scholarly journals Estimating soil organic carbon changes in managed temperate moist grasslands with RothC

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0256219
Author(s):  
Asma Jebari ◽  
Jorge Álvaro-Fuentes ◽  
Guillermo Pardo ◽  
María Almagro ◽  
Agustin del Prado
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Plant Residue ◽  
Plant Residues ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Rothc Model

Temperate grassland soils store significant amounts of carbon (C). Estimating how much livestock grazing and manuring can influence grassland soil organic carbon (SOC) is key to improve greenhouse gas grassland budgets. The Rothamsted Carbon (RothC) model, although originally developed and parameterized to model the turnover of organic C in arable topsoil, has been widely used, with varied success, to estimate SOC changes in grassland under different climates, soils, and management conditions. In this paper, we hypothesise that RothC-based SOC predictions in managed grasslands under temperate moist climatic conditions can be improved by incorporating small modifications to the model based on existing field data from diverse experimental locations in Europe. For this, we described and evaluated changes at the level of: (1) the soil water function of RothC, (2) entry pools accounting for the degradability of the exogenous organic matter (EOM) applied (e.g., ruminant excreta), (3) the month-on-month change in the quality of C inputs coming from plant residues (i.e above-, below-ground plant residue and rhizodeposits), and (4) the livestock trampling effect (i.e., poaching damage) as a common problem in areas with higher annual precipitation. In order to evaluate the potential utility of these changes, we performed a simple sensitivity analysis and tested the model predictions against averaged data from four grassland experiments in Europe. Our evaluation showed that the default model’s performance was 78% and whereas some of the modifications seemed to improve RothC SOC predictions (model performance of 95% and 86% for soil water function and plant residues, respectively), others did not lead to any/or almost any improvement (model performance of 80 and 46% for the change in the C input quality and livestock trampling, respectively). We concluded that, whereas adding more complexity to the RothC model by adding the livestock trampling would actually not improve the model, adding the modified soil water function and plant residue components, and at a lesser extent residues quality, could improve predictability of the RothC in managed grasslands under temperate moist climatic conditions.

scholarly journals Simulating soil organic C dynamics in managed grasslands under humid temperate climatic conditions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asma Jebari ◽  
Jorge Álvaro-Fuentes ◽  
Guillermo Pardo ◽  
María Almagro ◽  
Agustin del Prado
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiments ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Plant Residue ◽  
Plant Residues ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Natural Grasslands ◽  
Rothc Model ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Intensively Managed

Abstract. Temperate grasslands are of paramount importance in terms of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics. Globally, research on SOC dynamics has largely focused on forests, croplands and natural grasslands, while intensively managed grasslands has received much less attention. In this regard, we aimed to improve the prediction of SOC dynamics in managed grasslands under humid temperate regions. In order to do so, we modified and recalibrated the SOC model RothC, originally developed to model the turnover of SOC in arable topsoils, which requires limited amount of readily available input data. The modifications proposed for the RothC are: (1) water content up to saturation conditions in the soil water function of RothC to fit the humid temperate climatic conditions, (2) entry pools that account for particularity of exogenous organic matter (EOM) applied (e.g., ruminant excreta), (3) annual variation in the carbon inputs derived from plant residues considering both above- and below-ground plant residue and rhizodeposits components as well as their quality, and (4) the livestock treading effect (i.e., poaching damage) as a common problem in humid areas with higher annual precipitation. In the paper, we describe the basis of these modifications, carry out a simple sensitivity analysis and validate predictions against data from existing field experiments from four sites in Europe. Model performance showed that modified RothC reasonably captures well the different modifications. However, the model seems to be more sensitive to soil moisture and plant residues modifications than to the other modifications. The applied changes in RothC model could be appropriate to simulate both farm and regional SOC dynamics from managed grassland-based systems under humid temperate conditions.

scholarly journals Application of RothC model to predict soil organic carbon stock on agricultural soils of Slovakia

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Barančíková ◽  
J. Halás ◽  
M. Gutteková ◽  
J. Makovníková ◽  
M. Nováková ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Carbon Stock ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Plant Residues ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon Stock ◽  
Rothc Model ◽  
Soc Stock ◽  
Organic Carbon Stock

