Decomposition in soil of specifically 14C-labeled model and cornstalk lignins and coniferyl alcohol over two years as influenced by drying,rewetting, and additions of an available C substrate

Losses of 2-side chain and ring-carbons of coniferyl alcohol units in model and cornstalk lignins were about 22, 33 and 40% after 6, 12 and 24 months incubation in a neutral sandy loam top soil. Comparable values for the O¹⁴CH₃ carbons were 46, 66 and 69%, respectively. The free coniferyl alcohols decomposed more rapidly during the first 6–9 months and C loss values for the ring- and 2-side chain carbons were about 47% at 6 months and 58% at 2 yr. Loss of the OCH₃ C was about 61% at 6 months and 72% at 2 yr. The addition of ground cornstalks at 0, 6, 12 and 18 months did not influence the total amount of ¹⁴C evolved from any of the treatments. During the first week after the fresh cornstalk additions at 6 months the amount of ¹⁴C evolved was increased from about 0.3% to 0.8% of the applied activity. After 1 month, however, losses from the controls were the same as for the supplemental treatments.     

Decomposition of 14C-labeled glucose,plant and microbial products and phenols in volcanic ash-derived soils of chile

During 4 months from 70 to 79% of the carbon of added glucose, cellulose, and Leuconostoc dextranicus polysaccharide had evolved as CO₂ from normal agricultural soils of Chile and California. The presence or additions of allophanic material reduced losses of glucose C by about 25% and of the C of the polysaccharides by 36–65%. From wheat straw, the polysaccharide fraction of wheat straw, and protein, C losses were 60, 78 and 67%, respectively, in the normal soils. Reductions related to allophane were about 41–67%. For a number of microbial cells, C loss reductions due to allophanic materials ranged from 31 to 55%. Carbon losses from catechol and ferulic acid were more related to reactivities of the phenols, the soil pH, and the organic matter content of the soil than to the presence or absence of allophanic material.     

Dissolved organic matter leaching in some contrasting New Zealand pasture soils

Leaching of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from pastoral soils is increasingly seen as an important but poorly understood process. This paper examined the relationship between soil chemical properties, microbial activity and the losses of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON) through leaching from six pasture soils. These soils differed in carbon (C) (4.6–14.9%) and nitrogen (N) (0.4–1.4%) contents and in the amount of organic C and N that had accumulated or been lost in the preceding 20+ years (i.e. −5131 to +1624 kg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ and −263 to +220 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, respectively). The paper also examined whether between‐soil‐type differences in DOC and DON leaching was a major explanatory factor in the observed range of soil organic matter (SOM) changes in these soils. Between 280 and 1690 kg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ and 28–117 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ leached as DOC and DON, respectively, from the six soils in a lysimeter study, with losses being greater from two poorly drained gley soils. Losses of C and N of this magnitude, while at the upper end relative to published data, could not fully explain the losses at Rawerawe, Bruntwood and Lepperton sites reported by Schipper et al. (2007) . The study highlights the leaching of DOM as a significant pathway of loss of C and N in pasture soils that is often ignored or given little attention in predictive models and nutrient budgeting. Leaching losses of DOC and DON alone, or in combination with slightly increased respiration losses of SOM given a 0.2°C increase in the mean annual soil temperature, do not fully explain long‐term changes in the SOM observed at these sites. When soils examined in the present study were separated on the basis of drainage class, the losses of DOC by leaching were correlated with both total and hot‐water extractable C (HWC), the latter being a measure of the labile SOM fraction. Basal microbial CO₂ respiration rates, which varied between 1 and 3.5 µg CO₂‐C g⁻¹ soil hour⁻¹ in surface soils (0–75‐mm depth), was also linked to HWC and the quantities of C lost as DOC. Adoption of the HWC method as an approach that could be used as a proxy for the direct measurement of the soil organic C lost by leaching as DOC or respired needs to be examined further with a greater number of soils. In comparison, a poor relationship was found between the hot‐water extractable N (HWN) and loss of DON by leaching, despite HWN previously being shown to be a measure of the mineralizable pool of N in soils, possibly reflecting the greater competition for N than C in these soils.     

