A simple soil mass correction for a more accurate determination of soil carbon stock changes

Fowler, Ames F.; Basso, Bruno; Millar, N.

doi:10.1038/s41598-023-29289-2

Cited by 17 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…This approach provides a more accurate estimate of SOC stock variations by reducing errors deriving from a fixed depth sampling on sites showing changes on BD between sampling time points. Indeed, the reduction or the increase in BD over time can respectively results in an underestimation or overestimation of SOC stock changes (Fowler et al., 2023). The adoption of this ESM approach could hence explain the non‐significant changes of SOC stock after croplands conversion to Miscanthus cultivation differently to other studies where SOC stock is calculated from fixed depth sampling (Lee et al., 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early impacts of marginal land‐use transition to Miscanthus on soil quality and soil carbon storage across Europe

Bertola,

Magenau,

Martani

et al. 2024

GCB Bioenergy

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Miscanthus, a C4 perennial rhizomatous grass, is a low‐input energy crop suitable for marginal land, which cultivation can improve soil quality and promote soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. In this study, four promising Miscanthus hybrids were chosen to evaluate their short‐term potential, in six European marginal sites, to sequester SOC and improve physical, chemical, and biological soil quality in topsoil. Overall, no differences among Miscanthus hybrids were detected in terms of impacts on soil quality and SOC sequestration. SOC sequestration rate after 4 years was of +0.4 Mg C ha−1 year−1, but land‐use transition from former cropland or grassland showed contrasting SOC sequestration trajectories. In unfertilized marginal lands, cultivation of high‐yielding Miscanthus genotypes caused a depletion of K (−216 kg ha−1 year−1), followed by Ca (−56 kg ha−1 year−1), Mg (−102 kg ha−1 year−1) and to a lesser extent of N. On the contrary, the biological turnover of organic matter increased the available P content (+164 kg P2O5 ha−1 year−1). SOC content was identified as the main driver of changes in biological soil quality. High input of labile plant C stimulated an increment of microbial biomass and enzymatic activity. Here, a novel approach was applied to estimate C input to soil from different Miscanthus organs. Despite the high estimated plant C input to soil (0.98 Mg C ha−1 year−1), with significant differences among sites and Miscanthus hybrids, it was not identified as a driver of SOC sequestration. On the contrary, initial SOC and nutrients (N, P) content, as well as their elemental stoichiometric ratios with C, were the key factors controlling SOC dynamics. Introducing Miscanthus on marginal lands impacts positively soil biological quality over the short term, but targeted fertilization plans are needed to secure crop yield over the long term as well as the C sink capacity of this perennial cropping system.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early impacts of marginal land‐use transition to Miscanthus on soil quality and soil carbon storage across Europe

Bertola,

Magenau,

Martani

et al. 2024

GCB Bioenergy

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“…PVC core liners and caps were used to maintain soil integrity. Cores were split into 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm depth sections, generating 240 samples that were analyzed by a commercial laboratory (Woods End Laboratories LLC, Mt Vernon Maine 04352) commonly used by producers and stakeholders active in MRV development and the carbon marketplace to determine soil health metrics 50 , 66 .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As governments and private companies commit to net-zero carbon goals through routes that include SOC sequestration, carbon markets have emerged to help facilitate those investments. These markets need accurate measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) of the changes in agricultural SOC stocks brought about by management to ensure integrity and increase the future value of the carbon credits traded 50 , 51 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial patterns of historical crop yields reveal soil health attributes in US Midwest fields

Fowler,

Basso,

Maureira

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

Self Cite

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Attaining high crop yields and increasing carbon storage in agricultural soils, while avoiding negative environmental impacts on water quality, soil erosion, and biodiversity, requires accurate and precise management of crop inputs and management practices. The long-term analysis of spatial and temporal patterns of crop yields provides insights on how yields vary in a field, with parts of field constantly producing either high yields or low yields and other parts that fluctuate from one year to the next. The concept of yield stability has shown to be informative on how plants translate the effects of environmental conditions (e.g., soil, climate, topography) across the field and over the years in the final yield, and as a valuable layer in developing prescription maps of variable fertilizer rate inputs. Using known relationships between soil health and crop yields, we hypothesize that areas with measured constantly low yield will return low carbon to the soil affecting its heath. On this premises, yield stability zones (YSZ) provide an effective and practical integrative measure of the small-scale variability of soil health on a field relative basis. We tested this hypothesis by measuring various metrics of soil health from commercial farmers’ fields in the north central Midwest of the USA in samples replicated across YSZ, using a soil test suite commonly used by producers and stakeholders active in agricultural carbon credits markets. We found that the use of YSZ allowed us to successfully partition field-relative soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil health metrics into statistically distinct regions. Low and stable (LS) yield zones were statistically lower in normalized SOC when compared to high and stable (HS) and unstable (US) yield zones. The drivers of the yield differences within a field are a series of factors ranging from climate, topography and soil. LS zones occur in areas of compacted soil layers or shallow soils (edge of the field) on steeper slopes. The US zones occurring with high water flow accumulation, were more dependent on topography and rainfall. The differences in the components of the overall soil health score (SHS) between these YSZ increased with sample depth suggesting a deeper topsoil in the US and HS zones, driven by the accumulation of water, nutrients, and carbon downslope. Comparison of the field management provided initial evidence that zero tillage reduces the magnitude of the variance in SOC and soil health metrics between the YSZ.

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“…On the other hand, carbon credit markets are emerging as a new opportunity for income for farmers in exchange for capturing C ( Northrup et al., 2021 ). If we consider the soil, C capture is a slow process so soil organic matter changes may take many years before they can be detected ( Fowler et al., 2023 ). Because of the possibility of performing simulations of decades or centuries, some models represent an invaluable asset to evaluate long-temporal trends in soil C stocks for specific environmental conditions and cropping systems ( Mairech et al., 2020 ).…”

Section: Utility Of Crop Models For Olive Growingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is olive crop modelling ready to assess the impacts of global change?

Villalobos,

López-Bernal,

García-Tejera

et al. 2023

Front. Plant Sci.

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Olive trees, alongside grapevines, dominate the Mediterranean tree crop landscape. However, as climate change intensifies, the Mediterranean region, which encompasses 95% of the global olive cultivation area, faces significant challenges. Rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, increasing temperatures, and declining precipitation pose substantial threats to olive tree performance. Photosynthesis, respiration, phenology, water use and ultimately yield are possibly the main factors affected. To address this future scenario, it is crucial to develop adaptation and mitigation strategies. Nevertheless, breeding programs and field management practice testing for tree crops are time-consuming endeavors. Fortunately, models can accelerate the evaluation of tailored solutions. In this review, we critically examine the current state of olive tree modeling and highlight key areas requiring improvement. Given the expected impact of climate change, prioritizing research on phenology, particularly regarding bloom and pollination, is essential. Simulations of biomass should incorporate approaches that account for the interactive effects of CO2 and temperature on photosynthesis and respiration. Furthermore, accurately simulating the influence of water stress on yield necessitates the development of models that integrate canopy behavior with root performance under conditions of water scarcity. By addressing these critical aspects, olive tree models can enhance our understanding of climate change impacts and inform sustainable agricultural practices.

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A simple soil mass correction for a more accurate determination of soil carbon stock changes

Cited by 17 publications

References 38 publications

Early impacts of marginal land‐use transition to Miscanthus on soil quality and soil carbon storage across Europe

Early impacts of marginal land‐use transition to Miscanthus on soil quality and soil carbon storage across Europe

Spatial patterns of historical crop yields reveal soil health attributes in US Midwest fields

Is olive crop modelling ready to assess the impacts of global change?

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