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Rempfert KR, Bell SL, Kasanke CP, Zhao Q, Zhao X, Lipton AS, Hofmockel KS. Biomolecular budget of persistent, microbial-derived soil organic carbon: The importance of underexplored pools. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 932:172916. [PMID: 38697544 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
The details of how soil microorganisms contribute to stable soil organic carbon pools are a pressing knowledge gap with direct implications for soil health and climate mitigation. It is now recognized that microbial necromass contributes substantially to the formation of stable soil carbon. However, the quantification of necromass in soils has largely been limited to model molecules such as aminosugar biomarkers. The abundance and chemical composition of other persistent microbial residues remain unresolved, particularly concerning how these pools may vary with microbial community structure, soil texture, and management practices. Here we use yearlong soil incubation experiments with an isotopic tracer to quantify the composition of persistent residues derived from microbial communities inhabiting sand or silt dominated soil with annual (corn) or perennial (switchgrass) monocultures. Persistent microbial residues were recovered in diverse soil biomolecular pools including metabolites, proteins, lipids, and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM). The relative abundances of microbial contributions to necromass pools were consistent across cropping systems and soil textures. The greatest residue accumulation was not recovered in MAOM but in the light density fraction of soil debris that persisted after extraction by chemical fractionation using organic solvents. Necromass abundance was positively correlated with microbial biomass abundance and revealed a possible role of cell wall morphology in enhancing microbial carbon persistence; while gram-negative bacteria accounted for the greatest contribution to microbial-derived carbon by mass at one year, residues from gram-positive Actinobacteria and Firmicutes showed greater durability. Together these results offer a quantitative assessment of the relative importance of diverse molecular classes for generating durable soil carbon.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sheryl L Bell
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | | | - Qian Zhao
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Xiaodong Zhao
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | | | - Kirsten S Hofmockel
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA; Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
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2
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Ellis E, Paustian K. Importance of on-farm research for validating process-based models of climate-smart agriculture. CARBON BALANCE AND MANAGEMENT 2024; 19:16. [PMID: 38811452 PMCID: PMC11138037 DOI: 10.1186/s13021-024-00260-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Climate-smart agriculture can be used to build soil carbon stocks, decrease agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and increase agronomic resilience to climate pressures. The US recently declared its commitment to include the agricultural sector as part of an overall climate-mitigation strategy, and with this comes the need for robust, scientifically valid tools for agricultural GHG flux measurements and modeling. If agriculture is to contribute significantly to climate mitigation, practice adoption should be incentivized on as much land area as possible and mitigation benefits should be accurately quantified. Process-based models are parameterized on data from a limited number of long-term agricultural experiments, which may not fully reflect outcomes on working farms. Space-for-time substitution, paired studies, and long-term monitoring of SOC stocks and GHG emissions on commercial farms using a variety of climate-smart management systems can validate findings from long-term agricultural experiments and provide data for process-based model improvements. Here, we describe a project that worked collaboratively with commercial producers in the Midwest to directly measure and model the soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks of their farms at the field scale. We describe this study, and several unexpected challenges encountered, to facilitate further on-farm data collection and the creation of a secure database of on-farm SOC stock measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Ellis
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - Keith Paustian
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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3
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Ridgeway J, Kane J, Morrissey E, Starcher H, Brzostek E. Roots selectively decompose litter to mine nitrogen and build new soil carbon. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14331. [PMID: 37898561 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere shape carbon and nitrogen cycling in soil organic matter (SOM). However, there is conflicting evidence on whether these interactions lead to a net loss or increase of SOM. In part, this conflict is driven by uncertainty in how living roots and microbes alter SOM formation or loss in the field. To address these uncertainties, we traced the fate of isotopically labelled litter into SOM using root and fungal ingrowth cores incubated in a Miscanthus x giganteus field. Roots stimulated litter decomposition, but balanced this loss by transferring carbon into aggregate associated SOM. Further, roots selectively mobilized nitrogen from litter without additional carbon release. Overall, our findings suggest that roots mine litter nitrogen and protect soil carbon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Ridgeway
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
- Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Jennifer Kane
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Ember Morrissey
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Hayden Starcher
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Edward Brzostek
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
- Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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4
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Liu L, Ouyang Z, Hu C, Li J. Quantifying direct CO 2 emissions from organic manure fertilizer and maize residual roots using 13C labeling technique: A field study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167603. [PMID: 37806595 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Organic manure compost offers benefits like enhanced crop yield, improved soil health, and increased soil carbon storage. However, its application might elevate direct CO2 emissions from organic matter decomposition. Beyond manure compost, significant sources of CO2 emissions in agricultural settings are from residual roots and root exudates of pre-crops, and soil carbon. Quantifying the contribution of these sources to CO2 emissions is crucial for maximizing carbon reduction in crop-livestock systems, yet field studies have not assessed this contribution. Our study at the Yucheng field station in Shandong Province, China employed 13C labeling on summer maize to generate 13C-labeled manure compost and maize root, which is used to differentiate CO2 emissions from these sources. Our results revealed novel insights into the magnitude and patterns of CO2 emissions from these sources. The emission pattern of 13C-CO2 derived from manure compost, root and root exudates was similar, but the magnitude differed. Specifically, manure compost accounted for 5 % of the total CO2 emissions, while residual roots and root exudates contributed 2 % and 57 %, respectively, suggesting a higher labile carbon content in root exudates. The remaining 36 % of CO2 emissions was derived from the soil and other sources. CO2 emission factors were 6 % for manure compost, 12 % for roots, and 2 % for root exudates. By quantifying the direct emissions from manure compost, residual roots, root exudates, and soil, our study highlights the dominant role of managing root exudates in overall CO2 emissions. These findings can guide targeted carbon reduction strategies, emphasizing the importance of managing root exudates and understanding the relative innocuousness of manure compost applications in the context of CO2 emissions. This novel research quantifies the direct contribution of individual manure compost to CO2 emissions, providing valuable data for carbon cycle models and improving understanding of CO2 contributions from new carbon inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liting Liu
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Yellow River Delta Modern Agriculture, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhu Ouyang
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Yellow River Delta Modern Agriculture, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chunsheng Hu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, 286 Huaizhong Road, Shijiazhuang 050021, China
| | - Jing Li
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Yellow River Delta Modern Agriculture, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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5
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Moinet GYK, Amundson R, Galdos MV, Grace PR, Haefele SM, Hijbeek R, Van Groenigen JW, Van Groenigen KJ, Powlson DS. Climate change mitigation through soil carbon sequestration in working lands: A reality check. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17010. [PMID: 37965790 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ronald Amundson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Marcelo V Galdos
- Department of Sustainable Soils and Crops, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK
| | - Peter R Grace
- Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Stephan M Haefele
- Department of Sustainable Soils and Crops, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK
| | - Renske Hijbeek
- Plant Production Systems, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - David S Powlson
- Department of Sustainable Soils and Crops, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK
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6
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Kazimierczuk K, Barrows SE, Olarte MV, Qafoku NP. Decarbonization of Agriculture: The Greenhouse Gas Impacts and Economics of Existing and Emerging Climate-Smart Practices. ACS ENGINEERING AU 2023; 3:426-442. [PMID: 38144676 PMCID: PMC10739617 DOI: 10.1021/acsengineeringau.3c00031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
The worldwide emphasis on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has increased focus on the potential to mitigate emissions through climate-smart agricultural practices, including regenerative, digital, and controlled environment farming systems. The effectiveness of these solutions largely depends on their ability to address environmental concerns, generate economic returns, and meet supply chain needs. In this Review, we summarize the state of knowledge on the GHG impacts and profitability of these three existing and emerging farming systems. Although we find potential for CO2 mitigation in all three approaches (depending on site-specific and climatic factors), we point to the greater level of research covering the efficacy of regenerative and digital agriculture in tackling non-CO2 emissions (i.e., N2O and CH4), which account for the majority of agriculture's GHG footprint. Despite this greater research coverage, we still find significant methodological and data limitations in accounting for the major GHG fluxes of these practices, especially the lifetime CH4 footprint of more nascent climate-smart regenerative agriculture practices. Across the approaches explored, uncertainties remain about the overall efficacy and persistence of mitigation-particularly with respect to the offsetting of soil carbon sequestration gains by N2O emissions and the lifecycle emissions of controlled environment agriculture systems compared to traditional systems. We find that the economic feasibility of these practices is also system-specific, although regenerative agriculture is generally the most accessible climate-smart approach. Robust incentives (including carbon credit considerations), investments, and policy changes would make these practices more financially accessible to farmers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamila Kazimierczuk
- Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Sarah E. Barrows
- Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Mariefel V. Olarte
- Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Nikolla P. Qafoku
- Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 99195, United States
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7
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Blanc-Betes E, Gomez-Casanovas N, Hartman MD, Hudiburg TW, Khanna M, Parton WJ, DeLucia EH. Climate vs Energy Security: Quantifying the Trade-offs of BECCS Deployment and Overcoming Opportunity Costs on Set-Aside Land. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:19732-19748. [PMID: 37934080 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) sits at the nexus of the climate and energy security. We evaluated trade-offs between scenarios that support climate stabilization (negative emissions and net climate benefit) or energy security (ethanol production). Our spatially explicit model indicates that the foregone climate benefit from abandoned cropland (opportunity cost) increased carbon emissions per unit of energy produced by 14-36%, making geologic carbon capture and storage necessary to achieve negative emissions from any given energy crop. The toll of opportunity costs on the climate benefit of BECCS from set-aside land was offset through the spatial allocation of crops based on their individual biophysical constraints. Dedicated energy crops consistently outperformed mixed grasslands. We estimate that BECCS allocation to land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) could capture up to 9 Tg C year-1 from the atmosphere, deliver up to 16 Tg CE year-1 in emissions savings, and meet up to 10% of the US energy statutory targets, but contributions varied substantially as the priority shifted from climate stabilization to energy provision. Our results indicate a significant potential to integrate energy security targets into sustainable pathways to climate stabilization but underpin the trade-offs of divergent policy-driven agendas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Blanc-Betes
- Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Nuria Gomez-Casanovas
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center, Texas A&M University, Vernon, Texas 76384, United States
- Rangeland, Wildlife & Fisheries Management Department, Texas A&M University, Vernon, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Melannie D Hartman
- Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture, Texas A&M University, Vernon, Texas 77845, United States
| | - Tara W Hudiburg
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Madhu Khanna
- Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844, United States
| | - William J Parton
- Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture, Texas A&M University, Vernon, Texas 77845, United States
| | - Evan H DeLucia
- Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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8
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Reershemius T, Kelland ME, Jordan JS, Davis IR, D'Ascanio R, Kalderon-Asael B, Asael D, Suhrhoff TJ, Epihov DZ, Beerling DJ, Reinhard CT, Planavsky NJ. Initial Validation of a Soil-Based Mass-Balance Approach for Empirical Monitoring of Enhanced Rock Weathering Rates. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:19497-19507. [PMID: 37961896 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is a promising scalable and cost-effective carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategy with significant environmental and agronomic co-benefits. A major barrier to large-scale implementation of ERW is a robust monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) framework. To successfully quantify the amount of carbon dioxide removed by ERW, MRV must be accurate, precise, and cost-effective. Here, we outline a mass-balance-based method in which analysis of the chemical composition of soil samples is used to track in situ silicate rock weathering. We show that signal-to-noise issues of in situ soil analysis can be mitigated by using isotope-dilution mass spectrometry to reduce analytical error. We implement a proof-of-concept experiment demonstrating the method in controlled mesocosms. In our experiment, a basalt rock feedstock is added to soil columns containing the cereal crop Sorghum bicolor at a rate equivalent to 50 t ha-1. Using our approach, we calculate rock weathering corresponding to an average initial CDR value of 1.44 ± 0.27 tCO2eq ha-1 from our experiments after 235 days, within error of an independent estimate calculated using conventional elemental budgeting of reaction products. Our method provides a robust time-integrated estimate of initial CDR, to feed into models that track and validate large-scale carbon removal through ERW.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Reershemius
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Mike E Kelland
- Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K
| | - Jacob S Jordan
- Porecast Research, Lawrence, Kansas 66049, United States
| | - Isabelle R Davis
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton SO14 3ZH, U.K
| | - Rocco D'Ascanio
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Boriana Kalderon-Asael
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Dan Asael
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - T Jesper Suhrhoff
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
- Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Dimitar Z Epihov
- Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K
| | - David J Beerling
- Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K
| | - Christopher T Reinhard
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Noah J Planavsky
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
- Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
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9
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Yang X, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Niu Y, Christie P, Chen J, Hu H, Chen Y. Optimizing cropping systems to close the gap between economic profitability and environmental health. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:2498-2512. [PMID: 37846026 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Supporting food security while maintaining ecosystem sustainability is one of the most important global challenges for humanity. Optimization of cropping systems is expected to promote the ecosystem services of agroecosystems. Yet, how and why cropping system influences the trade-offs between economic profitability and multiple ecosystem services remain poorly understood. We investigate the influence of six cropping systems on trade-offs between economic profitability and multiple ecosystem services after considering 36 agricultural ecosystem properties using field experiment data from 2020 to 2022. We show that designing cropping system is a critical tool to closing the gap between ecosystem sustainability and commercial profitability. Cropping system with three harvests within 2 yr had higher performance in overall ecosystem multiple services through enhancement of supporting, regulating, and economic performance without compromising provisioning compared with four other systems. These systems diminished the trade-off among multiple services, resulting in a 'win-win' situation for economics and multiple services. By contrast, the monoculture and double cropping systems lead to a strong trade-off between pairwise services including ecosystem health and profitability. Our work illustrates the substantial potential of rotation systems with three harvests within 2 yr in enforcing ecosystem services and closing the trade-offs among multiple agricultural ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Yang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Funcionamiento Ecosistémico, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS), CSIC, Ave Reina Mercedes 10, E-41012, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Yuxuan Niu
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Peter Christie
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Ji Chen
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, 8830, Tjele, Denmark
| | - Hangwei Hu
- School of Agriculture and Food, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., 3010, Australia
| | - Yongliang Chen
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
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10
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Almaraz M, Simmonds M, Boudinot FG, Di Vittorio AV, Bingham N, Khalsa SDS, Ostoja S, Scow K, Jones A, Holzer I, Manaigo E, Geoghegan E, Goertzen H, Silver WL. Soil carbon sequestration in global working lands as a gateway for negative emission technologies. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5988-5998. [PMID: 37476859 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing climate crisis merits an urgent need to devise management approaches and new technologies to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations (GHG) in the near term. However, each year that GHG concentrations continue to rise, pressure mounts to develop and deploy atmospheric CO2 removal pathways as a complement to, and not replacement for, emissions reductions. Soil carbon sequestration (SCS) practices in working lands provide a low-tech and cost-effective means for removing CO2 from the atmosphere while also delivering co-benefits to people and ecosystems. Our model estimates suggest that, assuming additive effects, the technical potential of combined SCS practices can provide 30%-70% of the carbon removal required by the Paris Climate Agreement if applied to 25%-50% of the available global land area, respectively. Atmospheric CO2 drawdown via SCS has the potential to last decades to centuries, although more research is needed to determine the long-term viability at scale and the durability of the carbon stored. Regardless of these research needs, we argue that SCS can at least serve as a bridging technology, reducing atmospheric CO2 in the short term while energy and transportation systems adapt to a low-C economy. Soil C sequestration in working lands holds promise as a climate change mitigation tool, but the current rate of implementation remains too slow to make significant progress toward global emissions goals by 2050. Outreach and education, methodology development for C offset registries, improved access to materials and supplies, and improved research networks are needed to accelerate the rate of SCS practice implementation. Herein, we present an argument for the immediate adoption of SCS practices in working lands and recommendations for improved implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Almaraz
- Institute of the Environment, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- High Meadows Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - F Garrett Boudinot
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | | | - Nina Bingham
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Sat Darshan S Khalsa
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Steven Ostoja
- Institute of the Environment, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- USDA California Climate Hub, Agricultural Research Service, Davis, California, USA
| | - Kate Scow
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Andrew Jones
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Iris Holzer
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Erin Manaigo
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Emily Geoghegan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Heath Goertzen
- Institute of the Environment, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Whendee L Silver
- Department of Environmental Science Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
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11
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Ogle SM, Breidt FJ, Del Grosso S, Gurung R, Marx E, Spencer S, Williams S, Manning D. Counterfactual scenarios reveal historical impact of cropland management on soil organic carbon stocks in the United States. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14564. [PMID: 37666947 PMCID: PMC10477333 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41307-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural climate solutions provide opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the United States is among a growing number of countries promoting storage of carbon in agricultural soils as part of the climate solution. Historical patterns of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock changes provide context about mitigation potential. Therefore, our objective was to quantify the influence of climate-smart soil practices on SOC stock changes in the top 30 cm of mineral soils for croplands in the United States using the DayCent Ecosystem Model. We estimated that SOC stocks increased annually in US croplands from 1995 to 2015, with the largest increase in 1996 of 16.6 Mt C (95% confidence interval ranging from 6.1 to 28.2 Mt CO2 eq.) and the lowest increase in 2015 of 10.6 Mt C (95% confidence interval ranging from - 1.8 to 22.2 Mt C). Most climate-smart soil practices contributed to increases in SOC stocks except for winter cover crops, which had a negligible impact due to a relatively small area with cover crop adoption. Our study suggests that there is potential for enhancing C sinks in cropland soils of the United States although some of the potential has been realized due to past adoption of climate-smart soil practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Ogle
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.
| | - F Jay Breidt
- Department of Statistics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80253, USA
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, NORC at the University of Chicago, 55 East Monroe Street, Chicago, IL, 60603, USA
| | - Stephen Del Grosso
- USDA-Agricultural Research Service, SMSBRU, Fort Collins, CO, 80256, USA
| | - Ram Gurung
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Ernie Marx
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Shannon Spencer
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Stephen Williams
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Dale Manning
- Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80253, USA
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12
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Shaaban M, Wu Y, Núñez-Delgado A, Kuzyakov Y, Peng QA, Lin S, Hu R. Enzyme activities and organic matter mineralization in response to application of gypsum, manure and rice straw in saline and sodic soils. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 224:115393. [PMID: 36740153 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Saline and alkaline soils are a challenge for sustainable crop production. The use of organic and inorganic amendments is a common practice to increase the fertility of salt-affected soils that can trigger faster carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling. We examined the effects of gypsum (Gyps), farm manure (Manure) and rice straw (Straw) on enzyme activities, organic matter mineralization and CO2 emissions in two salt-affected soils [Solonchak (saline); pH: 8, electrical conductivity (EC): 6.5, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR): 2.5, and Solonetz (alkaline sodic); pH: 8.9, EC: 1.6, SAR: 17]. Gypsum addition decreased soil pH up to 0.62 and 0.30 units, SAR 1.2 and 5.2 units, and EC 2.9 and 1.4 units in Solonchak and Solonetz, respectively. Dissolved organic C, microbial biomass C, dissolved organic N, mineral N (NO3- and NH4+), enzyme activities (urease, invertase, catalase, phosphatase, phenol-oxidase), alkali extractable phenols, and available phosphorous increased with the application of all amendments in both soils. Solonetz released more CO2 than Solonchak, whereas maximum CO2 emissions were common after manure application (3140 mg kg-1 in Solonchak, and 3890 mg kg-1 in Solonetz). We conclude that high SAR and low EC increase CO2 emissions through accelerated C and N cycling and manure decomposition in Solonetz soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Shaaban
- Department of Soil Science, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan.
