Carbon sequestration in urban landscapes: the example of a turfgrass system in New Zealand

Soil Research ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keun Young Huh ◽  
Markus Deurer ◽  
Siva Sivakumaran ◽  
Keith McAuliffe ◽  
Nanthi S. Bolan

Soil carbon sequestration was analysed in the topsoil (0–0.25 m) of putting greens of different ages (5, 9, 20, 30, 40 years) in a golf course in Palmerston North, New Zealand. The soil texture was the same for all putting greens and the intensive management guaranteed that the carbon (C) inputs to the soil were very similar for all ages. Significant and linear soil C sequestration rates occurred for 40 years. The soil C sequestration rate in 0–0.25 m depth was 69 ± 8 g/m2.year over a 40-year period totalling 28 t/ha over 40 years. The relative microbial activity (dehydrogenase activity/total soil C content) representing the bioavailability of soil C decreased by about 50% over 40 years. The C sequestration and decrease of bioavailability of soil C was much more pronounced in 0.1–0.25 m depth than in the top 0.1 m. In the top 0.1 m, very little C sequestration occurred, most probably due to the intensive soil management in this depth. We concluded that the C sequestration was mainly caused by the increasing humification of C in the undisturbed part of the soil (0.1–0.25 m depth) as was indicated by a significant decrease in the relative microbial activity. Turfgrass systems such as putting greens are well suited to sequester C in urban areas.

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan L. Wright ◽  
Frank M. Hons ◽  
Robert G. Lemon ◽  
Mark L. McFarland ◽  
Robert L. Nichols

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Beare ◽  
Erin Lawrence-Smith ◽  
Denis Curtin ◽  
Sam McNally ◽  
Frank Kelliher ◽  
...  

<p><span>The global atmospheric concentration of CO<sub>2</sub> and other greenhouse gases (GHG) is steadily increasing. It is estimated that, worldwide, soil C sequestration could offset GHG emissions by 400–1200 Mt C per year. Relative to 1990, New Zealand’s CH<sub>4</sub> and N<sub>2</sub>O emissions in 2013 had increased by 7% and 23% respectively, which translates to an annual emission increase of 1.09 Mt C that could be offset by a similar annual increase in soil C stock. Recent research has shown that some New Zealand pastoral soils are under-saturated in SOC. Subsurface soils (15–30 cm depth) typically have a greater soil C saturation deficit than topsoil (0-30 cm) because plant C inputs (roots) are lower. Using management practices that expose more of the under-saturated soil to higher C inputs could result in increased soil C storage and stabilisation.</span></p><p><span>Pasture renewal (destruction and re-establishment of pasture) is promoted to livestock farmers to improve pasture performance. This typically involves shallow cultivation or direct drilling to establish new grass. Whereas shallow cultivation of soil typically results in a loss of SOC, deeper full inversion tillage (FIT) of soil would result in the burial of C-rich topsoil in closer proximity to mineral material that has a higher stabilisation capacity.  Buried SOC is expected to have a slower decomposition rate owing to less variable temperatures and more anoxic conditions. Deep FIT would also bring under-saturated mineral soil to the surface, where the deposition of SOC from high producing pastures could increase the stabilisation of SOC.  Both the slower turnover of buried SOM and greater stabilisation of new carbon on under-saturated minerals at the soil surface are expected to result in increased SOC sequestration. </span></p><p><span>There is a lack of experimental data to directly address the effect of FIT on soil C stocks in pastoral soils. We applied a simple empirical model to predicting changes in soil C stocks following a one-off application of FIT (30 cm) during pasture renewal. The model accounts for the decomposition of SOC in buried topsoil and the accumulation of C in the new topsoil (inverted subsoil). The model was used to derive national estimates of soil C sequestration under different scenarios of C accumulation efficiency, farmer adoption of FIT and pasture renewal rates.</span></p><p>Our modelled estimates suggest that 32 Mt C could be sequestered over 20 years following a one-time application of FIT (0-30 cm) to 2 M ha of High Producing Grasslands on suitable New Zealand soils. This estimate is based on 100% accumulation efficiency (i.e. topsoil C stocks are returned to pre-inversion levels within 20 years) and a 10% annual rate of pasture renewal. In the absence of direct experimental evidence, a more conservative estimate is warranted, where topsoil C stocks are projected to return to 80% of pre-inversion levels, thus sequestering 20 Mt C. This paper will present our modelled estimates of SOC sequestration during FIT pasture renewal and discuss the potential benefits and adverse effects of deploying this management practice.</p>


Author(s):  
Meng Na ◽  
Xiaoyang Sun ◽  
Yandong Zhang ◽  
Zhihu Sun ◽  
Johannes Rousk

