象,对免耕、垄作和秋翻三种耕作方式及玉米-大豆轮作和玉米连作两种轮作方式下SOC和TN在各土层的含量变化进行了分析,并采用等质量土壤有机质储量计算方法,对比分析了不同处理对0～30 cm SOC和TN储量的影响。结果表明,与试验开始前相比,玉米-大豆轮作系统中,秋翻下SOC和TN储量均有所降低;免耕显著增加了0～5 cm SOC及TN含量,但SOC在亚表层亏损,导致其储量并未增加;而垄作处理下SOC及TN含量在0～5、5～10 cm的均显著增加,0～30 cm储量亦分别增加了4.9%和10.7%。玉米连作系统的两种耕作处理(免耕和秋翻)下SOC和TN储量均有所增加,且TN储量增幅均高于玉米-大豆轮作系统,其中免耕下TN储量增幅是玉米-大豆轮作的3.2倍。所有处理下C/N均呈降低趋势,其中垄作0～5 cm C/N由12.05降至11.04,降低幅度分别是免耕和秋翻的3.2和2.8倍。综上可知,对质地黏重排水不良的中层黑土,玉米-大豆轮作系统下免耕并不是促进SOC固定的有效形式,而垄作则促进了黑土SOC和TN的积累,这不仅有利于土壤肥力的改善,而且是使农田黑土由CO2"源"变为"汇"的有效形式之一。与玉米-大豆轮作相比,玉米连作下三种耕作方式都有利于SOC和TN积累。     

耕作方式对华北农田土壤固碳效应的影响

研究不同耕作方式对华北农田土壤固碳及碳库管理指数的影响,可为探寻有利于农田固碳的耕作方式提供科学依据。该研究在中国农业大学吴桥实验站进行,试验于2008年设置了免耕秸秆不还田(NT0)、翻耕秸秆不还田(CT0)、免耕秸秆还田(NT)、翻耕秸秆还田(CT)和旋耕秸秆还田(RT)5个处理。研究测定分析了土壤容重、有机碳、易氧化有机碳含量及不同耕作方式下的碳库管理指数。通过对不同耕作方式下0～110cm土壤的分析,结果表明,随着土层的加深,土壤有机碳含量不断下降,NT显著增加了表层(0～10cm)土壤有机碳含量,而>10～50cm有机碳含量较其他处理(NT0除外)有所下降,深层(>50～110cm)处理间差异不明显;土壤容重与有机碳含量呈显著的负相关关系(P<0.01);0～30cm土层有机碳储量以NT最高,CT与其无明显差异,二者较CT0分别高出13.1%和11.0%,而至0～50cm土层,CT的碳储量最高,但与NT无显著差异(P<0.05);与CT0相比,NT0降低了各层土壤易氧化有机碳含量,而NT则在0～10cm土层表现为增加;RT、CT分别显著增加了0～10、>10～30cm土层的碳库管理指数。结果表明,秸秆还田可改善土壤质量,提高农田碳库管理指数,同时碳库管理指数受耕作方式的影响也较大,尤其是CT和RT;NT通过减少土壤扰动、增加有机质的输入,可提高上层土壤有机碳的储量。     

Storage and controlling factors of soil organic carbon in alpine wetlands and meadow across the Tibetan Plateau