| | - Yupeng Wu
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
| | - Avelino Núñez-Delgado
- Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Engineering Polytechnic School, Campus Lugo, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Yakov Kuzyakov
- Department of Agricultural Soil Science, Department of Soil Science of Temperate Ecosystems, University of Göttingen, 37077, Göttingen, Germany; Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), 117198, Moscow, Russia
| | - Qi-An Peng
- School of Environmental Engineering,Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shan Lin
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ronggui Hu
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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13
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Certini G, Scalenghe R. The crucial interactions between climate and soil. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 856:159169. [PMID: 36206907 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Since the birth of soil science, climate has been recognized as a soil-forming factor, along with parent rock, time, topography, and organisms (from which humans were later kept distinct), often prevalent on the other factors on the very long term. But the climate is in turns affected by soils and their management. This paper describes the interrelationships between climate - and its current change - and soil, focusing on each single factor of its formation. Parent material governs, primarily through the particle size distribution, the capacity of soil to retain water and organic matter, which are two main soil-related drivers of the climate. Time is the only unmanageable soil-forming factor; however, extreme climatic phenomena can upset the soil or even dismantle it, so as to slow down the pathway of pedogenesis or even make it start from scratch. Topography, which drives the pedogenesis mostly controlling rainfall distribution - with repercussions also on the climate - is not anymore a given factor because humans have often become a shaper of it. Indeed humans now play a key role in affecting in a plethora of ways those soil properties that most deal with climate. The abundance and diversity of the other organisms are generally positive to soil quality and as a buffer for climate, but there are troubling evidences that climate change is decreasing soil biodiversity. The corpus of researches on mutual feedback between climate and soil has essentially demonstrated that the best soil management in terms of climate change mitigation must aim at promoting vegetation growth and maximizing soil organic matter content and water retention. Some ongoing virtuous initiatives (e.g., the Great Green Wall of Africa) and farming systems (e.g., the conservation agriculture) should be extended as much as possible worldwide to enable the soil to make the greatest contribution to climate change mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Certini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agrarie, Alimentari, Ambientali e Forestali (DAGRI), Università degli Studi di Firenze, 50144 Firenze, Italy.
| | - Riccardo Scalenghe
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali (SAAF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
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14
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Fan Y, Wang X, Funk T, Rashid I, Herman B, Bompoti N, Mahmud MS, Chrysochoou M, Yang M, Vadas TM, Lei Y, Li B. A Critical Review for Real-Time Continuous Soil Monitoring: Advantages, Challenges, and Perspectives. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:13546-13564. [PMID: 36121207 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c03562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Most soil quality measurements have been limited to laboratory-based methods that suffer from time delay, high cost, intensive labor requirement, discrete data collection, and tedious sample pretreatment. Real-time continuous soil monitoring (RTCSM) possesses a great potential to revolutionize field measurements by providing first-hand information for continuously tracking variations of heterogeneous soil parameters and diverse pollutants in a timely manner and thus enable constant updates essential for system control and decision-making. Through a systematic literature search and comprehensive analysis of state-of-the-art RTCSM technologies, extensive discussion of their vital hurdles, and sharing of our future perspectives, this critical review bridges the knowledge gap of spatiotemporal uninterrupted soil monitoring and soil management execution. First, the barriers for reliable RTCSM data acquisition are elucidated by examining typical soil monitoring techniques (e.g., electrochemical and spectroscopic sensors). Next, the prevailing challenges of the RTCSM sensor network, data transmission, data processing, and personalized data management are comprehensively discussed. Furthermore, this review explores RTCSM data application for updating diverse strategies including high-fidelity soil process models, control methodologies, digital soil mapping, soil degradation, food security, and climate change mitigation. Finally, the significance of RTCSM implementation in agricultural and environmental fields is underscored through illuminating future directions and perspectives in this systematic review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingzheng Fan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Xingyu Wang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Thomas Funk
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Ishrat Rashid
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Brianna Herman
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Nefeli Bompoti
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Md Shaad Mahmud
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, United States
| | - Maria Chrysochoou
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Meijian Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Timothy M Vadas
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Yu Lei
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Baikun Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
- Center for Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
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15
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Song M, Zhang X, Yang J, Gao C, Wei Y, Chen S, Liesche J. Arabidopsis plants engineered for high root sugar secretion enhance the diversity of soil microorganisms. Biotechnol J 2022; 17:e2100638. [PMID: 35894173 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202100638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Plants secrete sugars from their roots into the soil, presumably to support beneficial plant-microbe interactions. Accordingly, manipulation of sugar secretion might be a viable strategy to enhance plant health and productivity. To evaluate the effect of increased root sugar secretion on plant performance and the soil microbiome, we overexpressed glucose and sucrose-specific membrane transporters in root epidermal cells of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. These plants showed strongly increased rates of sugar secretion in a hydroponic culture system. When grown on soil, the transporter-overexpressor plants displayed a higher photosynthesis rate, but reduced shoot growth compared to the wild-type control. Amplicon sequencing and qPCR analysis of rhizosphere soil samples indicated a limited effect on the total abundance of bacteria and fungi, but a strong effect on community structure in soil samples associated with the overexpressors. Notable changes included the increased abundance of bacteria belonging to the genus Rhodanobacter and the fungi belonging to the genus Cutaneotrichosporon, while Candida species abundance was reduced. The potential influences of the altered soil microbiome on plant health and productivity are discussed. The results indicate that the engineering of sugar secretion can be a viable pathway to enhancing the carbon sequestration rate and optimizing the soil microbiome. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Song
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,Biomass Energy Center for Arid and Semiarid Lands, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,State Key Laboratory of Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Xingjian Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,Biomass Energy Center for Arid and Semiarid Lands, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,State Key Laboratory of Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Jintao Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,Biomass Energy Center for Arid and Semiarid Lands, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,State Key Laboratory of Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Chen Gao
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, 1871, Denmark
| | - Yahong Wei
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,Biomass Energy Center for Arid and Semiarid Lands, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Shaolin Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,Biomass Energy Center for Arid and Semiarid Lands, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Johannes Liesche
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,Biomass Energy Center for Arid and Semiarid Lands, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,State Key Laboratory of Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
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16
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Georgiou K, Jackson RB, Vindušková O, Abramoff RZ, Ahlström A, Feng W, Harden JW, Pellegrini AFA, Polley HW, Soong JL, Riley WJ, Torn MS. Global stocks and capacity of mineral-associated soil organic carbon. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3797. [PMID: 35778395 PMCID: PMC9249731 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31540-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil is the largest terrestrial reservoir of organic carbon and is central for climate change mitigation and carbon-climate feedbacks. Chemical and physical associations of soil carbon with minerals play a critical role in carbon storage, but the amount and global capacity for storage in this form remain unquantified. Here, we produce spatially-resolved global estimates of mineral-associated organic carbon stocks and carbon-storage capacity by analyzing 1144 globally-distributed soil profiles. We show that current stocks total 899 Pg C to a depth of 1 m in non-permafrost mineral soils. Although this constitutes 66% and 70% of soil carbon in surface and deeper layers, respectively, it is only 42% and 21% of the mineralogical capacity. Regions under agricultural management and deeper soil layers show the largest undersaturation of mineral-associated carbon. Critically, the degree of undersaturation indicates sequestration efficiency over years to decades. We show that, across 103 carbon-accrual measurements spanning management interventions globally, soils furthest from their mineralogical capacity are more effective at accruing carbon; sequestration rates average 3-times higher in soils at one tenth of their capacity compared to soils at one half of their capacity. Our findings provide insights into the world’s soils, their capacity to store carbon, and priority regions and actions for soil carbon management. Mineral-organic associations play a key role in soil carbon preservation. Here, Georgiou et al. produce global estimates of mineral-associated soil carbon, providing insight into the world’s soils and their capacity to store carbon
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Georgiou
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, 94551, USA. .,Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Robert B Jackson
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Precourt Institute for Energy, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Olga Vindušková
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, 2000, Belgium.,Institute for Environmental Studies, Charles University, Prague, 128 01, Czech Republic
| | - Rose Z Abramoff
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, Gif-sur-Yvette, F-91191, France.,Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Anders Ahlström
- Deptartment of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Lund, SE-22100, Sweden
| | - Wenting Feng
- Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 10081, China
| | - Jennifer W Harden
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA, 94035, USA
| | - Adam F A Pellegrini
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK.,Cambridge Conservation Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - H Wayne Polley
- Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Temple, TX, 76502, USA
| | - Jennifer L Soong
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.,Granular, Inc, San Francisco, CA, 94103, USA
| | - William J Riley
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Margaret S Torn
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.,Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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17
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Jordon MW, Smith P, Long PR, Bürkner PC, Petrokofsky G, Willis KJ. Can Regenerative Agriculture increase national soil carbon stocks? Simulated country-scale adoption of reduced tillage, cover cropping, and ley-arable integration using RothC. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 825:153955. [PMID: 35189215 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Adopting Regenerative Agriculture (RA) practices on temperate arable land can increase soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration without reducing crop yields. RA is therefore receiving much attention as a climate change mitigation strategy. However, estimating the potential change in national soil carbon stocks following adoption of RA practices is required to determine its suitability for this. Here, we use a well-validated model of soil carbon turnover (RothC) to simulate adoption of three regenerative practices (cover cropping, reduced tillage intensity and incorporation of a grass-based ley phase into arable rotations) across arable land in Great Britain (GB). We develop a modelling framework which calibrates RothC using studies of these measures from a recent systematic review, estimating the proportional increase in carbon inputs to the soil compared to conventional practice, before simulating adoption across GB. We find that cover cropping would on average increase SOC stocks by 10 t·ha-1 within 30 years of adoption across GB, potentially sequestering 6.5 megatonnes of carbon dioxide per year (MtCO2·y-1). Ley-arable systems could increase SOC stocks by 3 or 16 t·ha-1, potentially providing 2.2 or 10.6 MtCO2·y-1 of sequestration over 30 years, depending on the length of the ley-phase (one and four years, respectively, in these scenarios). In contrast, our modelling approach finds little change in soil carbon stocks when practising reduced tillage intensity. Our results indicate that adopting RA practices could make a meaningful contribution to GB agriculture reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions despite practical constraints to their uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W Jordon
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, United Kingdom.