Tropical forests: Their past,present, and potential future role in the terrestrial carbon budget

In this paper we review results of research to summarize the state-of-knowledge of the past, present, and potential future roles of tropical forests in the global C cycle. In the pre-industrial period (ca. 1850), the flux from changes in tropical land use amounted to a small C source of about 0.06 Pg yr^?1. By 1990, the C source had increased to 1.7 ± 0.5 Pg yr^?1. The C pools in forest vegetation and soils in 1990 was estimated to be 159 Pg and 216 Pg, respectively. No concrete evidence is available for predicting how tropical forest ecosystems are likely to respond to CO₂ enrichment and/or climate change. However, C sources from continuing deforestation are likely to overwhelm any change in C fluxes unless land management efforts become more aggressive. Future changes in land use under a “business as usual” scenario could release 41–77 Pg C over the next 60 yr. Carbon fluxes from losses in tropical forests may be lessened by aggressively pursued agricultural and forestry measures. These measures could reduce the magnitude of the tropical C source by 50 Pg by the year 2050. Policies to mitigate C losses must be multiple and concurrent, including reform of forestry, land tenure, and agricultural policies, forest protection, promotion of on-farm forestry, and establishment of plantations on non-forested lands. Policies should support improved agricultural productivity, especially replacing non-traditional slash-and-burn agriculture with more sustainable and appropriate approaches.     

Aluminum solubility of strongly acidified allophanic Andosols from Kagoshima Prefecture,southern Japan

Abstract

The aluminum solubility of acidified soils both from furrows and under tree canopies of a tea garden was studied using equilibrium experiments in 0.01 mol L^?1 CaCl₂ solution systems. The soils were originally classified as allophanic Andosols. The furrow soils were more severely acidified because of the heavy application of nitrogen fertilizer, especially in the upper soil horizons (pH[H₂O] of 3.6–3.8 in the A1 and 2A2 horizons). These acidified soils were characterized by the dissolution of allophanic materials (allophane, imogolite and allophane-like materials) and by an increase in Al–humus complexes. Ion activity product (IAP) values of the strongly acidified soil horizons were largely undersaturated with respect to imogolite (allophanic clay) or gibbsite. Plots of p(Al³⁺) as a function of pH strongly indicated that Al solubility of the soils was largely controlled by Al–humus complexes, especially in the A1 horizon. In the canopy soils, which were more weakly acidified (pH[H₂O] 4.9–5.0), Al solubility was close to that of gibbsite and allophanic materials, indicating that the solubility is partly controlled by these minerals.     

Heat output of the soil biomass

Amending soils with glucose (5 mg g^?1) resulted in an immediate increase in microbial activity and within 30 min the rates of heat output and respiration at 22° C were increased by up to 17.8 and 23.4 times, respectively. The increased rate of heat output remained stable for up to 6 h and there was good correlation with the amount of CO₂ respired. The soil biomass was calculated by the method of Anderson and Domsch (1978). The rate of heat output of the biomass varied in different soils and ranged from 11.5 to 83.7 Jh^?1 g^?1 biomass C. In glucose-amended soils, however, the rate of heat output was much more consistent; the soils were in two groups having between 169–265 Jh^?1g^?1 biomass C or 454–482 J h^?1 g^?1 biomass C, both the latter two soils were from pasture. The increased rate of heat output from the amended soils was lower than expected from the respiration rate and the heat of oxidation of glucose, suggesting that a proportion of the CO₂ respired was from catabolism of substrates other than glucose. Use of ¹⁴C-glucose confirmed that between 57–91% of the CO₂ was derived from the glucose substrate.     

Changes in the organic matter forms in chernozems of the Kamennaya Steppe under different land uses, locations, and hydromorphism degrees