Soil organic matter (SOM) takes part in many environmental functions and, depending on the conditions, it can be a source or a sink of the greenhouse gases. Presently, the changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stock can arise because of the climatic changes or changes in the land use and land management. A promising method in the estimation of SOC changes is modelling, one of the most used models for the prediction of changes in soil organic carbon stock on agricultural land being the RothC model. Because of its simplicity and availability of the input data, RothC was used for testing the efficiency to predict the development of SOC stock during 35-year period on agricultural land of Slovakia. The received data show an increase of SOC stock during the first (20 years) phase and no significant changes in the course of the second part of modelling. The increase of SOC stock in the first phase can be explained by a high carbon input of plant residues and manure and a lower temperature in comparison with the second modelling part.

scholarly journals Diversity of soil organic carbon and water characteristics under different vegetation types in northern Bengkulu, Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bandi Hermawan ◽  
HERY SUHARTOYO ◽  
BAMBANG SULISTYO ◽  
BAMBANG GONGGO MURCITRO ◽  
WELLY HERMAN
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Water Characteristics ◽  
Disturbed Soil

Abstract. Hermawan B, Suhartoyo H, Sulistyo B, Murcitro BG, Herman W. 2020. Diversity of soil organic carbon and water characteristics under different vegetation types in northern Bengkulu, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 1793-1799. Organic carbon and water characteristics are important soil properties that can easily degrade following the conversion of forest to cultivation land, but their levels of degradation depend on successive vegetation types after deforestation. The research aimed to evaluate the spatial diversity of soil organic carbon (SOC) and water characteristics on sites with annual and cash crops, as well as natural vegetation types. Forty-two undisturbed and disturbed soil samples were collected at 0-10 and 10-20 cm depths from plantation areas (rubber and oil palm), rice fields, shrub land, and grassland in Mukomuko, North Bengkulu, and Central Bengkulu Regencies of Bengkulu Province, Indonesia. Vegetation types were observed, and soil water characteristics were determined using a pressure plate apparatus unit from undisturbed soil samples, while SOC and particle-size distribution were analyzed from disturbed soil samples. The uppermost 10 cm soil layers were dominated by organic-C intervals of more than 3.0% while the 10-20 cm depths had intervals of less than 3.0%. Soils under oil palm and rice production had higher SOC of above 6.0% and water availability at the field capacity of 0.4-0.6 g g-1, particularly at 0-10 cm depths, while those under rubber and grass had a lower status of measured variables, particularly at 10-20 cm depth. There was a strong relationship (R2 = 0.63) between the soil organic carbon and water availability among study soils, suggesting the possibility to predict potential soil water deficits from organic matter status.

scholarly journals Changes in Denitrifier Abundance, Denitrification Gene mRNA Levels, Nitrous Oxide Emissions, and Denitrification in Anoxic Soil Microcosms Amended with Glucose and Plant Residues

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (7) ◽  
pp. 2155-2164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherri L. Henderson ◽  
Catherine E. Dandie ◽  
Cheryl L. Patten ◽  
Bernie J. Zebarth ◽  
David L. Burton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Plant Residue ◽  
Plant Residues ◽  
Barley Plant ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Soil Microcosms ◽  
Denitrification Gene ◽  
Gene Mrna ◽  
Amended Soil

ABSTRACT In agricultural cropping systems, crop residues are sources of organic carbon (C), an important factor influencing denitrification. The effects of red clover, soybean, and barley plant residues and of glucose on denitrifier abundance, denitrification gene mRNA levels, nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, and denitrification rates were quantified in anoxic soil microcosms for 72 h. nosZ gene abundances and mRNA levels significantly increased in response to all organic carbon treatments over time. In contrast, the abundance and mRNA levels of Pseudomonas mandelii and closely related species (nirS P) increased only in glucose-amended soil: the nirS P guild abundance increased 5-fold over the 72-h incubation period (P < 0.001), while the mRNA level significantly increased more than 15-fold at 12 h (P < 0.001) and then subsequently decreased. The nosZ gene abundance was greater in plant residue-amended soil than in glucose-amended soil. Although plant residue carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratios varied from 15:1 to 30:1, nosZ gene and mRNA levels were not significantly different among plant residue treatments, with an average of 3.5 � 107 gene copies and 6.9 � 107 transcripts g−1 dry soil. Cumulative N2O emissions and denitrification rates increased over 72 h in both glucose- and plant-tissue-C-treated soil. The nirS P and nosZ communities responded differently to glucose and plant residue amendments. However, the targeted denitrifier communities responded similarly to the different plant residues under the conditions tested despite changes in the quality of organic C and different C:N ratios.