Alpine wetlands and meadows across the Three Rivers Source Region (TRSR) store high soil organic carbon (SOC). However, information on factors affecting SOC storage is scanty. Herein, we investigated SOC storage and explored factors affecting SOC storage, including climate, soil properties and above- and belowground biomass, using 50 soil profiles across the TRSR on the Tibetan Plateau. The SOC storage was 491.9 ± 158.5 Tg C and 545.2 ± 160.8 Tg C in the TRSR alpine wetlands and meadow, respectively. The SOC stock was positively correlated with the mean annual precipitation. However, no significant correlation between SOC stock and mean annual temperature was observed, as opposed to the global trend. In addition, SOC stock was positively correlated with both the aboveground biomass (AGB) and belowground biomass (BGB). Soil pH indirectly affected SOC stock, while SOC stock positively correlated with Al and Fe oxyhydroxides. Compared with vegetation biomass and climatic factors, soil properties, including soil pH and Al and Fe oxyhydroxides (Al_o and Fe_o), affected not only SOC stock variation but also affected the impact of vegetation and climatic factors on SOC stock. Climate factors, AGB, BGB, soil pH, Al_o and Fe_o jointly accounted for 59% of SOC stock variation in alpine wetlands and 64% of SOC stock variation in alpine meadow. This study suggests that soil properties are the dominant factors affecting SOC variation in alpine wetlands and meadow on the Tibetan Plateau.     

Change in soil organic carbon following the ‘Grain‐for‐Green’ programme in China

Agricultural soils are considered to have great potential for carbon sequestration through land‐use change. In this paper, we compiled data from the literatures and studied the change in soil organic carbon (SOC) following the ‘Grain‐for‐Green’ Programme (GGP, i.e., conversion from farmland to plantation, secondary forests and grasslands) in China. The results showed that SOC stocks accumulated at an average rate of 36·67 g m⁻² y⁻¹ in the top 20 cm with large variation. The current SOC storage could be estimated using the initial SOC stock and year since land use transformation (Adjusted R² = 0·805, p = 0·000). After land use change, SOC stocks decreased during the initial 4–5 years, followed by an increase after above ground vegetation restoration. Annual average precipitation and initial SOC stocks had a significant effect (p < 0·05) on the rate of change in SOC, while no significant effects were observed between plantation and natural regeneration (p > 0·05). The ongoing ‘Grain‐for‐Green’ project might make significant contribution to China's carbon sequestration. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Limitations of farm management data in analyses of decadal changes in SOC stocks in the Danish soil-monitoring network

Changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in agricultural land are an important part of the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry component of national greenhouse gas emission inventories. Furthermore, as climate mitigation strategies and incentives for carbon farming are being developed, accurate estimates of SOC stocks are essential to verify any management-induced changes in SOC. Based on agricultural mineral soils in the Danish soil-monitoring network, we analysed management effects on SOC stocks using data from the two most recent surveys (2009 and 2019). Between 2009 and 2019, the average increase in SOC stock was 1.2 Mg C ha⁻¹ for 0–50 cm despite a loss of 1.2 Mg C ha⁻¹ from the topsoil (0–25 cm), stressing the importance of including deeper soil layers in soil-monitoring networks. Comparing all four national surveys (1986, 1997, 2009, 2019), the mean SOC stock of mineral soils in Denmark appears stable. The change in SOC stock between 2009 and 2019 was analysed in detail in relation to management practices as reported by farmers. We found that the effects of single management factors were difficult to isolate from co-varying factors including soil parameters and that the use of farm management data to explain changes in SOC stocks observed in soil-monitoring networks appears limited. Uncertainty in SOC stock estimates also arises from low sampling frequency and statistical challenges related to regression to the mean. However, repeated stock measurements at decadal intervals still represent a benchmark for the overall development in regional and national SOC storage, as affected by actual farm management.     

Land‐use effects on the distribution of soil organic carbon within particle‐size fractions of volcanic soils in the Transmexican Volcanic Belt (Mexico)

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of land‐use and forest cover depletion on the distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) within particle‐size fractions in a volcanic soil. Emphasis was given to the thermal properties of soils. Six representative sites in Mexico were selected in an area dominated by Andosols: a grassland site, four forested sites with different levels of degradation and an agricultural site. Soils were fractionated using ultrasonic energy until complete dispersion was achieved. The particle‐size fractions were coarse sand, fine sand, silt, clay and particulate organic matter from the coarse sand sized fraction (POM‐CS) and fine sand (POM‐FS). Soil organic carbon decreased by 70% after forest conversion to cropland and long‐term cultivation; forest cover loss resulted in a decrease in SOC of up to 60%. The grassland soil contained 45% more SOC than the cropland one. Soil organic carbon was mainly associated with the silt‐size fraction; the most sensitive fractions to land‐use change and forest cover depletion were POM followed by SOC associated with the silt and clay‐sized fractions. Particulate organic matter can be used as an early indicator of SOC loss. The C lost from the clay and silt‐sized fractions was thermally labile; therefore, the SOC stored in the more degraded forest soils was more recalcitrant (thermally resistant). Only the transformation of forest to agricultural land produced a similar loss of thermally stable C associated with the silt‐sized fraction.     

