Soil organic carbon as an indicator of environmental quality at the national scale: Inventory monitoring methods and policy relevance

2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (Special Issue) ◽  
pp. 531-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen M. Ogle ◽  
Keith Paustian
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Agricultural Management ◽  
Model Verification ◽  
Monitoring Methods ◽  
National Inventory ◽  
Index Value

Soil organic carbon (SOC) storage is an indicator of environmental quality for mineral soils because of the influence that organic matter has on key functional properties, such as fertility, soil structure and water relations. Historically, agricultural management has caused large losses of SOC relative to native ecosystems, leading to degradation. However, new technologies and conservation practices have been developed during the past few decades that can enhance SOC storage, and thus improve environmental quality. Our objective was to describe a national inventory procedure to estimate SOC storage for purposes of monitoring environmental quality. The major steps in this procedure include: (1) model selection/development, (2) model verification, (3) identification of model input data, (4) uncertainty assessment, (5) model implementation, and (6) validation of results. Applying this approach with a simple C accounting method, the upper 30 cm of US agricultural soils were estimated to have accumulated 10.8 Tg C yr-1 between 1982 and 1997, with an uncertainty of ± 40%. A simple index was developed to relate estimated SOC stocks to the potential amounts under native conditions and conventional agricultural management. An index value of 0% on the proposed scale would be equivalent to the SOC under conventional a gricultural use, while an index value of 100% would be equivalent to native levels. With an estimated 1997 stock of 22 400 Tg C, the index value for US agricultural soils was about 60%. Using this inventory procedure, environmental issues related to soil, water and air quality could be informed by SOC in combination with other key indicators, in addition to using the inventory for evaluating sustainability of agricultural lands for food and fiber production. Key words: Natural resource inventory, environmental quality indicators, soil organic carbon, land use and management, national inventory, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Develop

Influence of agricultural management on soil organic carbon: A compendium and assessment of Canadian studies

2003 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 363-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. VandenBygaart ◽  
E. G. Gregorich ◽  
D. A. Angers
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Management ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Native Land ◽  
Soc Stocks ◽  
Long Term Studies

To fulfill commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, Canada is required to provide verifiable estimates and uncertainties for soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, and for changes in those stocks over time. Estimates and uncertainties for agricultural soils can be derived from long-term studies that have measured differences in SOC between different management practices. We compiled published data from long-term studies in Canada to assess the effect of agricultural management on SOC. A total of 62 studies were compiled, in which the difference in SOC was determined for conversion from native land to cropland, and for different tillage, crop rotation and fertilizer management practices. There was a loss of 24 ± 6% of the SOC after native land was converted to agricultural land. No-till (NT) increased the storage of SOC in western Canada by 2.9 ± 1.3 Mg ha-1; however, in eastern Canada conversion to NT did not increase SOC. In general, the potential to store SOC when NT was adopted decreased with increasing background levels of SOC. Using no-tillage, reducing summer fallow, including hay in rotation with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), plowing green manures into the soil, and applying N and organic fertilizers were the practices that tended to show the most consistent in creases in SOC storage. By relating treatment SOC levels to those in the control treatments, SOC stock change factors and their levels of uncertainty were derived for use in empirical models, such as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Guidelines model for C stock changes. However, we must be careful when attempting to extrapolate research plot data to farmers’ fields since the history of soil and crop management has a significant influence on existing and future SOC stocks. Key words: C sequestration, tillage, crop rotations, fertilizer, cropping intensity, Canada

scholarly journals Soil organic carbon in northern Spain (Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and País Vasco)

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elías Luis Calvo ◽  
Francisco Casás Sabarís ◽  
Juan Manuel Galiñanes Costa ◽  
Natividad Matilla Mosquera ◽  
Felipe Macías Vázquez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Forest Soils ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Calcareous Soils ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Moisture Regime ◽  
Organic Carbon Content ◽  
Northern Spain ◽  
Pais Vasco

