Carbon dynamics from carbonate dissolution in Australian agricultural soils

Soil Research ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waqar Ahmad ◽  
Balwant Singh ◽  
Ram C. Dalal ◽  
Feike A. Dijkstra
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Co2 Emission ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Atmospheric Co2 ◽  
Soil Types ◽  
Carbonate Dissolution ◽  
Dissolution Zone ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Soil Carbonate

Land-use and management practices on limed acidic and carbonate-bearing soils can fundamentally alter carbon (C) dynamics, creating an important feedback to atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. Transformation of carbonates in such soils and its implication for C sequestration with climate change are largely unknown and there is much speculation about inorganic C sequestration via bicarbonates. Soil carbonate equilibrium is complicated, and all reactants and reaction products need to be accounted for fully to assess whether specific processes lead to a net removal of atmospheric CO2. Data are scarce on the estimates of CaCO3 stocks and the effect of land-use management practices on these stocks, and there is a lack of understanding on the fate of CO2 released from carbonates. We estimated carbonate stocks from four major soil types in Australia (Calcarosols, Vertosols, Kandosols and Chromosols). In >200-mm rainfall zone, which is important for Australian agriculture, the CaCO3-C stocks ranged from 60.7 to 2542 Mt at 0–0.3 m depth (dissolution zone), and from 260 to 15 660 Mt at 0–1.0 m depth. The combined CaCO3-C stocks in Vertosols, Kandosols and Chromosols were about 30% of those in Calcarosols. Total average CaCO3-C stocks in the dissolution zone represented 11–23% of the stocks present at 0–1.0 m depth, across the four soil types. These estimates provide a realistic picture of the current variation of CaCO3-C stocks in Australia while offering a baseline to estimate potential CO2 emission–sequestration through land-use changes for these soil types. In addition, we provide an overview of the uncertainties in accounting for CO2 emission from soil carbonate dissolution and major inorganic C transformations in soils as affected by land-use change and management practices, including liming of acidic soils and its secondary effects on the mobility of dissolved organic C. We also consider impacts of liming on mineralisation of the native soil C, and when these transformations should be considered a net atmospheric CO2 source or sink.

Sustainable Management of Soil for Carbon Sequestration

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kewat Sanjay Kumar ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Atmospheric Co2 ◽  
Carbon Pools ◽  
Carbon Stabilization ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil Ecosystems ◽  
C Stocks

Mechanisms governing carbon stabilization in soils have received a great deal of attention in recent years due to their relevance in the global carbon cycle. Two thirds of the global terrestrial organic C stocks in ecosystems are stored in below ground components as terrestrial carbon pools in soils. Furthermore, mean residence time of soil organic carbon pools have slowest turnover rates in terrestrial ecosystems and thus there is vast potential to sequester atmospheric CO2 in soil ecosystems. Depending upon soil management practices it can be served as source or sink for atmospheric CO2. Sustainable management systems and practices such as conservation agriculture, agroforestry and application of biochar are emerging and promising tools for soil carbon sequestration. Increasing soil carbon storage in a system simultaneously improves the soil health by increase in infiltration rate, soil biota and fertility, nutrient cycling and decrease in soil erosion process, soil compaction and C emissions. Henceforth, it is vital to scientifically explore the mechanisms governing C flux in soils which is poorly understood in different ecosystems under anthropogenic interventions making soil as a potential sink for atmospheric CO2 to mitigate climate change. Henceforth, present paper aims to review basic mechanism governing carbon stabilization in soils and new practices and technological developments in agricultural and forest sciences for C sequestration in terrestrial soil ecosystems.

Carbon stocks in Tasmanian soils

Soil Research ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 83 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. E. Cotching
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Initial Soil ◽  
If Current ◽  
Intensive Cropping ◽  
The Difference

Soil carbon (C) stocks were calculated for Tasmanian soil orders to 0.3 and 1.0 m depth from existing datasets. Tasmanian soils have C stocks of 49–117 Mg C/ha in the upper 0.3 m, with Ferrosols having the largest soil C stocks. Mean soil C stocks in agricultural soils were significantly lower under intensive cropping than under irrigated pasture. The range in soil C within soil orders indicates that it is critical to determine initial soil C stocks at individual sites and farms for C accounting and trading purposes, because the initial soil C content will determine if current or changed management practices are likely to result in soil C sequestration or emission. The distribution of C within the profile was significantly different between agricultural and forested land, with agricultural soils having two-thirds of their soil C in the upper 0.3 m, compared with half for forested soils. The difference in this proportion between agricultural and forested land was largest in Dermosols (0.72 v. 0.47). The total amount of soil C in a soil to 1.0 m depth may not change with a change in land use, but the distribution can and any change in soil C deeper in the profile might affect how soil C can be managed for sequestration. Tasmanian soil C stocks are significantly greater than those in mainland states of Australia, reflecting the lower mean annual temperature and higher precipitation in Tasmania, which result in less oxidation of soil organic matter.

