Spatially Related Sampling Uncertainty in the Assessment of Labile Soil Carbon and Nitrogen in an Irish Forest Plantation

The importance of labile soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in soil biogeochemical processes is now well recognized. However, the quantification of labile soil C and N in soils and the assessment of their contribution to ecosystem C and N budgets is often constrained by limited information on spatial variability. To address this, we examined spatial variability in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved total nitrogen (DTN) in a Sitka spruce forest in central Ireland. The results showed moderate variations in the concentrations of DOC and DTN based on the mean, minimum, and maximum, as well as the coefficients of variation. Residual values of DOC and DTN were shown to have moderate spatial autocorrelations, and the nugget sill ratios were 0.09% and 0.10%, respectively. Distribution maps revealed that both DOC and DTN concentrations in the study area decreased from the southeast. The variability of both DOC and DTN increased as the sampling area expanded and could be well parameterized as a power function of the sampling area. The cokriging technique performed better than the ordinary kriging for predictions of DOC and DTN, which are highly correlated. This study provides a statistically based assessment of spatial variations in DOC and DTN and identifies the sampling effort required for their accurate quantification, leading to improved assessments of forest ecosystem C and N budgets.

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Combining Soil C and N Spatial Variability and Modeling Approaches for Measuring and Monitoring Soil Carbon Sequestration

Environmental Management ◽

10.1007/s00267-003-9137-y ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 33 (S1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Carols Eduardo P. Cerri ◽

Carlos C. Cerri ◽

Keith Paustian ◽

Martial Bernoux ◽

Jerry M. Mellilo

Keyword(s):

Carbon Sequestration ◽

Spatial Variability ◽

Soil Carbon ◽

Soil Carbon Sequestration ◽

Soil C ◽

Modeling Approaches ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N

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Distribution and soil carbon stocks of agroforestry vegetation on dry land in Aceh Besar regency

IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ◽

10.1088/1755-1315/896/1/012022 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 896 (1) ◽

pp. 012022

Author(s):

H A Umar ◽

Endiyani ◽

S Agustina ◽

Irhami ◽

C Anwar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Carbon Content ◽

Soil Carbon ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Dry Land ◽

Soil C ◽

Two Samples ◽

Soil Carbon Stocks ◽

C Value ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N

Abstract Research to find out how big the potential of soil carbon in agroforestry vegetation in Aceh Besar regency. This research was conducted on agroforestry vegetation on dry land in the Aceh Besar regency. Content carbon on the type of agroforestry land-use, two samples were taken each composite soil on depth 0-5 cm, 5-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm, 30-70 cm and 70-100. For the analysis of carbon content, activities are carried out in the soil laboratory and plants of the Faculty of Agriculture, Syiah Kuala University. The carbon content in agroforestry vegetation is quite high, and this can be described in the percentage of carbon which has a classification from high to very low. Soil depth 0-5 cm has a carbon percentage with a high classification value of 3.40 and at a depth of 30-70 cm has the lowest % C value of 0.35% with a very low classification. tends to increase soil C and N through increased root complementarity, lower underground competition.

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Effects of litter and root manipulations on soil carbon and nitrogen in a Schrenk’s spruce (Picea schrenkiana) forest

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0247725 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. e0247725

Author(s):

Haiqiang Zhu ◽

Lu Gong ◽

Zhaolong Ding ◽

Yuefeng Li

Keyword(s):

Enzyme Activity ◽

Microbial Biomass ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Carbon ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Soil C ◽

Plant Detritus ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N ◽

Root Exclusion

Plant detritus represents the major source of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), and changes in its quantity can influence below-ground biogeochemical processes in forests. However, we lack a mechanistic understanding of how above- and belowground detrital inputs affect soil C and N in mountain forests in an arid land. Here, we explored the effects of litter and root manipulations (control (CK), doubled litter input (DL), removal of litter (NL), root exclusion (NR), and a combination of litter removal and root exclusion (NI)) on soil C and N concentrations, enzyme activity and microbial biomass during a 2-year field experiment. We found that DL had no significant effect on soil total organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) but significantly increased soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass C, N and inorganic N as well as soil cellulase, phosphatase and peroxidase activities. Conversely, NL and NR reduced soil C and N concentrations and enzyme activities. We also found an increase in the biomass of soil bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes in the DL treatment, while NL reduced the biomass of gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria and fungi by 5.15%, 17.50% and 14.17%, respectively. The NR decreased the biomass of these three taxonomic groups by 8.97%, 22.11% and 21.36%, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that soil biotic factors (enzyme activity and microbial biomass) and abiotic factors (soil moisture content) significantly controlled the change in soil C and N concentrations (P < 0.01). In brief, we found that the short-term input of plant detritus could markedly affect the concentrations and biological characteristics of the C and N fractions in soil. The removal experiment indicated that the contribution of roots to soil nutrients is greater than that of the litter.

