The devil is in the detail: Discrepancy between soil organic carbon stocks estimated from regional and local data sources in Flanders,Belgium

Storage of soil organic carbon (SOC) is an essential function of ecosystems underpinning the delivery of multiple services to society. Regional SOC stock estimates often rely on data collected during land‐use‐specific inventory schemes with varying sampling depth and density. Using such data requires techniques that can deal with the associated heterogeneity. As the resulting SOC assessments are not calibrated for the local scale, they could suffer from oversimplification of landscape processes and heterogeneity. This might especially be the case for sandy regions where typical historical land use practices and soil development processes determine SOC storage. The aims of this study were (a) to combine four land‐use‐specific SOC stock assessments to estimate the total stock in Flanders, Belgium, and (b) to evaluate the applicability of this regional‐scale estimate at the local scale. We estimated the SOC stock in the upper 100 cm of the unsealed area in Flanders (887,745 ha) to be 111.67 Mt OC, or 12.6 ± 5.65 kg OC m^?2 on average. In general, soils under (semi‐) natural land‐use types, for example forests, store on average more organic carbon than under agriculture. However, overall agricultural soils store the largest amounts of SOC due to their vast spatial extent. Zooming in on a sandy location study (13.55 km²) revealed the poor performance of the regional estimates, especially where Histosols occurred. Our findings show that a greater spatial sampling density is required when SOC stock estimates are needed to inform carbon‐aware land management rather than to provide for regional reporting.     

A multiple regression approach to assess the spatial distribution of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) at the regional scale (Flanders,Belgium)

Estimates of the amount of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) at the regional scale are important to better understand the role of the SOC reservoir in global climate and environmental issues. This study presents a method for estimating the total SOC stock using data from Flanders (Belgium). More than 6900 SOC measurements from the national soil survey (database ‘Aardewerk’) are combined with a digital land use map and a digital soil map of Flanders. The spatial distribution of the SOC stock is studied in its relation to factors such as soil texture, soil moisture (drainage class) and land use. The resulting map with a resolution of 15 m consists of different classes forming a combination of these environmental factors. The results show that the lowest SOC amount (kg m^? 2) is stored under cropland whereas the highest amount is found under grassland. Regarding the effect of soil properties, a significant correlation between SOC stock and depth of the ground water table is observed. Sandy loam soils stock the lowest SOC amount (kg m^? 2), whereas clay soils retain the highest SOC amount. First, the mean SOC amounts of the land use–soil type classes are calculated and assigned to the corresponding cells in order to obtain a total SOC stock with its spatial distribution for Flanders. Then, a multiple regression model is applied to predict the SOC value of a particular land use–soil type class on the map. This model is based on the observed relationships between SOC and land use–soil type characteristics, using the entire dataset. The first approach does not allow to obtain a (reliable) SOC value for all land use–soil type classes due to a lack of samples in some classes. A major advantage of the regression model approach is the attribution of class specific SOC values to each land use–soil type class, regardless of the number of observations in the classes. Consequently, by applying the model approach instead of the mean approach, the area for which a reliable SOC estimate could be obtained increased by 8.1% (from 9420 km² to 10179 km²) and the total predicted SOC stock increased by 10.1% (from 88.7 ± 5.6 Mt C to 97.6 ± 1.1 Mt C).     

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.     

云南省土壤有机碳储量估算及空间分布

根据云南省第二次土壤普查资料,采用土壤类型法估算了云南省主要土壤类型的有机碳(SOC)密度和储量,并对云南省土壤有机碳密度的空间分布差异和影响土壤有机碳储量的主要因子进行了分析。结果表明,云南省0-20 cm土层平均SOC密度为59.77 t/hm²,SOC储量为2.30×10⁹ t;0-100 cm土层平均SOC密度为159.95 t/hm²,SOC储量为6.15×10⁹ t,占全国储量的7.28%,占全球陆地生态系统SOC储量的0.41%;其中SOC储量占前4位的土壤类型为红壤、黄棕壤、赤红壤、棕壤,不同深度下4者之和约占云南省总储量的60%。在土壤有机碳密度空间分布上,SOC密度分布最高的区域为云南省西北部和东北部地区,其次是西部的横断山脉和东部的云南高原地区,而以紫色土为主的中北部地区SOC密度则最低。由于降雨量、温度、海拔和土地利用类型的共同影响,导致了区域内的SOC密度分布不均,其中降雨量、温度和海拔等自然因素是影响SOC密度分布的主要因子。     

