SoilPub Date : 2024-12-18DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-2024-3883
Elsa Coucheney, Anke Marianne Herrmann, Nicholas Jarvis
{"title":"A simple model of the turnover of organic carbon in a soil profile: model test, parameter identification and sensitivity","authors":"Elsa Coucheney, Anke Marianne Herrmann, Nicholas Jarvis","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-2024-3883","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3883","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Abstract.</strong> Simulation models are potentially useful tools to test our understanding of the processes involved in the turnover of soil organic carbon (SOC) and to evaluate the role of management practices in maintaining stocks of SOC. We describe here a simple model of SOC turnover at the soil profile scale that accounts for two key processes determining SOC persistence (i.e. microbial energy limitation and physical protection due to soil aggregation). We tested the model and evaluated the identifiability of key parameters using topsoil SOC contents measured in three treatments with contrasting organic matter inputs (i.e. fallow, mineral fertilized and cropped, with and without straw addition) in a long-term field trial. The estimated total input of organic matter (OM) in the treatment with straw added was roughly three times that of the treatment without straw addition, but only 12 % of the additional OM input remained in the soil after 54 years. By taking microbial energy limitation and enhanced physical protection of root residues into account, the model could explain the differences in C persistence among the three treatments, whilst also accurately matching the time-courses of SOC contents using the same set of model parameters. Models that do not explicitly consider microbial energy limitation and physical protection would need to adjust their parameter values (either decomposition rate constants or the retention coefficient) to match this data. We also performed a sensitivity analysis to identify the most influential parameters in the model determining soil profile stocks of OM at steady-state. Input distributions for soil and crop parameters in the model were defined for the agricultural production area of PO4 (east-central Sweden), which includes Uppsala. The resulting model predictions compared well with aggregated soil survey data for the PO4 region. This analysis showed that model parameters affecting SOC decomposition rates, including the rate constant for microbial-processed SOC and the parameters regulating physical protection and microbial energy limitation, are more sensitive than parameters determining OM inputs. Thus, the development of pedotransfer approaches to estimate SOC decomposition rates from soil properties would help to support predictive applications of the model at larger spatial scales.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142841525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SoilPub Date : 2024-12-16DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-2024-3602
Waqar Ali, Amani Milinga, Tao Luo, Mohammad Nauman Khan, Asad Shah, Khurram Shehzad, Qiu Yang, Huai Yang, Wenxing Long, Wenjie Liu
{"title":"Rubber plant root properties induce contrasting soil aggregate stability through cohesive force and reduced land degradation risk in southern China","authors":"Waqar Ali, Amani Milinga, Tao Luo, Mohammad Nauman Khan, Asad Shah, Khurram Shehzad, Qiu Yang, Huai Yang, Wenxing Long, Wenjie Liu","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-2024-3602","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3602","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Abstract.</strong> In southern China, Hainan Island faces land degradation risks due to poor soil physical properties, such as a high proportion of microaggregates (< 0.25 mm), low soil organic matter (SOM) content, and frequent uneven rainfall. The cohesive force between soil particles, which is influenced by plant root properties and root-derived SOM, is essential for improving soil aggregate stability and mitigating land degradation. However, the mechanisms by which rubber root properties and root-derived SOM affect soil aggregate stability through cohesive forces in tropical regions remain unclear. This study compared rubber plants of varying ages to assess the effects of root properties and root-derived SOM on soil aggregate stability and cohesive forces. Older rubber plants (> 11-years-old) showed greater root diameters (RD) (0.81–0.91 mm), higher root length (RL) densities (1.83–2.70 cm/cm<sup>3</sup>), and increased proportions of fine (0.2–0.5 mm) and medium (0.5–1 mm) roots, leading to higher SOM due to lower lignin and higher cellulose contents. Older plants exhibited higher soil cohesion, with significant correlations among root characteristics, SOM, and cohesive force, whereas