Long-term effects of fertilisers and organic sources on soil organic carbon fractions under a rice–wheat system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of north-west India

Soil Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 296 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Das ◽  
B. S. Dwivedi ◽  
V. K. Singh ◽  
S. P. Datta ◽  
M. C. Meena ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Gangetic Plain ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Labile C ◽  
Labile C Fractions

Decline in soil organic carbon (SOC) content is considered a key constraint for sustenance of rice–wheat system (RWS) productivity in the Indo-Gangetic Plain region. We, therefore, studied the effects of fertilisers and manures on SOC pools, and their relationships with crop yields after 18 years of continuous RWS. Total organic C increased significantly with the integrated use of fertilisers and organic sources (from 13 to 16.03gkg–1) compared with unfertilised control (11.5gkg–1) or sole fertiliser (NPKZn; 12.17gkg–1) treatment at 0–7.5cm soil depth. Averaged across soil depths, labile fractions like microbial biomass C (MBC) and permanganate-oxidisable C (PmOC) were generally higher in treatments that received farmyard manure (FYM), sulfitation pressmud (SPM) or green gram residue (GR) along with NPK fertiliser, ranging from 192 to 276mgkg–1 and from 0.60 to 0.75gkg–1 respectively compared with NPKZn and NPK+cereal residue (CR) treatments, in which MBC and PmOC ranged from 118 to 170mgkg–1 and from 0.43 to 0.57gkg–1 respectively. Oxidisable organic C fractions revealed that very labile C and labile C fractions were much larger in the NPK+FYM or NPK+GR+FYM treatments, whereas the less-labile C and non-labile C fractions were larger under control and NPK+CR treatments. On average, Walkley–Black C, PmOC and MBC contributed 29–46%, 4.7–6.6% and 1.16–2.40% towards TOC respectively. Integrated plant nutrient supply options, except NPK+CR, also produced sustainable high yields of RWS.

scholarly journals Long term trends in fertility of soils under continuous cultivation and cereal cropping in southern Queensland. III. Distribution and kinetics of soil organic carbon in particle size fractions

Soil Research ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 293 ◽  
Author(s):  
RC Dalal ◽  
RJ Mayer
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Size Fraction ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Size Fractions ◽  
Particle Size Fractions ◽  
Clay Size Fraction ◽  
Sand Size

Distribution of soil organic carbon in sand-, silt- and clay-size fractions during cultivation for periods ranging from 20 to 70 years was studied in six major soils used for cereal cropping in southern Queensland. Particle-size fractions were obtained by dispersion in water using cation exchange resin, sieving and sedimentation. In the soils' virgin state no single particle-size fraction was found to be consistently enriched as compared to the whole soil in organic C in all six soils, although the largest proportion (48%) of organic C was in the clay-size fraction; silt and sand-size fractions contained remaining organic C in equal amounts. Upon cultivation, the amounts of organic C declined from all particle-size fractions in most soils, although the loss rates differed considerably among different fractions and from the whole soil. The proportion of the sand-size fraction declined rapidly (from 26% to 12% overall), whereas that of the clay-size fraction increased from 48% to 61% overall. The proportion of silt-size organic C was least affected by cultivation in most soils. It was inferred, therefore, that the sand-size organic matter is rapidly lost from soil, through mineralization as well as disintegration into silt-size and clay-size fractions, and that the clay fraction provides protection for the soil organic matter against microbial and enzymic degradation.

