Changes in carbon storage of broadcast burn plantations over 20 years

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
J M Kranabetter ◽  
A M Macadam
Keyword(s):  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Biomass Accumulation ◽  
Prescribed Burn ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Mineral Soils ◽  
Forest Floors

The extent of carbon (C) storage in forests and the change in C stocks after harvesting are important considerations in the management of greenhouse gases. We measured changes in C storage over time (from postharvest, postburn, year 5, year 10 and year 20) in logging slash, forest floors, mineral soils and planted lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) trees from six prescribed-burn plantations in north central British Columbia. After harvest, site C in these pools averaged 139 Mg ha-1, with approximately equal contributions from mineral soils (0–30 cm), forest floors and logging slash. Together these detrital pools declined by 71 Mg C ha-1, or 51% (28% directly from the broadcast burn, and a further 23% postburn), in the subsequent 20 yr. Postburn decay in logging slash was inferred by reductions in wood density (from 0.40 to 0.34 g cm-3), equal to an average k rate of 0.011 yr-1. Losses in forest floor C, amounting to more than 60% of the initial mass, were immediate and continued to year 5, with no reaccumulation evident by year 20. Mineral soil C concentrations initially fluctuated before declining by 25% through years 10 and 20. Overall, the reductions in C storage were offset by biomass accumulation of lodgepole pine, and we estimate these plantations had become a net sink for C before year 20, although total C storage was still less than postharvest levels. Key words: C sequestration, forest floors; coarse woody debris; soil organic matter

scholarly journals Reforestation can sequester two petagrams of carbon in US topsoils in a century

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (11) ◽  
pp. 2776-2781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas E. Nave ◽  
Grant M. Domke ◽  
Kathryn L. Hofmeister ◽  
Umakant Mishra ◽  
Charles H. Perry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Level ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
The Us ◽  
Land Use And Management

Soils are Earth’s largest terrestrial carbon (C) pool, and their responsiveness to land use and management make them appealing targets for strategies to enhance C sequestration. Numerous studies have identified practices that increase soil C, but their inferences are often based on limited data extrapolated over large areas. Here, we combine 15,000 observations from two national-level databases with remote sensing information to address the impacts of reforestation on the sequestration of C in topsoils (uppermost mineral soil horizons). We quantify C stocks in cultivated, reforesting, and natural forest topsoils; rates of C accumulation in reforesting topsoils; and their contribution to the US forest C sink. Our results indicate that reforestation increases topsoil C storage, and that reforesting lands, currently occupying >500,000 km2 in the United States, will sequester a cumulative 1.3–2.1 Pg C within a century (13–21 Tg C·y−1). Annually, these C gains constitute 10% of the US forest sector C sink and offset 1% of all US greenhouse gas emissions.

scholarly journals Continuous and discontinuous variation in ecosystem carbon stocks with elevation across a treeline ecotone

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1615-1627 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. M. Speed ◽  
V. Martinsen ◽  
A. J. Hester ◽  
Ø. Holand ◽  
J. Mulder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Treeline Ecotone ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
C Stock ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Forest Line

Abstract. Treelines differentiate vastly contrasting ecosystems: open tundra from closed forest. Treeline advance has implications for the climate system due to the impact of the transition from tundra to forest ecosystem on carbon (C) storage and albedo. Treeline advance has been seen to increase above-ground C stocks as low vegetation is replaced with trees but decrease organic soil C stocks as old carbon is decomposed. However, studies comparing across the treeline typically do not account for elevational variation within the ecotone. Here we sample ecosystem C stocks along an elevational gradient (970 to 1300 m), incorporating a large-scale and long-term livestock grazing experiment, in the southern Norwegian mountains. We investigate whether there are continuous or discontinuous changes in C storage across the treeline ecotone, and whether these are modulated by grazing. We find that vegetation C stock decreases with elevation, with a clear breakpoint between the forest line and treeline above which the vegetation C stock is constant. C stocks in organic surface horizons of the soil were higher above the treeline than in the forest, whereas C stocks in mineral soil horizons are unrelated to elevation. Total ecosystem C stocks also showed a discontinuous elevational pattern, increasing with elevation above the treeline (8 g m−2 per metre increase in elevation), but decreasing with elevation below the forest line (−15 g m−2 per metre increase in elevation), such that ecosystem C storage reaches a minimum between the forest line and treeline. We did not find any effect of short-term (12 years) grazing on the elevational patterns. Our findings demonstrate that patterns of C storage across the treeline are complex, and should be taken account of when estimating ecosystem C storage with shifting treelines.