the random forest (RF) model identified aggregates (> 0.25 mm), root properties, SOM, and cohesive force as the key factors influencing mean weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD). Furthermore, partial least squares-path models (PLS-PM) showed that the RL density (RLD) directly influenced SOM (path coefficient 0.70) and root-free cohesive force (RFCF) (path coefficient 0.30), which in turn affected the MWD, with additional direct RLD effects on the SOM (path coefficient 0.45) and MWD (path coefficient 0.64) in the surface soil. Cohesive force in rubber plants of different ages increased macroaggregates (> 0.25 mm) and decreased microaggregates (< 0.25 mm), with topsoil average MWD following the order: CK (0.98 mm) < 5Y_RF (1.26 mm) < MF (1.31 mm) < 11Y_RF (1.36 mm) < 27Y_RF (1.48 mm) < 20Y_RF (1.51 mm). Rubber plant root properties enhance soil aggregate stability and reduce the land degradation risk in tropical regions.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"46 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142825553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SoilPub Date : 2024-12-09DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-2024-3546
Julie Gillespie, Matiu Payne, Dione Payne, Sarah Edwards, Dyanna Jolly, Carol Smith, Jo-Anne Cavanagh
{"title":"Research at the interface between Indigenous knowledge and soil science; weaving knowledges to understand horticultural land use in Aotearoa New Zealand","authors":"Julie Gillespie, Matiu Payne, Dione Payne, Sarah Edwards, Dyanna Jolly, Carol Smith, Jo-Anne Cavanagh","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-2024-3546","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3546","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Abstract.</strong> Addressing the complex challenges of soil and food security at international and local scales requires moving beyond the boundaries of individual disciplines and knowledge systems. The value of transdisciplinary research approaches is increasingly recognised, including those that value and incorporate Indigenous knowledge systems and holders. Using a case study at Pōhatu, Aotearoa New Zealand, this paper demonstrates the value of a transdisciplinary approach to explore past Māori food landscapes and contribute to contemporary Māori soil health and food sovereignty aspirations. Engaging at the interface between soil science and Indigenous knowledge (<em>mātauraka Māori</em>) in an Aotearoa New Zealand context, we provide an example and guide for weaving knowledges in a transdisciplinary context. Here, <em>mātauraka</em> <em>Māori</em>, including <em>waiata</em> (songs) and <em>ingoa wāhi</em> (place names), provided the map of where to look and why, and soil analysis yielded insight into past cultivation, soil modification and fertilisation practices. Both knowledges were needed to interpret the findings and support Māori to re-establish traditional horticultural practices. Furthermore, the paper extends the current literature on the numerous conceptual frameworks developed to support and guide transdisciplinary research by providing an example of how to do this type of research in an on-the-ground application.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"92 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142793902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SoilPub Date : 2024-12-09DOI: 10.5194/soil-10-887-2024
Nalumino L. Namwanyi, Maurice J. Hutton, Ikabongo Mukumbuta, Lydia M. Chabala, Clarence Chongo, Stalin Sichinga, R. Murray Lark
{"title":"Trapnell's Upper Valley soils of Zambia: the production of an integrated understanding of geomorphology, pedology, ecology, and land use","authors":"Nalumino L. Namwanyi, Maurice J. Hutton, Ikabongo Mukumbuta, Lydia M. Chabala, Clarence Chongo, Stalin Sichinga, R. Murray Lark","doi":"10.5194/soil-10-887-2024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-887-2024","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. The Ecological Survey of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), undertaken in the 1930s under the leadership of Colin G. Trapnell, was a seminal exercise to relate soil, vegetation, and agricultural practices through intensive field observation. In this article, we examine early activities of the survey in the Upper Valley region around the Kafue Flats and the neighbouring plateau, where Trapnell recognized how geomorphological processes of normal erosion gave rise to distinctive soils with associated vegetation communities and considerable potential for crop production. We consider how Trapnell's approach to fieldwork gave him a particular insight into how soil conditions constrained agriculture in the Zambian environment; the adaptive value of traditional practices; and how these were developed as communities moved and responded to social, economic, and environmental change. We argue that Trapnell's work was innovative and that distinctions must be drawn between his understanding and what has been called the ecological theory of development. Close attention to Trapnell's experience could inform modern efforts to understand indigenous knowledge of African soils and their agricultural potential.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142793906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SoilPub Date : 2024-12-06DOI: 10.5194/soil-10-873-2024
