Radiocarbon and stable carbon isotope compositions of chemically fractionated soil organic matter in a temperate-zone forest

To better understand the role of soil organic matter in terrestrial carbon cycle, carbon isotope compositions in soil samples from a temperate-zone forest were measured for bulk, acid-insoluble and base-insoluble organic matter fractions separated by a chemical fractionation method. The measurements also made it possible to estimate indirectly radiocarbon ((14)C) abundances of acid- and base-soluble organic matter fractions, through a mass balance of carbon among the fractions. The depth profiles of (14)C abundances showed that (1) bomb-derived (14)C has penetrated the first 16cm mineral soil at least; (2) Delta(14)C values of acid-soluble organic matter fraction are considerably higher than those of other fractions; and (3) a significant amount of the bomb-derived (14)C has been preserved as the base-soluble organic matter around litter-mineral soil boundary. In contrast, no or little bomb-derived (14)C was observed for the base-insoluble fraction in all sampling depths, indicating that this recalcitrant fraction, accounting for approximately 15% of total carbon in this temperate-zone forest soil, plays a role as a long-term sink in the carbon cycle. These results suggest that bulk soil organic matter cannot provide a representative indicator as a source or a sink of carbon in soil, particularly on annual to decadal timescales.     

Depth profiles of radiocarbon and carbon isotopic compositions of organic matter and CO2 in a forest soil

Depth profiles of the specific activities of (14)C and carbon isotopic compositions (Delta(14)C, delta(13)C) in soil organic matter and soil CO(2) in a Japanese larch forest were determined. For investigating the transport of CO(2) in soil, specific activities of (14)C, Delta(14)C and delta(13)C in the organic layer, and atmospheric CO(2) in the same forest area were also determined. The specific activity of (14)C and Delta(14)C in the soil organic matter decreased with the increase in depth of 0-60cm, while that of soil CO(2) did not vary greatly at a soil depth of 13-73cm and was more prevalent than that of atmospheric CO(2). Peaks of specific activities of (14)C appeared at the depth of 0-4cm and Delta(14)C values were positive in the depth range from 0 to 15cm. These results suggest that the present soil at a depth of 0-4cm had been produced from the mid-1950s up until 1963, and the bomb C had reached the depth of 15cm in the objective soil area. The delta(13)C in the soil organic matter increased at the depth of 0-55cm, while that of soil CO(2) collected on 8 November 2004 decreased rapidly at the depth of 0-13cm and only slightly at the depth of 53-73cm. By combining the Delta(14)C and delta(13)C of the respective components and using the Keeling plot approach it was made clear that the entering of atmospheric CO(2) showed a large contribution to soil CO(2) at the depth of 0-13cm and a negligible contribution at the depth of 53-73cm for soil air collected on 8 November 2004. Respiration of live roots was presumed to be the main source of soil CO(2) at the depth of 53-73cm on 8 November 2004.     

Simulating the effects of urbanization,afforestation and cropland abandonment on a regional carbon balance: a case study for Central Germany

The newly developed model system HILLS is used to simulate recent (1990–2000) and future (up to 2020) changes in land use and carbon sequestration over Central Germany. HILLS is unique as that it integrates the spatially explicit land-use-change model LUC-Hesse with the dynamic ecosystem model Century under a GIS platform. With this new tool, the concurrent effects of urbanization, afforestation and cropland abandonment on regional carbon sequestration are analyzed for an exemplary “Business as Usual” scenario. During the simulation period, afforestation was estimated to sequester 880 Gg C and cropland abandonment 783 Gg C. Urbanization was estimated to release 336 Gg C formerly stored in soil organic matter and thereby offsets about 20% of the C sequestered by cropland abandonment and afforestation. The case study shows that urbanization can partly counteract the benefits of carbon sequestration resulting from other land-use changes and should be investigated in other carbon balances.     

