Carbon accumulation of cool season sports turfgrass species in distinctive soil layers

Abstract

Carbon sequestered by turfgrasses may contribute to reducing atmospheric CO 2 levels, to improved soil health, and to increased turfgrass quality. The objective of this study is to compare the amount of soil C accumulated by nine cool season turfgrass monocultures and 12 mixtures of turfgrass species during the first 3 yr of establishment. Thatch, mat, and other soil layers were sampled and thickness of these layers was quantified in a field study conducted in the Netherlands. From these samples, dry matter, C and N concentrations, and C/N ratio were measured. Festuca rubra spp. and Poa pratensis had a thicker thatch layer than Lolium perenne, Festuca arundinacea, Festuca ovina, and Agrostis stolonifera. Lolium perenne had a thicker mat than Festuca rubra spp. Mixtures of turfgrass species and subspecies seemed to vary more in thatch and mat thickness, as well in the total thickness of both layers combined, than did monocultures. Thatch thickness but not mat thickness correlated to C accumulation in the soil, and this accumulation in the top soil till 20-cm deep was species dependent. The highest amount of C accumulated in Festuca rubra spp. monocultures, whereas the smallest amount was found in soils with Lolium perenne. Thatch of Festuca rubra spp. showed high C accumulation with high C and N concentrations, whereas in Lolium perenne and Poa pratensis monocultures low C accumulation was related to low C and N concentrations. Only for Festuca rubra spp. and Poa pratensis, C/N ratios partly explained variation of C accumulation with soil depth.

Carbon Sequestration in Turfgrass–Soil Systems

“…Thatch in turfgrass has been defined as a layer of dead and living stems and roots that accumulates faster than decomposition between the green vegetation and the soil surface [ 45 ]. A study in 2020 reported that thatch built up rapidly after turfgrass establishment and contributed to carbon accumulation in turfgrass systems [ 46 ]. Turfgrass thatch layers have a higher carbon concentration (due to a higher lignin content) than verdure, roots, and underlying soils [ 47 , 48 ].…”

“…Turfgrass thatch layers have a higher carbon concentration (due to a higher lignin content) than verdure, roots, and underlying soils [ 47 , 48 ]. Therefore, thatch is a potential carbon pool in turfgrass systems [ 39 , 46 , 47 ].…”

“…Despite the fact that thatch layers are commonly observed in turfgrass systems, carbon studies vary as whether to include the thatch layer in determining SOC or total system carbon. The thatch layer has a comparable carbon content to that of soil [ 46 , 47 ]; therefore, this layer can also be a pool for carbon. A few studies have reported the carbon sequestration potential in thatch layers [ 39 , 42 ].…”

“…Fine fescues were also shown to have great potential for soil carbon accumulation in the surface 20 cm profile relative to other C3 cool-season turfgrasses, which were ranked in the following order: red fescues ( F. rubra spp.) > sheep fescue > creeping bentgrass, tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass > perennial ryegrass [ 46 ]. Interestingly, such variation among turfgrass species and subspecies was related to thatch thickness [ 46 ].…”

Turf solutions for the future, the 7th European turfgrass society research conference: Agronomy Journal special issue

“…A total of 26 manuscripts were submitted to Agronomy Journal , of which 15 were accepted for publication after the peer review process. Topics covered in this issue include turfgrass morphology (Pease, Thoms, Arora, & Christians, 2020), sod production (Griffith et al., 2020), turfgrass performance affected by management approaches (Dalsgaard, Thoms, Christians, Mertz, & Horton, 2020; Miller & Brotherton, 2020; Schiavon, Mock, Stowell, & Baird, 2020), and carbon accumulation in rootzone layers (Evers, de Kroon, Visser, & de Caluwe, 2020). Topics also include the effect of fertilization on establishment (Lindsey, Thoms, & Christians, 2020; Øgaard & Aamlid, 2020) and maintenance strategies for disease control (Hempfling, Murphy, & Clarke, 2020; Mattox et al., 2020; Mattox, Kowalewski, & McDonald, 2020; Mattox, Kowalewski, McDonald, Lambrinos, & Pscheidt, 2020).…”