Peter M. Kopittke, Ram C. Dalal, Brigid A. McKenna, Pete Smith, Peng Wang, Zhe Weng, Frederik J. T. van der Bom, Neal W. Menzies
{"title":"Soil is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions and climate change","authors":"Peter M. Kopittke, Ram C. Dalal, Brigid A. McKenna, Pete Smith, Peng Wang, Zhe Weng, Frederik J. T. van der Bom, Neal W. Menzies","doi":"10.5194/soil-10-873-2024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-873-2024","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. It is unequivocal that human activities have increased emissions of greenhouse gases, that this is causing warming, and that these changes will be irreversible for centuries to millennia. Whilst previous studies have broadly examined the contribution of agriculture or land use change to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, the contribution of soil itself remains unclear, with quantifying the contribution of soil in this regard being critical for developing and implementing appropriate management practices. In the present study, we used previously published datasets for carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane to determine soil-based emissions of greenhouse gases and their contribution to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. We show that our near-complete reliance on soil to produce the rapidly increasing quantities of food being demanded by humans has caused soil to release profound amounts of greenhouse gases that are threatening the future climate. Indeed, net anthropogenic emissions from soil alone account for 15 % of the entire global increase in climate warming (radiative forcing) caused by well-mixed greenhouse gases, with carbon dioxide being the most important gas emitted from soil (74 % of total soil-derived warming), followed by nitrous oxide (17 %) and methane (9 %). There is an urgent need to prevent further land use change (including for biofuel production) to limit the release of carbon dioxide that results from the loss of soil organic carbon, to develop strategies to increase nitrogen fertilizer efficiency in order to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, to decrease methane from rice paddies, and to ensure that the widespread thawing of permafrost is avoided. Innovative approaches are urgently required for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from soil if we are to limit global warming to 1.5 or 2.0 °C.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142782728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SoilPub Date : 2024-12-04DOI: 10.5194/soil-10-843-2024
Alberto Carrera, Luca Peruzzo, Matteo Longo, Giorgio Cassiani, Francesco Morari
{"title":"Uncovering soil compaction: performance of electrical and electromagnetic geophysical methods","authors":"Alberto Carrera, Luca Peruzzo, Matteo Longo, Giorgio Cassiani, Francesco Morari","doi":"10.5194/soil-10-843-2024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-843-2024","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Monitoring soil structure is of paramount importance due to its key role in the critical zone as the foundation of terrestrial life. Variations in the arrangement of soil components significantly influence its hydro-mechanical properties and therefore its impact on the surrounding ecosystem. In this context, soil compaction resulting from inappropriate agricultural practices not only affects soil ecological functions, but also decreases the water-use efficiency of plants by reducing porosity and increasing water loss through superficial runoff and enhanced evaporation. In this study, we compared the ability of electric and electromagnetic geophysical methods, i.e., electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and frequency-domain electromagnetic (FDEM) method, to assess the effects caused by both heavy plastic soil deformations generated by a super-heavy vehicle and the more common tractor tramlines on silty-loam soils. We then tested correlations between geophysical response and soil variables (i.e., penetration resistance, bulk density, and volumetric water content on collected samples) at different homogeneous areas defined by k-means clustering. This work is intended to be a contribution to clarify expectations about the use of geophysical techniques to rapidly investigate soil compaction at various spatial scales, dissecting