Number of soil profiles needed to give a reliable overall estimate of soil organic carbon storage using profile carbon density data

Abstract

Soil profile data are the basis for estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and any changes in SOC storage, which are of great significance in terms of global climate change. Estimates based on various profile data have been made for SOC storage in China. Modeling studies have given contrasting results on changes in SOC storage in Chinese croplands. A certain number of measured soil profile data are needed to validate the modeled results. In the present study, we examined the relationships between sample size, population variance and detection limit using the central limit theorem and the statistical properties of the normal distribution. Based on the profile dataset from the Second National Soil Survey in China, we calculated that to derive a reliable estimate of the overall mean SOC density for all the soils of China, a sample size of 4,000 soil profiles is needed. In this case, a reliable estimate is defined as having a 95% confidence interval and allowing a ±5% detection limit of SOC. The necessary sample size for cropland soils is 1,250. Our results indicate that approximately 100 samples only are needed to validate a modeled SOC loss of 20–30% in cropland soils in China. By aggregating the soil profiles in the dataset into soil orders and calculating the variance of each soil order, we show that the sample sizes in the dataset are insufficient to give reliable estimates on the carbon densities of most soil orders; thus, we conclude that there is considerable uncertainty in the SOC distribution maps resulting from the Second National Soil Survey.     

Five-year warming does not change soil organic carbon stock but alters its chemical composition in an alpine peatland

Climate warming may promote soil organic carbon(SOC) decomposition and alter SOC stocks in terrestrial ecosystems, which would in turn affect climate warming. We manipulated a warming experiment using open-top chambers to investigate the effect of warming on SOC stock and chemical composition in an alpine peatland in Zoigê on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, China. Results showed that 5 years of warming soil temperatures enhanced ecosystem respiration during the growing season, promoted above-and be...     

Conversion of cropland into grassland: Implications for soil organic‐carbon stocks in two soils with different texture

Soil organic‐carbon (SOC) stocks are expected to increase after conversion of cropland into grassland. Two adjacent cropland and grassland sites—one with a Vertisol with 23 y after conversion and one with an Arenosol 29 y after conversion—were sampled down to 60 cm depth. Concentrations of SOC and total nitrogen (N_tot) were measured before and after density fractionation in two light fractions and a mineral‐associated fraction with C adsorbed on mineral surfaces. For the soil profiles, SOC stocks and radiocarbon (¹⁴C) concentrations of mineral associated C were determined. Carbon stocks and mineral‐associated SOC concentrations were increased in the upper 10 cm of the grassland soil compared to the cropland. This corresponded to the root‐biomass distribution, with 59% and 86% of the total root biomass at 0–5 cm soil depth of the grasslands. However, at the Arenosol site, at 10–20 cm depth, C in the mineral‐associated fraction was lost 29 y after the conversion into grassland. Over all, SOC stocks were not significantly different between grassland and cropland at both sites when the whole profile was taken into account. At the Arenosol site, the impact of land‐use conversion on SOC accumulation was limited by low total clay surface area available for C stabilization. Subsoil C (30–50 cm) at cropland of the Vertisol site comprised 32% of the total SOC stocks with high ¹⁴C concentrations below the plowing horizon. We concluded that fresh C was effectively translocated into the subsoil. Thus, subsoil C has to be taken into account when land‐use change effects on SOC are assessed.     