The soils of the Kamennaya Steppe (Voronezh oblast) were studied. The rate of changes in the contents of C_org and the particular forms of organic matter (labile, microbial, and stable) were revealed in the quasi-natural soils of the fallows and shelterbelt and in the arable soils (rainfed farming for 12, 55, 85, and 115 yrs and irrigated farming for 40 yrs) of different positions on the watersheds and slopes. The effect of the increased soil moistening in the recent decades was also studied. In the upper 50 cm of the fallow soils that were not plowed since 1882, the relative C_org accumulation in the recent 30 yrs has amounted to 5%. The soils of the shelterbelt planted in 1903 were similar to the fallow soils. As compared to the soil of the unmown fallow, the C_org loss from the 1-m soil layer under the shelterbelt and the 12-year-old cropland were less than 9%; the losses from the plowed soils (used for 55–115 yrs) were 21–27% on the watersheds and 37–46% on the slopes. In the first decade, the rate of the Corg losses in the 0- to 20-cm layer of the cultivated chernozem was 120 g C/m². With the increasing duration of the soil plowing (from 55 to 115 yrs), the C_org losses decreased from 45 to 28 g C/m² per yr in the watershed soils and from 51 to 35 g C/m² per yr in the soils on the slopes. The maximum loss of C_org was found for the soils on slopes, waterlogged soils, and irrigated soils. In the slope soils, the C_org loss due to erosion was 9–18% of the total. In the upper horizons of the old agrogenic soils, compared to the soil of the unmown fallow, the C_ha/C_fa increased, since the content of fulvic acids (FA) faster decreased than that of the humic acids (HA); the C content of the nonhydrolyzable residue was reduced. The slope and waterlogged soils differed from the watershed soils in the smaller amounts of HA and FA and in the greater content of humin carbon. In the 0- to 20-cm layer of the soils studied, the rate of the basal respiration (BR) was 0.2–0.5 μg C/g soil per h, the content of the microbial biomass (C_micr) was 326–1073 μg C/g, and the share of C_micr amounted to 1.0–1.9%. These values were minimal in the irrigated soil and maximal in the fallow ones. A high correlation coefficient (r = 0.88–0.92) was found between the C_micr content and the BR, between the contents of C_org and HA, and between the contents of C_org and mobile C. The correlation coefficient between the contents of C_org and FA and C_org and humin C was 0.67.     

Seasonal Dynamics of Soil CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Concentration and CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Fluxes from the Soil of the Former Lake Texcoco,Mexico

Seasonal changes of the soil CO₂ concentration and the rate of CO₂ fluxes emission from the soil formed on the sediments of the former Lake Texcoco, which occupied a significant part of the Mexico Valley until the mid-17th century, were studied. The soils (Fluvic Endogleyic Phaeozems) were characterized by a low CO₂ fluxes rate, which is related to their high alkalinity. The mean values of soil respiration were 6.0–14.1 mg C/(m² h) depending on vegetation type, which corresponds to 60–157 g C/(m² yr). The contribution of plants to the CO₂ fluxes insignificantly varied by seasons and depended on the species composition of vegetation. The soil CO₂ concentration and soil respiration in eucalypt (Eucalyptus globulus Labill.) plantation were two times higher than those in the grass–subshrub area, the ground cover of which consisted of Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene and Suaeda nigra (Raf.) J.F. Macbr. species. This can be related to the significant volumes of gas production during the respiration of eucalypt roots and associated rhizosphere community. The contribution of the root systems of grass cover to the soil CO₂ fluxes in eucalypt plantation slightly varied within the year and was equal to 24% on the average. In the grass–subshrub area, its value varied from 41% in the cold season to 60% in the warm season. The spatial variability of soil CO₂ concentration and its flux rate to the atmosphere was due to the differences in plant species composition and hydrothermal conditions, and their temporal trend was closely related to the seasonal accumulation of plant biomass and soil temperature.     

Direct experimental evidence for the contribution of lime to CO2 release from managed peat soil

Liming is a common management practice used to achieve optimum pH for plant growth in agricultural soils. Addition of lime to the soil, however, may cause CO₂ release when the carbonates in lime dissolve in water. Although lime may thereby constitute a significant carbon source, especially under acidic soil conditions, experimental data on the CO₂ release are lacking so far. We conducted a split-plot experiment within a cut-away peatland cultivated with a bioenergy crop (reed canary grass, Phalaris arundinacea L.) with lime and fertilizer treatments to determine effects of lime on the CO₂ emissions from soil and to better understand mechanisms underlying liming effects. Carbon dioxide release was measured over two growing seasons in the field after liming, and complementary laboratory studies were conducted. To differentiate CO₂ derived from lime and biotic respiration the δ¹³C of CO₂ released was determined and the two-pool mixing model was applied. The results showed that lime may contribute significantly to CO₂ release from the soil. In the laboratory, more than 50% of CO₂ release was attributable to lime-carbonates during short-term incubation. Lime-derived CO₂ emissions were much lower in the field, and were only detected during the first (2–4) months after the application. However, a maximum of 12% of monthly CO₂ emissions from the cultivated peatland originated from the lime. Biotic respiration rates were similar in limed and unlimed soils, suggesting that higher pH did not, at least in the short-term, increase carbon losses from cultivated peat soils. Additional fertilization and acidification did not contribute to further CO₂ release from the lime. According to our first estimations about one sixth of the lime applied would be released as CO₂ from the managed peatland, with all lime-derived emissions occurring during the first year of application (equivalent to about 4.6% of the total annual CO₂ losses from the soil in the first year). This suggests that the mass-balance approach as proposed by the IPCC Tier 1 methodology, which assumes that all carbon in lime ends up as CO₂ in the atmosphere, overestimates the emissions from lime. Our study further shows that there is a great risk to overestimate heterotrophic microbial activity in limed soils by measuring the CO₂ release without separating abiotic and biotic CO₂ production.     