their suitability and limitations. It also aims to contribute to the methodological optimization of agrogeophysical acquisitions and data processing in order to obtain accurate soil models through a non-invasive approach. Electrical prospecting has finer spatial resolution and allows a tomographic approach, requiring higher logistic demands and the need for ground galvanic contact. On the other hand, contactless electromagnetic induction methods can be quickly used to define the distribution of electrical conductivity in the shallow subsoil in an easier way. In general, compacted soil portions are imaged as high-electrical-conductivity anomalies relative to the context. Results, validated with traditional soil characterization, show the pros and cons of both techniques and how differences in their spatial resolution heavily influence the ability to characterize compacted areas with good confidence.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142763329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SoilPub Date : 2024-12-04DOI: 10.5194/soil-10-859-2024
Ruizhe Wang, Xia Hu
{"title":"Freeze–thaw processes correspond to the protection–loss of soil organic carbon through regulating pore structure of aggregates in alpine ecosystems","authors":"Ruizhe Wang, Xia Hu","doi":"10.5194/soil-10-859-2024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-859-2024","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Seasonal freeze–thaw processes alter soil formation and lead to changes in soil structure of alpine ecosystems. Soil aggregates are basic soil structural units and play a crucial role in soil organic carbon (SOC) protection and microbial habitation. However, the impact of seasonal freeze–thaw processes on pore structure and their impact on SOC fractions have been overlooked. This study characterized the pore structure and SOC fractions of soil aggregates of the unstable freezing period, stable frozen period, unstable thawing period and stable thawed period in typical alpine ecosystems via a dry-sieving procedure, X-ray computed tomography scanning and elemental analysis. The results showed that pore networks of 0.25–2 mm aggregates were more vulnerable to seasonal freeze–thaw processes than those of >2 mm aggregates. The freezing process promoted the formation of >80 µm pores of aggregates. The total organic carbon, particulate organic carbon and mineral-associated organic carbon contents of aggregates were high in the stable frozen period and dropped dramatically in the unstable thawing period, demonstrating that the freezing process was positively associated with SOC accumulation, while SOC loss featured in the early stage of thawing. The vertical distribution of SOC of aggregates was more uniform in the stable frozen period than in other periods. Pore equivalent diameter was the most important structural characteristic influencing SOC contents of aggregates. In the freezing period, the SOC accumulation might be enhanced by the formation of >80 µm pores. In the thawing period, pores of <15 µm were positively correlated with SOC concentration. Our results revealed that changes in pore structure induced by freeze–thaw processes could contribute to SOC protection of aggregates.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142763263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SoilPub Date : 2024-12-03DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-2024-3585
Margot Vanheukelom, Nina Haenen, Talal Almahayni, Lieve Sweeck, Nancy Weyns, May Van Hees, Erik Smolders
{"title":"The clay mineralogy rather that the clay content determines radiocaesium adsorption in soils","authors":"Margot Vanheukelom, Nina Haenen, Talal Almahayni, Lieve Sweeck, Nancy Weyns, May Van Hees, Erik Smolders","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-2024-3585","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3585","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Abstract.</strong> The transfer of radiocaesium (<sup>137</sup>Cs) from soil to crops is the main long-term radiation risk after nuclear accidents. The prevailing concept is that <sup>137</sup>Cs sorption in soil, and hence its bioavailability, is controlled by soil clay content (0–2 µm). This study tested this assumption using 24 soils collected worldwide. The Radiocaesium Interception Potential (RIP), i.e., <sup>137</sup>Cs adsorption, was measured for the bulk soils and for their clay and silt fractions. The RIP varied by factor 438 among soils and was <em>unrelated</em> to its clay content (<em>p</em> >0.05). The RIP in the clay fractions was lowest for young volcanic soils with allophane and mica, and for highly weathered tropical soils with kaolinite. In contrast, about two order of magnitude higher RIP values were found in intermediate-weathered temperate soils dominated by illite. Soil RIP was, hence, related to soil illite content (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.50; <em>p</em> <0.001). Significant fraction of soil RIP originated from clay minerals embedded in the silt fraction. The sum of RIP in clay and silt fractions overestimated the soil RIP by, on average, factor of 2, indicating that isolation of clay opens selective <sup>137</sup>Cs sorption sites inaccessible in intact soils. Soil mineralogy, not just clay content, governs soil RIP. The validity of existing <sup>137</sup>Cs bioavailability models require recalibration for its use on a global scale.