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Repeated thinning treatments reduce long-term soil carbon and nitrogen storage: An 87-year study at the Petawawa Research Forest, Canada

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/cjfr-2020-0296 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hans Dávila Reátegui ◽

Vincent Poirier ◽

Marie R. Coyea ◽

Alison D. Munson

Keyword(s):

Soil Carbon ◽

Wood Quality ◽

N Accumulation ◽

Soil C ◽

Forest Region ◽

Forest Sites ◽

Surface Disturbance ◽

Permanent Sample Plot ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N

Forest management activities are increasingly analyzed through a lens that quantifies their effects on soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) storage, because forest soils are an important C sink. Data on the longer-term impacts of repeated interventions are often lacking. At the Petawawa Research Forest, Ontario, treatments to evaluate the effect of repeated thinnings on wood quality of red and white pine were initiated in 1918 with the first experimental plots in Canada, permanent sample plot 1 (thinned) and 2 (control). In 2005, 16 years after the last thinning in 1989, we observed that repeated thinnings reduced soil C and N stocks in the surface L and F and Ah horizons. Contrary to our hypotheses, concentrations and stocks of C and N increased in the Bm1 horizon, indicating that these elements could be accumulated in deeper horizons after surface disturbance and potentially increased decomposition associated with thinning. However, total C and N accumulation in the profile to 30 cm contributed to reduced storage (-35 % for C, and -30 % for N). Many forest sites in the Great Lakes Forest Region that are selectively cut repeatedly over decades could experience this level of soil C and N decline.

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Soil carbon and nitrogen eroded after severe wildfire and erosion mitigation treatments

International Journal of Wildland Fire ◽

10.1071/wf18193 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (10) ◽

pp. 814 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Derek N. Pierson ◽

Peter R. Robichaud ◽

Charles C. Rhoades ◽

Robert E. Brown

Keyword(s):

Soil Carbon ◽

Mineral Soil ◽

Organic Soil ◽

Ecosystem Recovery ◽

N Losses ◽

Soil C ◽

Burned Areas ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N ◽

Erosion Mitigation

Erosion of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) following severe wildfire may have deleterious effects on downstream resources and ecosystem recovery. Although C and N losses in combustion and runoff have been studied extensively, soil C and N transported by post-fire erosion has rarely been quantified in burned landscapes. To better understand the magnitude and temporal pattern of these losses, we analysed the C and N content of sediment collected in severely burned hillslopes and catchments across the western USA over the first 4 post-fire years. We also compared soil C and N losses from areas receiving common erosion-mitigation treatments and untreated, burned areas. The concentrations of C and N in the eroded material (0.23–0.98gCkg−1 and 0.01–0.04gNkg−1) were similar to those of mineral soils rather than organic soil horizons or combusted vegetation. Losses of eroded soil C and N were highly variable across sites, and were highest the first 2 years after fire. Cumulative erosional losses from untreated, burned areas ranged from 73 to 2253kgCha−1 and from 3.3 to 110kgNha−1 over 4 post-fire years. Post-fire erosion-mitigation treatments reduced C and N losses by up to 75% compared with untreated areas. Losses in post-fire erosion are estimated to be <10% of the total soil C and N combusted during severe wildfire and <10% of post-fire soil C and N stocks remaining in the upper 20cm of mineral soil. Although loss of soil C and N in post-fire erosion is unlikely to impair the productivity of recovering vegetation, export of C and N may influence downstream water quality and aquatic ecosystems.

