Soil organic carbon stocks are systematically overestimated by misuse of the parameters bulk density and rock fragment content

Poeplau, Christopher; Vos, Cora; Don, Axel

doi:10.5194/soil-3-61-2017

Cited by 199 publications

(152 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The SOC stocks were calculated as suggested by Poeplau et al (2017), 136 taking into account the stone and root content of the soil. 137…”

Section: Laboratory Analyses 132mentioning

confidence: 99%

Hot regions of labile and stable soil organic carbon in Germany – Spatial variability and driving factors

Vos¹,

Jaconi²,

Jacobs³

et al. 2017

Preprint

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Abstract. Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels can be mitigated by sequestering carbon in the soil. Sequestration can be facilitated by agricultural management, but its influence is not the same on all soil carbon pools, as labile pools with high turnover may be accumulated much faster, but are also more vulnerable to losses. The aims of this study were to (1) assess how soil organic carbon (SOC) is distributed among SOC fractions on national scale in Germany, (2) identify factors influencing this distribution and (3) identify regions with high vulnerability to SOC losses. The SOC content and proportion of two different SOC fractions were estimated for more than 2500 mineral topsoils (

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“…The SOC stocks were calculated as suggested by Poeplau et al (2017), 136 taking into account the stone and root content of the soil. 137…”

Section: Laboratory Analyses 132mentioning

confidence: 99%

Hot regions of labile and stable soil organic carbon in Germany – Spatial variability and driving factors

Vos¹,

Jaconi²,

Jacobs³

et al. 2017

Preprint

Self Cite

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“…Recommendations for estimating soil C stocks in rocky soils (Poeplau et al, 2017) Plots and soil monitoring networks for detecting soil C stock changes (Stolbovoy et al, 2007;Morvan et al, 2008;Saby et al, 2008;Schrumpf et al, 2011;The Earth Partners LLC, 2012;Chappell et al, 2013) Protocol for assessing C stock in alley cropping agroforestery plots (Cardinael et al, 2015) Guidance documents and/or standards to measure GHGs emissions from soil Several methods have been developed to measure emissions of GHGs from soil.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For Tier 2 and 3, spatial variability (surface and depth) becomes important. The measurement of C stocks in soil (see Equation 1, adapted from Poeplau et al, 2017), at a given location will at least require the analysis of organic C concentration (ISO 10694, 1995or ISO 14235, 1998, bulk density (ISO 11272, 1998), the content of fine and coarse particles (and associated OC and N) (ISO 11277, 2009), and soil depth (ISO 25177, 2008). BDi (in kg.dm −3 ) is the bulk density of layer i of fine soil.…”

Section: Existing Standardsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, from a climate change point of view it is also important to provide standard guidance on the detection of SOC stock changes, as these changes can either have a negative (emissions) or beneficial effect on climate change (mitigation). The vertical distribution of SOC stocks within the soil profile should also be carefully monitored in a standardized manner as it can evolve with land use and management (e.g., tillage vs. no-till; Olson and Al-Kaisi, 2015;Poeplau et al, 2017).…”

Section: Needed Standards According To Policy Requirementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Accounting for Carbon Stocks in Soils and Measuring GHGs Emission Fluxes from Soils: Do We Have the Necessary Standards?

Bispo

Andersen

Angers

et al. 2017

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Soil is a key compartment for climate regulation as a source of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and as a sink of carbon. Thus, soil carbon sequestration strategies should be considered alongside reduction strategies for other greenhouse gas emissions. Taking this into account, several international and European policies on climate change are now acknowledging the importance of soils, which means that proper, comparable and reliable information is needed to report on carbon stocks and GHGs emissions from soil. It also implies a need for consensus on the adoption and verification of mitigation options that soil can provide. Where consensus is a key aspect, formal standards and guidelines come into play. This paper describes the existing ISO soil quality standards that can be used in this context, and calls for new ones to be developed through (international) collaboration. Available standards cover the relevant basic soil parameters including carbon and nitrogen content but do not yet consider the dynamics of those elements. Such methods have to be developed together with guidelines consistent with the scale to be investigated and the specific use of the collected data. We argue that this standardization strategy will improve the reliability of the reporting procedures and results of the different climate models that rely on soil quality data.

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“…The presence of gravel has a significant effect on the mechanical and hydraulic properties of soil (Brakensiek and Rawls, 1994;Sauer and Logsdon, 2002). If gravel is present but not accounted for, it could bias the measurements of soil organic C stocks (Lobsey 10 and Viscarra Rossel, 2016;Poeplau et al, 2017). For example, the presence of abundant coarse fragments (>20%) adversely affected measurement of soil bulk density by both conventional and AGA using backscatter methods (Holmes et al, 2011).…”

Section: Sensing Of Gravelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Proximal sensing for soil carbon accounting

England¹,

Rossel²

2018

Preprint

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Abstract. Maintaining or increasing soil organic carbon (C) is important for securing food production, and for mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, climate change and land degradation. Some land management practices in cropping, grazing, horticultural and mixed farming systems can be used to increase organic C in soil, but to assess their effectiveness, we need accurate and cost-efficient methods for measuring and monitoring the change. To determine the stock of organic C in soil, one needs measurements of soil organic C concentration, bulk density and gravel content, but using conventional laboratory-based 5 analytical methods is expensive. Our aim here is to review the current state of proximal sensing for the development of new soil C accounting methods for emissions reporting and in emissions reduction schemes. We evaluated sensing techniques in terms of their rapidity, cost, accuracy, safety, readiness and their state of development. The most suitable technique for measuring soil organic C concentrations appears to be vis-NIR spectroscopy and for bulk density active gamma-ray attenuation. Sensors for measuring gravel have not been developed, but an interim solution with rapid wet-sieving and automated measurement appears 10 useful. Field-deployable, multi-sensor systems are needed for cost-efficient soil C accounting. Proximal sensing can be used for soil organic C accounting, but the methods need to be standardised and procedural guidelines need to be developed to ensure proficient measurement and accurate reporting and verification. This is particularly important if the schemes use financial incentives for landholders to adopt management practices to sequester soil organic C. We list and discuss the requirements for the development of new soil C accounting methods that are based on proximal sensing, including requirements for recording, 15 verification and auditing.

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Soil organic carbon stocks are systematically overestimated by misuse of the parameters bulk density and rock fragment content

Cited by 199 publications

References 21 publications

Hot regions of labile and stable soil organic carbon in Germany – Spatial variability and driving factors

Hot regions of labile and stable soil organic carbon in Germany – Spatial variability and driving factors

Accounting for Carbon Stocks in Soils and Measuring GHGs Emission Fluxes from Soils: Do We Have the Necessary Standards?

Proximal sensing for soil carbon accounting

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