Evaluation of forest management effects on the mineral soil carbon pool of a lowland, mixed-species forest in Maine, USA

2016 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua J. Puhlick ◽  
Ivan J. Fernandez ◽  
Aaron R. Weiskittel
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Significant Treatment ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
C Stock ◽  
Post Hoc

Concerns about climate change have increased interest in ways to maximize carbon (C) storage in forests through the use of alternative forest management strategies. However, the influence of these strategies on soil C pools is unclear. The primary objective of this study was to test for differences in mineral soil C stocks among various silvicultural and harvesting treatments that were initiated in the 1950s and have been maintained since on the Penobscot Experimental Forest in central Maine, USA. Five mineral soil cores below the surface organic horizon to a depth of 1 m were collected from each replicate (n = 2) of selection, shelterwood, and commercial clearcut treatments. For these treatments, the mean mineral soil C stock was 47.7 ± 16.4 Mg ha−1 (mean ± SD). We found no significant differences in average mineral soil C stocks among treatments. However, a post hoc power analysis indicated that the probability of detecting a significant treatment effect was only 6%. We determined that 98 stands per treatment would be required to be 80% certain that the F test would detect a difference in average mineral soil C stocks whenever any pair of treatments had C stocks differing by more than 5 Mg ha−1.

scholarly journals Continuous and discontinuous variation in ecosystem carbon stocks with elevation across a treeline ecotone

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 15435-15461
Author(s):  
J. D. M. Speed ◽  
V. Martinsen ◽  
A. J. Hester ◽  
Ø. Holand ◽  
J. Mulder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Treeline Ecotone ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
C Stock ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Forest Line

Abstract. Treelines differentiate vastly contrasting ecosystems: open tundra from closed forest. Treeline advance has implications for the climate system due to the impact of the transition from tundra to forest ecosystem on carbon (C) storage and albedo. Treeline advance has been seen to increase above-ground C stocks as low vegetation is replaced with trees, but decrease organic soil C stocks as old carbon is decomposed. However, studies comparing across the treeline typically do not account for elevational variation within the ecotone. Here we sample ecosystem C stocks along an elevational gradient (970 to 1300 m), incorporating a large-scale and long-term livestock grazing experiment, in the Southern Norwegian mountains. We investigate whether there are continuous or discontinuous changes in C storage across the treeline ecotone, and whether these are modulated by grazing. We find that vegetation C stock decreases with elevation, with a clear breakpoint between the forest line and treeline above which the vegetation C stock is constant. In contrast, C stocks in organic surface horizons of the soil increase linearly with elevation within the study's elevational range, whereas C stocks in mineral soil horizons are unrelated to elevation. Total ecosystem C stocks also showed a discontinuous elevational pattern, increasing with elevation above the treeline (8 g m−2 m−1 increase in elevation), but decreasing with elevation below the forest line (−15 g m−2 m−1 increase in elevation), such that ecosystem C storage reaches a minimum between the forest line and treeline. We did not find any effect of short-term (12 years) grazing on the elevational patterns. Our findings demonstrate that patterns of C storage across the treeline are complex, and should be taken account of when estimating ecosystem C storage with shifting treelines.

scholarly journals Mineralisation, leaching and stabilisation of <sup>13</sup>C-labelled leaf and twig litter in a beech forest soil

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1043-1076
Author(s):  
A. Kammer ◽  
F. Hagedorn
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Beech Forest ◽  
Organic C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Mineral Soils ◽  
One Year

Abstract. Very few field studies have quantified the different pathways of C loss from decomposing litter even though this is essential to better understand long-term dynamics of C stocks in soils. Using 13C-labelled leaf (isotope ratio (δ13C) = −40.8‰) and twig litter (δ13C = −38.4‰), we tracked down the litter-derived C in the soil respiration, in the dissolved organic C (DOC) and in the soil organic matter of a beech forest in the Swiss Jura. After one year of decomposition, mass loss in the litter layer was almost twice as great for leaves as it was for twigs (75% vs. 40%). This difference was not the result of a slow mineralisation of the woody litter, but primarily of the only slight incorporation of twig-derived C into mineral soils. The C mineralisation rates of the twig litter were only slightly lower than those of the leaf litter (10–35%), in particular after the loss of the readily available litter fraction. However, the leaching of DOC from twigs amounted only to half of that from leaves. Tracing the litter-derived DOC showed that DOC from both litter types was mostly retained (88–96%) and stabilised in the top centimetres of the mineral soil. In the soil organic C at 0–2 cm depth, we recovered 8% of the initial leaf C, but only 4% of the twig C. Moreover, the 13C mass balance suggested that a substantial fraction of the leaf material (~30%) was transported via soil fauna to soil depths below 2 cm, while the twig litter mainly decomposed in situ on the soil surface, probably due to its rigid structure and low nutritional value. In summary, our study shows that decaying twigs are rapidly mineralised, but seem to be clearly less important for the C storage in this beech forest soils than leaf litter.

