Shrub encroachment by green alder on subalpine pastures: Changes in mineral soil organic carbon characteristics

Evaluating the carbon sequestration potential of volcanic soils in South Iceland after birch afforestation

“…Due to the lower SOC stock (0-30 cm) at Birch15, Birch20 and Birch25 than at Barren Land, the given results of the SOC stocks (0-30 cm) might lead to the assumption that the soil acts as C source during the first 25 years of the establishment of birch. This would be in accordance with Hunziker et al, (2017) who found a decline of the SOC stock (0-30 cm) during the first 40 years of green alder encroachment on former subalpine pastures. Another finding of the present study is that after 50 years of birch growth, the SOC stock was still considerably lower than that of the old-growth woodlands of SOIL Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2018-26 Manuscript under review for journal SOIL Discussion started: 6 August 2018 c Author(s) 2018.…”

“…During the same time span, the DOC concentration doubles. This is in accordance with Hunziker et al, (2017) who also found a doubling of the DOC concentration during the encroachment of subalpine pastures by green alder bushes.…”

“…Recent studies show that the labile SOC pool, which is composed mainly of particulate organic matter (POM), increases simultaneously with the total SOC in the mineral soil during the establishment of vegetation systems with a higher net primary production rate (Guidi et al, 2014;Gabarrón-Galeote et al, 2015;Trigalet et al, 2016;Hunziker et al, 2017). To date, however, soil studies in Iceland have not focused on such changes of SOC fractions during the establishment of woody vegetation systems.…”

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“…En tierras montañosas europeas se ha visto que la conversión de pastizales a siembras de arboledas disminuyó las reservas de carbono orgánico de 100 t C ha -1 a 81 t C ha -1 durante 40 años, pero con el establecimiento de las arboledas a los 90 años, aumentó a 174 t C ha -1 (Hunziker et al, 2017). resultados similares a los obtenidos en este estudio, donde las coberturas estables de bosque y pastizal generan ganancias en el SOC, siendo el pastizal el que registra t C ha -1 20 years after, and accumulation rates of 0.561 and 0.11 t C ha -1 year -1 at the same depths.…”

“…In European mountainous lands, the conversion from pastures to groves has been observed to decrease organic carbon stocks from 110 t C ha -1 to 81 t C ha -1 for 40 years, but with the establishment of groves 90 years later, it increased up to 174 t C ha -1 (Hunziker et al, 2017). la mayor cantidad, seguido por el bosque de encino, el bosque de pino y finalmente la arboleda de aguacate.…”