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 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 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 The southern Brazilian grassland biome: soil carbon stocks, fluxes of greenhouse gases and some options for mitigation

2012 ◽  
Vol 72 (3 suppl) ◽  
pp. 673-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
VD Pillar ◽  
CG Tornquist ◽  
C Bayer
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Soil Tillage ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gases Emissions ◽  
Soil Carbon Stocks ◽  
Grassland Biome

The southern Brazilian grassland biome contains highly diverse natural ecosystems that have been used for centuries for grazing livestock and that also provide other important environmental services. Here we outline the main factors controlling ecosystem processes, review and discuss the available data on soil carbon stocks and greenhouse gases emissions from soils, and suggest opportunities for mitigation of climatic change. The research on carbon and greenhouse gases emissions in these ecosystems is recent and the results are still fragmented. The available data indicate that the southern Brazilian natural grassland ecosystems under adequate management contain important stocks of organic carbon in the soil, and therefore their conservation is relevant for the mitigation of climate change. Furthermore, these ecosystems show a great and rapid loss of soil organic carbon when converted to crops based on conventional tillage practices. However, in the already converted areas there is potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by using cropping systems based on no soil tillage and cover-crops, and the effect is mainly related to the potential of these crop systems to accumulate soil organic carbon in the soil at rates that surpass the increased soil nitrous oxide emissions. Further modelling with these results associated with geographic information systems could generate regional estimates of carbon balance.

scholarly journals Climate and Land-Use Change Effects on Soil Carbon Stocks over 150 Years in Wisconsin, USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingyi Huang ◽  
Alfred E. Hartemink ◽  
Yakun Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Land Cover Change ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
The State ◽  
Time Substitution

Soil organic carbon is a sink for mitigating increased atmospheric carbon. The international initiative “4 per 1000” aims at implementing practical actions on increasing soil carbon storage in soils under agriculture. This requires a fundamental understanding of the soil carbon changes across the globe. Several studies have suggested that the global soil organic carbon stocks (SOCS) have decreased due to global warming and land cover change, while others reported SOCS may increase under climate change and improved soil management. To better understand how a changing climate, land cover, and agricultural activities influence SOCS across large extents and long periods, the spatial and temporal variations of SOCS were estimated using a modified space-for-time substitution method over a 150-year period in the state of Wisconsin, USA. We used legacy soil datasets and environmental factors collected and estimated at different times across the state (169,639 km2) coupled with a machine-learning algorithm. The legacy soil datasets were collected from 1980 to 2002 from 550 soil profiles and harmonized to 0.30 m depth. The environmental factors consisted of 100-m soil property maps, 1-km annual temperature and precipitation maps, 250-m remote-sensing (i.e., Landsat)-derived yearly land cover maps and a 30-m digital elevation model. The model performance was moderate but can provide insights on understanding the impacts of different factors on SOCS changes across a large spatial and temporal extent. SOCS at the 0–0.30 m decreased at a rate of 0.1 ton ha−1 year−1 between 1850 and 1938 and increased at 0.2 ton ha−1 year−1 between 1980 and 2002. The spatial variation in SOCS at 0–0.30 m was mainly affected by land cover and soil types with the largest SOCS found in forest and wetland and Spodosols. The loss between 1850 and 1980 was most likely due to land cover change while the increase between 1980 and 2002 was due to best soil management practices (e.g., decreased erosion, reduced tillage, crop rotation and use of legume and cover crops).

Organic carbon partitioning in soil and litter in subtropical woodlands and open forests: a case study from the Brigalow Belt, Queensland

2006 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 115 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. H. Roxburgh ◽  
B. G. Mackey ◽  
C. Dean ◽  
L. Randall ◽  
A. Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Soil Carbon Stocks ◽  
Landscape Scales ◽  
Open Forests

A woodland–open forest landscape within the Brigalow Belt South bioregion of Queensland, Australia, was surveyed for soil organic carbon, soil bulk density and soil-surface fine-litter carbon. Soil carbon stocks to 30 cm depth across 14 sites, spanning a range of soil and vegetation complexes, ranged from 10.7 to 61.8 t C/ha, with an overall mean of 36.2 t C/ha. Soil carbon stocks to 100 cm depth ranged from 19.4 to 150.5 t C/ha, with an overall mean of 72.9 t C/ha. The standing stock of fine litter ranged from 1.0 to 7.0 t C/ha, with a mean of 2.6 t C/ha, and soil bulk density averaged 1.4 g/cm3 at the soil surface, and 1.6 g/cm3 at 1 m depth. These results contribute to the currently sparse database of soil organic carbon and bulk density measurements in uncultivated soils within Australian open forests and woodlands. The estimates of total soil organic carbon stock calculated to 30 cm depth were further partitioned into resistant plant material (RPM), humus (HUM), and inert organic matter (IOM) pools using diffuse mid-infrared (MIR) analysis. Prediction of the HUM and RPM pools using the RothC soil carbon model agreed well with the MIR measurements, confirming the suitability of RothC for modelling soil organic carbon in these soils. Methods for quantifying soil organic carbon at landscape scales were also explored, and a new regression-based technique for estimating soil carbon stocks from simple field-measured soil attributes has been proposed. The results of this study are discussed with particular reference to the difficulties encountered in the collection of the data, their limitations, and opportunities for the further development of methods for quantifying soil organic carbon at landscape scales.

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.

