Factors Controlling Soil Organic Carbon Stocks with Depth in Eastern Australia

Gray, Jonathan; Bishop, Thomas; Wilson, Brian

doi:10.2136/sssaj2015.06.0224

Cited by 114 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…The controlling factors for carbon storage in subsoils are poorly understood; therefore, our results indicated that large subsoil carbon stocks were modelled poorly by the available predictors. Topsoil SOC was modelled better, as expected and found repeatedly in other studies (Gray, Bishop, & Wilson, ; Hobley et al, ; Wiesmeier et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Factors controlling the variation in organic carbon stocks in agricultural soils of Germany

Vos

Don

Hobley

et al. 2019

European J Soil Science

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This study gives an overview of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in Germany's agricultural soils, and quantifies and explains the influence of explanatory variables such as land use and management, soil type and climate. Over 2500 agricultural sites were sampled and their SOC stocks determined, together with other soil properties. Machine‐learning algorithms were used to identify the most important variables. Land use, land‐use history, clay content and electrical conductivity were the main predictors in the topsoil, whereas bedrock material, relief and electrical conductivity governed the variation in subsoil carbon stocks. We found that 32% of all soil profiles were anthropogenically transformed. The influence of climate variables was surprisingly small, whereas site variables, in particular in the subsoil, explained a large proportion of the variation in soil carbon. The understanding of SOC dynamics at the regional scale requires a thorough description of the spatial variation in soil properties. The effect of agronomic management on SOC stocks was important near the soil surface, but was mainly attributable to land use (grassland or arable and not to other management factors. Highlights Factors affecting spatial variation of soil organic carbon stocks are largely unknown. More than 200 possible predictors for this variation were assessed for over 2500 sites. Land use (history), texture, electrical conductivity, bedrock and relief were main controlling factors of carbon stock variation. Aggregation and carbon storage capacity of soil determine much of the spatial variation in carbon stocks.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Factors controlling the variation in organic carbon stocks in agricultural soils of Germany

Vos

Don

Hobley

et al. 2019

European J Soil Science

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“…N, and High N, respectively (Cerrato and Blackmer, 1990). at 30 to 100 cm (Table 4), a proportion consistent with those reported by Gray et al (2015) for wet climate zones in eastern Australia. Omission of 30-to 100-cm subsoil data in the present study would have resulted in failing to account for roughly half of the differences in C stocks between treatments.…”

Section: Treatmentsupporting

confidence: 86%

Apparent Stability and Subtle Change in Surface and Subsurface Soil Carbon and Nitrogen under a Long‐Term Fertilizer Gradient

Collier

Ruark

Naber

et al. 2017

Soil Science Soc of Amer J

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Uncertainty exists regarding the depth and extent to which agricultural practices affect soil properties, in particular soil organic C (SOC). In this study we examined the impact of 53 yr of continuous corn (Zea mays L.) receiving varying rates of inorganic N fertilizer with complete stover return on soil properties including SOC, total N, and bulk density (BD) to a depth of 1 m. In the treatment receiving virtually no applied N there was a significant reduction in soil N content at 0 to 30 cm over the study period, while the treatment receiving N in excess of recommended application levels was similar to the treatment receiving recommended rates of N fertilizer. Trends in SOC content were similar to those for total N, but a significant treatment effect was detectable throughout the entire 1-m soil profile sampled. Over the course of the study, all experimental fields appeared to have lost approximately 6 cm of topsoil through erosion, with the lowest N rate plots subsiding a further 2 cm due to compaction. Despite using disruptive management practices (moldboard plowing and application of anhydrous ammonia), declines in soil C and N content were not apparent for this soil type under conditions of low slope and the linear gains in productivity realized under the two higher N rate treatments. Thus N fertilizer was a benefit to this cropping system, rather than a detriment, and was sufficient to allow maintenancebut not building-of SOC.

