Carbon cycle in spruce ecosystems of the northern Taiga subzone

The main components of the carbon balance have been determined in old spruce-bilberry forests of the northern taiga subzone. Annual carbon deposition in live phytomass and necromass has been determined by the weight method. Photosynthetic carbon binding has been calculated using the chlorophyll index, and the daily carbon balance has been estimated on the basis of direct measurements of CO₂ exchange. The results have shown that photosynthetic carbon binding by the phytocenosis amounts to 3.5–4 t/ha per year. Taking into consideration the litter yearly deposition decreased up to 1 t C/ha per year. With more than 70% of carbon accumulated in the organic mass being oxidized within the phytocenosis and returned to the atmosphere in the form of CO₂. Spruce ecosystems serve as a sink for 0.2–0.3 t C/ha per year.     

Organic carbon fluxes in the system soil-phytocenosis of bilberry-sphagnum spruce forest in the middle taiga zone of the Komi republic

Quantitative characteristics of organic carbon stock and distribution in the main ecosystem blocks and production-destruction processes in the soil-phytocenosis system have been evaluated in wet oldgrowth bilberry-sphagnum forest. It has been shown that equivalent amounts of carbon are accumulated in the soil and plant reservoirs of the ecosystem and that atmospheric carbon fixation for phytomass production prevails over carbon release in the course of necromass decomposition.     

Aggregated Estimation of the Basic Parameters of Biological Production and the Carbon Budget of Russian Terrestrial Ecosystems: 1. Stocks of Plant Organic Mass

The data presented were obtained at the first stage (1993–1999) of studies on evaluating the basic parameters of biological production in Russian terrestrial ecosystems in order to provide information for assessing and modeling the carbon budget of the entire terrestrial biota of the country. Stocks of phytomass (by fractions), coarse woody debris, and dead roots (underground necromass) were calculated by two independent methods, which yielded close results. The total amount of phytomass in Russian terrestrial ecosystems was estimated at 81800 Tg (=10¹² g = million t) dry matter, or 39989 Tg carbon. Forest ecosystems comprise a greater part (82.1%) of live plant organic matter (here and below, comparisons are made with respect to the carbon content); natural grasslands and brushwoods account for 8.8%; the phytomass of wetlands (bogs and swamps), for 6.6%; and the phytomass of farmlands, for only 2.5%. Aboveground wood contains approximately two-thirds of the plant carbon (63.8%), and green parts contain 9.9%. For all classes of ecosystems, the proportion of underground phytomass averages 26.7% of the total amount, varying from 22.0% in forests to 57.1% in grasslands and brushwoods. The average phytomass density on lands covered with vegetation (1629.9 million hectares in Russia) is 5.02 kg/m² dry matter, or 2.45 kg C/m². The total amount of carbon in coarse woody debris is 4955 Tg C, and 9180 Tg C are in the underground necromass. In total, the vegetation of Russian terrestrial ecosystems (without litter) contains 54124 Tg carbon.     

Dynamics of Carbon Pools and Fluxes in Russia's Forest Lands

The state and results of studies on the carbon cycle of forests on lands of the Russian forest fund (total area 1172 × 10⁶ ha) are analyzed at the federal level. Consideration is given to changes in the areas of different categories of forest lands, the age structure of stands, the pool and deposition of carbon in the phytomass, and the organic carbon pool of soils over the period from 1966 to 1998; the dynamics of activity in the forest industry by years and the extent of pyrogenic transformation of the forest cover between 1990 and 2001; and carbon fluxes associated with forest exploitation, including carbon emission resulting from fires.     

Biological productivity of bogs in the middle taiga subzone of Western Siberia

New experimental data on biological productivity of plant communities in oligotrophic and mesotrophic bogs of the middle taiga subzone over the past five years are presented. The relationship between net primary production and the stock of live phytomass is estimated. The stock of necromass in oligotrophic bog ecosystems increases from west to east, while the stock of live phytomass and net primary production decrease.     