典型喀斯特高基岩出露坡地表层土壤有机碳空间异质性及其储量估算方法

本研究基于详尽、系统的土壤采样调查,研究了喀斯特高基岩出露坡地典型样地(100 m×100 m)内表层土壤(0~15 cm)有机碳(SOC)含量的空间异质性特征,并以土壤斑块加和法为基准,探讨了传统空间插值方法和基于岩石出露率、土深校正的空间插值方法在喀斯特高基岩出露地区土壤表层有机碳储量估算中的适用性。结果表明,研究区SOC和容重均值分别为75.5 g·kg-1和0.8 g·cm-3,变异系数分别为30.6%与47.3%,皆呈现中等变异;SOC半变异函数的最优拟和模型为指数模型,块金值和基台值分别为260.8与521.7,变程为52.5 m,其半变异函数分别在滞后距0~15.2 m与34.7~54.2 m范围内呈现明显的各向异性,说明在该尺度范围内微地貌与地形显著影响SOC的空间分布;利用土壤斑块加和法估算的样地表层SOC储量和碳密度分别为983.8 kg和0.1 kg·m-2,利用传统空间插值方法估算的表层SOC储量和碳密度分别为86 264.0 kg和8.6 kg·m-2,利用基于岩石出露率、土深校正的空间插值方法估算的表层SOC储量和碳密度分别为2 712.8 kg和0.3 kg·m-2。其中传统空间插值方法大大高估了喀斯特地区表层SOC储量和碳密度值,用该方法估算的SOC储量为该区SOC实际储量的87.7倍,其误估率为8 668.4%。说明传统地统计学方法不适合估算喀斯特高基岩出露坡地表层SOC储量及碳密度。而基于岩石出露率、土深校正的空间插值方法大大降低了估算喀斯特高基岩出露坡地表层SOC储量和碳密度的误差,为该区SOC实际储量及碳密度的2.7倍。说明校正后的地统计方法在估算该区高基岩出露坡地表层SOC储量时具有一定的适用性。以上研究表明,地统计方法是表示该区SOC空间分布的有效手段,但由于传统地统计方法难以精确拟合高基岩出露坡地土壤斑块的空间分布、微地貌特征、岩石出露率以及土层深度等信息,在估算同类坡地SOC储量和碳密度时必须修正估算公式以接近实际值。     

Soil organic carbon–stock changes in Flemish grassland soils from 1990 to 2000

Total soil organic‐carbon (SOC) stocks for grassland soils in Flanders (N Belgium) were determined for the Kyoto Protocol reference year 1990 and 2000 in order to investigate whether these soils have been CO₂ sinks or sources during that period. The stocks were calculated by means of detailed SOC datasets, which were available at the community scale for the whole of Flanders. The total SOC stocks for Flemish grassland soils (1 m depth) were estimated at 38 Mt SOC in 1990 and 34 Mt SOC in 2000. The loss of SOC resulted from a decrease in the SOC content of grassland soils (71%) and could also partly (29%) be explained by a decline in grassland area. Significant decreases in %SOC for the 0–6 cm depth layer were found for the 1990s for the coarser‐textured soils with SOC losses ranging between –0.3% and –0.5% over the 10 y period. Specific management practices that disturb the SOC balance such as conversion to temporary grassland and a reduction of animal‐manure application are hypothesized to have contributed to the observed loss of SOC stocks. We furthermore conducted an analysis of uncertainty of the 1990 and 2000 grassland SOC–stocks calculation using Monte Carlo analysis. Probability‐distribution functions were determined for each of the inputs of the SOC‐stock calculation, enabling us to assess the uncertainty on the 1990 and 2000 SOC stocks. The frequency distributions of these simulated stocks both closely approached lognormal distributions, and their 95%‐confidence intervals ranged between 150% and 50% of the calculated mean SOC stock. The standard error on the measured decrease in SOC stocks in Flemish grassland soils during the 1990s was calculated to be 7–8 Tg SOC, which is equivalent to twice this decrease. This clearly shows that large‐scale changes in SOC stocks are uncertainty‐ridden, even when they are based on detailed datasets.     