耕地土壤有机碳组分的季节变化

Carbon fractions in soils apparently vary not only in space, but also over time. A lack of knowledge on the seasonal variability of labile carbon fractions under arable land hampers the reliability and comparability of soil organic carbon(SOC) surveys from different studies. Therefore, we studied the seasonal variability of two SOC fractions, particulate organic matter(POM) and dissolved organic carbon(DOC), under maize cropping: POM was determined as the SOC content in particle-size fractions, and DOC was measured as the water-extractable SOC(WESOC) of air-dried soil. Ammonium, nitrate, and water-extractable nitrogen were measured as potential regulating factors of WESOC formation because carbon and nitrogen cycles in soils are strongly connected. There was a significant annual variation of WESOC(coefficient of variation(CV) = 30%). Temporal variations of SOC in particle-size fractions were smaller than those of WESOC. The stocks of SOC in particle-size fractions decreased with decreasing particle sizes, exhibiting a CV of 20%for the coarse sand-size fraction(250–2 000 μm), of 9% for the fine sand-size fraction(50–250 μm), and of 5% for the silt-size fraction(20–50 μm). The WESOC and SOC in particle-size fractions both peaked in March and reached the minimum in May/June and August, respectively. These results indicate the importance of the time of soil sampling during the course of a year, especially when investigating WESOC.     

Filling the European blank spot—Swiss soil erodibility assessment with topsoil samples

Soil erodibility, commonly expressed as the K‐factor in USLE‐type erosion models, is a crucial parameter for determining soil loss rates. However, a national soil erodibility map based on measured soil properties did so far not exist for Switzerland. As an EU non‐member state, Switzerland was not included in previous soil mapping programs such as the Land Use/Cover Area frame Survey (LUCAS). However, in 2015 Switzerland joined the LUCAS soil sampling program and extended the topsoil sampling to mountainous regions higher 1500 m asl for the first time in Europe. Based on this soil property dataset we developed a K‐factor map for Switzerland to close the gap in soil erodibility mapping in Central Europe. The K‐factor calculation is based on a nomograph that relates soil erodibility to data of soil texture, organic matter content, soil structure, and permeability. We used 160 Swiss LUCAS topsoil samples below 1500 m asl and added in an additional campaign 39 samples above 1500 m asl. In order to allow for a smooth interpolation in context of the neighboring regions, additional 1638 LUCAS samples of adjacent countries were considered. Point calculations of K‐factors were spatially interpolated by Cubist Regression and Multilevel B‐Splines. Environmental features (vegetation index, reflectance data, terrain, and location features) that explain the spatial distribution of soil erodibility were included as covariates. The Cubist Regression approach performed well with an RMSE of 0.0048 t ha h ha^?1 MJ^?1 mm^?1. Mean soil erodibility for Switzerland was calculated as 0.0327 t ha h ha^?1 MJ^?1 mm^?1 with a standard deviation of 0.0044 t ha h ha^?1 MJ^?1 mm^?1. The incorporation of stone cover reduces soil erodibility by 8.2%. The proposed Swiss erodibility map based on measured soil data including mountain soils was compared to an extrapolated map without measured soil data, the latter overestimating erodibility in mountain regions (by 6.3%) and underestimating in valleys (by 2.5%). The K‐factor map is of high relevance not only for the soil erosion risk of Switzerland with a particular emphasis on the mountainous regions but also has an intrinsic value of its own for specific land use decisions, soil and land suitability and soil protection.     