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Effects of organic matter removal and soil compaction on fifth-year mineral soil carbon and nitrogen contents for sites across the United States and Canada

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x05-259 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

pp. 565-576 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Felipe G Sanchez ◽

Allan E Tiarks ◽

J Marty Kranabetter ◽

Deborah S Page-Dumroese ◽

Robert F Powers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Carbon ◽

Treatment Effects ◽

Mineral Soil ◽

The United States ◽

Organic Matter Removal ◽

Soil C ◽

Competition Control ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N

This study describes the main treatment effects of organic matter removal and compaction and a split-plot effect of competition control on mineral soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools. Treatment effects on soil C and N pools are discussed for 19 sites across five locations (British Columbia, Northern Rocky Mountains, Pacific Southwest, and Atlantic and Gulf coasts) that are part of the Long-Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) network and were established over 5 years ago. The sites cover a broad range of soil types, climatic conditions, and tree species. Most sites showed increased soil C and N levels 5 years after study establishment; however, the rate and magnitude of the changes varied between sites. Organic matter removal, compaction, or competition control did not significantly affect soil C and N contents at any site, except for the Northern Rocky Mountain site, where competition control significantly affected soil C and N contents. The observation that, after 5 years, the soil C and N contents were not negatively affected by even the extreme treatments demonstrates the high resiliency of the soil, at least in the short term, to forest management perturbations.

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Effects of belowground litter addition, increased precipitation and clipping on soil carbon and nitrogen mineralization in a temperate steppe

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-10-7361-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 7361-7372 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

L. Ma ◽

C. Guo ◽

X. Xin ◽

S. Yuan ◽

R. Wang

Keyword(s):

Soil Carbon ◽

N Mineralization ◽

Mineralization Rate ◽

Temperate Steppe ◽

Soil Microbial Community Structure ◽

Soil C ◽

C And N Mineralization ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N ◽

Photosynthate Allocation

Abstract. Soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling are sensitive to changes in environmental factors and play critical roles in the responses of terrestrial ecosystems to natural and anthropogenic perturbations. This study was conducted to quantify the effects of belowground particulate litter (BPL) addition, increased precipitation and their interactions on soil C and N mineralization in two adjacent sites where belowground photosynthate allocation was manipulated through vegetation clipping in a temperate steppe of northeastern China from 2010 to 2011. The results show that BPL addition significantly increase soil C mineralization rate (CMR) and net N mineralization rate (NMR). Although increased precipitation-induced enhancement of soil CMR essentially ceased after the first year, stimulation of soil NMR and net nitrification rate continued into the second year. Clipping only marginally decreased soil CMR and NMR during the two years. There were significant synergistic interactions between BPL addition (and increased precipitation) and clipping on soil CMR and NMR, likely to reflect shifts in soil microbial community structure and a decrease in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi biomass due to the reduction of belowground photosynthate allocation. These results highlight the importance of plants in mediating the responses of soil C and N mineralization to potentially increased BPL and precipitation by controlling belowground photosynthate allocation in the temperate steppe.

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Top-down and bottom-up controls on soil carbon and nitrogen cycling with repeated burning across four ecosystems

10.1101/565135 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Adam F. A. Pellegrini ◽

Sarah E. Hobbie ◽

Peter B. Reich ◽

Ari Jumpponen ◽

E. N. Jack Brookshire ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Soil Carbon ◽

Fire History ◽

Tree Cover ◽

Top Down ◽

Bottom Up ◽

Soil C ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N

AbstractFires shape the biogeochemistry and functioning of many ecosystems, but fire frequencies are changing across large areas of the globe. Frequent fires can change soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) storage through both “top-down” pathways, by altering inputs through shifting plant composition and biomass, and “bottom-up” ones, by altering losses through decomposition and turnover of soil organic matter. However, the relative importance of these different pathways and the degree to which they regulate ecosystem responses to decades of changing fire frequencies is uncertain. Here, we sampled soils and plant communities in four North American and African sites spanning tropical savanna, temperate coniferous savanna, temperate broadleaf savanna, and temperate coniferous forest that each contained multiple plots repeatedly burned for 33-61 years and nearby plots that were protected from fire over the same period. The sites varied markedly in temperature, precipitation, species composition, fire history and soil chemistry; thus they represent a broad test for the generality of fire impacts on biogeochemical cycling. For all four sites, bulk soil C and N by were 25-180% higher in unburned vs. frequently burned plots, with greater soil losses occurring in areas with greater declines in tree cover and biomass inputs into soils. Fire reduced the activity of soil extracellular enzymes that hydrolyze labile C and N from soil organic matter by two- to ten-fold, whereas tree cover was the predominant control on the oxidation of recalcitrant C compounds. C-acquisition enzyme activity tended to decline with decreasing soil N, suggesting that N losses may contribute to limited decomposition, buffering systems against increased losses of soil C with fire. In conclusion, variability in how fire alters soil C and N across ecosystems can be explained partly by fire-driven changes in tree cover and biomass, but the slower turnover of organic matter we observed may offset some of the reduction of C inputs from plants after fire.

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