Organic C levels in intensively managed arable soils – long-term regional trends and characterization of fractions

Substantial losses of soil organic carbon (SOC) from the plough layer of intensively managed arable soils in western Europe have recently been reported, but these estimates are associated with very large uncertainties. Following soil surveys in 1952 and 1990 of arable soils in West Flanders (Belgium), we resampled 116 sites in 2003 and thus obtained three paired measurements of the OC stocks in these soils. Ten soils were selected for detailed physical fractionation to obtain possible further explanations for changes in SOC stocks. Between 1990 and 2003, the SOC stocks decreased at an average rate of ?0.19 t OC ha^?1 year^?1. This loss is significant but is still less than half the rate of SOC decrease that was estimated previously for the whole region of Flanders, which includes the study area. Variation in SOC stocks or in the magnitude of SOC stock losses could not be related to soil texture, to changes in ploughing depth, or to recent land‐use changes. A good relationship, however, was found between the SOC losses and organic matter (OM) inputs. The results of the physical fractionation also suggested management to be the predominant factor determining variation in SOC stocks because no correlation was found between soil texture and the absolute amounts of OC present in the largest OM fractions, that is, the OC in free particulate organic matter (POM), and OC associated with the silt + clay size fraction. The proportion of OC in free POM was up to 40% of the total OC, which indicates the important impact of management on SOC and also indicates that a substantial part of the SOC still present, may in the future be lost at a time scale of years to decades assuming that the intensive management continues.     

基于GIS的三江平原表层土壤有机碳储量估算及空间分布研究

[目的]研究三江平原2010年表层(0—30cm)土壤有机碳储量空间分布规律和不同土地利用类型对有机碳空间分布的影响。[方法]采用地统计学和GIS相结合的方法。[结果](1)2010年三江平原表层土壤有机碳总储量为1161.28Tg;(2)表层土壤有机碳空间分布变异性较大,中部和西南地区较低,东北、西北、东南地区较高;(3)不同土地利用类型土壤有机碳密度和储量有所不同,旱地表层土壤有机碳储量最大,为412.10Tg,草地最小,表层土壤有机碳储量为2.31Tg;(4)不同植被类型表层土壤有机碳密度大小顺序为:沼泽湿地林地草地水田旱地,沼泽湿地表层土壤有机碳密度为147.84Mg/hm2。[结论]三江平原土壤有机碳密度空间分布存在较大的分异性,土壤有机碳密度的空间分布特征受土地利用类型分布的影响。     

Soil carbon sequestration in China through agricultural intensification,and restoration of degraded and desertified ecosystems