长江三角洲地区土壤有机碳库研究

土壤碳库变化对于全球温室效应、全球碳循环有重大的影响。基于新近完成的1：250 000多目标地球化学调查及相关研究成果,运用地理信息系统软件ARCGIS 9.2、统计软件SPSS13.0,对长江三角洲地区0~20、0~100、0~180 cm深度土壤有机碳密度及储量作出实测统计。结果表明:长江三角洲地区0~20 cm土壤有机碳库储量为238.65 Tg,有机碳密度为3.28±0.92 kg/m2,各类型土壤有机碳密度均值介于2.63~3.57 kg/m2;0~100 cm土壤有机碳库储量为822.76 Tg,有机碳密度为11.30±3.48 kg/m2,各类型土壤有机碳密度均值介于9.35~11.94 kg/m2;0~180 cm土壤有机碳库储量为1 245.72 Tg,有机碳密度为17.11±7.04 kg/m2,各类型土壤有机碳密度均值介于14.27~18.00 kg/m2。与第二次土壤普查比较,全区0~20、0~100cm土壤有机碳密度均值都表现为上升趋势,有机碳库储量增加,土壤表现为碳汇功能。提供了新的土壤碳库实测统计信息,为研究中国区域土壤碳固定潜力、深入全面理解区域碳循环提供基准数据。     

长江三角洲水田保护性耕作制度的碳收集效应估算

耕作制度对农田土壤有机碳的稳定和积累作用显著,探讨耕作制度演变下农田土壤碳库动态,将有助于农田土壤碳收集的技术选择及政策制定。利用已发表的田间定位试验数据,构建不同耕作制度下长江三角洲水田耕层土壤有机碳密度的估算模型。依据该区近20多年来耕作制度演变动态,对保护性耕作制度的土壤碳收集效应进行了初步估算。结果表明,油菜面积的扩大、小麦的少免耕和作物秸秆的还田分别约增加土壤耕层有机碳0.94 Tg、2.76 Tg和3.95 Tg,其中以麦稻复种转向油稻复种的单位面积碳收集效应为最高。最后,就碳收集效应估算的方法进行了相关讨论,并就土壤碳收集研究和如何提高土壤碳收集潜力提出了一些建议。     

鄱阳湖生态区长期施肥对稻田土壤碳汇效应与固碳潜力的影响

在施肥条件下确定平衡状态时,土壤有机碳含量水平对于正确评价土壤的固碳潜力和制定合理的有机物质分配措施具有重要意义。分析了前人研究的江西省有机碳储量数据并采用Jenny模型对长期不同施肥下有机碳动态数据进行模拟。结果表明,鄱阳湖生态区有机碳储量占全省的46%,以鹰潭地区最高,九江地区最低。施肥明显增强了土壤的碳汇作用,单施有机肥或有机无机肥配施（70F+30M、50F+50M、30F+70M、NPKM、NPK+S、NPK+P和NPK+C）处理的土壤有机碳含量明显高于施化肥处理,以南昌县的30F+70M、进贤县的NPKM和余江县的NPK+P处理最高,其平衡时有机碳含量和固碳潜力分别较施化肥处理提高了3061%和6115%、3017%和5496%、3826%和7479%。因此,提高鄱阳湖生态区农田有机碳密度和固碳潜力最有效方法是有机无机肥配施,其配施方式以猪粪配施化肥相对最好,配施比例以70%有机肥配施30%化肥为宜     

Estimation of Soil Carbon Gains Upon Improved Management within Croplands and Grasslands of Africa

Many agro(eco)systems in Africa have been degraded as a result of past disturbances, including deforestation, overgrazing, and over exploitation. These systems can be managed to reduce carbon emissions and increase carbon sinks in vegetation and soil. The scope for soil organic carbon gains from improved management and restoration within degraded and non-degraded croplands and grasslands in Africa is estimated at 20–43 Tg C year^?1, assuming that 'best' management practices can be introduced on 20% of croplands and 10% of grasslands. Under the assumption that new steady state levels will be reached after 25 years of sustained management, this would correspond with a mitigation potential of 4–9% of annual CO₂ emissions in Africa. The mechanisms that are being put in place to implement the Kyoto Protocol - through C emission trading - and prevailing agricultural policies will largely determine whether farmers can engage in activities that enhance C sequestration in Africa. Mitigation of climate change by increased carbon sequestration in the soil appears particularly useful when addressed in combination with other pressing regional challenges that affect the livelihood of the people, such as combating land degradation and ensuring food security, while at the same time curtailing global anthropogenic emissions.     