Land use and management influences on surface soil organic carbon in Tasmania

Soil Research ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 51 (8) ◽  
pp. 615 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. E. Cotching ◽  
G. Oliver ◽  
M. Downie ◽  
R. Corkrey ◽  
R. B. Doyle
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Carbon Accounting ◽  
Continuous Cropping ◽  
Texture Contrast

The effects of environmental parameters, land-use history, and management practices on soil organic carbon (SOC) concentrations, nitrogen, and bulk density were determined in agricultural soils of four soil types in Tasmania. The sites sampled were Dermosols, Vertosols, Ferrosols, and a group of texture-contrast soils (Chromosol and Sodosol) each with a 10-year management history ranging from permanent perennial pasture to continuous cropping. Rainfall, Soil Order, and land use were all strong explanatory variables for differences in SOC, soil carbon stock, total nitrogen, and bulk density. Cropping sites had 29–35% less SOC in surface soils (0–0.1 m) than pasture sites as well as greater bulk densities. Clay-rich soils contained the greatest carbon stocks to 0.3 m depth under pasture, with Ferrosols containing a mean of 158 Mg C ha–1, Vertosols 112 Mg C ha–1, and Dermosols 107 Mg C ha–1. Texture-contrast soils with sandier textured topsoils under pasture had a mean of 69 Mg C ha–1. The range of values in soil carbon stocks indicates considerable uncertainty in baseline values for use in soil carbon accounting. Farmers can influence SOC more by their choice of land use than their day-to-day soil management. Although the influence of management is not as great as other inherent site variables, farmers can still select practices for their ability to retain more SOC.

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>

scholarly journals Soil organic carbon in no-tillage systems of different ages in Southwest Mato Grosso, Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 250-255
Author(s):  
Renata M. Severiano ◽  
Maria A. P. Pierangeli ◽  
Nilton de S. Santos ◽  
Vinícius Xavier
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Tillage Systems ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Tillage System

ABSTRACT The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of the no-tillage system on soil bulk density, soil organic carbon, and carbon stocks in Plinthic subgroups and Oxisols, located in Pontes and Lacerda, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The treatments were native vegetation and no-tillage systems established for 3, 8, 10, and 12 years. To analyse soil organic carbon, soils were sampled in each area, with three repetitions, at layers of 0-0.05; 0.05-0.10; 0.10-0.20; 0.20-0.40; 0.40-0.60; 0.60-1.00; 1.00-1.50 and 1.50-2.00 m. For soil bulk density, undisturbed samples were collected at layers of 0-0.20 and 0.20-0.40 m. Compared with areas of native vegetation, soil bulk density values after 12 years increased by 25% in Oxisols and 30% in the Plinthic subgroups. In Oxisols and Plinthic subgroups, respectively, organic carbon concentration was, on average, 20.57, 25.04 g kg-1 under native vegetation; 16.82, 16.59 g kg-1 after 3 years of no-tillage; 13.31, 4.96 g kg-1 after 8 years; 16.52, 14.39 g kg-1 after 10 years; and 17.97, 18.53 g kg-1 after 12 years. In both soils, the no-tillage system contributed to an increase in carbon stocks over the years, but not at depth, being generally limited to the top 0.20 m of the soils. Compared to native vegetation, after 12 years of no-tillage, carbon stocks decreased at a rate of 0.075 Mg ha-1 year-1 in the Plinthic subgroups and increased by 2.3 Mg ha-1 year-1 in Oxisols.

scholarly journals SOIL ORGANIC CARBON, CARBON STOCK AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS TO PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES UNDER FOREST SOILS IN CENTRAL AMAZONIA

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Dalmo de Oliveira Marques ◽  
Flávio Jesus Luizão ◽  
Wenceslau Geraldes Teixeira ◽  
Claudia Marie Vitel ◽  
Elizalane Moura de Araújo Marques
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Carbon Stock ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Clay Soils ◽  
Primary Forest ◽  
Physical Attributes ◽  
Topographic Positions

ABSTRACT The soil carbon under Amazonian forests has an important roles in global changing, making information on the soil content and depths of these stocks are considerable interest in efforts to quantify soil carbon emissions to the atmosphere.This study quantified the content and soil organic carbon stock under primary forest up to 2 m depth, at different topographic positions, at Cuieiras Biological Reserve, Manaus/ ZF2, km 34, in the Central Amazon, evaluating the soil attributes that may influence the permanence of soil carbon. Soil samples were collected along a transect of 850 m on topographic gradient Oxisol (plateau), Ultisol (slope) and Spodosol (valley). The stocks of soil carbon were obtained by multiplying the carbon content, soil bulk density and trickiness of soil layers. The watershed was delimited by using STRM and IKONOS images and the carbon contend obtained in the transects was extrapolated as a way to evaluate the potential for carbon stocks in an area of 2678.68 ha. The total SOC was greater in Oxisol followed by Spodosol and Ultisol. It was found direct correlations between the SOC and soil physical attributes. Among the clay soils (Oxisol and Ultisol), the largest stocks of carbon were observed in Oxisol at both the transect (90 to 175.5 Mg C ha-1) as the level of watershed (100.2 to 195.2 Mg C ha-1). The carbon stocks under sandy soil (Spodosol) was greater to clay soils along the transect (160-241 Mg C ha-1) and near them in the Watershed (96.90 to 146.01 Mg C ha-1).

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