Gaseous emissions of nitrogen and carbon from urban vegetable gardens in Bobo‐Dioulasso,Burkina Faso

Urban and peri‐urban agriculture (UPA) is an important livelihood strategy for the urban poor in sub‐Saharan Africa and contributes to meeting increasing food demands in the rapidly growing cities. Although in recent years many research activities have been geared towards enhancing the productivity of this land‐use system, little is known about turnover processes and nutrient efficiency of UPA. The aim of our study therefore was to determine horizontal fluxes of N, P, K, and C as well as gaseous N and C emissions in urban vegetable gardens of Bobo‐Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Two gardens referred to as “Kodéni” and “Kuinima” were selected as representative for urban and peri‐urban systems classified as: (1) “commercial gardening + field crops and livestock system” and (2) “commercial gardening and semicommercial field crop system”, respectively. A nutrient‐balance approach was used to monitor matter fluxes from March 2008 to March 2009 in both gardens. Ammonia (NH₃), nitrous oxide (N₂O) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from the respective soils were measured during the coolest and the hottest period of the day using a closed‐chamber system. Annual partial balances amounted to 2056 kg N ha^–1, 615 kg P ha^–1, 1864 kg K ha^–1, and 33 893 kg C ha^–1 at Kodéni and to 1752 kg N ha^–1, 446 kg P ha^–1, 1643 kg K ha^–1, and 21 021 kg C ha^–1 at Kuinima. Emission rates were highest during the hot midday hours with peaks after fertilizer applications when fluxes of up to 1140 g NH₃‐N ha^–1 h^–1, 154 g N₂O‐N ha^–1 h^–1, 12 993 g CO₂‐C ha^–1 h^–1 were recorded for Kodéni and Kuinima. Estimated annual gaseous N (NH₃‐N + N₂O‐N) and C (CO₂‐C + CH₄‐C) losses reached 419 kg N ha^–1 and 35 862 kg C ha^–1 at Kodéni and 347 kg N ha^–1 and 22 364 kg C ha^–1 at Kuinima. For both gardens, this represented 20% and 106% of the N and C surpluses, respectively. Emissions of NH₃, largely emitted after surface application of manure and mineral fertilizers, accounted for 73% and 77% of total estimated N losses for Kodéni and Kuinima. To mitigate N losses nutrient‐management practices in UPA vegetable production of Bobo‐Dioulasso would greatly benefit from better synchronizing nutrient‐input rates with crop demands.     

Ammonia volatilization from urea-treated pasture and tillage soils: effects of soil properties

Mean NH₃ losses after nine days incubation at 18°C and 60% FC were 3.1±2.9% and 7.6±6.0% of applied urea-N from the pasture and tillage counterparts of 10 soil series. These losses were highly correlated with buffered CEC and maximal pH values (pH_m) generated three days after urea application. NH₃ volatilization was apparently controlled by buffered CEC and initial pH (R²= 72–87%) and was related to variations in soil organic matter and texture (R²= 77–81%). Losses in the acid pasture soils were attributed largely to initial pH differences, and in the tillage soils to buffered CEC only. Evolution was greater from the tillage than from the pasture equivalent in eight series. This was attributed to differences in CEC, including buffered CEC and pH-dependent charge, caused by differences in OM content primarily but also in texture between the two soil groups. Differences in NH₃ evolution from urea in pasture and tillage soils, in general, are not related to pH differences.     