Indicators of deforestation in the Southern Brazilian Pre-Amazon

In recent years, Amazonian deforestation has become a question of global concern. Deforestation in Amazon is a complex phenomenon in nature and has been related to traditional agriculture expansion. In this work, land use, socioeconomic and conservation indicators, combined with statistical analysis, were used to understand forces associated with patterns of deforestation. This approach was applied in Southern Brazilian Pre-Amazon in Mato Grosso State, which represents an extensive rain forest-savanna ecotone, located in the south border of Amazon biome. Based on data from the last two agricultural censuses (1995/1996–2006), we compared agricultural expansion in this area and Mato Grosso state. Results have shown that 85 % of state deforestation was concentrated in Southern Pre-Amazon and was closely related to increase in number of cattle and pasture area. PCA results pointed that population (92 %), number of cattle (86.5 %), pastures (84.2 %) and tractors (78.4 %) were variables with highest positive correlation to deforestation. It showed that GDP contributes to an individual axis and has a low correlation to deforestation (37.8 %). Conservation units and indigenous reserves also contribute to a single axis and were negatively correlated to temporary crops area. Results revealed a significant reduction in production and commercialization of extractive products in the region, revealing that the main, almost only conservation policy in Mato Grosso remains the creation of Special Areas. We suggest that further studies are necessary to screen development alternatives to simple cutting trees down. It is important to diversify strategies for deforestation control, and development aspects must be more seriously considered to reach a sustainable deforestation control policy.     

Global estimates of soil carbon sequestration via livestock waste: a STELLA simulation

It has become increasingly well documented that human activities are enhancing the greenhouse effect and altering the global climate. Identifying strategies to mitigate atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions on the national level are therefore critical. Fossil fuel combustion is primarily responsible for the perturbation of the global carbon cycle, although the influence of humans extends far beyond the combustion of fossil fuels. Changes in land use arising from human activities contribute substantially to atmospheric carbon dioxide; however, land use changes can act as a carbon dioxide sink as well. A soil carbon model was built using STELLA to explore how soil organic carbon sequestration (SOC) varies over a range of values for key parameters and to estimate the amount of global soil carbon sequestration from livestock waste. To obtain soil carbon sequestration estimates, model simulations occurred for 11 different livestock types and with data for eight regions around the world. The model predicted that between 1980 and 1995, United States soils were responsible for the sequestration of 444–602 Tg C from livestock waste. Model simulations further predicted that during the same period, global soil carbon sequestration from livestock waste was 2,810–4,218 Tg C. Our estimates for global SOC sequestration are modest in proportion to other terrestrial carbon sinks (i.e. forest regrowth); however, livestock waste does represent a potential for long-term soil carbon gain. SOC generated from livestock waste is another example of how human activities and land use changes are altering soil processes around the world. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

川中丘陵紫色土区农田土壤有机碳储量及空间分布特征

土壤有机碳在陆地生态系统碳循环中起着举足轻重的作用。针对农田区域内典型县域尺度有机碳储量及其空间格局特征的研究,可以为区域农田土壤固碳提供参考,为研究我国土壤有机碳储量提供基础数据支持。基于2012年农田土壤有机碳分析调查数据,结合GIS和GPS技术对川中丘陵区盐亭县土壤有机碳密度和储量及空间格局进行了估算和分析。结果表明:其主要土壤类型的0~20 cm耕层土壤有机碳密度为111~426 kg/m2,平均值为266 kg/m2,水田和旱地耕层土壤有机碳密度分别为345和234 kg/m2,均低于全国平均值;全县20 cm深度土壤有机碳总储量250×109 kg C,紫色土类土壤有机碳储量最大,为153×109kg C,水稻土次之,有机碳储量0.93×109kg C,两者占据了农田土壤有机碳储量约98%,冲积土和黄壤土类由于面积小,有机碳储量也最低。各土壤类型有机碳储量丰度指数(RI)值都较低,碳存储能力处于中下水平。在县域农田尺度,有机碳空间格局与气候差异、植被类型关系不大,土壤类型空间差异和地形差异是有机碳空间格局形成的主要原因。     