长期施肥土壤不同粒径颗粒的固碳效率

【目的】探讨不同施肥措施土壤有机碳在不同粒级颗粒中的分配及变化情况,可揭示各级颗粒中有机碳与外源有机碳输入之间的定量关系。【方法】依托南方红壤连续20年长期定位施肥试验,依据外源有机碳累积输入梯度选择不施肥(CK)、氮磷钾化肥配施(NPK)、氮磷钾化肥与秸秆配施(NPKS)、轮作条件下氮磷钾化肥与有机肥配施(NPKMR)、氮磷钾化肥与有机肥配施(NPKM)、单施有机肥(M)、增量氮磷钾化肥与增量有机肥配施(1.5NPKM)7个处理,并采用物理分组方法将土壤颗粒分为砂粒(53~2000μm)、粗粉粒(5~53μm)、细粉粒(2~5μm)和粘粒(2μm)4个组分。【结果】与不施肥相比,长期施肥均能显著增加土壤总有机碳及各级颗粒中的有机碳的储量,其中以施用有机肥的效果最明显。不同施肥处理各级颗粒中以粘粒的有机碳储量最高,平均为16.26 t/hm~2。施用有机肥和秸秆还田均能显著增加砂粒中有机碳的分配比例,降低粘粒有机碳的分配比例而对粗粉粒和细粉粒无显著影响。土壤砂粒所占的质量百分比及其与粗粉粒、细粉粒和粘粒的比值均与粗粉粒、细粉粒和粘粒组分中有机碳的浓度呈显著正相关关系表明小颗粒(粗粉粒、细粉粒和粘粒)中有机碳的固持和富集促进了大颗粒(砂粒)的形成与稳定。各级颗粒之间,施用有机肥处理的土壤粘粒组分的固碳速率最快,为0.29~0.52 t/(hm~2·a),其次为砂粒[0.30~0.40 t/(hm~2·a)]而粗粉粒和细粉粒的固碳速率基本相当为0.09~0.16t/(hm~2·a)。分析结果还表明土壤总有机碳及各级颗粒有机碳与外源有机碳的输入呈显著正线性相关关系,其中土壤总固碳效率为10.57%而各级颗粒之间,粘粒和砂粒组分的固碳效率(4.25%和3.60%)相当于粗粉粒和细粉粒(1.73%和1.00%)的2倍以上。【结论】南方红壤各级颗粒中有机碳均没有出现饱和现象,有机碳主要在土壤粘粒和砂粒组分中富集,细颗粒中有机碳的富集会促进大粒径土壤颗粒的形成而粘粒是土壤固碳效率最重要的矿物颗粒组成部分。表明长期配施有机肥不仅是红壤有机质提升的重要措施,也是改善红壤结构的重要途径。     

The soil organic carbon: Clay ratio in North Devon,UK: Implications for marketing soil carbon as an asset class

Building up stocks of agricultural soil organic carbon (SOC) can improve soil conditions as well as contribute to climate change mitigation. As a metric, the ratio of SOC to clay offers a better predictor of soil condition than SOC alone, potentially providing a benchmark for ecosystem service payments. We determined SOC:clay ratios for 50 fields in the North Devon UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve using 30 cm soil cores (divided into 0–10 cm and 10–30 cm depth samples), with soil bulk density, soil moisture and land-use history recorded for each field. All the arable soils exceeded the minimum desirable SOC:clay ratio threshold, and the ley grassland soils generally exceeded it but were inconsistent at 10–30 cm. Land use was the primary factor driving SOC:clay ratios at 0–10 cm, with permanent pasture fields having the highest ratios followed by ley grass and then arable fields. Approximately half of the fields sampled had potential for building up SOC stock at 10–30 cm. However, at this depth, the effect of land use is significantly reduced. Within-field variability in SOC and clay was low (coefficient of variation was ~10%) at both 0–10 cm and 10–30 cm, suggesting that SOC:clay ratios precisely characterized the fields. Due to the high SOC:clay ratios found, we conclude that there is limited opportunity to market additional carbon sequestration as an asset class in the North Devon Biosphere or similar areas. Instead, preserving existing SOC stocks would be a more suitable ecosystem service payment basis.     