Carbon dioxide and gaseous nitrogen emissions from biochar‐amended soils under wastewater irrigated urban vegetable production of Burkina Faso and Ghana

To quantify carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) losses in soils of West African urban and peri‐urban agriculture (UPA) we measured fluxes of CO₂‐C, N₂O‐N, and NH₃‐N from irrigated fields in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and Tamale, Ghana, under different fertilization and (waste‐)water regimes. Compared with the unamended control, application of fertilizers increased average cumulative CO₂‐C emissions during eight cropping cycles in Ouagadougou by 103% and during seven cropping cycles in Tamale by 42%. Calculated total emissions measured across all cropping cycles reached 14 t C ha^?1 in Ouagadougou, accounting for 73% of the C applied as organic fertilizer over a period of two years at this site, and 9 t C ha^?1 in Tamale. Compared with unamended control plots, fertilizer application increased N₂O‐N emissions in Ouagadougou during different cropping cycles, ranging from 37 to 360%, while average NH₃‐N losses increased by 670%. Fertilizer application had no significant effects on N₂O‐N losses in Tamale. While wastewater irrigation did not significantly enhance CO₂‐C emissions in Ouagadougou, average CO₂‐C emissions in Tamale were 71% (1.6 t C ha^?1) higher on wastewater plots compared with those of the control (0.9 t C ha^?1). However, no significant effects of wastewater on N₂O‐N and NH₃‐N emissions were observed at either location. Although biochar did not affect N₂O‐N and NH₃‐N losses, the addition of biochar could contribute to reducing CO₂‐C emissions from urban garden soils. When related to crop production, CO₂‐C emissions were higher on control than on fertilized plots, but this was not the case for absolute CO₂‐C emissions.     

Driving factors of temporal variation in agricultural soil respiration

Investigations of diurnal and seasonal variations in soil respiration support modeling of regional CO₂ budgets and therefore in estimating their potential contribution to greenhouse gases. This study quantifies temporal changes in soil respiration and their driving factors in grassland and arable soils located in Northern Germany. Field measurements at an arable site showed diurnal mean soil respiration rates between 67 and 99 mg CO₂ m^–2 h^–1 with a hysteresis effect following changes in mean soil temperatures. Field soil respiration peaked in April at 5767 mg CO₂ m^–2 day^–1, while values below 300 mg CO₂ m^–2 day^–1 were measured in wintertime. Laboratory incubations were carried out in dark open flow chambers at temperatures from 5°C to 40°C, with 5°C intervals, and soil moisture was controlled at 30%, 50%, and 70% of full water holding capacity. Respiration rates were higher in grassland soils than in arable soils when the incubating temperature exceeded 15°C. The respiration rate difference between them rose with increasing temperature. Monthly median values of incubated soil respiration rates ranged from 0 to 26.12 and 0 to 7.84 µg CO₂ g^–1 dry weight h^–1, respectively, in grassland and arable land. A shortage of available substrate leads to a temporal decline in soil respiration rates, as indicated by a decrease in dissolved organic carbon. Temporal Q₁₀ values decreased from about 4.0 to below 1.5 as temperatures increased in the field. Moreover, the results of our laboratory experiments confirmed that soil temperature is the main controlling factor for the Q₁₀ values. Within the temperature interval between 20°C and 30°C, Q₁₀ values were around 2 while the Q₁₀ values of arable soils were slightly lower compared to that of grassland soils. Thus, laboratory studies may underestimate temperature sensitivity of soil respiration, awareness for transforming laboratory data to field conditions must therefore be taken into account.     

Do freeze‐thaw events enhance C and N losses from soils of different ecosystems? A review