| | - Pete Smith
- Institute of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, United Kingdom; Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3BD, United Kingdom
| | - Peter R Long
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, United Kingdom; Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, United Kingdom
| | | | - Gillian Petrokofsky
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, United Kingdom; Oxford Systematic Reviews LLP, Oxford OX2 7DL, United Kingdom
| | - Kathy J Willis
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
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18
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The Role of Soil Carbon Sequestration as a Climate Change Mitigation Strategy: An Australian Case Study. SOIL SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/soilsystems6020046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Soil carbon sequestration (SCS) is a key priority in the Australian government’s Long-Term Emissions Reduction Plan. Under the government’s Emission Reduction Fund (ERF), farmers are encouraged to change to a management practice that will increase their soil carbon (C) stock and earn Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). The projections of net C abatement nationally range from 17 to 103 Mt carbon dioxide equivalent annually up to 2050. This huge range reflects the uncertainties in achieving net SCS due to biophysical constraints, such as those imposed by the paucity and variability of Australian rainfall and the difficulty of measuring small changes in soil C stock. The uptake by farmers is also uncertain because of compliance costs, opportunity costs of a practice change and the loss of business flexibility when a farmer must commit to a 25-year permanence period. Since the program’s inception in 2014, only one soil C project has been awarded ACCUs. Nevertheless, an increase in soil C is generally beneficial for farm productivity. As a voluntary C market evolves, the government is expecting that farmers will sell their ACCUs to businesses seeking to offset their greenhouse gas emissions. The risk is that, in buying cheap offsets, businesses will not then invest in new energy-efficient technologies to reduce their emissions at source.
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19
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Bhattacharyya SS, Ros GH, Furtak K, Iqbal HMN, Parra-Saldívar R. Soil carbon sequestration - An interplay between soil microbial community and soil organic matter dynamics. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 815:152928. [PMID: 34999062 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.152928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Soil carbon sequestration (SCS) refers to the uptake of carbon (C) containing substances from the atmosphere and its storage in soil C pools. Soil microbial community (SMC) play a major role in C cycling and their activity has been considered as the main driver of differences in the potential to store C in soils. The composition of the SMC is crucial for the maintenance of soil ecosystem services, as the structure and activity of SMC also regulates the turnover and delivery of nutrients, as well as the rate of decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM). Quantifying the impact of agricultural practices on both SMC and SCS is key to improve sustainability of soil management. Hence, we discuss the impact of farming practices improving SCS by altering SMC, SOM, and soil aggregates, unraveling their inter-and intra-relationships. Using quantitative and process driven insights from 197 peer-reviewed publications leads to the conclusion that the net benefits from agricultural management to improve SCS would not be sustainable if we overlook the role of soil microbial community. Reintroduction of the decayed microbial community to agricultural soils is crucial for enhancing long-term C storage potential of soils and stabilize them over time. The interactions among SMC, SOM, soil aggregates, and agricultural activities still require more knowledge and research to understand their full contribution to the SCS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gerard H Ros
- Environmental Systems Analysis Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Karolina Furtak
- Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation - State Research Institute, Czartoryskich 8, 24-100 Puławy, Poland
| | - Hafiz M N Iqbal
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Science, Monterrey 64849, Mexico.
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20
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Song XD, Yang F, Wu HY, Zhang J, Li DC, Liu F, Zhao YG, Yang JL, Ju B, Cai CF, Huang B, Long HY, Lu Y, Sui YY, Wang QB, Wu KN, Zhang FR, Zhang MK, Shi Z, Ma WZ, Xin G, Qi ZP, Chang QR, Ci E, Yuan DG, Zhang YZ, Bai JP, Chen JY, Chen J, Chen YJ, Dong YZ, Han CL, Li L, Liu LM, Pan JJ, Song FP, Sun FJ, Wang DF, Wang TW, Wei XH, Wu HQ, Zhao X, Zhou Q, Zhang GL. Significant loss of soil inorganic carbon at the continental scale. Natl Sci Rev 2022; 9:nwab120. [PMID: 35145702 PMCID: PMC8824702 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwab120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Widespread soil acidification due to atmospheric acid deposition and agricultural fertilization may greatly accelerate soil carbonate dissolution and CO2 release. However, to date, few studies have addressed these processes. Here, we use meta-analysis and nationwide-survey datasets to investigate changes in soil inorganic carbon (SIC) stocks in China. We observe an overall decrease in SIC stocks in topsoil (0–30 cm) (11.33 g C m–2 yr–1) from the 1980s to the 2010s. Total SIC stocks have decreased by ∼8.99 ± 2.24% (1.37 ± 0.37 Pg C). The average SIC losses across China (0.046 Pg C yr–1) and in cropland (0.016 Pg C yr–1) account for ∼17.6%–24.0% of the terrestrial C sink and 57.1% of the soil organic carbon sink in cropland, respectively. Nitrogen deposition and climate change have profound influences on SIC cycling. We estimate that ∼19.12%–19.47% of SIC stocks will be further lost by 2100. The consumption of SIC may offset a large portion of global efforts aimed at ecosystem carbon sequestration, which emphasizes the importance of achieving a better understanding of the indirect coupling mechanisms of nitrogen and carbon cycling and of effective countermeasures to minimize SIC loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Dong Song
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Fei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Hua-Yong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - De-Cheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Feng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Yu-Guo Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Jin-Ling Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Bing Ju
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Chong-Fa Cai
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Biao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Huai-Yu Long
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ying Lu
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yue-Yu Sui
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Qiu-Bing Wang
- College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110161, China
| | - Ke-Ning Wu
- School of Land Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Feng-Rong Zhang
- College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Ming-Kui Zhang
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhou Shi
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Wan-Zhu Ma
- Institute of Digital Agriculture, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Gang Xin
- College of Agriculture, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing 163319, China
| | - Zhi-Ping Qi
- Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China
| | - Qing-Rui Chang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - En Ci
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Da-Gang Yuan
- College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yang-Zhu Zhang
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Jun-Ping Bai
- Institute of Agricultural Product Quality Standard and Testing Research, Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa 850032, China
| | - Jia-Ying Chen
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jie Chen
- School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Yin-Jun Chen
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yun-Zhong Dong
- Institute of Agriculture Environment and Resources Research, Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Chun-Lan Han
- College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110161, China
| | - Ling Li
- College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Li-Ming Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jian-Jun Pan
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Fu-Peng Song
- College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China
| | - Fu-Jun Sun
- College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110161, China
| | - Deng-Feng Wang
- Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China
| | - Tian-Wei Wang
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xiang-Hua Wei
- Agricultural College, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China
| | - Hong-Qi Wu
- College of Grassland and Environment Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
| | - Xia Zhao
- College of Geographical Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, China
| | - Qing Zhou
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Gan-Lin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
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21
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Madigan AP, Zimmermann J, Krol DJ, Williams M, Jones MB. Full Inversion Tillage (FIT) during pasture renewal as a potential management strategy for enhanced carbon sequestration and storage in Irish grassland soils. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 805:150342. [PMID: 34818809 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
It has been suggested that the sequestration of CO2 by agricultural soils offers a means to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations and in turn mitigate the impacts of climate change. Carbon sequestration by grassland soils, which account for more than 60% of agricultural land use in Ireland, could contribute to a successful net reduction of atmospheric GHG emissions in accordance with the COP21 Paris Agreement. However, current estimates of soil carbon sequestration are variable and it is likely that many permanent grasslands are close to saturation. A literature search shows that soil carbon sequestration is enhanced by a variety of different management strategies, although one option that has only been examined to date in New Zealand is full inversion tillage (FIT) during grassland renovation. FIT involves inverting topsoil, generally to depths of 30 cm, resulting in the movement of C-deficient subsoil to the surface and the burying of carbon-rich topsoil. In this review, we hypothesise that over the next ~30 years the new topsoil could incorporate large amounts of soil organic carbon (SOC) from the re-seeded sward vegetation and that the buried carbon will be retained. We assess the current capability of Irish grassland soils to sequester carbon and suggest a potential role of FIT during grassland renovation. An analysis of the distribution of grasslands in Ireland using the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) suggests that ~26% of Ireland's agricultural grasslands are suitable for FIT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P Madigan
- Department of Environment, Soils and Land Use, Teagasc, Johnstown Castle, Wexford, Ireland; Department of Botany, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Jesko Zimmermann
- Department of Agrifood Business and Spatial Analysis, Rural Economy & Development Programme, Teagasc, Ashtown Research Centre, Dublin 12, Ireland
| | - Dominika J Krol
- Department of Environment, Soils and Land Use, Teagasc, Johnstown Castle, Wexford, Ireland
| | - Michael Williams
- Department of Botany, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Michael B Jones
- Department of Botany, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
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22
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Richter DD. Searching for solutions to our soil woes A World Without Soil: The Past, Present, and Precarious Future of the Earth Beneath Our Feet Jo Handelsman Yale University Press, 2021. 272 pp. Science 2021; 374:1452. [PMID: 34914522 DOI: 10.1126/science.abm4765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Could a controversial carbon storage plan help restore degraded lands?