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142760580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SoilPub Date : 2024-11-28DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-2024-3644
Sajjad Raza, Hannah V. Cooper, Nicholas T. Girkin, Matthew S. Kent, Malcolm J. Bennett, Sacha J. Mooney, Tino Colombi
{"title":"Missing the input: The underrepresentation of plant physiology in global soil carbon research","authors":"Sajjad Raza, Hannah V. Cooper, Nicholas T. Girkin, Matthew S. Kent, Malcolm J. Bennett, Sacha J. Mooney, Tino Colombi","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-2024-3644","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3644","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Abstract.</strong> Plant processes regulating the quantity and quality of soil organic carbon inputs such as photosynthesis, above- and belowground plant growth, and root exudation are integral to our understanding of soil carbon dynamics. However, based on a bibliometric analysis including almost 50 000 scientific papers, we found that plant physiology has been severely underrepresented in global soil organic carbon research. Less than 10 % of peer-reviewed soil organic carbon research published in the last century addressed plant physiological processes relevant to soil carbon inputs. Similarly, plant physiology was overlooked by the overwhelming majority (>90 %) of peer-reviewed literature investigating linkages between soil organic carbon, climate change, and land use and management. These findings highlight that our understanding of soil carbon dynamics and hence the carbon sequestration potential of terrestrial ecosystems is largely built on research that neglects the fundamental processes underlying organic carbon inputs. We advocate that the active engagement of plant scientists in soil carbon research is imperative to shed light on this blind spot. Long-term interdisciplinary research will be essential to develop a comprehensive perspective on soil carbon dynamics and to inform effective policies that support soil carbon sequestration.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142753610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SoilPub Date : 2024-11-27DOI: 10.5194/soil-10-827-2024
Kristiina Lång, Henri Honkanen, Jaakko Heikkinen, Sanna Saarnio, Tuula Larmola, Hanna Kekkonen
{"title":"Impact of crop type on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a rewetted cultivated peatland","authors":"Kristiina Lång, Henri Honkanen, Jaakko Heikkinen, Sanna Saarnio, Tuula Larmola, Hanna Kekkonen","doi":"10.5194/soil-10-827-2024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-827-2024","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Raising the water table is an effective way to abate greenhouse gas emissions from cultivated peat soils. We experimented a gradual water table rise at a highly degraded agricultural peat soil site with plots of willow, forage and mixed vegetation (set-aside) in southern Finland. We measured the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) for 4 years. The mean annual groundwater table depth was about 54, 40, 40 and 30 cm in 2019–2022, respectively. The results indicated that a 10 cm rise in the water table depth was able to slow down annual CO2 emissions from soil respiration by 0.87 Mg CO2-C ha−1. CH4 fluxes changed from uptake to emissions with a rise in the water table depth, and the maximum mean annual emission rate was 11 kg CH4-C ha−1. Nitrous oxide emissions ranged from 2 to 33 kg N2O-N ha−1 yr−1; they were high in bare soil at the beginning of the experiment but decreased towards the end of the experiment. Short rotation cropping of willow reached net sequestration of carbon before harvest, but all treatments and years showed a net loss of carbon based on the net ecosystem carbon balance. Overall, the short rotation coppice of willow had the most favourable carbon and greenhouse gas balance over the years (10 Mg CO2 eq. on average over 4 years). The total greenhouse gas balance of the forage and set-aside treatments did not go under 27 Mg CO2 eq. ha−1 yr−1, highlighting the challenge in curbing peat decomposition in highly degraded cultivated peatlands.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142718412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}