生物炭及秸秆长期施用对紫色土坡耕地土壤团聚体有机碳的影响

依托紫色土坡耕地长期施肥试验观测平台,研究生物炭、秸秆对紫色土坡耕地团聚体有机碳分布的影响。长期施肥试验处理包括不施肥(CK)、无机氮磷钾肥(NPK)、秸秆还田(RSD)、生物炭与无机氮磷钾配施(BCNPK)、秸秆与无机氮磷钾配施(RSDNPK)。利用湿筛法,进行土壤团聚体粒径分组,随后测定各粒径团聚体含量及其有机碳含量,并计算团聚体平均质量直径(MWD)和几何平均直径(GMD)。结果表明,RSD、RSDNPK和BCNPK处理的表层SOC含量比CK处理增加43.1%～90.5%,SOC储量提高65.1%～74.3%,其中RSDNPK处理、BCNPK处理较NPK处理SOC显著增加25.2%～33.1%(P0.05), SOC储量显著提高23.2%～30.0%(P0.05)。团聚体MWD和GMD均为RSD处理RSDNPK处理BCNPK处理NPK处理CK处理; RSD处理0.25～2 mm的团聚体含量高达45.5%,较CK处理提高57.7%;秸秆和生物炭配施处理(RSDNPK处理和BCNPK处理)0.25～2mm的团聚体含量为41.3%～45.7%,而0.053mm粒径团聚体含量却降低54.1%～55.4%。NPK处理、RSD处理与CK处理的增长趋势相似,呈随团聚体粒径减小,团聚体有机碳含量先增大后减小,继而再增大的趋势;而RSDNPK、BCNPK处理则呈随粒径减小团聚体有机碳含量增加的趋势。生物炭和秸秆的施用能显著提升土壤有机碳含量,增强土壤结构稳定性,但生物碳的施用对提升土壤有机碳含量效果优于秸秆的施用,秸秆的施用对稳定土壤结构效果更优,因此生物炭和秸秆的施用可作为紫色土耕地土壤肥力维持和提升的有效管理措施。     

Optimization of carbon stock models to local conditions using farmers' soil tests: A case study with AMGv2 for a cereal plain in central France

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is associated with environmental benefits and crop productivity; therefore, monitoring of SOC stocks is important when assessing the sustainability of agricultural systems. This study applied a hybrid method and the results of on-farm soil tests to calibrate the AMGv2 model and adapt it to local conditions. The method was applied to soils in the Limagne plain (France), which shifted to cereal production since the 1960s. Based on analysing 988 soil test data, covering the period from 1954 to 2019, it was found that SOC stocks showed a significant decrease in the three main soil types of the study area. An optimization procedure estimated that the initial ratios of stable to total carbon fall in the ranges 0.42 and 0.46 for vertisols, 0.48 and 0.52 for calcisols, and 0.56 and 0.60 for fluvisols. Simulations using these values estimated that SOC stocks declined between 1960 and 2018 by between −31 and −17%, depending on soil type. The optimized model was used to forecast the evolution of SOC stocks up to 2050. These simulations showed a further decline in SOC stocks with continuation of current practices, even assuming a 15% increase in crop yields. They indicated that stopping straw exports would stabilize stocks, while a systematic introduction of cover crops would increase stocks about 3.8% over the period considered. It is concluded that this hybrid procedure can improve the adaptation of predictive models to local conditions.     

Estimation of soil organic carbon stock and its spatial distribution in the Republic of Ireland

Data scarcity often prevents the estimate of regional (or national) scale soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and its spatial distribution. This study attempts to overcome the data limitations by combining two existing Irish soil databases [SoilC and national soil database (NSD)] at the national scale, to create an improved estimate of the national SOC stock. Representative regression models between the near‐surface SOC concentration and those of deeper depths, and between SOC concentration and bulk density (BD) were developed based on the SoilC database. These regression models were then applied to the NSD derived SOC concentration map, resulting in an improved SOC stock and spatial distribution map for the top 10 cm, 30 cm and 50 cm depths. Western Ireland, particularly coastal areas, was found to have higher SOC densities than eastern Ireland, corresponding to the spatial distribution of peatland. We estimated the national SOC stock at 383 ± 38 Tg for the near‐surface of 0–10 cm depth; 1016 ± 118 Tg for 0–30 cm depth; and 1474 ± 181 Tg for 0–50 cm depth.     