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel D Richter
- The reviewer is at the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA, and coauthor (with Daniel Markewitz) of Understanding Soil Change (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2001)
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23
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Ayala Izurieta JE, Márquez CO, García VJ, Jara Santillán CA, Sisti JM, Pasqualotto N, Van Wittenberghe S, Delegido J. Multi-predictor mapping of soil organic carbon in the alpine tundra: a case study for the central Ecuadorian páramo. CARBON BALANCE AND MANAGEMENT 2021; 16:32. [PMID: 34693465 PMCID: PMC8543914 DOI: 10.1186/s13021-021-00195-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Soil organic carbon (SOC) affects essential biological, biochemical, and physical soil functions such as nutrient cycling, water retention, water distribution, and soil structure stability. The Andean páramo known as such a high carbon and water storage capacity ecosystem is a complex, heterogeneous and remote ecosystem complicating field studies to collect SOC data. Here, we propose a multi-predictor remote quantification of SOC using Random Forest Regression to map SOC stock in the herbaceous páramo of the Chimborazo province, Ecuador. RESULTS Spectral indices derived from the Landsat-8 (L8) sensors, OLI and TIRS, topographic, geological, soil taxonomy and climate variables were used in combination with 500 in situ SOC sampling data for training and calibrating a suitable predictive SOC model. The final predictive model selected uses nine predictors with a RMSE of 1.72% and a R2 of 0.82 for SOC expressed in weight %, a RMSE of 25.8 Mg/ha and a R2 of 0.77 for the model in units of Mg/ha. Satellite-derived indices such as VARIG, SLP, NDVI, NDWI, SAVI, EVI2, WDRVI, NDSI, NDMI, NBR and NBR2 were not found to be strong SOC predictors. Relevant predictors instead were in order of importance: geological unit, soil taxonomy, precipitation, elevation, orientation, slope length and steepness (LS Factor), Bare Soil Index (BI), average annual temperature and TOA Brightness Temperature. CONCLUSIONS Variables such as the BI index derived from satellite images and the LS factor from the DEM increase the SOC mapping accuracy. The mapping results show that over 57% of the study area contains high concentrations of SOC, between 150 and 205 Mg/ha, positioning the herbaceous páramo as an ecosystem of global importance. The results obtained with this study can be used to extent the SOC mapping in the whole herbaceous ecosystem of Ecuador offering an efficient and accurate methodology without the need for intensive in situ sampling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carmen Omaira Márquez
- Faculty of Engineering, National University of Chimborazo, Riobamba, 060150 Ecuador
- Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Los Andes, Mérida, 5101 Venezuela
| | - Víctor Julio García
- Faculty of Engineering, National University of Chimborazo, Riobamba, 060150 Ecuador
- Faculty of Science, University of Los Andes, Mérida, 5101 Venezuela
| | - Carlos Arturo Jara Santillán
- Image Processing Laboratory (IPL), University of Valencia, 46980 Paterna, Valencia Spain
- Faculty of Natural Resources, Higher Superior Polytechnic School of Chimborazo, Riobamba, 060155 Ecuador
| | - Jorge Marcelo Sisti
- Faculty of Engineering, National University of La Plata, B1900TAG La Plata, Argentina
| | - Nieves Pasqualotto
- Image Processing Laboratory (IPL), University of Valencia, 46980 Paterna, Valencia Spain
| | - Shari Van Wittenberghe
- Image Processing Laboratory (IPL), University of Valencia, 46980 Paterna, Valencia Spain
| | - Jesús Delegido
- Image Processing Laboratory (IPL), University of Valencia, 46980 Paterna, Valencia Spain
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24
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Seabloom EW, Borer ET, Hobbie SE, MacDougall AS. Soil nutrients increase long-term soil carbon gains threefold on retired farmland. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:4909-4920. [PMID: 34311496 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Abandoned agricultural lands often accumulate soil carbon (C) following depletion of soil C by cultivation. The potential for this recovery to provide significant C storage benefits depends on the rate of soil C accumulation, which, in turn, may depend on nutrient supply rates. We tracked soil C for almost four decades following intensive agricultural soil disturbance along an experimentally imposed gradient in nitrogen (N) added annually in combination with other macro- and micro-nutrients. Soil %C accumulated over the course of the study in unfertilized control plots leading to a gain of 6.1 Mg C ha-1 in the top 20 cm of soil. Nutrient addition increased soil %C accumulation leading to a gain of 17.8 Mg C ha-1 in fertilized plots, nearly a threefold increase over the control plots. These results demonstrate that substantial increases in soil C in successional grasslands following agricultural abandonment occur over decadal timescales, and that C gain is increased by high supply rates of soil nutrients. In addition, soil %C continued to increase for decades under elevated nutrient supply, suggesting that short-term nutrient addition experiments underestimate the effects of soil nutrients on soil C accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric W Seabloom
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Elizabeth T Borer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Sarah E Hobbie
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
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25
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Stoner SW, Hoyt AM, Trumbore S, Sierra CA, Schrumpf M, Doetterl S, Baisden WT, Schipper LA. Soil organic matter turnover rates increase to match increased inputs in grazed grasslands. BIOGEOCHEMISTRY 2021; 156:145-160. [PMID: 34720281 PMCID: PMC8550221 DOI: 10.1007/s10533-021-00838-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Managed grasslands have the potential to store carbon (C) and partially mitigate climate change. However, it remains difficult to predict potential C storage under a given soil or management practice. To study C storage dynamics due to long-term (1952-2009) phosphorus (P) fertilizer and irrigation treatments in New Zealand grasslands, we measured radiocarbon (14C) in archived soil along with observed changes in C stocks to constrain a compartmental soil model. Productivity increases from P application and irrigation in these trials resulted in very similar C accumulation rates between 1959 and 2009. The ∆14C changes over the same time period were similar in plots that were both irrigated and fertilized, and only differed in a non-irrigated fertilized plot. Model results indicated that decomposition rates of fast cycling C (0.1 to 0.2 year-1) increased to nearly offset increases in inputs. With increasing P fertilization, decomposition rates also increased in the slow pool (0.005 to 0.008 year-1). Our findings show sustained, significant (i.e. greater than 4 per mille) increases in C stocks regardless of treatment or inputs. As the majority of fresh inputs remain in the soil for less than 10 years, these long term increases reflect dynamics of the slow pool. Additionally, frequent irrigation was associated with reduced stocks and increased decomposition of fresh plant material. Rates of C gain and decay highlight trade-offs between productivity, nutrient availability, and soil C sequestration as a climate change mitigation strategy. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10533-021-00838-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane W. Stoner
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alison M. Hoyt
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA USA
| | | | | | | | - Sebastian Doetterl
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - W. Troy Baisden
- Environmental Research Institute, University of Waikato, Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand
- Te Pūnaha Matatini Centre of Research Excellence, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Louis A. Schipper
- Environmental Research Institute, University of Waikato, Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand
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26
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Pellegrini AFA, Caprio AC, Georgiou K, Finnegan C, Hobbie SE, Hatten JA, Jackson RB. Low-intensity frequent fires in coniferous forests transform soil organic matter in ways that may offset ecosystem carbon losses. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:3810-3823. [PMID: 33884700 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The impact of shifting disturbance regimes on soil carbon (C) storage is a key uncertainty in global change research. Wildfires in coniferous forests are becoming more frequent in many regions, potentially causing large C emissions. Repeated low-intensity prescribed fires can mitigate wildfire severity, but repeated combustion may decrease soil C unless compensatory responses stabilize soil organic matter. Here, we tested how 30 years of decadal prescribed burning affected C and nitrogen (N) in plants, detritus, and soils in coniferous forests in the Sierra Nevada mountains, USA. Tree basal area and litter stocks were resilient to fire, but fire reduced forest floor C by 77% (-36.4 Mg C/ha). In mineral soils, fire reduced C that was free from minerals by 41% (-4.4 Mg C/ha) but not C associated with minerals, and only in depths ≤ 5 cm. Fire also transformed the properties of remaining mineral soil organic matter by increasing the proportion of C in a pyrogenic form (from 3.2% to 7.5%) and associated with minerals (from 46% to 58%), suggesting the remaining soil C is more resistant to decomposition. Laboratory assays illustrated that fire reduced microbial CO2 respiration rates by 55% and the activity of eight extracellular enzymes that degrade cellulosic and aromatic compounds by 40-66%. Lower decomposition was correlated with lower inorganic N (-49%), especially ammonium, suggesting N availability is coupled with decomposition. The relative increase in forms of soil organic matter that are resistant to decay or stabilized onto mineral surfaces, and the associated decline in decomposition suggest that low-intensity fires may promote mineral soil C storage in pools with long mean residence times in coniferous forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam F A Pellegrini
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anthony C Caprio
- United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, CA, USA
| | - Katerina Georgiou
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - Colin Finnegan
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sarah E Hobbie
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Jeffery A Hatten
- Department of Forest Engineering, Resources & Management, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Robert B Jackson
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Precourt Institute for Energy, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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27
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Novel technologies for emission reduction complement conservation agriculture to achieve negative emissions from row-crop production. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2022666118. [PMID: 34155124 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022666118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. Because agriculture's productivity is based on this process, a combination of technologies to reduce emissions and enhance soil carbon storage can allow this sector to achieve net negative emissions while maintaining high productivity. Unfortunately, current row-crop agricultural practice generates about 5% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and European Union. To reduce these emissions, significant effort has been focused on changing farm management practices to maximize soil carbon. In contrast, the potential to reduce emissions has largely been neglected. Through a combination of innovations in digital agriculture, crop and microbial genetics, and electrification, we estimate that a 71% (1,744 kg CO2e/ha) reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from row crop agriculture is possible within the next 15 y. Importantly, emission reduction can lower the barrier to broad adoption by proceeding through multiple stages with meaningful improvements that gradually facilitate the transition to net negative practices. Emerging voluntary and regulatory ecosystems services markets will incentivize progress along this transition pathway and guide public and private investments toward technology development. In the difficult quest for net negative emissions, all tools, including emission reduction and soil carbon storage, must be developed to allow agriculture to maintain its critical societal function of provisioning society while, at the same time, generating environmental benefits.