Freezing and thawing of soils may affect the turnover of soil organic matter and thus the losses of C and N from soils. Here we review the literature with special focus on: (i) the mechanisms involved, (ii) the effects of freezing temperature and frequency, (iii) the differences between arable soils and soils under natural vegetation, and (iv) the hypothesis that freeze‐thaw events lead to significant C and N losses from soils at the annual scale. Changes in microbial biomass and populations, root turnover and soil structure might explain increased gaseous and solute fluxes of C and N following freeze‐thaw events, but these mechanisms have seldom been addressed in detail. Effects of freeze‐thaw events appear to increase with colder frost temperatures below 0°C, but a threshold value for specific soils and processes cannot be defined. The pool of C and N susceptible to freeze‐thaw events is rather limited, as indicated by decreasing losses with short‐term repeated events. Elevated nitrate losses from soils under alpine and/or arctic and forest vegetation occurred only in the year following exceptional soil frost, with greatest reported losses of about 13 kg N ha^?1. Nitrate losses are more likely caused by reduced root uptake rather than by increased N net mineralization. N₂O emissions from forest soils often increased after thawing, but this lasted only for a relatively short time (days to 1–2 months), with the greatest reported cumulative N₂O emissions of about 2 kg N₂O‐N ha^?1. The emissions of N₂O after freeze‐thaw events were in some cases substantially greater from arable soils than from forest soils. Thus, freeze‐thaw events might induce gaseous and/or solute losses of N from soils that are relevant at the annual time scale. While a burst of CO₂ after thawing of frozen soils is often found, there is strong evidence that, at the annual time scale, freeze‐thaw cycles either have little effect or will even reduce soil C losses as compared with unfrozen conditions. On the contrary, a milder winter climate with fewer periods of soil frost may result in greater losses of C from soils that are presently influenced by extended frost periods.     

Interrelationships between microbial and soil properties in young volcanic ash soils of Nicaragua

The activity and biomass of soil microorganisms were measured in soils from 25 different arable sites in the Pacific region of Nicaragua with the objective of elucidating their interrelationship with soil textural and soil chemical properties. All soils developed from recent volcanic deposits but differ in their particle size distribution. Short-term phosphorus fixation capacity varied widely and was, on average, 11% of added P. In contrast, long-term P fixation capacity varied within a small range of around 55%. Mean basal respiration was 8.6 μg CO₂–C d⁻¹ g⁻¹ soil, average contents of biomass C, biomass P, and ergosterol as an indicator of fungal biomass were 116, 1.95, and 0.34 μg g⁻¹ soil, respectively. They were all, except biomass P, significantly lower in the sandy than in the loamy soils. The mean biomass C-to-soil C ratio was 0.69%, the mean metabolic quotient 95 mg CO₂–C d⁻¹ g⁻¹ biomass C, the mean ergosterol-to-biomass C ratio 0.31% and the mean biomass C-to-P ratio 107. The very low ergosterol-to-biomass C ratio indicates that fungi contribute only a relatively small percentage to the microbial biomass. The biomass C-to-P ratio exceeded considerably the soil C-to-total P ratio. Metabolic quotient qCO₂ and ergosterol-to-biomass C were both negatively correlated with biomass C-to-soil C ratio and clay content, indicating positive correlations between qCO₂ and ergosterol-to-biomass C ratio and between biomass C-to-soil C ratio and clay content. Key problems of soil fertility and soil quality in Nicaragua are low availability of soil organic matter and phosphorus to soil microorganisms, which are magnified by a low percentage of fungi, probably reducing the ability of soil to provide nutrients for plant growth.     

Life cycle inventory-based analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from arable land farming systems in Hokkaido,northern Japan