The soil organic carbon content was analyzed in more than 7 000 soil samples under different land uses, climates and lithologies from northern Spain (Galicia, Asturias, Cantábria y País Vasco). GIS maps (1:50 000) were made of the % SOC and SOC stocks. The % SOC varies according to land use (higher in forest and scrub soils and lower in agricultural soils) and climate, and there is a highly significant correlation between SOC content and mean annual precipitation. There are significant differences between the soils of Galicia/Western Asturias (GA<sub>w</sub>) and those of the rest of the study area (Central and Eastern Asturias, Cantabria and País Vasco) (A<sub>ce</sub>CV), although these are neighbouring regions. In forest and/or scrub soils with a <em>udic</em> soil moisture regime, in GA<sub>w</sub>, the SOC is usually &gt; 7% and the average stocks 260 t ha<sup> -1</sup> (0-30 cm), and &gt;340 t ha<sup>-1</sup> (0-50 cm) in soils with thick organic matter rich horizons (&gt; 40 cm); these values greatly exceed the average contents observed in forest soils from temperate zones. Under similar conditions of vegetation and climate in soils of A<sub>ce</sub>CV the SOC average is 3% and the mean stocks 90-100 t ha<sup>-1</sup> (0-30 cm). The <em>andic</em> character of acid forest soils in GA<sub>w</sub> and the formation of C-Al,Fe complexes are pointed out as the SOC stabilization mechanism, in contrast to the neutral and calcareous soils that predominate in A<sub>ce</sub>CV, where the main species of OC are easily biodegradable.

scholarly journals Organic matter mineralisation in contrasting agricultural soils amended with sewage sludge .

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Navarro Pedreño ◽  
Ignacio Gómez Lucas ◽  
Jose Martín Soriano Disla
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Single Dose ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Multiple Sensor ◽  
Sludge Application

The mineralisation of organic matter (OM) when sewage sludge was used as amendment in 70 contrasting agricultural soils from Spain was analysed. Soils received a single dose of sewage sludge (equivalent to 50t dry weight ha<sup>-1</sup>) and the O<sub>2</sub> consumption was continuously monitored for 30 days using a multiple sensor respirometer in a laboratory experiment. The cumulative O<sub>2</sub> consumption and rates after 8 and 30 days of incubation (O<sub>2 cum</sub> 8d, 30d and O<sub>2 rate</sub> 8d, 30d), the respiratory quotient (RQ), the maximum O<sub>2</sub> rates over the incubation period (O<sub>2 max</sub>) and time from the beginning of the incubation when O<sub>2 max</sub> occurred (T<sub>max</sub>), were determined in both amended and non-amended soils. Sewage sludge application resulted in increased values for O<sub>2 max</sub>, O<sub>2 rate</sub> 8d, and O<sub>2 cum</sub> 30d. Differences were minor for T<sub>max</sub>, RQ 8d and O<sub>2 rate</sub> 30d. A considerable amount of the initial OM applied was mineralised during the first 8 days. Organic matter decomposition (as expressed by O<sub>2 cum</sub> 30d) was favoured in soils with high values of pH, carbonates, soil organic carbon and low values of amorphous Mn. Soils with these characteristics may potentially lose soil C after sewage sludge application.

scholarly journals Soil organic carbon stocks are systematically overestimated by misuse of the parameters bulk density and stone content

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Poeplau ◽  
Cora Vos ◽  
Axel Don
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon Stocks ◽  
Soc Stock ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Soc Stocks

Abstract. Estimation of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks requires estimates of the carbon content, bulk density, stone content and depth of a respective soil layer. However, different application of these parameters could introduce a considerable bias. Here, we explain why three out of four frequently applied methods overestimate SOC stocks. In stone rich soils (> 30 Vol. %), SOC stocks could be overestimated by more than 100 %, as revealed by using German Agricultural Soil Inventory data. Due to relatively low stone content, the mean systematic overestimation for German agricultural soils was 2.1–10.1 % for three different commonly used equations. The equation ensemble as re-formulated here might help to unify SOC stock determination and avoid overestimation in future studies.

Predicting Agricultural Management Influence on Long-Term Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics: Implications for Biofuel Production

2011 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 234-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. T. Gollany ◽  
R. W. Rickman ◽  
Y. Liang ◽  
S. L. Albrecht ◽  
S. Machado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Carbon Dynamics ◽  
Agricultural Management ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics
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