Comparison of coniferous forest carbon stocks between old-growth and young second-growth forests on two soil types in central British Columbia, Canada

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1411-1421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur L Fredeen ◽  
Claudette H Bois ◽  
Darren T Janzen ◽  
Paul T Sanborn
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Second Growth ◽  
C Stocks

Carbon (C) stocks were assessed for hybrid interior spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss × Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.)-dominated upland forests within the Aleza Lake Research Forest in central British Columbia, Canada. Four old-growth (141–250 years old) and four young second-growth (<20 years old) forest plots were established on the two dominant soil texture types, coarse and fine, for a total of 16 plots. Mean total C stocks for old-growth stands ranged from 423 Mg C·ha–1 (coarse) to 324 Mg C·ha–1 (fine), intermediate between Pacific Northwest temperate forests and upland boreal forests. Total C was lower in second-growth stands because of lower tree (mostly large tree stem), forest floor, and woody debris C stocks. In contrast, old-growth forest-floor C stocks ranged from 78 Mg C·ha–1 (coarse) to 35 Mg C·ha–1 (fine), 2.9- and 1.2-fold higher than in corresponding second-growth stands, respectively. Woody debris C stocks in old-growth stands totaled 35 Mg C·ha–1 (coarse) and 31 Mg C·ha–1 (fine), 2.7- and 3.4-fold higher than in second-growth stands, respectively. Mineral soil C to 1.07 m depth was similar across soil type and age-class, with totals ranging from 115 to 106 Mg C·ha–1. Harvesting of old-growth forests in sub-boreal British Columbia lowers total C stocks by 54%–41%.

Comparison of carbon and nitrogen storage in mineral soils of graminoid and shrub tundra sites, western Greenland

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 165-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea L. Petrenko ◽  
Julia Bradley-Cook ◽  
Emily M. Lacroix ◽  
Andrew J. Friedland ◽  
Ross A. Virginia
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Soil C ◽  
N Storage ◽  
C Storage ◽  
Arctic Soils ◽  
C Pools ◽  
C And N

Shrub species are expanding across the Arctic in response to climate change and biotic interactions. Changes in belowground carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) storage are of global importance because Arctic soils store approximately half of global soil C. We collected 10 (60 cm) soil cores each from graminoid- and shrub-dominated soils in western Greenland and determined soil texture, pH, C and N pools, and C:N ratios by depth for the mineral soil. To investigate the relative chemical stability of soil C between vegetation types, we employed a novel sequential extraction method for measuring organo-mineral C pools of increasing bond strength. We found that (i) mineral soil C and N storage was significantly greater under graminoids than shrubs (29.0 ± 1.8 versus 22.5 ± 3.0 kg·C·m−2 and 1.9 ± .12 versus 1.4 ± 1.9 kg·N·m−2), (ii) chemical mechanisms of C storage in the organo-mineral soil fraction did not differ between graminoid and shrub soils, and (iii) weak adsorption to mineral surfaces accounted for 40%–60% of C storage in organo-mineral fractions — a pool that is relatively sensitive to environmental disturbance. Differences in these C pools suggest that rates of C accumulation and retention differ by vegetation type, which could have implications for predicting future soil C pool storage.

scholarly journals Post-fire recovery of ecosystem carbon pools in a tropical mixed pine-hardwood forest

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. e001
Author(s):  
Shatya Devi Quintero-Gradilla ◽  
Angelina Martínez-Yrizar ◽  
Felipe Gracía-Oliva ◽  
Ramón Cuevas-Guzmán ◽  
José Enrique Jardel-Peláez
Keyword(s):  
Woody Debris ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Hardwood Forest ◽  
Carbon Pools ◽  
Research Station ◽  
C Storage ◽  
Ecosystem Carbon ◽  
Sierra De Manantlán ◽  
Downed Woody Debris