scholarly journals Baseline-Dependent Responses of Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics to Climate and Land Disturbances

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengxi Tan ◽  
Shuguang Liu
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Realistic Option ◽  
Managed Ecosystems ◽  
Land Use And Management

Terrestrial carbon (C) sequestration through optimizing land use and management is widely considered a realistic option to mitigate the global greenhouse effect. But how the responses of individual ecosystems to changes in land use and management are related to baseline soil organic C (SOC) levels still needs to be evaluated at various scales. In this study, we modeled SOC dynamics within both natural and managed ecosystems in North Dakota of the United States and found that the average SOC stock in the top 20 cm depth of soil lost at a rate of 450 kg C ha−1 yr−1in cropland and 110 kg C ha−1 yr−1in grassland between 1971 and 1998. Since 1998, the study area had become a SOC sink at a rate of 44 kg C ha−1 yr−1. The annual rate of SOC change in all types of lands substantially depends on the magnitude of initial SOC contents, but such dependency varies more with climatic variables within natural ecosystems and with management practices within managed ecosystems. Additionally, soils with high baseline SOC stocks tend to be C sources following any land surface disturbances, whereas soils having low baseline C contents likely become C sinks following conservation management.

scholarly journals Forest conversion to poplar plantation in a Lombardy floodplain (Italy): effects on soil organic carbon stock

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 6483-6493 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Ferré ◽  
R. Comolli ◽  
A. Leip ◽  
G. Seufert
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Forest Conversion ◽  
Poplar Plantation ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Soc Stocks

Abstract. Effects of forest conversion to poplar plantation on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks were investigated by sampling paired plots in an alluvial area of the Ticino River in Northern Italy. According to land registers and historical aerial photographs, the two sites were part of a larger area of a 200 yr old natural forest that was partly converted to poplar plantation in 1973. The soil sampling of three layers down to a depth of 100 cm was performed at 90 and 70 points in the natural forest (NF) and in the nearby poplar plantation (PP) respectively. The substitution of the natural forest with the poplar plantation strongly modified soil C stock down to a depth of 55 cm, although the management practices at PP were not intensive. After calculation of equivalent soil masses and of SOC stocks in individual texture classes, the comparison of C stocks showed an overall decrease in SOC of 5.7 kg m−2 or 40% in consequence of 37 years of poplar cultivation. Our case study provides further evidence that (i) spatial heterogeneity of SOC is an important feature in paired plot studies requiring a careful sampling strategy and high enough number of samples; (ii) land use changes through tillage are creating a more homogeneous spatial structure of soil properties and may require the application of dedicated spatial statistics to tackle eventual problems of pseudo-replicates and auto-correlation; (iii) short rotation forests are not properly represented in current reporting schemes for changes of SOC after land use change and may better be considered as cropland.

Issues and pressures facing the future of soil carbon stocks with particular emphasis on Scottish soils

2013 ◽  
Vol 152 (5) ◽  
pp. 699-715 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. BUCKINGHAM ◽  
R. M. REES ◽  
C. A. WATSON
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Organic Soils ◽  
Productive Capacity ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Future

SUMMARYSoil organic carbon (C) plays a critical role in supporting the productive capacity of soils and their ability to provide a wide range of ecologically important functions including the storage of atmospherically derived carbon dioxide (CO2). The present paper collates available information on Scottish soil C stocks and C losses and reviews the potential pressures on terrestrial C, which may threaten future C stocks. Past, present and possible future land use, land management practices and land use changes (LUCs) including forestry, agriculture, nitrogen (N) additions, elevated CO2 and climate change for Scotland are discussed and evaluated in relation to the anthropogenic pressures on soil C.The review deduces that current available data show little suggestion of significant changes in C stocks of Scottish soils, although this may be due to a lack of long-term trend data. However, it can be concluded that there are many pressures, such as climate change, intensity of land use practices, scale of LUC, soil erosion and pollution, which may pose significant threats to the future of Scottish soil C if these factors are not taken into consideration in future land management decisions. In particular, this is due to the land area covered by vulnerable peats and highly organic soils in Scotland compared with other areas in the UK. It is therefore imperative that soil C stocks for different land use, management practices and LUCs are monitored in more detail to provide further insight into the potential changes in sequestered C and subsequent greenhouse gas emissions, as advised by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Comparison of the particulate organic carbon and permanganate oxidation methods for estimating labile soil organic carbon