The industrial emission of carbon (C) in China in 2000 was about 1 Pg yr⁻¹, which may surpass that of the United States (1ċ84 Pg C) by 2020. China's large land area, similar in size to that of the United States, comprises 124 Mha of cropland, 400 Mha of grazing land and 134 Mha of forestland. Terrestrial C pool of China comprises about 35–60 Pg in the forest and 120–186 Pg in soils. Soil degradation is a major issue affecting 145 Mha by different degradative processes, of which 126 Mha are prone to accelerated soil erosion. Total annual loss by erosion is estimated at 5ċ5 Pg of soil and 15ċ9 Tg of soil organic carbon (SOC). Erosion‐induced emission of C into the atmosphere may be 32–64 Tg yr⁻¹. The SOC pool progressively declined from the 1930s to 1980s in soils of northern China and slightly increased in those of southern China because of change in land use. Management practices that lead to depletion of the SOC stock are cultivation of upland soils, negative nutrient balance in cropland, residue removal, and soil degradation by accelerated soil erosion and salinization and the like. Agricultural practices that enhance the SOC stock include conversion of upland to rice paddies, integrated nutrient management based on liberal use of biosolids and compost, crop rotations that return large quantities of biomass, and conservation‐effective systems. Adoption of recommended management practices can increase SOC concentration in puddled soil, red soil, loess soils, and salt‐affected soils. In addition, soil restoration has a potential to sequester SOC. Total potential of soil C sequestration in China is 105–198 Tg C yr⁻¹ of SOC and 7–138 Tg C yr⁻¹ for soil inorganic carbon (SIC). The accumulative potential of soil C sequestration of 11 Pg at an average rate of 224 Tg yr⁻¹ may be realized by 2050. Soil C sequestration potential can offset about 20 per cent of the annual industrial emissions in China. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil carbon stocks and projected changes according to land use and management: a case study for Kenya

Abstract. Soil organic (SOC) and inorganic carbon (SIC) stocks of Kenya were determined using four different methods to provide baseline data. The assessments used an updated version of the 1:1 M soil and terrain database for the country. Estimates for national SOC stocks to 1 m depth ranged from 3452 to 3797 Tg C. The findings highlight the need for comprehensive databases of soil and terrain data of good quality that consider more than one representative profile per soil component. The 95% confidence limits for the median, area-weighted SOC content were largest in the humid highlands (15.4–15.7 kg C m⁻²) and smallest in the hot arid zone (4.4–4.5 kg C m⁻²). Conversely, for SIC these values were largest in the arid zone (4.3–4.5 kg C m⁻²) and smallest in high rainfall areas (<0.1 kg C m⁻²). Many croplands in Kenya have been over-exploited, resulting in nutrient depletion and loss of organic matter. The SOC gains considered ecologically and technically feasible upon improved management of croplands were estimated at 5.8–9.7 Tg C over the next 25 years. This corresponds to an estimated annual mitigation potential of 5–9% of Kenya's CO₂-C emissions from fossil fuels, cement manufacturing and land use change for 1990.     

Modelling soil organic carbon stocks and their changes in the northeast of Spain

Currently, there is little information about soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and changes in Mediterranean areas at a regional scale. We modelled an area of 95 269 km² in northeast Spain using the Global Environmental Facility Soil Organic Carbon (GEFSOC) system to predict SOC stocks and changes in pasture, forest and agricultural soils. The spatial distribution of the different land‐use categories and their change over time was obtained by using the Corine database and official Spanish statistics on land use from 1926 to 2007. The model predicted the largest current SOC stock in forest soils at 578 Tg C. Agricultural soils were the second largest SOC reservoir, containing 244 Tg C. During the last 30 years, the model predicted a total SOC gain in the 0–30‐cm soil layer of 34 Tg C. Forest and grassland‐pasture soils had a decline in their stored SOC of 5 and 3 Tg C, respectively, because of the reduction in the soil surface occupied by both classes. The greatest SOC gain was predicted in agricultural soils with 42 Tg C caused by changes in management, which led to increases in C inputs. Although model uncertainty was not quantified, some hypothetical assumptions about the initialization and parameterization of the model could be potential sources of uncertainty. Our simulations predicted that in northeast Spain soil management has contributed to the sequestration of substantial amounts of atmospheric CO₂ during the last 30 years. More research is needed in order to study the potential role of soils as atmospheric CO₂ sinks under different managements and climatic conditions.     

