scholarly journals Stability of Woodchips Biochar and Impact on Soil Carbon Stocks: Results from a Two-Year Field Experiment

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1350
Author(s):  
Irene Criscuoli ◽  
Maurizio Ventura ◽  
Katja Wiedner ◽  
Bruno Glaser ◽  
Pietro Panzacchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Field Experiment ◽  
Priming Effect ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Total Soil ◽  
C Stock ◽  
The Stability

Biochar has been shown to improve soil quality and crop yields. Furthermore, thanks to its high carbon content (C) and stable chemical structure, biochar can sequester C in the soil for a long time, mitigating climate change. However, the variability in published biochar stability in the soil makes verifying this trait under different environmental and agricultural conditions necessary. Moreover, most of the published literature refers to short-term incubation experiments, which are considered to not adequately represent long-term dynamics under field conditions. This article reports the results of a field experiment carried out in a vineyard near Merano, northern Italy, where the stability of woodchips biochar in soil, its impact on the total soil C stocks as well as on the original soil organic C (priming effect) were studied over two years. Vineyard soil (Dystric Eutrochrept) was amended with biochar (25 and 50 t ha−1) alone or together with compost (45 t ha−1) and compared with unamended control soil. Two methods assessed the stability of biochar in soil: the isotopic mass balance approach and the quantification of Benzene PolyCarboxylic Acids (BPCAs), molecular markers of biochar. The amount of C in the soil organic matter (SOM-C) was determined in the amended plots by subtracting the amount of biochar-C from the total soil organic C stock, and the occurrence of priming effect was verified by comparing SOM-C values at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. Results did not show any significant biochar degradation for both application rates, but results were characterized by a high variation. The application of 50 t ha−1 of biochar significantly increased soil C stock while no effect of biochar on the degradation of SOM-C was observed. Results were confirmed in the case of biochar application together with compost. It can be concluded that the use of woodchips biochar as a soil amendment can increase soil C content in the medium term. However, further analyses are recommended to evaluate the impact of biochar on climate change mitigation in the long term.

Impact of long-term cultivation on the status of organic matter and cadmium in soil

2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. F. E. McArthur ◽  
P M Huang ◽  
L M Kozak
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Significant Positive Correlation ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Total Soil ◽  
Total Organic C ◽  
Soil Cd ◽  
Cultivated Soils

Research has suggested a link between the bioavailability of soil Cd and total soil organic matter. However, some research suggested a negative relationship between total soil organic matter and bioavailable soil Cd while other research suggested a positive relationship. This study investigated the relationship between soil Cd and both the quantity and quality of soil organic matter as influenced by long-term cultivation. Two Orthic Chernozemic surface soil samples, one from a virgin prairie and the other from an adjacent cultivated prairie, were collected from each of 12 different sites throughout southern Saskatchewan, Canada. The samples were analyzed for total organic C, total Cd, Cd availability index (CAI), and pH. The nature of the soil organic matter was investigated with 13C Cross Polarization Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (13C CPMAS NMR). The total soil Cd, CAI, and total soil organic C of the cultivated soils were significantly lower than those of the virgin soils whereas the opposite trend was observed for the soil pH and the aromaticity of the organic C. The reduced CAI in the cultivated soils was related to the increase in both the soil pH and the aromaticity of the organic C. No relationship was found between the CAI and the soil organic C content, but a significant positive correlation was found between total organic C and total Cd in both the virgin and the cultivated soils. As well, a significant positive correlation was found between the fraction of total Cd removed from the soil after long-term cultivation and the corresponding fraction of organic C removed. Key words: Long-term cultivation, soil organic matter, 13C CPMAS NMR, cadmium

scholarly journals Soil management effects on organic carbon in isolated fractions of a Gray Luvisol

2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. Plante ◽  
C. E. Stewart ◽  
R. T. Conant ◽  
K. Paustian ◽  
J. Six
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Residue Management ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Straw Management ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Pools

