The impact of traditional fire management on soil carbon and nitrogen pools in a montane forest, southern Ethiopia

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong-Gill Kim ◽  
Habitamu Taddese ◽  
Abrham Belay ◽  
Randy Kolka
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Montane Forest ◽  
Southern Ethiopia ◽  
Nitrogen Pools ◽  
The Impact

We conducted studies to assess the impact of traditional fire management on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen pools. We compared organic carbon and total nitrogen pools in forest floor and mineral soil (0–100-cm depth) in three areas burned by local communities (B) with adjacent unburned areas (UB) (three paired sites; 1, 5 and 9 years since fire; hereafter B1-UB, B5-UB and B9-UB) in a montane forest in southern Ethiopia. Despite differences in time since fire and dominant post-fire vegetation, forest floor and mineral soil organic carbon and total nitrogen concentrations and pools were not significantly different between burned and unburned pairs or across sites. However, mineral soil carbon : nitrogen ratio was significantly higher in the burned area of B9-UB (0–10 cm) and B5-UB (10–20 cm), indicating small losses of nitrogen relative to carbon, likely from plant uptake or possibly leaching of nitrogen post fire. Combined, the data suggest that traditional fire management did not dramatically affect forest floor and mineral soil organic carbon and total nitrogen dynamics at these sites.

Admixing other tree species to European beech forests: Effects on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks. A review.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Rehschuh ◽  
Michael Dannenmann
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Summer Drought ◽  
Beech Forests ◽  
Soc Stocks

<p>Drought-sensitive European beech forests are increasingly challenged by climate change. Admixing other, preferably more deep-rooting, tree species has been proposed to increase the resilience of beech forests to summer drought. This might not only alter soil water dynamics and availability, but also soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) storage in soils. Since information of these effects is scattered, our aim was to synthesize results from studies that compared SOC/TN stocks of beech monocultures with those of mixed beech stands as well as of other monocultures. We conducted a meta-analysis including 40 studies with 208, 231 and 166 observations for forest floor, mineral soil and the total soil profile, respectively. Pure conifer stands had higher SOC stocks compared to beech in general, especially in the forest floor with up to 200% (larch forests). Other broadleaved tree species (ash, oak, lime, maple, hornbeam) showed in comparison to beech lower SOC storage in the forest floor, with little impact on total stocks.  Similarly, for mixed beech-conifer stands we found significantly increased SOC stocks of >10% and a small increase in TN stocks of approx. 4% compared to beech monocultures, which means a potential SOC storage increase of >0.1 t ha<sup>-1</sup>yr<sup>-1 </sup>(transformation of mineral soil to 100 cm depth). In contrast, mixed beech-broadleaved stands did not show a significant change in total SOC stocks. Currently, the influence climatic and soil parameters on SOC changes due to admixture of other tree species is analyzed based on this dataset. This is expected to facilitate an assessment which mixtures with beech have the largest potential towards increasing SOC stocks.</p>

Does soil disturbance result in soil carbon losses? – A case study on bioturbation effects of wild boar

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Axel Don ◽  
Christina Hagen ◽  
Erik Grüneberg ◽  
Cora Vos
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Wild Boar ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Carbon Turnover

<p>Soil disturbance and disruption is assumed to enhance mineralisation and cause losses of soil organic carbon. Therefore, no tillage is promoted as soil carbon sequestration measure. However, the experimental evidence of enhanced carbon turnover due to soil disturbance is rare.  We investigated soil disturbance in forest ecosystems with simulated bioturbation of wild boar. Wild boar are effective at mixing and grubbing in the soil and wild boar populations are increasing dramatically in many parts of the world. In a six-year field study, we investigated the effect of wild boar bioturbation on the stocks and stability of soil organic carbon in two forest areas at 23 plots. The organic layer and mineral soil down to 15 cm depth were sampled in the disturbed plots and adjacent undisturbed reference plots.</p><p>No significant changes in soil organic carbon stocks were detected in the bioturbation plots compared with non-disturbed reference plots. However, around 50% of forest floor carbon was transferred with bioturbation to mineral soil carbon and the stock of stabilised mineral-associated carbon increased by 28%. Thus, a large proportion of the labile carbon in the forest floor was transformed into more stable carbon. Carbon saturation of mineral surfaces was not detected, but carbon loading per unit mineral surface increased by on average 66% due to bioturbation. This indicates that mineral forest soils have non-used capacity to stabilise and store more carbon.</p><p>Our results indicate that soil disturbance and bioturbation alone does not affect soil carbon turnover and stocks, but only change the distribution of carbon in the soil profile. This is in line with results from no-tillage experiments. The prevailing effect is a redistribution of carbon in the soil profile with no changes in total soil carbon stocks. We discuss these findings in the light of soils as potential sinks for carbon.</p><p> </p>

scholarly journals Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen pools in permafrost zones of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Zhao ◽  
Xiaodong Wu ◽  
Zhiwei Wang ◽  
Yu Sheng ◽  
Hongbing Fang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Nitrogen Pools

scholarly journals Bioturbation by wild boar increases the stability of forest soil carbon

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Axel Don ◽  
Christina Hagen ◽  
Erik Grüneberg ◽  
Cora Vos
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Wild Boar ◽  
Forest Soils ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Organic Layer ◽  
Carbon Transfer ◽  
The Stability