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     

Biogeochemical C and N cycles in urban soils

The percentage of urban population is projected to increase drastically. In 2030, 50.7 to 86.7% of the total population in Africa and Northern America may live in urban areas, respectively. The effects of the attendant increases in urban land uses on biogeochemical C and N cycles are, however, largely unknown. Biogeochemical cycles in urban ecosystems are altered directly and indirectly by human activities. Direct effects include changes in the biological, chemical and physical soil properties and processes in urban soils. Indirect effects of urban environments on biogeochemical cycles may be attributed to the introductions of exotic plant and animal species and atmospheric deposition of pollutants. Urbanization may also affect the regional and global atmospheric climate by the urban heat island and pollution island effect. On the other hand, urban soils have the potential to store large amounts of soil organic carbon (SOC) and, thus, contribute to mitigating increases in atmospheric CO(2) concentrations. However, the amount of SOC stored in urban soils is highly variable in space and time, and depends among others on soil parent material and land use. The SOC pool in 0.3-m depth may range between 16 and 232 Mg ha(-1), and between 15 and 285 Mg ha(-1) in 1-m depth. Thus, depending on the soil replaced or disturbed, urban soils may have higher or lower SOC pools, but very little is known. This review provides an overview of the biogeochemical cycling of C and N in urban soils, with a focus on the effects of urban land use and management on soil organic matter (SOM). In view of the increase in atmospheric CO(2) and reactive N concentrations as a result of urbanization, urban land use planning must also include strategies to sequester C in soil, and also enhance the N sink in urban soils and vegetation. This will strengthen soil ecological functions such as retention of nutrients, hazardous compounds and water, and also improve urban ecosystem services by promoting soil fertility.     

徐州市某水泥厂附近土壤中黑碳和有机质的磁学响应

以徐州某水泥厂附近土壤样品为例,分析了土壤中黑碳(BC)和有机质(OM)的含量,并研究了不同利用类型土壤中黑碳和有机质的磁学响应。结果表明,研究区域黑碳含量和有机质含量的平均值分别为12.35 g/kg和112.33 g/kg。林地样品的黑碳和有机质含量均与频率磁化率正相关,耕地样品的黑碳含量和有机质含量均与频率磁化率负相关,说明不同类型土壤中黑碳和有机质的来源不同,且人为活动对土壤理化性质影响较大。不同利用方式土壤的黑碳含量与磁化率(χ)、非磁滞剩磁磁化率(χARM)、软剩磁(SOFT)、饱和等温剩磁(SIRM)显著正相关;有机质含量和χ,SOFT,SIRM正相关,初步判断这些参数可以作为黑碳或有机质的代用指标。     

长江中游稻田土壤有机碳计算机模拟

分别用作者建立的土壤有机碳计算机模拟模型 (简称SCNC模型 )和英国洛桑模型 (ROTHC 2 6 .3)对长江中游 (湖南桃江和南县 )稻田土壤有机碳变化进行了模拟比较研究。结果表明 ,用SCNC模型模拟平衡时土壤有机碳含量与实际监测值较接近 ,相差分别为 0 .1和 0 .4 5t/hm2 ,误差分别为 0 .2 4 %和 0 .98% ;对稻田土壤有机碳变化的模拟 ,SCNC模型的拟合结果较好 ,利用相对标准误差法计算的误差为 4 .84 %～ 11.0 9% ,其中 6个处理有 5个处理的误差小于 10 %。对模拟结果进行误差概率统计 ,<± 5的占 5 2 .8% ,<± 10的占 81.9%。而洛桑模型不适合长江中游稻田土壤有机碳的模拟 ,按实际投入有机碳模拟平衡时土壤有机碳含量与实际监测值相比 ,分别低 11.4 1和13.32t/hm2 ,误差分别为 2 7.12 %和 2 9.0 1%。同时 ,对模型模拟结果的评价方法也进行了比较研究     