Agricultural management affects soil organic matter, which is important for sustainable crop production and as a greenhouse gas sink. Our objective was to determine how tillage, residue management and N fertilization affect organic C in unprotected, and physically, chemically and biochemically protected soil C pools. Samples from Breton, Alberta were fractionated and analysed for organic C content. As in previous reports, N fertilization had a positive effect, tillage had a minimal effect, and straw management had no effect on whole-soil organic C. Tillage and straw management did not alter organic C concentrations in the isolated C pools, while N fertilization increased C concentrations in all pools. Compared with a woodlot soil, the cultivated plots had lower total organic C, and the C was redistributed among isolated pools. The free light fraction and coarse particulate organic matter responded positively to C inputs, suggesting that much of the accumulated organic C occurred in an unprotected pool. The easily dispersed silt-sized fraction was the mineral-associated pool most responsive to changes in C inputs, whereas the microaggregate-derived silt-sized fraction best preserved C upon cultivation. These findings suggest that the silt-sized fraction is important for the long-term stabilization of organic matter through both physical occlusion in microaggregates and chemical protection by mineral association. Key words: Soil organic C, tillage, residue management, N fertilization, silt, clay

scholarly journals Differential long-term effects of climate change and management on stocks and distribution of soil organic carbon in productive grasslands

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1055-1096 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. G. De Bruijn ◽  
P. Calanca ◽  
C. Ammann ◽  
J. Fuhrer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Soc Stocks

Abstract. We studied the impact of climate change on the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in productive grassland systems undergoing two types of management, an intensive type with frequent harvests and fertilizer applications and an extensive system where fertilization is omitted and harvests are fewer. The Oensingen Grassland Model was explicitly developed for this study. It was calibrated using measurements taken in a recently established permanent sward in Central Switzerland, and run to simulate SOC dynamics over 2001–2100 under three climate change scenarios assuming different elements of IPCC A2 emission scenarios. We found that: (1) management intensity dominates SOC until approximately 20 yr after grassland establishment. Differences in SOC between climate scenarios become significant after 20 yr and climate effects dominate SOC dynamics from approximately 50 yr after establishment, (2) carbon supplied through manure contributes about 60% to measured organic C increase in fertilized grassland. (3) Soil C accumulates particularly in the top 10 cm soil until 5 yr after establishment. In the long-term, C accumulation takes place in the top 15 cm of the soil profile, while C content decreases below this depth. The transitional depth between gains and losses of C mainly depends on the vertical distribution of root senescence and root biomass. We discuss the importance of previous land use on carbon sequestration potentials that are much lower at the Oensingen site under ley-arable rotation and with much higher SOC stocks than most soils under arable crops. We further discuss the importance of biomass senescence rates, because C balance estimations indicate that these may differ considerably between the two management systems.

Mixture-effects on tree biomass production and soil organic C quality in a temperate plantation forest

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iftekhar Ahmed ◽  
Andrew Smith ◽  
Douglas Godbold
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Production ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Mixture Effects ◽  
Mixed Litter ◽  
Species Mixture ◽  
C Stock ◽  
Fast Growing Species ◽  
Recalcitrant C

<p>Forest restoration and afforestation on degraded lands are receiving tremendous research efforts globally as a climate change mitigation option. There is a growing interest in mixed species plantation to ensure sustainable ecosystem services and biodiversity. However, successful mixture of achieving these potential benefits is rare. We studied the polyculture of two pioneer fast growing species (i.e. <em>B. pendula</em>,  and <em>A. glutinosa</em>- of which <em>A. glutinosa</em> is N-fixing) and one shed tolerant species with slow juvenile growth (i.e. <em>F. sylvatica</em>) to examine the effects of species mixture on biomass production and quality of soil organic C stock following the replacement series approach. Standing woody biomass in polyculture demonstrated no over-yielding, presumably due to concurrent impacts of suppression of <em>F sylvatica</em> by two fast growing species and competitive reduction benefits in <em>A. glutinosa</em>. Similarly, standing fine root biomass production and turnover showed no significant mixture effect.  Although the quantity of soil organic C stock was unaffected by tree mixture, the vertical distribution of biodegradable C fractions was differed between mono and polyculture stands,  most probably due to slow decay rate of mixed litter. We found that species mixture decreased soil C lability in the upper soil layers, and increased recalcitrant C  in deep soil (>40 cm) that has enormous potential for long-term sequestration. We concluded that contrasting growth responses can result in no biomass over-yielding in polyculture stands but the mixed litter can affect soil C quality.</p><p>Key words: Mixture effects, Tree polyculture, biomass, over-yielding, C quality, recalcitrant C</p>

scholarly journals Differential long-term effects of climate change and management on stocks and distribution of soil organic carbon in productive grasslands

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1997-2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. G. De Bruijn ◽  
P. Calanca ◽  
C. Ammann ◽  
J. Fuhrer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Soc Stocks