Abstract. Most forest soils are characterised by a steep carbon gradient from the forest floor to the mineral soil, indicating that carbon is prevented from entry into the soil. Bioturbation can help incorporate litter-derived carbon into the mineral soil. Wild boar are effective at mixing and grubbing in the soil and wild boar populations are increasing in many parts of the world. In a six-year field study, we investigated the effect of wild boar bioturbation on the stocks and stability of soil organic carbon in two forest areas. Regular bioturbation mimicking grubbing by wild boar was performed artificially in 23 plots and the organic layer and mineral soil down to 15 cm depth were then sampled. No significant changes in soil organic carbon stocks were detected in the bioturbation plots compared with non-disturbed reference plots. However, around 50 % of forest floor carbon was transferred with bioturbation to mineral soil carbon and the stock of stabilised mineral-associated carbon increased by 28 %. Thus, a large proportion of the labile carbon in the forest floor was transformed into more stable carbon. Carbon saturation of mineral surfaces was not detected, but carbon loading per unit mineral surface increased by on average 66 % in the forest floor due to bioturbation. This indicates that mineral forest soils have non-used capacity to stabilise and store carbon. Transfer of aboveground litter into the mineral soil is the only rate-limiting process. Wild boar can help to speed up this process with their grubbing activity.

scholarly journals The impact of mulch type on soil organic carbon and nitrogen pools in a sloping site

2013 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahla Hosseini Bai ◽  
Timothy J. Blumfield ◽  
Frédérique Reverchon
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Nitrogen Pools ◽  
The Impact

Nitrogen fertilization and cropping systems effects on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen pools under chisel-plow tillage in Illinois

2007 ◽  
Vol 95 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 348-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sindhu Jagadamma ◽  
Rattan Lal ◽  
Robert G. Hoeft ◽  
Emerson D. Nafziger ◽  
Eric A. Adee
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilization ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Nitrogen Pools ◽  
Chisel Plow

scholarly journals Simulated wild boar bioturbation increases the stability of forest soil carbon

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (21) ◽  
pp. 4145-4155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Axel Don ◽  
Christina Hagen ◽  
Erik Grüneberg ◽  
Cora Vos
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Wild Boar ◽  
Forest Soils ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Organic Layer ◽  
Carbon Transfer ◽  
The Stability

Abstract. Most forest soils are characterised by a steep carbon gradient from the forest floor to the mineral soil, indicating that carbon is prevented from entry into the soil. Bioturbation can facilitate the incorporation of litter-derived carbon into the mineral soil. Wild boar are effective at mixing and grubbing in the soil and wild boar populations are increasing in many parts of the world. In a 6-year field study, we investigated the effect of simulated wild boar bioturbation on the stocks and stability of soil organic carbon in two forest areas. Regular bioturbation mimicking grubbing by wild boar was performed artificially in 23 plots, and the organic layer and mineral soil down to 15 cm depth were then sampled. No significant changes in soil organic carbon stocks were detected in the bioturbation plots compared with non-disturbed reference plots. However, around 50 % of forest floor carbon was transferred with bioturbation to mineral soil carbon, and the stock of stabilised mineral-associated carbon increased by 28 %. Thus, a large proportion of the labile carbon in the forest floor was transformed into more stable carbon. Carbon saturation of mineral surfaces was not detected, but carbon loading per unit mineral surface increased by on average 66 % in the forest floor due to bioturbation. This indicates that mineral forest soils have non-used capacity to stabilise and store carbon. Transfer of aboveground litter into the mineral soil is the only rate-limiting process. Wild boar may speed up this process with their grubbing activity.

scholarly journals From the Ground Up: Prairies on Reclaimed Mine Land—Impacts on Soil and Vegetation

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 455
Author(s):  
Rebecca M. Swab ◽  
Nicola Lorenz ◽  
Nathan R. Lee ◽  
Steven W. Culman ◽  
Richard P. Dick
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Prairie Restoration ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Prairie Restorations ◽  
Mine Lands ◽  
The Impact

After strip mining, soils typically suffer from compaction, low nutrient availability, loss of soil organic carbon, and a compromised soil microbial community. Prairie restorations can improve ecosystem services on former agricultural lands, but prairie restorations on mine lands are relatively under-studied. This study investigated the impact of prairie restoration on mine lands, focusing on the plant community and soil properties. In southeast Ohio, 305 ha within a ~2000 ha area of former mine land was converted to native prairie through herbicide and planting between 1999–2016. Soil and vegetation sampling occurred from 2016–2018. Plant community composition shifted with prairie age, with highest native cover in the oldest prairie areas. Prairie plants were more abundant in older prairies. The oldest prairies had significantly more soil fungal biomass and higher soil microbial biomass. However, many soil properties (e.g., soil nutrients, β-glucosoidase activity, and soil organic carbon), as well as plant species diversity and richness trended higher in prairies, but were not significantly different from baseline cool-season grasslands. Overall, restoration with prairie plant communities slowly shifted soil properties, but mining disturbance was still the most significant driver in controlling soil properties. Prairie restoration on reclaimed mine land was effective in establishing a native plant community, with the associated ecosystem benefits.

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