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Abstract
Soil ecosystem services (ES) (e.g., provisioning, regulation/maintenance, and cultural) and ecosystem disservices (ED) are dependent on soil diversity/pedodiversity (variability of soils), which needs to be accounted for in the economic analysis and business decision-making. The concept of pedodiversity (biotic + abiotic) is highly complex and can be broadly interpreted because it is formed from the interaction of atmospheric diversity (abiotic + biotic), biodiversity (biotic), hydrodiversity (abiotic + biotic), and lithodiversity (abiotic) within ecosphere and anthroposphere. Pedodiversity is influenced by intrinsic (within the soil) and extrinsic (outside soil) factors, which are also relevant to ES/ED. Pedodiversity concepts and measures may need to be adapted to the ES framework and business applications. Currently, there are four main approaches to analyze pedodiversity: taxonomic (diversity of soil classes), genetic (diversity of genetic horizons), parametric (diversity of soil properties), and functional (soil behavior under different uses). The objective of this article is to illustrate the application of pedodiversity concepts and measures to value ES/ED with examples based on the contiguous United States (U.S.), its administrative units, and the systems of soil classification (e.g., U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Soil Taxonomy, Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database). This study is based on a combination of original research and literature review examples. Taxonomic pedodiversity in the contiguous U.S. exhibits high soil diversity, with 11 soil orders, 65 suborders, 317 great groups, 2026 subgroups, and 19,602 series. The ranking of “soil order abundance” (area of each soil order within the U.S.) expressed as the proportion of the total area is: (1) Mollisols (27%), (2) Alfisols (17%), (3) Entisols (14%), (4) Inceptisols and Aridisols (11% each), (5) Spodosols (3%), (6) Vertisols (2%), and (7) Histosols and Andisols (1% each). Taxonomic, genetic, parametric, and functional pedodiversity are an essential context for analyzing, interpreting, and reporting ES/ED within the ES framework. Although each approach can be used separately, three of these approaches (genetic, parametric, and functional) fall within the “umbrella” of taxonomic pedodiversity, which separates soils based on properties important to potential use. Extrinsic factors play a major role in pedodiversity and should be accounted for in ES/ED valuation based on various databases (e.g., National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) databases). Pedodiversity is crucial in identifying soil capacity (pedocapacity) and “hotspots” of ES/ED as part of business decision making to provide more sustainable use of soil resources. Pedodiversity is not a static construct but is highly dynamic, and various human activities (e.g., agriculture, urbanization) can lead to soil degradation and even soil extinction.
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29
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Science to Commerce: A Commercial-Scale Protocol for Carbon Trading Applied to a 28-Year Record of Forest Carbon Monitoring at the Harvard Forest. LAND 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/land10020163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Forest carbon sequestration offset protocols have been employed for more than 20 years with limited success in slowing deforestation and increasing forest carbon trading volume. Direct measurement of forest carbon flux improves quantification for trading but has not been applied to forest carbon research projects with more than 600 site installations worldwide. In this study, we apply carbon accounting methods, scaling hours to decades to 28-years of scientific CO2 eddy covariance data for the Harvard Forest (US-Ha1), located in central Massachusetts, USA and establishing commercial carbon trading protocols and applications for similar sites. We illustrate and explain transactions of high-frequency direct measurement for CO2 net ecosystem exchange (NEE, gC m−2 year−1) that track and monetize ecosystem carbon dynamics in contrast to approaches that rely on forest mensuration and growth models. NEE, based on eddy covariance methodology, quantifies loss of CO2 by ecosystem respiration accounted for as an unavoidable debit to net carbon sequestration. Retrospective analysis of the US-Ha1 NEE times series including carbon pricing, interval analysis, and ton-year exit accounting and revenue scenarios inform entrepreneur, investor, and landowner forest carbon commercialization strategies. CO2 efflux accounts for ~45% of the US-Ha1 NEE, an error of ~466% if excluded; however, the decades-old coupled human and natural system remains a financially viable net carbon sink. We introduce isoflux NEE for t13C16O2 and t12C18O16O to directly partition and quantify daytime ecosystem respiration and photosynthesis, creating new soil carbon commerce applications and derivative products in contrast to undifferentiated bulk soil carbon pool approaches. Eddy covariance NEE methods harmonize and standardize carbon commerce across diverse forest applications including, a New England, USA regional eddy covariance network, the Paris Agreement, and related climate mitigation platforms.
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30
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Xu L, Deng X, Ying J, Zhou G, Shi Y. Silicate fertilizer application reduces soil greenhouse gas emissions in a Moso bamboo forest. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 747:141380. [PMID: 32795802 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Silicate fertilizer application in croplands is effective in mitigating soil methane (CH4) emissions and increasing rice yield. However, the effects of silicate fertilizer on soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Moso bamboo forests, and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In the present study, a two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of silicate fertilizer rates (0 (CK), 0.225 and 1.125 Mg ha-1) on soil GHG emissions in a Moso bamboo forest. The results showed that silicate fertilizer application significantly reduced soil CO2 and N2O emissions, and increased soil CH4 uptakes. Compared to the CK treatments, the cumulative soil CO2 emission fluxes decreased by 29.6% and 32.5%, and the cumulative soil N2O emission fluxes decrease by 41.9% and 48.3%, the CH4 uptake fluxes increased by 13.5% and 32.4% in the 0.225 and 1.125 Mg ha-1 treatments, respectively. The soil GHG emissions were significantly positively related to soil temperature (P < 0.05), but negatively related to soil moisture; however, this relationship was not observed between CH4 uptake fluxes and moisture in CK treatment. Soil CO2 emission and CH4 uptake were significantly positively related with water-soluble organic C (WSOC) and microbial biomass C (MBC) concentrations in all treatments (P < 0.05). Soil N2O emissions were significantly positively related to MBC, NH4+-N, NO3--N, and microbial biomass N (MBN) concentrations in all treatments (P < 0.05), but not with WSOC concentration. Structural equation modeling showed that application of silicate fertilizer directly reduced soil GHG emission by decreasing the labile C and N pools, and indirectly by influencing the soil physicochemical properties. Our findings suggest that silicate fertilizer can be an effective tool in combatting climate change by reducing soil GHG emissions in Moso bamboo forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Bamboo Resources and High-efficiency Utilization, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Carbon Cycling in Forest Ecosystems and Carbon Sequestration of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China; School of Environmental and Resources Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China
| | - Xu Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Bamboo Resources and High-efficiency Utilization, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Carbon Cycling in Forest Ecosystems and Carbon Sequestration of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China; School of Environmental and Resources Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiayang Ying
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Bamboo Resources and High-efficiency Utilization, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Carbon Cycling in Forest Ecosystems and Carbon Sequestration of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China; School of Environmental and Resources Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China
| | - Guomo Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Bamboo Resources and High-efficiency Utilization, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Carbon Cycling in Forest Ecosystems and Carbon Sequestration of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China; School of Environmental and Resources Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China
| | - Yongjun Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Bamboo Resources and High-efficiency Utilization, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Carbon Cycling in Forest Ecosystems and Carbon Sequestration of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China; School of Environmental and Resources Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300 Zhejiang, China.