Soil Research ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 255 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. O. Skjemstad ◽  
R. S. Swift ◽  
J. A. McGowan
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Particulate Organic Carbon ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Types ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Rapid Loss ◽  
Degraded Soil ◽  
Labile Organic Carbon ◽  
Labile Soil Organic Carbon

Forty-four soils from under native vegetation and a range of management practices following clearing were analysed for ‘labile’ organic carbon (OC) using both the particulate organic carbon (POC) and the 333 mm KmnO4 (MnoxC) methods. Although there was some correlation between the 2 methods, the POC method was more sensitive by about a factor of 2 to rapid loss in OC as a result of management or land-use change. Unlike the POC method, the MnoxC method was insensitive to rapid gains in TOC following establishment of pasture on degraded soil. The MnoxC method was shown to be particularly sensitive to the presence of lignin or lignin-like compounds and therefore is likely to be very sensitive to the nature of the vegetation present at or near the time of sampling and explains the insensitivity of this method to OC gain under pasture. The presence of charcoal is an issue with both techniques, but whereas the charcoal contribution to the POC fraction can be assessed, the MnoxC method cannot distinguish between charcoal and most biomolecules found in soil. Because of these limitations, the MnoxC method should not be applied indiscriminately across different soil types and management practices.

scholarly journals Conversion of cerrado into agricultural land in the south-western Amazon: carbon stocks and soil fertility

2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Luís Nunes Carvalho ◽  
Cerri Carlos Eduardo Pelegrino ◽  
Brigitte Josefine Feigl ◽  
Marisa de Cássia Píccolo ◽  
Vicente de Paula Godinho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Tropical Soils ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Nutrient Stocks ◽  
Positive Correlations

Land use change and land management practices can modify soil carbon (C) dynamics and soil fertility. This study evaluated the effect of tillage systems (no-tillage - NT and conventional tillage - CT) on soil C and nutrient stocks in an Oxisol from an Amazonian cerrado following land use change. The study also identified relationships between these stocks and other soil attributes. Carbon, P, K, Ca and Mg stocks, adjusted to the equivalent soil mass in the cerrado (CE), were higher under NT. After adoption of all but one of the NT treatments, C stocks were higher than they were in the other areas we considered. Correlations between C and nutrient stocks showed positive correlations with Ca and Mg under NT due to continuous liming, higher crop residue inputs and lack of soil disturbance, associated with positive correlations with cation exchange capacity (CEC), base saturation and pH. The positive correlation (r = 0.91, p < 0.05) between C stocks and CEC in the CE indicates the important contribution of soil organic matter (SOM) to CEC in tropical soils, although the exchange sites are - under natural conditions - mainly occupied by H and Al. Phosphorus and K stocks showed positive correlations (0.81 and 0.82, respectively) with C stocks in the CE, indicating the direct relationship of P and K with SOM in natural ecosystems. The high spatial variability of P and K fertilizer application may be obscuring these soil nutrient stocks. In this study, the main source of P and K was fertilizer rather than SOM.

CARBON STOCKS, LITTERFALL AND PRUNING RESIDUES IN MONOCULTURE AND AGROFORESTRY CACAO PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 452-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
ULF SCHNEIDEWIND ◽  
WIEBKE NIETHER ◽  
LAURA ARMENGOT ◽  
MONIKA SCHNEIDER ◽  
DANIELA SAUER ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Pruning Residues

SUMMARYAgroforestry systems (AFS) can serve to decrease ecosystem carbon (C) losses caused by deforestation and inadequate soil management. Because of their shade tolerance, cacao plants are suitable to be grown in AFS, since they can be combined with other kinds of trees and shrubs. The potential for C sequestration in cacao farming systems depends on various factors, such as management practices, stand structure and plantation age. We compared conventionally and organically managed cacao monoculture systems (MCS) and AFS in Sara Ana (Bolivia) with respect to C stocks in plant biomass and to amounts of litterfall and pruning residues. The total aboveground C stocks of the AFS (26 Mg C ha−1) considerably exceeded those of the MCS (~7 Mg C ha−1), although the biomass of cacao trees was greater in the MCS compared to the AFS. Due to higher tree density, annual litterfall in the AFS (2.2 Mg C ha−1 year−1) substantially exceeded that in the MCS (1.2 Mg C ha−1 year−1). The amounts of C in pruning residues (2.6 Mg C ha−1 year−1 in MCS to 4.3 Mg C ha−1 year−1 in AFS) was more than twice those in the litterfall. Annual nitrogen (N) inputs to the soil through pruning residues of cacao and N-fixing trees were up to 10 times higher than the N inputs through external fertiliser application. We conclude that appropriate management of cacao AFS, involving the pruning of leguminous trees, will lead to increases in biomass, litter quantity and quality as well as soil C and N stocks. Thus, we recommend stimulating the expansion of well-managed AFS to improve soil fertility and enhance C sequestration in soils.