基于Century模型和1:500 000土壤数据库的华东旱地土壤有机碳动态模拟

Changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) in agricultural soils influence soil quality and greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Dry farmland covers more than 70% of the whole cropland area in China and plays an important role in mitigating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In this study, 4109 dry farmland soil polygons were extracted using spatial overlay analysis of the soil layer (1:500000) and the land use layer (1:500000) to support Century model simulations of SOC dynamics for dry farmland in Anhui Province, East China from 1980 to 2008. Considering two field-validation sites, the Century model performed relatively well in modeling SOC dynamics for dry farmland in the province. The simulated results showed that the area-weighted mean soil organic carbon density (SOCD) of dry farmland increased from 18.77 Mg C ha1 in 1980 to 23.99 Mg C ha1 in 2008 with an average sequestration rate of 0.18 Mg C ha1 year?1. Approximately 94.9% of the total dry farmland area sequestered carbon while 5.1% had carbon lost. Over the past 29 years, the net SOC gain in dry farmland soils of the province was 19.37 Tg, with an average sequestration rate of 0.67 Tg C year1. Augmentation of SOC was primarily due to increased consumption of nitrogen fertilizer and farmyard manure. Moreover, SOC dynamics were highly differentiated among dry farmland soil groups. The integration of the Century model with a fine-scale soil database approach could be conveniently utilized as a tool for the accurate simulation of SOC dynamics at the regional scale.     

Assessing and mapping topsoil organic carbon stock at regional scale: A scorpan kriging approach conditional on soil map delineations and land use

In order to assess the potential of soils as C reservoir at regional scale, accurate estimates of soil organic carbon (SOC) are required, and different approaches can be used. This study presents a method to assess and map topsoil organic carbon stock (Mg ha⁻¹) at regional scale for the whole Emilia Romagna plain in Northern Italy (about 12 000 km²). A Scorpan Kriging approach is proposed, which combines the trend component of soil properties as derived from the 1:50 000 soil map with geostatistical modeling of the stochastic, locally varying but spatially correlated component. The trend component is described in terms of varying local means, calculated taking into account soil type and dominant land use. The resulting values of SOC, sand, silt, and clay contents are retained for calculating topsoil SOC stocks, using a set of locally calibrated pedotransfer functions (PTFs) to estimate bulk density. The maps of each soil attribute are validated over a subset of 2000 independent and randomly selected observations. As compared to the standard approach based on the mean values for delineation, results show lower standard errors for all the variables used for SOC stock assessment, with a relative improvement (RI) ranging from 4 per cent for SOC per cent to 24 per cent for silt. The total C stock (0–30 cm) in the study area is assessed as 73·24 ± 6·67 M t, with an average stock of 62·30 ± 5·55 Mg ha⁻¹. The SOC stock estimates are used to infer possible SOC stock changes in terms of carbon sequestration potential and potential carbon loss (PCL). Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于GIS的土壤有机碳储量核算及其对土地利用变化的响应

土地利用变化是影响土壤有机碳储量变化的重要驱动因素,为了进一步探讨土地利用变化对土壤碳储量的影响,该文根据土壤样点数据、土壤类型图、土地利用类型图,分析了江苏省1985年和2005年表层土壤有机碳密度的变化以及土地利用变化对表层土壤有机碳密度的影响,主要结论如下：1）江苏省表层土壤有机密度的空间变化趋势为：黄淮平原生态区南北差异明显,北部的沂沭泗平原丘岗以增加为主,南部的淮河下游平原以减少为主;沿海滩涂与海洋生态区持平为主;而长江三角洲平原生态区表现不一：沿江平原丘岗生态亚区以增加为主,而茅山宜溧低山丘陵生态亚区和太湖水网生态亚区均表现为有机碳密度的减少;2）各地类表层土壤有机碳密度均有所增加;耕地-林地、草地;草地-林地、建设用地;建设用地-耕地、草地、林地;水域的转出以及未利用地的转出等转换类型有利于土壤碳储量的增加、其他地类间的转换会造成一定的碳排放。     