Impact of woody encroachment on soil organic carbon and nitrogen in abandoned agricultural lands along a rainfall gradient in Italy

Land use changes represent one of the most important components of global environmental change and have a strong influence on carbon cycling. As a consequence of changes in economy during the last century, areas of marginal agriculture have been abandoned leading to secondary successions. The encroachment of woody plants into grasslands, pastures and croplands is generally thought to increase the carbon stored in these ecosystems even though there are evidences for a decrease in soil carbon stocks after land use change. In this paper, we investigate the effects of woody plant invasion on soil carbon and nitrogen stocks along a precipitation gradient (200?C2,500?mm) using original data from paired experiment in Italian Alps and Sicily and data from literature (Guo and Gifford Glob Change Biol 8(4):345?C360, 2002). We found a clear negative relationship (?0.05%?C?mm^?1) between changes in soil organic carbon and precipitation explaining 70% of the variation in soil C stocks after recolonization: dry sites gain carbon (up to +67%) while wet sites lose carbon (up to ?45%). In our data set, there seem to be two threshold values for soil carbon accumulation: the first one is 900?mm of mean annual rainfall, which separates the negative from the positive ratio values; the second one is 750?mm, which divides the positive values in two groups of sites. Most interestingly, this threshold of 750?mm corresponds exactly to a bioclimatic threshold: sites with <750?mm mean annual rainfall is classified as thermo-mediterranean sites, while the ones >750?mm are classified as mesomediterranean sites. This suggests that apart from rainfall also temperature values have an important influence on soil carbon accumulation after abandonment. Moreover, our results confirmed that the correlation between rainfall and trend in soil organic carbon may be related to nitrogen dynamics: carbon losses may occur only if there is a substantial decrease in soil nitrogen stock which occurs in wetter sites probably because of the higher leaching.     

C, δC and total C content in soils around a Brazilian PWR nuclear power plant

Nuclear power plants release ¹⁴C during routine operation mainly as airborne gaseous effluents. Because of the long half-life (5730 years) and biological importance of this radionuclide (it is incorporated in plant tissue by photosynthesis), several countries have monitoring programs in order to quantify and control these emissions. This paper compares the activity of ¹⁴C in soils taken within 1 km from a Brazilian nuclear power plant with soils taken within a reference area located 50 km away from the reactor site. Analyses of total carbon, δ¹³C and ¹³⁷Cs were also performed in order to understand the local soil dynamics. Except for one of the profiles, the isotopic composition of soil organic carbon reflected the actual forest vegetation present in both areas. The ¹³⁷Cs data show that the soils from the base of hills are probably allocthonous.     

Estimating the Carbon Pool in the Phytomass of Larch Forests in Northern Eurasia

A data bank on larch phytomass was compiled on the basis of 60 publications describing the data obtained on 360 plots distributed over the area extending from England to Japan. These data were used for calculating conversion factors, i.e., the ratios of carbon pools in trunks, roots, skeletal branches, foliage, and understory (metric tons per hectare) to standing crop (m³/ha). The systems of recursive equations for estimating both volume-forming indices and conversion factors and combined into a second-level recursion system were calculated for 21 regions and forest formations of Northern Eurasia. The values of organic carbon pool in phytomass fractions were estimated for each region and formation.     

Novel approach to monitoring of the soil biological quality

In this study, a new approach to interpretation of results of the simple microbial biomass and respiration measurements in the soil microbiology is proposed. The principle is based on eight basal and derived microbial parameters, which are standardized and then plotted into sunray plots. The output is visual presentation of one plot for each soil, which makes possible the relative comparison and evaluation of soils in the monitored set. Problems of soil microbiology, such as the lack of benchmarking and reference values, can be avoided by using the proposed method. We found that eight parameters provide enough information for evaluation of the status of the soil microorganisms and, thus, for evaluation of the soil biological quality. The usage of rare parameters (potential respiration PR, ratio of potential and basal respiration PR/BR, biomass-specific potential respiration PR/C(bio), available organic carbon C(ext), and biomass-specific available organic carbon C(ext)/C(bio)) can be recommended, besides classical and well-known parameters (microbial biomass C(bio), basal respiration BR, metabolic coefficient qCO(2)). The combination of basal parameters and derived coefficients can also extend our knowledge about the condition of the soil microorganisms. In monitoring the case studies presented, we observed that soils evaluated to possess good biological quality displayed generally higher values of organic carbon, total nitrogen, clay, and cation exchange capacity. The soils of good biological quality can display higher levels of contaminants. This is probably related with the higher content of organic carbon and clay in these soils.     