Abstract. We studied the impact of climate change on the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in productive grassland systems undergoing two types of management, an intensive type with frequent harvests and fertilizer applications and an extensive system without fertilization and fewer harvests. Simulations were conducted with a dedicated newly developed model, the Oensingen Grassland Model. It was calibrated using measurements taken in a recently established permanent sward in Central Switzerland, and run to simulate SOC dynamics over 2001–2100 under various climate change scenarios assuming different elements of IPCC A2 emission scenarios. We found that: (1) management intensity dominates SOC until approximately 20 years after grassland establishment. Differences in SOC between climate scenarios become significant after 20 years and climate effects dominate SOC dynamics from approximately 50 years after establishment. (2) Carbon supplied through manure contributes about 60 % to measured organic C increase in fertilized grassland. (3) Soil C accumulates particularly in the top 10 cm of the soil until 5 years after establishment. In the long-term, C accumulation takes place in the top 15 cm of the soil profile, while C content decreases below this depth. The transitional depth between gains and losses of C mainly depends on the vertical distribution of root senescence and root biomass. We discuss the importance of previous land use on carbon sequestration potentials that are much lower at the Oensingen site under ley-arable rotation with much higher SOC stocks than most soils under arable crops. We further discuss the importance of biomass senescence rates, because C balance estimations indicate that these may differ considerably between the two management systems.

scholarly journals Historical and simulated ecosystem carbon dynamics in Ghana: land use, management, and climate

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Tan ◽  
L. L. Tieszen ◽  
E. Tachie-Obeng ◽  
S. Liu ◽  
A. M. Dieye
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Fertilization Rate ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Ecosystem Carbon ◽  
C Stock

Abstract. We used the General Ensemble biogeochemical Modeling System (GEMS) to simulate responses of natural and managed ecosystems to changes in land use and land cover, management, and climate for a forest/savanna transitional zone in central Ghana. Model results show that deforestation for crop production during the 20th century resulted in a substantial reduction in ecosystem carbon (C) stock from 135.4 Mg C ha−1 in 1900 to 77.0 Mg C ha−1 in 2000, and in soil organic C stock within the top 20 cm of soil from 26.6 Mg C ha−1 to 21.2 Mg C ha−1. If no land use change takes place from 2000 through 2100, low and high climate change scenarios (increase in temperature and decrease in precipitation over time) will result in losses of soil organic C stock by 16% and 20%, respectively. A low nitrogen (N) fertilization rate is the principal constraint on current crop production. An increase in N fertilization under the low climate change scenario would lead to an increase in the average crop yield by 21% with 30 kg N ha−1 and by 42% with 60 kg N ha−1 (varying with crop species), accordingly, the average soil C stock would decrease by 2% and increase by 17%, in all cropping systems by 2100. The results suggest that a reasonable N fertilization rate is critical to achieve food security and agricultural sustainability in the study area through the 21st century. Adaptation strategies for climate change in this study area require national plans to support policies and practices that provide adequate N fertilizers to sustain soil C and crop yields and to consider high temperature tolerant crop species if these temperature projections are exceeded.

scholarly journals Fate of rice shoot and root residues, rhizodeposits, and microbe-assimilated carbon in paddy soil – Part 1: Decomposition and priming effect

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 4481-4489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenke Zhu ◽  
Guanjun Zeng ◽  
Tida Ge ◽  
Yajun Hu ◽  
Chengli Tong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Priming Effect ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Paddy Soils ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Untreated Soil ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Rice Roots ◽  
Native Soil

Abstract. The input of recently photosynthesized C has significant implications on soil organic C sequestration, and in paddy soils, both plants and soil microbes contribute to the overall C input. In the present study, we investigated the fate and priming effect of organic C from different sources by conducting a 300-day incubation study with four different 13C-labelled substrates: rice shoots (shoot-C), rice roots (root-C), rice rhizodeposits (rhizo-C), and microbe-assimilated C (micro-C). The efflux of both 13CO2 and 13CH4 indicated that the mineralization of C in shoot-C-, root-C-, rhizo-C-, and micro-C-treated soils rapidly increased at the beginning of the incubation and decreased gradually afterwards. The highest cumulative C mineralization was observed in root-C-treated soil (45.4 %), followed by shoot-C- (31.9 %), rhizo-C- (7.90 %), and micro-C-treated (7.70 %) soils, which corresponded with mean residence times of 39.5, 50.3, 66.2, and 195 days, respectively. Shoot and root addition increased C emission from native soil organic carbon (SOC), up to 11.4 and 2.3 times higher than that of the control soil by day 20, and decreased thereafter. Throughout the incubation period, the priming effect of shoot-C on CO2 and CH4 emission was strongly positive; however, root-C did not exhibit a significant positive priming effect. Although the total C contents of rhizo-C- (1.89 %) and micro-C-treated soils (1.90 %) were higher than those of untreated soil (1.81 %), no significant differences in cumulative C emissions were observed. Given that about 0.3 and 0.1 % of the cumulative C emission were derived from labelled rhizo-C and micro-C, we concluded that the soil organic C-derived emissions were lower in rhizo-C- and micro-C-treated soils than in untreated soil. This indicates that rhizodeposits and microbe-assimilated C could be used to reduce the mineralization of native SOC and to effectively improve soil C sequestration. The contrasting behaviour of the different photosynthesized C substrates suggests that recycling rice roots in paddies is more beneficial than recycling shoots and demonstrates the importance of increasing rhizodeposits and microbe-assimilated C in paddy soils via nutrient management.