Effects of tillage, organic resources and nitrogen fertiliser on soil carbon dynamics and crop nitrogen uptake in semi-arid West Africa

Tillage, organic resources and fertiliser effects on soil carbon (C) dynamics were investigated in 2000 and 2001 in Burkina Faso (West Africa). A split plot design with four replications was laid-out on a loamy-sand Ferric Lixisol with till and no-till as main treatments and fertiliser types as sub-treatments. Soil was fractionated physically into coarse (0.250–2 mm), medium (0.053–0.250 mm) and fine fractions (< 0.053 mm). Particulate organic carbon (POC) accounted for 47–53% of total soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration and particulate organic nitrogen (PON) for 30–37% of total soil nitrogen concentration. The POC decreased from 53% of total SOC in 2000 to 47% of total SOC in 2001. Tillage increased the contribution of POC to SOC. No-till led to the lowest loss in SOC in the fine fraction compared to tilled plots. Well-decomposed compost and single urea application in tilled as well as in no-till plots induced loss in POC. Crop N uptake was enhanced in tilled plots and may be up to 226 kg N ha⁻¹ against a maximum of 146 kg N ha⁻¹ in no-till plots. Combining crop residues and urea enhanced incorporation of new organic matter in the coarse fraction and the reduction of soil carbon mineralisation from the fine fraction. The PON and crop N uptake are strongly correlated in both till and no-till plots. Mineral-associated N is more correlated to N uptake by crop in tilled than in no-till plots. Combining recalcitrant organic resources and nitrogen fertiliser is the best option for sustaining crop production and reducing soil carbon decline in the more stabilised soil fraction in the semi-arid West Africa.     

Assessing scale effects on modelled soil organic carbon contents as a result of land use change in Belgium

This paper explores the influence of spatial scale on modelled projections of soil organic carbon (SOC) content. The effect of land use change (LUC) on future SOC stocks was estimated using the Rothamsted Carbon model for a small area of southern Belgium. The study assumed no management change and used a single climate change scenario. Three model experiments were used to identify how data scale affects predicted SOC stocks: (i) using European LUC datasets at a resolution of 10′ and assuming equal distribution of change within the study area, (ii) using more accurate regional data aggregated to the 10’ resolution, and (iii) using the regional data at a spatial resolution of 250 m. The results show that using coarse resolution (10′) data is inappropriate when modelling SOC changes in the study area as only the methods using precise data predict a change in SOC stocks similar to those reported in the literature. This is largely because of differences in model parameterisation. However, precisely locating LUC does not significantly affect the results. The model, using either pan‐European or region‐specific precise data predicts an average SOC increase of 1 t C ha^?1 (1990–2050), mainly resulting from afforestation of 13% of agricultural land.     

Influence of estimation procedure on soil organic carbon stock assessment in Flanders, Belgium

Abstract. The purpose of the study was to determine the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock for Flanders, Belgium and to evaluate various methods for assessing SOC stock. The assessment methods first determined the SOC density (C mass per unit area) for pedons in a database of soil properties, and then spatially distributed the SOC density to soil and soil/land use categories on a map. The results showed that the pedon SOC density is influenced by drainage class, texture and land use/land cover. The SOC density estimation method significantly influences results and leads to differences of up to 6% in total estimated SOC stock for Flanders. Use of various spatial distributing methods creates differences of up to 2% in total estimated SOC stock. The largest difference in SOC stock estimate between any combination of assessment methods was 7% (125.6 Tg vs 134.9 Tg). These findings emphasize the importance of complete spatial soil databases of high quality that reduce uncertainty of estimates for use in research examining the role of soils in the C cycle. The results indicate that the need for these databases is greater than the need to standardize methods to determine the spatial distribution of SOC. A map of the distribution of SOC density shows that in Flanders a large proportion of SOC is stored in sandy soils in the north of the territory.