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31
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Zhong Y, Igalavithana AD, Zhang M, Li X, Rinklebe J, Hou D, Tack FMG, Alessi DS, Tsang DCW, Ok YS. Effects of aging and weathering on immobilization of trace metals/metalloids in soils amended with biochar. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2020; 22:1790-1808. [PMID: 32789328 DOI: 10.1039/d0em00057d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Biochar is an effective amendment for trace metal/metalloid (TMs) immobilization in soils. The capacity of biochar to immobilize TMs in soil can be positively or negatively altered due to the changes in the surface and structural chemistry of biochar after soil application. Biochar surfaces are oxidized in soils and induce structural changes through physical and biochemical weathering processes. These changes in the biochar surface and structural chemistry generally increase its ability to immobilize TMs, although the generation of dissolved black carbon during weathering may increase TM mobility. Moreover, biochar modification can improve its capacity to immobilize TMs in soils. Over the short-term, engineered/modified biochar exhibited increased TM immobilization capacity compared with unmodified biochar. In the long-term, no large distinctions in such capacities were seen between modified and unmodified biochars due to weathering. In addition, artificial weathering at laboratories also revealed increased TM immobilization in soils. Continued collection of mechanistic evidence will help evaluate the effect of natural and artificial weathering, and biochar modification on the long-term TM immobilization capacity of biochar with respect to feedstock and synthesis conditions in contaminated soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchi Zhong
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, Zhejiang, China
| | - Avanthi Deshani Igalavithana
- Korea Biochar Research Center & Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Ming Zhang
- Korea Biochar Research Center & Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea. and Department of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang University, No. 258 Xueyuan Street, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, P. R. China
| | - Xiaodian Li
- Korea Biochar Research Center & Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea. and Department of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang University, No. 258 Xueyuan Street, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, P. R. China
| | - Jörg Rinklebe
- School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Wuppertal, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285, Wuppertal, Germany and Department of Environment, Energy and Geoinformatics, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Korea
| | - Deyi Hou
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Filip M G Tack
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Daniel S Alessi
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Daniel C W Tsang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yong Sik Ok
- Korea Biochar Research Center & Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea. and Department of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang University, No. 258 Xueyuan Street, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, P. R. China
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Ledo A, Smith P, Zerihun A, Whitaker J, Vicente-Vicente JL, Qin Z, McNamara NP, Zinn YL, Llorente M, Liebig M, Kuhnert M, Dondini M, Don A, Diaz-Pines E, Datta A, Bakka H, Aguilera E, Hillier J. Changes in soil organic carbon under perennial crops. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:4158-4168. [PMID: 32412147 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This study evaluates the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) under perennial crops across the globe. It quantifies the effect of change from annual to perennial crops and the subsequent temporal changes in SOC stocks during the perennial crop cycle. It also presents an empirical model to estimate changes in the SOC content under crops as a function of time, land use, and site characteristics. We used a harmonized global dataset containing paired-comparison empirical values of SOC and different types of perennial crops (perennial grasses, palms, and woody plants) with different end uses: bioenergy, food, other bio-products, and short rotation coppice. Salient outcomes include: a 20-year period encompassing a change from annual to perennial crops led to an average 20% increase in SOC at 0-30 cm (6.0 ± 4.6 Mg/ha gain) and a total 10% increase over the 0-100 cm soil profile (5.7 ± 10.9 Mg/ha). A change from natural pasture to perennial crop decreased SOC stocks by 1% over 0-30 cm (-2.5 ± 4.2 Mg/ha) and 10% over 0-100 cm (-13.6 ± 8.9 Mg/ha). The effect of a land use change from forest to perennial crops did not show significant impacts, probably due to the limited number of plots; but the data indicated that while a 2% increase in SOC was observed at 0-30 cm (16.81 ± 55.1 Mg/ha), a decrease in 24% was observed at 30-100 cm (-40.1 ± 16.8 Mg/ha). Perennial crops generally accumulate SOC through time, especially woody crops; and temperature was the main driver explaining differences in SOC dynamics, followed by crop age, soil bulk density, clay content, and depth. We present empirical evidence showing that the FAO perennialization strategy is reasonable, underscoring the role of perennial crops as a useful component of climate change mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Ledo
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Pete Smith
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Ayalsew Zerihun
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Jeanette Whitaker
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, UK
| | - José Luis Vicente-Vicente
- Landscape Research Synthesis, Working Group Land Use Decisions in the Spatial and System Context, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Zhangcai Qin
- School of Atmospheric Sciences and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Climate Change and Natural Disaster Studies, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong, China
| | - Niall P McNamara
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, UK
| | - Yuri L Zinn
- Department of Soil Science, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Brazil
| | - Mireia Llorente
- Department of Forestry, University of Extremadura, Plasencia, Spain
| | - Mark Liebig
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, Mandan, ND, USA
| | - Matthias Kuhnert
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Marta Dondini
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Axel Don
- Thünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Eugenio Diaz-Pines
- Institute of Soil Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ashim Datta
- Division of Soil and Crop Management, ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Haakon Bakka
- Department of Mathematics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Jon Hillier
- Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, Midlothian, UK
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Mendoza B, Béjar J, Luna D, Osorio M, Jimenez M, Melendez JR. Differences in the ratio of soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) at various altitudes of Hyperalic Alisol in the Amazon region of Ecuador. F1000Res 2020; 9:443. [PMID: 32551098 PMCID: PMC7281642 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.22922.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Protecting soil fertility represents a fundamental effort of sustainable development. In this study we investigate how different altitudes affect soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and soil organic carbon (SOC), and their ratio, MBC/SOC in Hyperalic Alisol. MBC and SOC are well established and widely accepted microbial quotients in soil science. Our work hypothesis was that a decrease in MBC and SOC should be observed at higher altitudes. This initial assumption has been verified by our measurements, being attributed to the increase in MBC and SOC at low altitudes. Our approach should contribute to the better understanding of MBC and SOC distribution in soil and changes in MBC/SOC at various altitudes in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jaime Béjar
- Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Riobamba, Ecuador
| | - Daniel Luna
- Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, Riobamba, Ecuador
| | - Miguel Osorio
- Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Riobamba, Ecuador
| | - Mauro Jimenez
- Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, Riobamba, Ecuador
| | - Jesus R Melendez
- Facultad Educación Técnica para el Desarrollo, Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Ecuador.,Dama Research Center limited, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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Marino BDV, Truong V, Munger JW, Gyimah R. Direct measurement forest carbon protocol: a commercial system-of-systems to incentivize forest restoration and management. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8891. [PMID: 32368417 PMCID: PMC7192159 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Forest carbon sequestration offsets are methodologically uncertain, comprise a minor component of carbon markets and do not effectively slow deforestation. The objective of this study is to describe a commercial scale in situ measurement approach for determination of net forest carbon sequestration projects, the Direct Measurement Forest Carbon Protocol™, to address forest carbon market uncertainties. In contrast to protocols that rely on limited forest mensuration, growth simulation and exclusion of CO2 data, the Direct Measurement Forest Carbon Protocol™ is based on standardized methods for direct determination of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO2 employing eddy covariance, a meteorological approach integrating forest carbon fluxes. NEE is used here as the basis for quantifying the first of its kind carbon financial products. The DMFCP differentiates physical, project and financial carbon within a System-of-Systems™ (SoS) network architecture. SoS sensor nodes, the Global Monitoring Platform™ (GMP), housing analyzers for CO2 isotopologues (e.g., 12CO2, 13CO2, 14CO2) and greenhouse gases are deployed across the project landscape. The SoS standardizes and automates GMP measurement, uncertainty and reporting functions creating diverse forest carbon portfolios while reducing cost and investment risk in alignment with modern portfolio theory. To illustrate SoS field deployment and operation, published annual NEE data for a tropical (Ankasa Park, Ghana, Africa) and a deciduous forest (Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA, USA) are used to forecast carbon revenue. Carbon pricing scenarios are combined with historical in situ NEE annual time-series to extrapolate pre-tax revenue for each project applied to 100,000 acres (40,469 hectares) of surrounding land. Based on carbon pricing of $5 to $36 per ton CO2 equivalent (tCO2eq) and observed NEE sequestration rates of 0.48 to 15.60 tCO2eq acre-1 yr-1, pre-tax cash flows ranging from $230,000 to $16,380,000 across project time-series are calculated, up to 5× revenue for contemporary voluntary offsets, demonstrating new economic incentives to reverse deforestation. The SoS concept of operation and architecture, with engineering development, can be extended to diverse gas species across terrestrial, aquatic and oceanic ecosystems, harmonizing voluntary and compliance market products worldwide to assist in the management of global warming. The Direct Measurement Forest Carbon Protocol reduces risk of invalidation intrinsic to estimation-based protocols such as the Climate Action Reserve and the Clean Development Mechanism that do not observe molecular CO2 to calibrate financial products. Multinational policy applications such as the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, constrained by Kyoto Protocol era processes, will benefit from NEE measurement avoiding unsupported claims of emission reduction, fraud, and forest conservation policy failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno D V Marino
- Executive Management, Planetary Emissions Management Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Vinh Truong
- Planetary Emissions Management Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - J William Munger
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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Sykes AJ, Macleod M, Eory V, Rees RM, Payen F, Myrgiotis V, Williams M, Sohi S, Hillier J, Moran D, Manning DAC, Goglio P, Seghetta M, Williams A, Harris J, Dondini M, Walton J, House J, Smith P. Characterising the biophysical, economic and social impacts of soil carbon sequestration as a greenhouse gas removal technology. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:1085-1108. [PMID: 31532049 PMCID: PMC7079085 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