宝天曼自然保护区土壤有机碳异质性及其影响因素

自然界中,土壤碳库对于维持生态系统碳平衡起决定性作用,而土壤有机碳又是碳库中不可或缺的一员,研究土壤有机碳对于全球生态系统碳平衡具有十分重大的意义。因此,基于宝天曼土壤有机碳实测数据并运用半方差函数、克里格插值分析山地土壤有机碳垂直性特征及空间分异程度,利用地理探测器对影响土壤有机碳分布的环境因子进行相关分析,结果表明:(1)宝天曼土壤有机碳介于0.31～7.7 g/kg,属于较低水平,最高值(7.70 g/kg)出现在北坡987 m处;(2)不同土层深度的半方差函数模型不同,0～20和40～60 cm对高斯模型拟合效果更明显、20～40 cm对球状模型拟合效果较好,而线性模型对于60～80和80～100 cm土层深度拟合效果较佳,克里格插值表明0～20和20～40 cm空间分异特征相似,呈西南向东北增加的趋势,而40～60 cm土壤有机碳空间分异呈现东北高、西南低;(3)宝天曼不同土层深度受单个环境因子影响程度不同,解释力介于0.127～0.407,其中NDVI对0～20 cm土壤有机碳解释力最显著(0.407)、高程对40～60 cm土壤有机碳解释力最高(0.373),交互探测结果表明NDVI与坡度解释力最高、高程与其他因子交互探测后解释力显著增大,表明宝天曼土壤有机碳受多种环境因子共同影响,而非单一因素起决定性作用。     

National and regional determinants of tropical deforestation in Colombia

Global tropical deforestation continues to occur at high rates despite political attention. National-level forest baselines are being established all over the world to guide the implementation of several policy mechanisms. However, identifying the direct and indirect drivers of deforestation and understanding the complexity of their interlinkages are often difficult. We first analyzed deforestation between 1990 and 2005 at the national level and found an annual deforestation rate of 0.62 %. Next, we performed separate analyses for four natural regions in Colombia and found annual deforestation rates between 0.42 and 1.92 %. Using general linear models, we identified several direct causes and underlying factors influencing deforestation at the national level: rural population density, cattle, protected areas, and slope. Significant differences in deforestation rates and causes were found across regions. In the Caribbean region, drivers of loss are urban population, unsatisfied basic needs, slope, and precipitation and four land use variables (illicit crops, pastures, cattle, and fires). In the Orinoco region, crops are the main driver of forest loss, and in the Amazonian region, deforestation is primarily due to fires related to the colonization front. Policy mechanisms will have to take into account regional patterns to successfully balance development and forest preservation in Colombia.     

长江源区草地植被退化对土壤持水能力影响

选择长江源区的格尔木市唐古拉山镇作为研究区,通过野外实地采样与室内测试分析相结合,在分析草地植被不同退化阶段和不同土层深度下土壤持水能力特征的基础上,探讨了草地植被退化对土壤持水能力影响。结果表明：（1）在相同草地植被退化阶段,毛管持水量、饱和含水量和田间持水量随土层深度变化的特征基本一致;在相同土层深度上,毛管持水量、饱和含水量和田间持水量随草地植被退化的特征也大体相同。（2）在相同草地植被退化阶段,土壤持水量总体上随土层深度增加而减少,特别是在未退化阶段,10~20 cm土层的毛管持水量、饱和含水量和田间持水量比0~10 cm土层分别减少了12.38%、33.73%和7.64%。（3）在相同土层深度上,土壤持水量总体上随草地植被退化而减少,特别是在0~10 cm土层,轻度退化阶段的毛管持水量、饱和含水量和田间持水量比未退化阶段分别减少了41.52%、59.95%和27.03%。（4）土壤持水量与土壤容重、总碳、有机质和总氮显著相关,它在草地植被不同退化阶段和不同土层深度下的变化可能与地表覆被状况、植物根系数量和分布特征所引起的土壤容重、有机质等变化有关。研究可深化对草地植被退化与土壤持水能力相互关系的理解和认识,并为长江源区生态环境和水资源状况研究提供参考依据。 关键词： 土壤持水能力;草地植被退化;长江源区;影响     