Soil organic carbon and nitrogen sequestration and turnover in aggregates under subtropical leucaena–grass pastures

Soil Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Conrad ◽  
Ram C. Dalal ◽  
Ryosuke Fujinuma ◽  
Neal W. Menzies
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Aggregates ◽  
Soil Mass ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Nitrogen Sequestration ◽  
C And N

Stabilisation and protection of soil organic carbon (SOC) in macroaggregates and microaggregates represents an important mechanism for the sequestration of SOC. Legume-based grass pastures have the potential to contribute to aggregate formation and stabilisation, thereby leading to SOC sequestration. However, there is limited research on the C and N dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) fractions in deep-rooted legume leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala)–grass pastures. We assessed the potential of leucaena to sequester carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in soil aggregates by estimating the origin, quantity and distribution in the soil profile. We utilised a chronosequence (0–40 years) of seasonally grazed leucaena stands (3–6 m rows), which were sampled to a depth of 0.3 m at 0.1-m intervals. The soil was wet-sieved for different aggregate sizes (large macroaggregates, >2000 µm; small macroaggregates, 250–2000 µm; microaggregates, 53–250 µm; and <53 µm), including occluded particulate organic matter (oPOM) within macroaggregates (>250 µm), and then analysed for organic C, N and δ13C and δ15N. Leucaena promoted aggregation, which increased with the age of the leucaena stands, and in particular the formation of large macroaggregates compared with grass in the upper 0.2 m. Macroaggregates contained a greater SOC stock than microaggregates, principally as a function of the soil mass distribution. The oPOM-C and -N concentrations were highest in macroaggregates at all depths. The acid nonhydrolysable C and N distribution (recalcitrant SOM) provided no clear distinction in stabilisation of SOM between pastures. Leucaena- and possibly other legume-based grass pastures have potential to sequester SOC through stabilisation and protection of oPOM within macroaggregates in soil.

scholarly journals Soil organic carbon stabilization mechanisms and temperature sensitivity in old terraced soils

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 6301-6312
Author(s):  
Pengzhi Zhao ◽  
Daniel Joseph Fallu ◽  
Sara Cucchiaro ◽  
Paolo Tarolli ◽  
Clive Waddington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Temperature Sensitivity ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
C:N Ratio ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Fraction Composition ◽  
Soil Burial ◽  
C Cycle

Abstract. Being the most common human-created landforms, terrace construction has resulted in an extensive perturbation of the land surface. However, our mechanistic understanding of soil organic carbon (SOC) (de-)stabilization mechanisms and the persistence of SOC stored in terraced soils is far from complete. Here we explored the factors controlling SOC stability and the temperature sensitivity (Q10) of abandoned prehistoric agricultural terrace soils in NE England using soil fractionation and temperature-sensitive incubation combined with terrace soil burial-age measurements. Results showed that although buried terrace soils contained 1.7 times more unprotected SOC (i.e., coarse particulate organic carbon) than non-terraced soils at comparable soil depths, a significantly lower potential soil respiration was observed relative to a control (non-terraced) profile. This suggests that the burial of former topsoil due to terracing provided a mechanism for stabilizing SOC. Furthermore, we observed a shift in SOC fraction composition from particulate organic C towards mineral-protected C with increasing burial age. This clear shift to more processed recalcitrant SOC with soil burial age also contributes to SOC stability in terraced soils. Temperature sensitivity incubations revealed that the dominant controls on Q10 depend on the terrace soil burial age. At relatively younger ages of soil burial, the reduction in substrate availability due to SOC mineral protection with aging attenuates the intrinsic Q10 of SOC decomposition. However, as terrace soil becomes older, SOC stocks in deep buried horizons are characterized by a higher temperature sensitivity, potentially resulting from the poor SOC quality (i.e., soil C:N ratio). In conclusion, terracing in our study site has stabilized SOC as a result of soil burial during terrace construction. The depth–age patterns of Q10 and SOC fraction composition of terraced soils observed in our study site differ from those seen in non-terraced soils, and this has implications when assessing the effects of climate warming and terrace abandonment on the terrestrial C cycle.

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