scholarly journals Effect of deforestation and subsequent land use management on soil carbon stocks in the South American Chaco

SOIL ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 251-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Andrea Osinaga ◽  
Carina Rosa Álvarez ◽  
Miguel Angel Taboada
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Continuous Cropping ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
C Stock ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The subhumid Chaco region of Argentina, originally covered by dry sclerophyll forest, has been subjected to clearing since the end of the 1970s and replacement of the forest by no-till farming. Land use changes produced a decrease in aboveground carbon (C) stored in forests, but little is known about the impact on soil organic C stocks. The aim of this study was to evaluate soil C stocks and C fractions up to 1 m depth in soils under different land use: <10-year continuous cropping, >20-year continuous cropping, warm-season grass pasture and native forest in 32 sites distributed over the Chaco region. The organic C stock content up to 1 m depth expressed as equivalent mass varied as follows: forest (119.3 Mg ha−1) > pasture (87.9 Mg ha−1) > continuous cropping (71.9 and 77.3 Mg ha−1), with no impact of the number of years under cropping. The coarse particle fraction (2000–212 µm) at 0–5 and 5–20 cm depth layers was the most sensitive organic carbon fraction to land use change. Resistant carbon (<53 µm) was the main organic matter fraction in all sample categories except in the forest. Organic C stock, its quality and its distribution in the profile were responsive to land use change. The conversion of the Chaco forest to crops was associated with a decrease of organic C stock up to 1 m depth and with the decrease of the labile fraction. The permanent pastures of warm-season grasses allowed higher C stocks to be sustained than cropping systems and so could be considered a sustainable land use system in terms of soil C preservation. As soil organic C losses were not restricted to the first few centimetres of the soil, the development of models that would allow the estimation of soil organic C changes in depth would be useful to evaluate the impact of land use change on C stocks with greater precision.

scholarly journals Historical and simulated ecosystem carbon dynamics in Ghana: land use, management, and climate

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 2343-2368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Tan ◽  
L. L. Tieszen ◽  
E. Tachie-Obeng ◽  
S. Liu ◽  
A. M. Dieye
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Fertilization Rate ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Land Use Management ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Ecosystem Carbon ◽  
C Stock

Abstract. We used the General Ensemble biogeochemical Modeling System (GEMS) to simulate responses of natural and managed ecosystems to changes in land use, management, and climate for a forest/savanna transitional zone in central Ghana. Model results show that deforestation for crop production during the last century resulted in a substantial reduction in ecosystem carbon (C) stock from 135.4 Mg C ha−1 in 1900 to 77.0 Mg C ha−1 in 2000, and in soil organic C stock within the top 20 cm of soil from 26.6 Mg C ha−1 to 21.2 Mg C ha−1. If no land use change takes place from 2000 through 2100, low and high climate change scenarios (increase in temperature and decrease in precipitation over time) will result in losses of soil organic C stock by 19% and 25%, respectively. A low nitrogen (N) fertilization rate is the principal constraint on current crop production. An increase in N fertilization under the low climate change scenario would increase crop yield by 14% with 30 kg N ha−1 and by 38% with 60 kg N ha−1, leading to an increase in the average soil C stock by 12% and 29%, respectively, in all cropland by 2100. The results suggest that the climate changes in the future from current climate conditions will not necessarily become a determinant control on ecosystem C fluxes and crop production, while a reasonable N fertilization rate is critical to achieve food security and agricultural sustainability in the study area through the 21st century, and current cropping systems could be optimized to make full use of the rainfall resource.

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