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“…Soils with inherently high SOC levels will lose more SOC than those with inherently low SOC levels, at least in absolute terms. We recently demonstrated the inherently higher SOC storage levels of soils under moist, mafic parent material (with associated higher fertility soils) and high vegetation cover regimes across eastern Australia (Gray et al, 2015b).…”

Section: Broad Trends In Predicted Soc Changementioning

confidence: 97%

“…The projected SOC changes are primarily dependent on the balance between the changing temperatures and rainfall over any region, generally decreasing with rising temperatures and declining rainfall (Jenny, 1980;Badgery et al, 2013;Viscarra Rossel et al, 2014;Gray et al, 2015b). However, the extent of the SOC change also varies depending on the environmental and land use regime, which add complexity to the above trends.…”

Section: Change By Environmental Regimementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Drier conditions result in lower SOC levels ( Jenny, 1980;Lal, 2004;Badgery et al, 2013;Viscarra Rossel et al, 2014;Gray et al, 2015b;Hobley et al, 2015). The direction and magnitude of change at any location will be defined by the integrated effects across all processes involved in emission and consumption or storage of C (Baldock et al, 2012;Gottschalk et al, 2012).…”

Section: Broad Trends In Predicted Soc Changementioning

confidence: 99%

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Change in Soil Organic Carbon Stocks under 12 Climate Change Projections over New South Wales, Australia

Gray

Bishop

2016

Soil Science Soc of Amer J

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Digital soil mapping (DsM) techniques combined with space-for-time substitution (sFTs) processes were used to map and examine soil organic carbon (sOC) changes caused by projected climate change over New south Wales, Australia until ~2070. Twelve projections were derived from four global climate models downscaled with three regional climate models. A marked variation in the direction and magnitude of sOC change was demonstrated with the different projections. Mean state-wide predictions (0-30 cm depth) ranged between 2.9 Mg ha -1 gain and 8.7 Mg ha -1 sOC loss. Greater consistency among climate change projections is required before we can confidently predict sOC changes. By using averaged results from the 12 projections, broad trends were revealed for the change in sOC over two intervals (0-30 and 30-100 cm). A mean loss rate of 2.0 Mg ha -1 for the upper interval was demonstrated and a total loss of 737 Tg of CO 2 equivalent for the entire depth to 100 cm but the 95% confidence interval was wide. Although changes are primarily controlled by the balance between changing temperatures and rainfall, the extent of change also depends on the environmental regime, with differing changes demonstrated over 36 current climate-parent material-land use combinations (e.g., projected mean sOC decline is <1 Mg ha -1 for dryhighly siliceous-cropping but >15 Mg ha -1 for wet-mafic-native vegetation C limate change will impact on many aspects of the global environment and civilization generally, with changes in our soil resources being one important yet not widely understood consequence. Changes in key soil properties such as SOC content will influence agricultural productivity and our ability to feed and support the growing world population. Native ecosystems will be impacted, with modifications to species distribution and abundance at local, regional, and national scales. Changes in the potential of soils to sequester C or release it to the atmosphere are crucial for climate change modeling and mitigation strategies (Lal et al., 2007;Baldock et al., 2012).Although there has been widespread work on the relationship of climate to soils, dating back to the pioneering work of Dokuchaev in 1899 (Dokuchaev, 1967 transliteration) andJenny (1941) Core Ideas• Potential changes in soil organic C to 2070 mapped (100-m grid) and examined.• The direction and magnitude of change varied between the 12 climate projections.• Differing changes revealed for 36 current climate-parent material-land use regimes.• Digital soil mapping-space-for-time substitution is useful for climate change study

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Factors Controlling Soil Organic Carbon Stocks with Depth in Eastern Australia

Cited by 114 publications

References 56 publications

Factors controlling the variation in organic carbon stocks in agricultural soils of Germany

Factors controlling the variation in organic carbon stocks in agricultural soils of Germany

Apparent Stability and Subtle Change in Surface and Subsurface Soil Carbon and Nitrogen under a Long‐Term Fertilizer Gradient

Change in Soil Organic Carbon Stocks under 12 Climate Change Projections over New South Wales, Australia

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