基于不同空间分辨率土壤数据库的中国江苏省水稻土有机碳的动态模拟

A number of process-based models have been developed for quantifying carbon(C)sequestration in agro-ecosystems.The DeNitrification-DeComposition(DNDC)model was used to simulate and quantify long-term(1980-2008)soil organic carbon(SOC)dynamics in the important rice-producing province,Jiangsu,China.Changes in SOC storages were estimated from two soil databases differing in spatial resolution:a county database consisting of 68 polygons and a soil patch-based database of 701 polygons for all 3.7 Mha of rice fields in Jiangsu.The simulated SOC storage with the coarse resolution county database ranged between 131.0-320.6 Tg C in 1980 and 170.3-305.1 Tg C in 2008,respectively,while that estimated with the fine resolution database was 201.6 and 216.2 Tg C in 1980 and 2008,respectively.The results modeled with the soil databases differing in spatial resolution indicated that using the soil input data with higher resolution substantially increased the accuracy of the modeled results;and when lacking detailed soil datasets,the DNDC model,parameterized with the most sensitive factor(MSF) method to cope with attribute uncertainty,could still produce acceptable results although with deviations of up to 60% for the case study reported in this paper.     

SOIL ORGANIC CARBON STOCK AND FRACTIONS IN RELATION TO LAND USE AND SOIL DEPTH IN THE DEGRADED SHIWALIKS HILLS OF LOWER HIMALAYAS

The proportional differences in soil organic carbon (SOC) and its fractions under different land uses are of significance for understanding the process of aggregation and soil carbon sequestration mechanisms. A study was conducted in a mixed vegetation cover watershed with forest, grass, cultivated and eroded lands in the degraded Shiwaliks of the lower Himalayas to assess land‐use effects on profile SOC distribution and storage and to quantify the SOC fractions in water‐stable aggregates (WSA) and bulk soils. The soil samples were collected from eroded, cultivated, forest and grassland soils for the analysis of SOC fractions and aggregate stability. The SOC in eroded surface soils was lower than in less disturbed grassland, cultivated and forest soils. The surface and subsurface soils of grassland and forest lands differentially contributed to the total profile carbon stock. The SOC stock in the 1.05‐m soil profile was highest (83.5 Mg ha⁻¹) under forest and lowest (55.6 Mg ha⁻¹) in eroded lands. The SOC stock in the surface (0–15 cm) soil constituted 6.95, 27.6, 27 and 42.4 per cent of the total stock in the 1.05‐m profile of eroded, cultivated, forest and grassland soils, respectively. The forest soils were found to sequester 22.4 Mg ha⁻¹ more SOC than the cultivated soils as measured in the 1.05‐m soil profiles. The differences in aggregate SOC content among the land uses were more conspicuous in bigger water‐stable macro‐aggregates (WSA > 2 mm) than in water‐stable micro‐aggregates (WSA < 0.25 mm). The SOC in micro‐aggregates (WSA < 0.25 mm) was found to be less vulnerable to changes in land use. The hot water soluble and labile carbon fractions were higher in the bulk soils of grasslands than in the individual aggregates, whereas particulate organic carbon was higher in the aggregates than in bulk soils. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Organic carbon in soils of Germany: Status quo and the need for new data to evaluate potentials and trends of soil carbon sequestration

Uncertainties in estimates of soil carbon (C) stocks and sequestration result from major gaps in knowledge of C storage in soils, land‐use history, the variability of field measurements, and different analytical approaches applied. In addition, there is a lack of long‐term datasets from relevant land‐use systems. As in many European countries, a national database on soil organic carbon (SOC) including all relevant information for the determination of soil C stocks is likewise missing in Germany. In this paper, we summarize and evaluate the present state of knowledge on organic‐C contents/pools in soils of Germany and discuss the need for the acquisition and access to new data on soil organic carbon. Despite the number of agricultural sites under permanent soil monitoring, regional surveys on SOC, comprehensive ecosystem studies, and long‐term field experiments, there is a striking lack of data in Germany particularly with regard to agricultural soils. Apart from a missing standardization of methods and homogeneous baseline values, the implementation of a periodic, nation‐wide soil inventory on agricultural soils is required in order to simultaneously record information on land use, land‐use change, and agricultural practice. In contrast, the existing national inventory of forest soils provides information on C‐stock changes in forest soils, although there is some concern with regard to the representativeness of the sampling design to adequately address the problem of spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability. It is concluded that the lack of comprehensiveness, completeness, actuality, data harmonization, and standardized sampling procedures will further prevent the establishment of a SOC database in Germany with regard to the monitoring of trends in soil C pools and fluxes and the assessment of long‐term C‐sequestration potentials of soils under different land use. A future soil inventory should represent the heterogeneity of organic matter through functionally different SOC pools, topsoil characteristics as well as content, pool, and flux data for the deeper mineral‐soil compartments.     