The recovery of the lower montane cloud forest in the Mucujún watershed, Mérida, Venezuela

High deforestation rates in tropical countries continue to reduce forest cover and thereby habitat quantity and quality. However, in some places the forest is recovering and expanding thus offsetting the biodiversity and ecosystem service losses. In order to characterize the forest recovery, land use and land cover (LUC) changes were analyzed using aerial photographs, taken between 1952 and 2009, of a peri-urban watershed in the Andes region of Venezuela. The qualities of the changes were assessed using landscape indices and hemeroby indicators. In that period, the forest cover increased about 18 %, mainly due to abandoned pastures on steep slopes. At the same time, the urban area expanded about 4 % on valley bottoms, while pastures and crop fields were reduced about 20 %. The results also showed that forest patches were aggregating, whereas pastures were fragmenting. A reduction in direct human impacts on forests growing on abandoned pastures resulted in a slight recovery of the lower montane cloud forest structure and plant composition. But non-native species were found in all LUC categories. During the study period, we documented not only forest recovery, but also urban area growth, intensified land use and invasions by non-native species all of which could partially counterbalance the positives of forest recovery.     

鄱阳湖沙山植物叶片与土壤C∶N、C∶P沿沙化梯度分布特征

在鄱阳湖多宝沙山沿沙化梯度测定了17种常见植物叶片及土壤有机碳(C)、全氮(N)、全磷(P)含量,以阐明沙山常见植物种与土壤C〖DK〗∶N、C〖DK〗∶P分布特征及对沙化的响应,为沙山植被恢复提供基础数据。结果表明：（1）植物叶片C〖DK〗∶N、C〖DK〗∶P分布范围为185～1273、1698～5071,平均值分别为431、3418;土壤0～10、10～30、30～50 cm层C〖DK〗∶N变化范围分别为98～463、24～465和37～450; 相应土层C〖DK〗∶P范围分别为198～759、30～905和47～765。（2）植物C〖DK〗∶N、C〖DK〗∶P对沙化的响应模式一致,均表现出在重度沙化区数值最小;土壤C〖DK〗∶N随沙化程度增加表现出降低趋势,而C〖DK〗∶P则表现出增加趋势,二者对沙化的响应不一致。（3）植物C〖DK〗∶N、C〖DK〗∶P变化主要取决于叶片的N、P含量;土壤C〖DK〗∶N的变化受控于土壤N含量;C〖DK〗∶P变化则决定于土壤有机C含量     

Evaluation of carbon stock variation in Northern Italian soils over the last 70 years

Carbon (C) sequestration in soils is gaining increasing acceptance as a means of reducing net carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions to the atmosphere. Numerous studies on the global carbon budget suggest that terrestrial ecosystems in the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere act as a large carbon sink of atmospheric CO₂. However, most of the soils of North America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Eastern Europe lost a great part of their organic carbon pool on conversion from natural to agricultural ecosystems during the explosion of pioneer agriculture, and in Western Europe the adoption of modern agriculture after the Second World War led to a drastic reduction in soil organic carbon content. The depletion of organic matter is often indicated as one of the main effects on soil, and the storage of organic carbon in the soil is a means of improve the quality of soils and mitigating the effects of greenhouse gas emission. The soil organic carbon in an area of Northern Italy over the last 70 years has been assessed In this study. The variation of top soil organic carbon (SOC) ranged from −60.3 to +6.7%; the average reduction of SOC, caused by agriculture intensification, was 39.3%. This process was not uniform, but related to trends in land use and agriculture change. For the area studied (1,394 km²) there was an estimated release of 5 Tg CO₂-C to the atmosphere from the upper 30 cm of soil in the period 1935–1990.     