Abstract

To assess their impacts on net global warming, total greenhouse gas emissions (mainly CO₂, N₂O and CH₄) from agricultural production in arable land cropping systems in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido, Japan, were estimated using life cycle inventory (LCI) analysis. The LCI data included CO₂ emissions from on-farm and off-farm fossil fuel consumption, soil CO₂ emissions induced by the decomposition of soil organic matter, direct and indirect N₂O emissions from arable lands and CH₄ uptake by soils, which were then aggregated in CO₂-equivalents. Under plow-based conventional tillage (CT) cropping systems for winter wheat, sugar beet, adzuki bean, potato and cabbage, on-farm CO₂ emissions from fuel-consuming operations such as tractor-based field operations, truck transportation and mechanical grain drying ranged from 0.424 Mg CO₂ ha^?1 year^?1 for adzuki bean to 0.826 Mg CO₂ ha^?1 year^?1 for winter wheat. Off-farm CO₂ emissions resulting from the use of agricultural materials such as chemical fertilizers, biocides (pesticides and herbicides) and agricultural machines were estimated by input–output tables to range from 0.800 Mg CO₂ ha^?1 year^?1 for winter wheat to 1.724 Mg CO₂ ha^?1 year^?1 for sugar beet. Direct N₂O emissions previously measured in an Andosol field of this region showed a positive correlation with N fertilizer application rates. These emissions, expressed in CO₂-equivalents, ranged from 0.041 Mg CO₂ ha^?1 year^?1 for potato to 0.382 Mg CO₂ ha^?1 year^?1 for cabbage. Indirect N₂O emissions resulting from N leaching and surface runoff were estimated to range from 0.069 Mg CO₂ ha^?1 year^?1 for adzuki bean to 0.381 Mg CO₂ ha^?1 year^?1 for cabbage. The rates of CH₄ removal from the atmosphere by soil uptake were equivalent to only 0.020–0.042 Mg CO₂ ha^?1 year^?1. From the difference in the total soil C pools (0–20 cm depth) between 1981 and 2001, annual CO₂ emissions from the CT and reduced tillage (RT) soils were estimated to be 4.91 and 3.81 Mg CO₂ ha^?1 year^?1, respectively. In total, CO₂-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions under CT cropping systems in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido amounted to 6.97, 7.62, 6.44, 6.64 and 7.49 Mg CO₂ ha^?1 year^?1 for winter wheat, sugar beet, adzuki bean, potato and cabbage production, respectively. Overall, soil-derived CO₂ emissions accounted for a large proportion (64–76%) of the total greenhouse gas emissions. This illustrates that soil management practices that enhance C sequestration in soil may be an effective means to mitigate large greenhouse gas emissions from arable land cropping systems such as those in the Tokachi region of northern Japan. Under RT cropping systems, plowing after harvesting was omitted, and total greenhouse gas emissions from winter wheat, sugar beet and adzuki bean could be reduced by 18%, 4% and 18%, respectively, mainly as a result of a lower soil organic matter decomposition rate in the RT soil and a saving on the fuels used for plowing.     

Functional dependencies of soil CO2 emissions on soil biological properties in northern German agricultural soils derived from a glacial till

Agricultural soil CO₂ emissions and their controlling factors have recently received increased attention because of the high potential of carbon sequestration and their importance in soil fertility. Several parameters of soil structure, chemistry, and microbiology were monitored along with soil CO₂ emissions in research conducted in soils derived from a glacial till. The investigation was carried out during the 2012 growing season in Northern Germany. Higher potentials of soil CO₂ emissions were found in grassland (20.40 µg g^?1 dry weight h^?1) compared to arable land (5.59 µg g^?1 dry weight h^?1) within the incubating temperature from 5°C to 40°C and incubating moisture from 30% to 70% water holding capacity (WHC) of soils taken during the growing season. For agricultural soils regardless of pasture and arable management, we suggested nine key factors that influence changes in soil CO₂ emissions including soil temperature, metabolic quotient, bulk density, WHC, percentage of silt, bacterial biomass, pH, soil organic carbon, and hot water soluble carbon (glucose equivalent) based on principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. Slightly different key factors were proposed concerning individual land use types, however, the most important factors for soil CO₂ emissions of agricultural soils in Northern Germany were proved to be metabolic quotient and soil temperature. Our results are valuable in providing key influencing factors for soil CO₂ emission changes in grassland and arable land with respect to soil respiration, physical status, nutrition supply, and microbe-related parameters.     

Carbon and nitrogen mineralization in acidic, limed and calcareous agricultural soils: Apparent and actual effects

Soil pH and calcium carbonate contents are often hypothesized to be important factors controlling organic matter turnover in agricultural soils. The aim of this study was to differentiate the effects of soil pH from those related to carbonate equilibrium on C and N dynamics. The relative contributions of organic and inorganic carbon in the CO₂ produced during laboratory incubations were assessed. Five agricultural soils were compared: calcareous (74% CaCO₃), loess (0.2% CaCO₃) and an acidic soil which had received different rates of lime 20 years ago (0, 18 or 50 t ha⁻¹). Soil aggregates were incubated with or without rape residues under aerobic conditions for 91 days at 15 °C. The C and N mineralized, soil pH, O₂ consumption and respiratory quotient (RQ=ΔCO₂/ΔO₂) were monitored, as well as the δ¹³C composition of the evolved CO₂ to determine its origin (mineral or organic). Results showed that in non-amended soils, the cumulative CO₂ produced was significantly greater in the limed soil with a pH>7 than in the same soil with less or no lime added, whereas there was no difference in N mineralization or in O₂ consumption kinetics. We found an exponential relationship between RQ values and soil pH, suggesting an excess production of CO₂ in alkaline soils. This CO₂ excess was not related to changes in substrate utilization by the microbial biomass but rather to carbonates equilibrium. The δ¹³C signatures confirmed that the CO₂ produced in soils with pH>7 originated from both organic and mineral sources. The contribution of soil carbonates to CO₂ production led to an overestimation of organic C mineralization (up to 35%), the extent of which depended on the nature of soil carbonates but not on the amount. The actual C mineralization (derived from organic C) was similar in limed and unlimed soil. The amount of C mineralized in the residue-amended soils was ten times greater than in the basal soil, thus masking the soil carbonate contribution. Residue decomposition resulted in a significant increase in soil pH in all soils. This increase is attributed to the alkalinity and/or decarboxylation of organic anions in the plant residue and/or to the immobilization of nitrate by the microbial biomass and the corresponding release of hydroxyl ions. A theoretical composition (C, O, H, N) of residue and soil organic matter is proposed to explain the RQ measured. It emphasizes the need to take microbial biomass metabolism, O₂ consumption due to nitrification and carbon assimilation yield into account when interpreting RQ data.     