Soil organic carbon distribution in relation to land use and its storage in a small watershed of the Loess Plateau, China

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important component in agricultural soil, and its stock is a major part of global carbon stocks. Estimating the SOC distribution and storage is important for improving soil quality and SOC sequestration. This study evaluated the SOC distribution different land uses and estimated the SOC storage by classifying the study area by land use in a small watershed on the Loess Plateau. The results showed that the SOC content and density were affected by land use. The SOC content for shrubland and natural grassland was significantly higher than for other land uses, and cropland had the lowest SOC content. The effect of land use on the SOC content was more significant in the 0-10 cm soil layer than in other soil layers. For every type of land use, the SOC content decreased with soil depth. The highest SOC density (0-60 cm) in the study area was found in shrublandII (Hippophae rhamnoides), and the other land uses decreased in the SOC density as follows: natural grassland > shrublandI (Caragana korshinskii) > abandoned cropland > orchard > level ground cropland > terrace cropland > artificial grassland. Shrubland and natural grassland were the most efficient types for SOC sequestration, followed by abandoned cropland. The SOC stock (0-60 cm) in this study was 23,584.77 t with a mean SOC density of 4.64 (0-60 cm).     

土壤有机碳储量估算与土地利用的关系研究

土地利用方式的变化在土壤有机碳(Soil Organic Carbon,SOC)积累的过程中起着非常重要的作用。目前在估算土壤有机碳储量的过程中,一直没有重视土地利用属性。运用基于土壤学专业知识的连接方法 (pedological professional knowledge-based method,PKB法),结合江苏省新沂县1∶20万土壤图,1∶20万土地利用图和1∶20万土壤类型土地利用混合图,估算了各图在不同土壤剖面点数情况下的新沂县SOC储量,并将三者在最佳剖面点数下估算出的SOC储量和SOC密度(SOCD)进行了比较及精度评价。结果表明:在土壤类型图、土地利用图和土壤类型土地利用混合图上进行的PKB法连接时最佳剖面点数均为397点,最佳网格为2 km×2 km;在中比例尺图件上进行PKB法连接估算SOC储量时,综合考虑土壤类型和土地利用类型可以大大提高估算精度,同时土地利用类型属性比土壤类型属性更为重要。研究结果可为在中比例尺条件下提高SOC估算精度提供科学依据。     

Carbon stocks in Ethiopian soils in relation to land use and soil management

The effect of soil management and land use change are of interest to the sustainable land management for improving the environment and advancing food security in developing countries. Both anthropogenic changes and natural processes affect agriculture primarily by altering soil quality. This paper reviews and synthesizes the available literatures related to the influence of soil management and land use changes on soil carbon (C) stock in Ethiopia. The review shows that topsoil C stock declines approximately 0–63%, 0–23%, and 17–83% upon land use conversion from forest to crop land, to open grazing, and to plantation, respectively. An increase of 1–3% in soil C stock was observed within 10 years of converting open grazed land to protected enclosures. However, there was a little change in soil C stock below 20 cm depth. There is a large potential of increasing SOC pool with adoption of land restorative measures. Total potential of soil C sequestration with the adoption of restoration measures ranges 0·066–2·2 Tg C y⁻¹ on rain‐fed cropland and 4·2–10·5 Tg C y⁻¹ on rangeland. Given large area and diverse ecological conditions in Ethiopia, research data available in published literature are rather scanty. Therefore, researchable priorities identified in this review are important. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.