The potential for full inversion tillage to increase soil carbon storage following pasture renewal in New Zealand

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Beare ◽  
Erin Lawrence-Smith ◽  
Denis Curtin ◽  
Sam McNally ◽  
Frank Kelliher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Atmospheric Concentration ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Soil C Sequestration ◽  
Accumulation Efficiency

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The global atmospheric concentration of CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; and other greenhouse gases (GHG) is steadily increasing. It is estimated that, worldwide, soil C sequestration could offset GHG emissions by 400&amp;#8211;1200 Mt C per year. Relative to 1990, New Zealand&amp;#8217;s CH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; and N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O emissions in 2013 had increased by 7% and 23% respectively, which translates to an annual emission increase of 1.09 Mt C that could be offset by a similar annual increase in soil C stock. Recent research has shown that some New Zealand pastoral soils are under-saturated in SOC. Subsurface soils (15&amp;#8211;30 cm depth) typically have a greater soil C saturation deficit than topsoil (0-30 cm) because plant C inputs (roots) are lower. Using management practices that expose more of the under-saturated soil to higher C inputs could result in increased soil C storage and stabilisation.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Pasture renewal (destruction and re-establishment of pasture) is promoted to livestock farmers to improve pasture performance. This typically involves shallow cultivation or direct drilling to establish new grass. Whereas shallow cultivation of soil typically results in a loss of SOC, deeper full inversion tillage (FIT) of soil would result in the burial of C-rich topsoil in closer proximity to mineral material that has a higher stabilisation capacity.&amp;#160; Buried SOC is expected to have a slower decomposition rate owing to less variable temperatures and more anoxic conditions. Deep FIT would also bring under-saturated mineral soil to the surface, where the deposition of SOC from high producing pastures could increase the stabilisation of SOC.&amp;#160; Both the slower turnover of buried SOM and greater stabilisation of new carbon on under-saturated minerals at the soil surface are expected to result in increased SOC sequestration. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;There is a lack of experimental data to directly address the effect of FIT on soil C stocks in pastoral soils. We applied a simple empirical model to predicting changes in soil C stocks following a one-off application of FIT (30 cm) during pasture renewal. The model accounts for the decomposition of SOC in buried topsoil and the accumulation of C in the new topsoil (inverted subsoil). The model was used to derive national estimates of soil C sequestration under different scenarios of C accumulation efficiency, farmer adoption of FIT and pasture renewal rates.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our modelled estimates suggest that 32 Mt C could be sequestered over 20 years following a one-time application of FIT (0-30 cm) to 2 M ha of High Producing Grasslands on suitable New Zealand soils. This estimate is based on 100% accumulation efficiency (i.e. topsoil C stocks are returned to pre-inversion levels within 20 years) and a 10% annual rate of pasture renewal. In the absence of direct experimental evidence, a more conservative estimate is warranted, where topsoil C stocks are projected to return to 80% of pre-inversion levels, thus sequestering 20 Mt C. This paper will present our modelled estimates of SOC sequestration during FIT pasture renewal and discuss the potential benefits and adverse effects of deploying this management practice.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Soil organic carbon stocks under different land uses in Chure region of Makawanpur district, Nepal

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Ghimire ◽  
B Bhatta ◽  
B Pokhrel ◽  
G Kafle ◽  
P Paudel
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Organic Carbon Content ◽  
Degraded Forest ◽  
Degraded Land ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Soc Stock

Soil C sequestration through enhanced land use is a good strategy to mitigate the increasing concentration of atmospheric CO2. A study was conducted in Chhatiwan VDC of Makawanpur District to compare soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks of four main land use types such as forest, degraded forest, Khet and Bari land. Stratified random sampling method was used for collecting soil samples. Organic carbon content was determined by Walkley and Black method. Total SOC stock of different types of land followed the order: as Forest (110.0 t ha-1) > Bari (96.5 t ha-1) > Khet (86.8 t ha-1) > Degraded land (72.0 t ha-1). The SOC% declined with soil depths. The SOC% at 0–20 cm depth was highest (1.26 %) that recorded in the forest soils and lowest (0.37%) at 80- 100cm depth in degraded forest land. Thus, the SOC stock varied with land use systems and soil depths. The study suggests a need for appropriate land use strategy and sustainable soil management practices to improve SOC stock. SAARC J. Agri., 16(2): 13-23 (2018)

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