Land use effects on soil organic carbon sequestration in calcareous Leptosols in former pastureland – a case study from the Tatra Mountains (Poland)

Abstract

Abstract. The purpose of the paper is to describe soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration rates in calcareous shallow soils in reforested areas in the Tatra Mountains with a particular focus on different forms of organic matter (OM) storage. Three plant communities creating a mosaic on the slopes of the studied valley were taken into account.Fifty years since the conversion of pastureland to unused grassland, dwarf pine shrub and larch forest have emerged in the study area, along with the development of genetic soil horizons as well as SOC sequestration in the soil despite the steepness of slopes. SOC stock was measured to be the highest in soils under larch forest (63.5 Mg ha −1 ), while in soil under grassland and under dwarf pine shrub, this value was found to be smaller (47.5 and 42.9 Mg ha −1 , respectively).The highest amount of mineral-associated OM inside stable microaggregates (MOM FF3) was found in grassland soil (21.9-27.1 % of SOC) and less under dwarf pine shrub (16.3-19.3 % of SOC) and larch forest (15.3-17.7 % of SOC). A pool of mineral-associated OM inside transitional macroaggregates (MOM FF2) was found in soil under dwarf pine shrub (39.2-59.2 % of SOC), with less under larch forest (43.8-44.7 % of SOC) and the least in grassland soil (37.9-41.6 % of SOC). The highest amount of the free light particulate fraction (POM LF1) was found in soil under dwarf pine shrub (6.6-10.3 % of SOC), with less under larch forest (2.6-6.2 % of SOC) and the least in grassland soil (1.7-4.8 % of SOC).

Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Stocks Following Land Use Changes in a Sub-Humid Climate

“…The loss of SOC from the surface soil following conversion of forest lands to agriculture was confirmed by several literature elsewhere in the world (Chan et al, 1995;Dalal& Mayer, 1986;Davidson & Ackerman, 1993;Demessie et al, 2013;Don et al, 2011;Assad et al, 2013;Campos et al, 2014;Lo Seen et al, 2010;Lozano-García and Parras-Alcántara, 2014;Wasak and Drewnik, 2015;Yu et al, 2014). In the 20−40cm and 40−60cm soil depths, SOC stocks in the GL were significantly higher than that found under the other LULC types (Table 2; Figure3).…”

Agricultural land abandonment in Mediterranean environment provides ecosystem services via soil carbon sequestration

“…This leads to reduction of soil erosion, increased infiltration rates, soil biological activity, and biomass and enhanced plant diversity. The acceleration of the biological and hydrological cycles after land abandonment results in recovery of soil carbon stocks as found by other studies when land was abandoned (Brevik and Lazari, 2014), forests were transformed into crops (Wasak and Drewnik, 2015), or when degraded rangelands were restored (Zucca et al, 2016). There is a positive interaction in the soil system after abandonment that favours the recovery of the biota (fauna and flora) followed by litter and organic matter, which finally improves soil quality and as a consequence the diversity and mass of the biota (Certini et al, 2015;Chen et al, 2016;Frouz, 2016).…”

Stability and biodegradability of organic matter from Arctic soils of Western Siberia: insights from <sup>13</sup>C-NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis

“…Moreover, they provide services, goods and resources to humankind (Berendse et al, 2015;Brevik et al, 2015;Decock et al, 2015;Keesstra et al, 2012;Smith et al, 2015). More specifically, soils are now being seen as a key component of the carbon cycle (Bruun et al, 2015;Debasish-Sasha et al, 2014;Muñoz-Rojas et al, 2015;Novara et al, 2015;Parras-Alcantara et al, 2015;Peng et al, 2015;Wasak and Drewnik, 2015;Yu et al, 2014). This is especially the case for Arctic soils, as they contain maximum stocks of soil organic matter (SOM) within the whole pedosphere (Fritz et al, 2015;McGuire et al, 2009;Oliva et al, 2014;Ping et al, 2015;Zubrzycki et al, 2014).…”