AbstractSoil carbon (C) reservoirs held in forests play a significant role in the global C cycle. However, harvesting natural forests tend to lead to soil C loss, which can be countered by the establishment of plantations after clear cutting. Therefore, there is a need to determine how forest management can affect soil C sequestration. The management of stand density could provide an effective tool to control soil C sequestration, yet how stand density influences soil C remains an open question. To address this question, we investigated soil C storage in 8-year pure hybrid larch (Larix spp.) plantations with three densities (2000 trees ha−1, 3300 trees ha−1 and 4400 trees ha−1), established following the harvesting of secondary mixed natural forest. We found that soil C storage increased with higher tree density, which mainly correlated with increases of dissolved organic C as well as litter and root C input. In addition, soil respiration decreased with higher tree density during the most productive periods of warm and moist conditions. The reduced SOM decomposition suggested by lowered respiration was also corroborated with reduced levels of plant litter decomposition. The stimulated inputs and reduced exports of C from the forest floor resulted in a 40% higher soil C stock in high- compared to low-density forests within 8 years after plantation, providing effective advice for forest management to promote soil C sequestration in ecosystems.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Vetter ◽  
Michael Martin ◽  
Pete Smith

<p>Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in to the atmosphere to limit global warming is the big challenge of the coming decades. The focus lies on negative emission technologies to remove GHGs from the atmosphere from different sectors. Agriculture produces around a quarter of all the anthropogenic GHGs globally (including land use change and afforestation). Reducing these net emissions can be achieved through techniques that increase the soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. These techniques include improved management practices in agriculture and grassland systems, which increase the organic carbon (C) input or reduce soil disturbances. The C sequestration potential differs among soils depending on climate, soil properties and management, with the highest potential for poor soils (SOC stock farthest from saturation).</p><p>Modelling can be used to estimate the technical potential to sequester C of agricultural land under different mitigation practices for the next decades under different climate scenarios. The ECOSSE model was developed to simulate soil C dynamics and GHG emissions in mineral and organic soils. A spatial version of the model (GlobalECOSSE) was adapted to simulate agricultural soils around the world to calculate the SOC change under changing management and climate.</p><p>Practices like different tillage management, crop rotations and residue incorporation showed regional differences and the importance of adapting mitigation practices under an increased changing climate. A fast adoption of practices that increase SOC has its own challenges, as the potential to sequester C is high until the soil reached a new C equilibrium. Therefore, the potential to use soil C sequestration to reduce overall GHG emissions is limited. The results showed a high potential to sequester C until 2050 but much lower rates in the second half of the century, highlighting the importance of using soil C sequestration in the coming decades to reach net zero by 2050.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jussi Heinonsalo ◽  
Anna-Reetta Salonen ◽  
Rashmi Shrestha ◽  
Subin Kalu ◽  
Outi-Maaria Sietiö ◽  
...  

<p>Soil C sequestration through improved agricultural management practices has been suggested to be a cost-efficient tool to mitigate climate change as increased soil C storage removes CO<sub>2</sub> from the atmosphere. In addition, improved soil organic carbon (SOC) content has positive impacts on farming though better soil structure and resilience against climate extremes through e.g. better water holding capacity. In some parts of the world, low SOC content is highly critical problem for overall cultivability of soils because under certain threshold levels of SOC, soil loses its ability to maintain essential ecosystem services for plant production. Soil organic amendments may increase soil C stocks, improve soil structure and boost soil microbial activities with potential benefits in plant growth and soil C sequestration. Additional organic substrates may stimulate microbial diversity that has been connected to higher SOC content and healthy soils.</p><p>We performed a two-year field experiment where the aim was to investigate whether different organic soil amendments have an impact on soil microbial parameters, soil structure and C sequestration.</p><p>The experiment was performed in Parainen in southern Finland on a clay field where oat (Avena sativa) was the cultivated crop. Four different organic soil amendments were used (two wood-based fiber products that were leftover side streams of pulp and paper industry; and two different wood-based biochars). Soil amendments were applied in 2016. Soil C/N analysis was performed in the autumns 2016-2018 and soil aggregate in the summer and autumn 2018, as well as measures to estimate soil microbial activity: microbial biomass, soil respiration, enzymatic assays, microbial community analysis with Biolog ®  EcoPlates and litter bag decomposition experiment. The relative share of bacteria and fungi was determined using qPCR from soil samples taken in the autumns 2016, 2017 and 2018.</p><p>Data on how the studied organic soil amendments influence soil structure and C content, as well as soil microbial parameters will be presented and discussed.</p>


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