Increased N deposition retards mineralization of old soil organic matter

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of increased N deposition on new and old pools of soil organic matter (SOM). We made use of a 4-yr experiment, where spruce and beech growing on an acidic loam and a calcareous sand were exposed to increased N deposition (7 vs. 70 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and to elevated atmospheric CO₂. The added CO₂ was depleted in ¹³C, which enabled us to distinguish between old and new C in SOM-pools fractionated into particle sizes. Elevated N deposition for 4 yr increased significantly the contents of total SOM in 0-10 cm depth of the acidic loam (+9%), but not in the calcareous sand. Down to 25 cm soil depth, C storage in the acidic loam was between 100 and 300 g C m⁻² larger under high than under low N additions. However, this increase was small as compared with the SOM losses of 600-700 g C g C 0.25 m⁻¹ m⁻² from the calcareous sand resulting from the disturbance of soils during setting up of the experiment. The amounts of new, less than 4 yr old SOM in the sand fractions of both soils were greater under high N deposition, showing that C inputs from trees into soils increased. Root biomass in the acidic loam was larger under N additions (+25%). Contents of old, more than 4 yr old C in the clay and silt fractions of both soils were significantly greater under high than under low N deposition. Since clay- and silt-bound SOM consists of humified compounds, this indicates that N additions retarded mineralization of old and humified SOM. The retardation of C mineralization in the clay and silt fraction accounted for 60-80 g C m⁻² 4 yr⁻¹, which corresponds to about 40% of the old SOM mineralized in these fraction. As a consequence, preservation of old and humified SOM under elevated N deposition might be a process that could lead to an increased soil C storage in the long-term.     

Transformation of [14C] and [35S]labeled lignosulfonates during soil incubation

[¹⁴C] and [³⁵S]labeled lignosulfonates (LS) or [¹⁴C]labeled coniferyl alcohol dehydropolymer (DHP) were aerobically incubated in soil for 17 weeks. Respiratory ¹⁴CO₂ was compared with that from DHP or that from [U¹⁴C]cellulose. Less CO₂ was released from ring and side chain carbons of LS than from DHP, though similar amounts of CO₂ were released from the methoxyl groups of both compounds. After incubation, the soil samples were exhaustively extracted with water and then with a sodium pyrophosphate-NaOH solution. The water solubility of the originally completely-soluble LS carbons was greatly decreased by incubation, and a large portion of the extracted ³⁵S was detected as sulfate. The pyrophosphate extract was separated into humic and fulvie acids. The humic acid from soils incubated with LS contained low ³⁵S activity and a similar ¹⁴C activity to that from soils incubated with DHP. The fulvic acid from the soils incubated with LS contained higher amounts of ¹⁴C (and ³⁵S) than that of the soils incubated with DHP. More side chain ¹⁴C activity than other ¹⁴C activity was found in both, the water extract and the fulvic acid from soils incubated with LS. The high ³⁵S together with the high side chain ¹⁴C activity probably indicates an elimination of the side chain carbons together with sulfonic acid groups. Anaerobic incubation of soil with LS or DHP promoted breakdown and incorporation of LS and DHP into humus much less than aerobic incubation. The possible reduction in potential pollution from lignosulfonates due to the observed transformations in soil are discussed.