Understanding Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics of Short Rotation Plantations After Land Use Change—From Establishment to Recultivation

Abstract

The increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks has the potential to contribute to climate mitigation strategies by reducing atmospheric CO2. Short rotation plantations (SRP) provide bio-based resources and can possibly accumulate SOC. Estimating the potential SOC stocks of short rotation plantations can help decision-makers to implement strategies that reduce SOC loss and thus contribute to climate change mitigation. The dynamic changes in SOC were estimated for a case study using the RothC carbon turnover model. The results indicate that SOC stocks increased from 37.8 to 48.52 t C/ha within 20 years of the plantation’s lifetime. Thus, an annual average increase of 0.535 t C/ha year is expected. Given the importance of implementing strategies that support the potential climate mitigation benefits of SRP, a sensitivity analysis was employed to identify the relevant factors that affected SOC prediction. For instance, the influence of soil condition heterogeneity, such as clay content, can vary the estimations of SOC accumulated. This highlights the relevance of obtaining primary data at different locations within the plantation’s areas: to obtain a variety of SOC stock estimations that give a better representation of SOC accumulation. Such analysis help to propose suggestions that mitigate the climate effect of short rotation plantations.