长江三角洲地区土壤无机碳库研究

土壤碳库变化对于全球温室效应、全球碳循环有重大的影响。研究基于最新完成的1〖DK〗∶250 000多目标地球化学调查及相关研究成果,运用地理信息系统软件ARCGIS 92、统计分析软件SPSS130,对长江三角洲地区0~20、0~100、0~180 cm深度土壤无机碳密度及储量做出实测统计。长江三角洲地区0~20、0~100、0~180 cm深度土壤无机碳库储量分别为5099、35647、67726Tg,无机碳密度分别为070、490、930 kg/m2。研究区主要分布土壤为水稻土、潮土,水稻土0~20、0~100、0~180 cm深度土壤无机碳密度分别为057、385、886 kg/m2;潮土无机碳密度分别为117、854 、1537 kg/m2。研究提供最新的土壤无机碳库实测统计信息,弥补中国区域土壤无机碳库清单的空白,完善了中国区域土壤碳库清单,为研究中国区域土壤碳固定潜力、深入全面理解区域碳循环提供了基准数据.     

Soil organic carbon dynamics of croplands in European Russia: estimates from the “model of humus balance”

The Model of Humus Balance was used to estimate the influence of climate effects and changing agricultural practices on carbon (C) levels in soddy–podzolic soils in the Russian Federation for the years 2000–2050. The model was linked with a spatial database containing soil, climate and farming management layers for identification of spatial change of C sequestration potential. Analysis of relationships between C, soil texture and climate indicated that compared with a business-as-usual scenario, adaptation measures could increase the number of polygons storing soil organic carbon (SOC) by 2010–2020. The rate of possible C loss is sensitive to the different climate scenarios, with a maximum potential for SOC accumulation expected in 2030–2040, thereafter decreasing to 2050. The effect is most pronounced for the arid part of the study area under the emission scenario with the highest rate of increase in atmospheric CO₂ concentration, supporting findings from the dynamic SOC model, RothC. C sequestration during the study period was permanent for clay and clay loam soils with a C content of more than 2%, suggesting that C sequestration should be focused on highly fertile, fine-textured soils. We also show that spatial heterogeneity of soil texture can be a source of uncertainty for estimates of SOC dynamics at the regional scale. Figures in color are available at     

Understanding deforestation in montane and lowland forests of the Colombian Andes

Colombian Andean forests cover nine million ha. These forests provide an informative case study of mountain deforestation in South America. They are surrounded by tropical lowland forests, and they host most of the country’s human population. This study evaluates the relative importance of human and natural variables in deforestation of the Colombian Andes between 1985 and 2005 using remote sensing methods, geographic information system (GIS) technology and general linear models (GLM). The following factors affected the annual deforestation in the region positively: forced population migration, unsatisfied basic needs, economic activity, crops, pastures, illicit crops, protected areas and slope. Factors having a negative effect were tenure of small land parcels, road density, water scarcity and mean temperature. The results of this study also provide insight into the differences between the dynamics of lowland forests and those of montane forests. Montane forests had a lower annual rate of deforestation than did forests in the lowlands. Socio-economic, demographic and biophysical factors explain overall deforestation rates for the region. However, when altitude variation is taken into account, intraregional differences in the Andes become evident. Deforestation processes differ between those areas adjacent to the high Andean valleys where most of the country’s population concentrates and those areas in the tropical lowlands north, west and east of the Andean chain. Differences between lowland and montane forest dynamics are due partly to the accessibility of forests and differences in wealth and economic activities. In montane forests, deforestation is positively influenced by economic activity, the presence of protected areas and higher slopes. Deforestation in montane forests is negatively affected by tenure of small land parcels, road density, water scarcity and mean temperature. Lowland deforestation rates are more closely related to rural population, pasture percentage, crops, protected areas and temperature. Our results suggest that montane forests appear to be in a more advanced stage of colonisation and economic development, whereas lowland forests are closer to the colonisation frontier and to rapidly growing colonist populations. This study reinforces the idea that although the most common tropical drivers of deforestation are found in the Andes, these drivers operate differently when intraregional differences are considered.