Aim of the study: To analyze the recovery pattern of carbon pools in terms of size and the relative contribution of each pool to total ecosystem C along a fire chronosequence of tropical mixed pine-hardwood forest.Area of the study: Las Joyas Research Station (LJRS), core zone of Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve (SMBR) in the state of Jalisco, central western Mexico.Materials and methods: Carbon stored in aboveground plant biomass, standing dead trees, downed woody debris, forest floor, fine roots and mineral soil, was compared with a nested analysis of variance (ANOVA) in post-fire stands of eight-year-old, 28- and 60-year-old stands of mixed Pinus douglasiana-hardwood forest.Main results: The total ecosystem carbon in eight-year-old stands was 50% lower than that of 60-year-old stands. Carbon content in the biomass and mineral soil increased with stand age. The carbon in the biomass recovered to the undisturbed forest in the 28 years of succession. The main C storage in the eight-year-old stands were the mineral soil (64%) and downed woody debris (18%), while in the 28- and 60-year-old stands, live tree biomass and mineral soil were the two largest components of the total C pool (43% and 46%, respectively).Research highlights: We found a significant effect of high-severity fire events on ecosystem C storage and a shift in carbon distribution. The relatively fast recovery of C in ecosystem biomass suggests that mixed Pinus douglasiana hardwood forest possess functional traits that confer resilience to severe fire events.Key words: chronosequence; carbon dynamics; mineral soil; Pinus douglasiana; fire effects.Abbreviations used: LJRS, Las Joyas Research Station; DBH, diameter at breast height; DL, duff layer; LL, litter layer; DWD, downed woody debris; ANOVA, analysis of variance; CO2, carbon dioxide; SMBR, Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve; C, carbon. AGV, above ground vegetation.

scholarly journals Effects of land use change from natural forest to plantation on C, N and natural abundance of 13C and 15N along a climate gradient in eastern China

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mbezele Junior Yannick Ngaba ◽  
Ya-Lin Hu ◽  
Roland Bol ◽  
Xiang-Qing Ma ◽  
Shao-Fei Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Mineral Soils

Abstract Soil C and N turnover rates and contents are strongly influenced by climates (e.g., mean annual temperature MAT, and mean annual precipitation MAP) as well as human activities. However, the effects of converting natural forests to intensively human-managed plantations on soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) dynamics across various climatic zones are not well known. In this study, we evaluated C, N pool and natural abundances of δ13C and δ15N in forest floor layer and 1-meter depth mineral soils under natural forests (NF) and plantation forest (PF) at six sites in eastern China. Our results showed that forest floor had higher C contents and lower N contents in PF compared to NF, resulting in high forest floor C/N ratios and a decrease in the quality of organic materials in forest floor under plantations. In general, soil C, N contents and their isotope changed significantly in the forest floor and mineral soil after land use change (LUC). Soil δ13C was significantly enriched in forest floor after LUC while both δ13C and δ15N values were enriched in mineral soils. Linear and non-linear regressions were observed for MAP and MAT in soil C/N ratios and soil δ13C, in their changes with NF conversion to PF while soil δ15N values were positively correlated with MAT. Our findings implied that LUC alters soil C turnover and contents and MAP drive soil δ13C dynamic.

Changes in soil carbon and soil nitrogen after tree clearing in the semi-arid rangelands of Queensland

2005 ◽  
Vol 53 (7) ◽  
pp. 639 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. P. Harms ◽  
R. C. Dalal ◽  
A. P. Cramp
Keyword(s):  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Soil Phosphorus ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Clay Content ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Stocks

Changes in soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks following tree clearing were estimated at 32 rangeland sites in central and southern Queensland by using paired-site sampling. When corrected for soil bulk-density differences at each site, average soil C across all sites decreased after tree clearing by 8.0% for 0–0.3-m soil depth, and by 5.4% for 0–1.0-m depth; there were corresponding declines in soil C of 2.5 and 3.5tha–1, respectively. Mean soil C stocks (excluding surface litter, extractable roots and coarse charcoal) at uncleared sites were 29.5tha–1 for 0–0.3-m soil depth, and 62.5tha–1 for 0–1.0-m depth. Mean soil C stocks (0–0.3m) were 41% of the mean total C for the soil–plant system (soil + litter/woody debris + stand biomass) at uncleared sites. Soil C decline (0–0.3m) accounted for approximately 7% of the average total C lost because of land clearing across all sites. Soil C stocks at uncleared sites were correlated with tree basal area, clay content and soil phosphorus (P) content. Changes in soil C after tree clearing were strongly correlated to initial soil C contents at the uncleared sites, and were associated with particular vegetation groups and soil types. Changes in soil N were strongly correlated with changes in soil C; however, the average change in soil N across all sites was not significant. Given the size of the C and N pools in rangeland soils, the factors that influence soil C and soil N dynamics in rangeland systems need to be better understood for the effective management of C stocks in these soils.

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