To limit warming to well below 2°C, most scenario projections rely on greenhouse gas removal technologies (GGRTs); one such GGRT uses soil carbon sequestration (SCS) in agricultural land. In addition to their role in mitigating climate change, SCS practices play a role in delivering agroecosystem resilience, climate change adaptability and food security. Environmental heterogeneity and differences in agricultural practices challenge the practical implementation of SCS, and our analysis addresses the associated knowledge gap. Previous assessments have focused on global potentials, but there is a need among policymakers to operationalise SCS. Here, we assess a range of practices already proposed to deliver SCS, and distil these into a subset of specific measures. We provide a multidisciplinary summary of the barriers and potential incentives towards practical implementation of these measures. First, we identify specific practices with potential for both a positive impact on SCS at farm level and an uptake rate compatible with global impact. These focus on: (a) optimising crop primary productivity (e.g. nutrient optimisation, pH management, irrigation); (b) reducing soil disturbance and managing soil physical properties (e.g. improved rotations, minimum till); (c) minimising deliberate removal of C or lateral transport via erosion processes (e.g. support measures, bare fallow reduction); (d) addition of C produced outside the system (e.g. organic manure amendments, biochar addition); (e) provision of additional C inputs within the cropping system (e.g. agroforestry, cover cropping). We then consider economic and non-cost barriers and incentives for land managers implementing these measures, along with the potential externalised impacts of implementation. This offers a framework and reference point for holistic assessment of the impacts of SCS. Finally, we summarise and discuss the ability of extant scientific approaches to quantify the technical potential and externalities of SCS measures, and the barriers and incentives to their implementation in global agricultural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Vera Eory
- Scotland's Rural College (SRUC)EdinburghUK
| | | | - Florian Payen
- Scotland's Rural College (SRUC)EdinburghUK
- School of GeosciencesThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | | | | | - Saran Sohi
- School of GeosciencesThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Jon Hillier
- Global Academy of Agriculture and Food SecurityThe University of EdinburghMidlothianUK
| | - Dominic Moran
- Global Academy of Agriculture and Food SecurityThe University of EdinburghMidlothianUK
| | - David A. C. Manning
- School of Natural and Environmental SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle‐upon TyneUK
| | - Pietro Goglio
- School of Water, Energy and EnvironmentCranfield UniversityBedfordUK
| | - Michele Seghetta
- School of Water, Energy and EnvironmentCranfield UniversityBedfordUK
| | - Adrian Williams
- School of Water, Energy and EnvironmentCranfield UniversityBedfordUK
| | - Jim Harris
- School of Water, Energy and EnvironmentCranfield UniversityBedfordUK
| | - Marta Dondini
- Institute of Biological & Environmental SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | - Jack Walton
- Institute of Biological & Environmental SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | | | - Pete Smith
- Institute of Biological & Environmental SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
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36
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Hu Z, Chen X, Yao J, Zhu C, Zhu J, Liu M. Plant-mediated effects of elevated CO 2 and rice cultivars on soil carbon dynamics in a paddy soil. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 225:2368-2379. [PMID: 31667850 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration under elevated CO2 concentration (eCO2 ) is a function of carbon (C) input and C retention. Nitrogen (N) limitation in natural ecosystems can constrain plant responses to eCO2 and their subsequent effects on SOC, but the effect of eCO2 on SOC in N-enriched agroecosystems with cultivars highly responsive to eCO2 is largely unknown. We reported results of SOC dynamics from a field free-air CO2 enrichment experiment with two rice cultivars having distinct photosynthetic capacities under eCO2 . A reciprocal incubation experiment was further conducted to disentangle the effect of changes in litter quality and soil microbial community on litter-derived C dynamics. eCO2 significantly increased total SOC content, dissolved organic C and particulate organic C under the strongly responsive cultivar, likely due to enhanced organic C inputs originated from CO2 stimulation of shoot and root biomass. Increases in the residue C : N ratio and fungal abundance induced by eCO2 under the strongly responsive cultivar reduced C losses from decomposition, possibly through increasing microbial C use efficiency. Our findings suggest that applications of high-yielding cultivars may substantially enhance soil C sequestration in rice paddies under future CO2 scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengkun Hu
- Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Xiaoyun Chen
- Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Junneng Yao
- Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Chunwu Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Jianguo Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Manqiang Liu
- Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing, 210014, China
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Qubaja R, Grünzweig JM, Rotenberg E, Yakir D. Evidence for large carbon sink and long residence time in semiarid forests based on 15 year flux and inventory records. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:1626-1637. [PMID: 31736166 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The rate of change in atmospheric CO2 is significantly affected by the terrestrial carbon sink, but the size and spatial distribution of this sink, and the extent to which it can be enhanced to mitigate climate change are highly uncertain. We combined carbon stock (CS) and eddy covariance (EC) flux measurements that were collected over a period of 15 years (2001-2016) in a 55 year old 30 km2 pine forest growing at the semiarid timberline (with no irrigating or fertilization). The objective was to constrain estimates of the carbon (C) storage potential in forest plantations in such semiarid lands, which cover ~18% of the global land area. The forest accumulated 145-160 g C m-2 year-1 over the study period based on the EC and CS approaches, with a mean value of 152.5 ± 30.1 g C m-2 year-1 indicating 20% uncertainty in carbon uptake estimates. Current total stocks are estimated at 7,943 ± 323 g C/m2 and 372 g N/m2 . Carbon accumulated mostly in the soil (~71% and 29% for soil and standing biomass carbon, respectively) with long soil carbon turnover time (59 years). Regardless of unexpected disturbances beyond those already observed at the study site, the results support a considerable carbon sink potential in semiarid soils and forest plantations, and imply that afforestation of even 10% of semiarid land area under conditions similar to that of the study site, could sequester ~0.4 Pg C/year over several decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafat Qubaja
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - José M Grünzweig
- Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eyal Rotenberg
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Dan Yakir
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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38
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Elcossy SAE, Abbas MHH, Farid IM, Beheiry GGS, Abou Yuossef MF, Abbas HH, Abdelhafez AA, Mohamed I. Dynamics of soil organic carbon in Typic Torripsamment soils irrigated with raw effluent sewage water. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:8188-8198. [PMID: 31900766 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-07526-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The current research aimed at collecting detailed information about the consequences of cropping history on the accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC) within different soil depths, i.e., 0-10, 10-20, 20-30 and 30-60 cm. The study site is located at El Gabal El Asfar area (Egypt) whose soils were irrigated with raw sewage effluent as a sole source of irrigation for different periods extended up to 80 years. SOC increased progressively with increasing cropping time, and on the other hand, decreased noticeably with increasing soil depth. The increases significantly correlated with both of the silt and clay contents in soils which increased with time. Soil bulk density and the hydraulic conductivity significantly and negatively correlated with SOC, respectively. Fractions of SOC, i.e., water soluble C, hot water C and soil biomass C in the surface soil layer (0-10 cm), increased progressively with increasing time of land use. Such pools significantly correlated with SOC on one hand and with each other on the other hand. Active (labile) organic carbon fraction increased with time. This fraction also significantly correlated with the different C pools. In conclusion, the hypothesis that SOC is physically protected against soil microbes within the soil requires more investigations to clarify such results obtained herein because this study highlighted the presence of a dynamic equilibrium among the different fractions or pools of the SOC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mohamed H H Abbas
- Soils and Water Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
| | - Ihab M Farid
- Soils and Water Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
| | | | | | - Hassan H Abbas
- Soils and Water Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
| | - Ahmed A Abdelhafez
- Soils and Water Department, Faculty of Agriculture, New Valley University, Kharga Oasis, The New Valley, Egypt.
- Eco-environmental Protection Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Science (SAAS), Shanghai, China.
| | - Ibrahim Mohamed
- Soils and Water Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Benha, Egypt.
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39
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Gaffney J, Bing J, Byrne PF, Cassman KG, Ciampitti I, Delmer D, Habben J, Lafitte HR, Lidstrom UE, Porter DO, Sawyer JE, Schussler J, Setter T, Sharp RE, Vyn TJ, Warner D. Science-based intensive agriculture: Sustainability, food security, and the role of technology. GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY-AGRICULTURE POLICY ECONOMICS AND ENVIRONMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gfs.2019.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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40
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Baldocchi D, Penuelas J. Natural carbon solutions are not large or fast enough. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:e5. [PMID: 30983106 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Baldocchi
- Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
| | - Josep Penuelas
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
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41
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Anderson CM, DeFries RS, Litterman R, Matson PA, Nepstad DC, Pacala S, Schlesinger WH, Shaw MR, Smith P, Weber C, Field CB. Natural climate solutions are not enough. Science 2019; 363:933-934. [PMID: 30819953 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw2741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ruth S DeFries
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Pamela A Matson
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Stephen Pacala
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | | | - Pete Smith
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | | | - Christopher B Field
- Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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42
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Reconciling Negative Soil CO2 Fluxes: Insights from a Large-Scale Experimental Hillslope. SOIL SYSTEMS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/soilsystems3010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Soil fluxes of CO2 (Fs) have long been considered unidirectional, reflecting the predominant roles of metabolic activity by microbes and roots in ecosystem carbon cycling. Nonetheless, there is a growing body of evidence that non-biological processes in soils can outcompete biological ones, pivoting soils from a net source to sink of CO2, as evident mainly in hot and cold deserts with alkaline soils. Widespread reporting of unidirectional fluxes may lead to misrepresentation of Fs in process-based models and lead to errors in estimates of local to global carbon balances. In this study, we investigate the variability and environmental controls of Fs in a large-scale, vegetation-free, and highly instrumented hillslope located within the Biosphere 2 facility, where the main carbon sink is driven by carbonate weathering. We found that the hillslope soils were persistent sinks of CO2 comparable to natural desert shrublands, with an average rate of −0.15 ± 0.06 µmol CO2 m2 s−1 and annual sink of −56.8 ± 22.7 g C m−2 y−1. Furthermore, higher uptake rates (more negative Fs) were observed at night, coinciding with strong soil–air temperature gradients and [CO2] inversions in the soil profile, consistent with carbonate weathering. Our results confirm previous studies that reported negative values of Fs in hot and cold deserts around the globe and suggest that negative Fs are more common than previously assumed. This is particularly important as negative Fs may occur widely in arid and semiarid ecosystems, which play a dominant role in the interannual variability of the terrestrial carbon cycle. This study contributes to the growing recognition of the prevalence of negative Fs as an important yet, often overlooked component of ecosystem C cycling.
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