Carbon accumulation in lowland bog soils of fallow lands in Murmansk oblast

The dynamics of organic carbon accumulation in lowland bog soils of Murmansk oblast were assessed by analyzing soil samples from fields formerly sown with perennial grasses but withdrawn from agricultural use three, six, and eight years ago. Within three years, the organic carbon content in the topsoil (0–20 cm) increased by 0.07%, compared to that in cultivated soil. In six-and eight-year-old fallows, the increase in the soil carbon content averaged 0.2 and 0.46%, respectively. Experimental data were used for verifying calculations of carbon turnover in lowland bog soils of fallows in Murmansk oblast by the RothC model.     

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     

Productivity of mosses and organic matter accumulation in the litter of sphagnum larch forest in the permafrost zone

Productivity of the moss cover and necromass accumulation in the litter of a sphagnum larch forest have been estimated on the basis of tree age. It has been shown that the total carbon stock in the litter of a 100-year-old stand, including organic matter not destroyed by fire, exceeds the corresponding value for the tree stand itself by more than an order of magnitude. The accumulation of organic matter on the soil surface inhibits the growth of larch. In particular, this factor impairs hydrothermal conditions in the soil and causes a rise of the permafrost table; as a consequence, lower layers of the root system die off.     

Soil erosion and the global carbon budget

Soil erosion is the most widespread form of soil degradation. Land area globally affected by erosion is 1094 million ha (Mha) by water erosion, of which 751 Mha is severely affected, and 549 Mha by wind erosion, of which 296 Mha is severely affected. Whereas the effects of erosion on productivity and non-point source pollution are widely recognized, those on the C dynamics and attendant emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) are not. Despite its global significance, erosion-induced carbon (C) emission into the atmosphere remains misunderstood and an unquantified component of the global carbon budget. Soil erosion is a four-stage process involving detachment, breakdown, transport/redistribution and deposition of sediments. The soil organic carbon (SOC) pool is influenced during all four stages. Being a selective process, erosion preferentially removes the light organic fraction of a low density of <1.8 Mg/m(3). A combination of mineralization and C export by erosion causes a severe depletion of the SOC pool on eroded compared with uneroded or slightly eroded soils. In addition, the SOC redistributed over the landscape or deposited in depressional sites may be prone to mineralization because of breakdown of aggregates leading to exposure of hitherto encapsulated C to microbial processes among other reasons. Depending on the delivery ratio or the fraction of the sediment delivered to the river system, gross erosion by water may be 75 billion Mg, of which 15-20 billion Mg are transported by the rivers into the aquatic ecosystems and eventually into the ocean. The amount of total C displaced by erosion on the earth, assuming a delivery ratio of 10% and SOC content of 2-3%, may be 4.0-6.0 Pg/year. With 20% emission due to mineralization of the displaced C, erosion-induced emission may be 0.8-1.2 Pg C/year on the earth. Thus, soil erosion has a strong impact on the global C cycle and this component must be considered while assessing the global C budget. Adoption of conservation-effective measures may reduce the risks of C emission and sequester C in soil and biota.     

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。     

Soil carbon stocks after conversion of Amazonian tropical forest to grazed pasture: importance of deep soil layers

Recent studies suggest that carbon (C) is stored in the topsoil of pastures established after deforestation. However, little is known about the long-term capacity of tropical pastures to sequester C in different soil layers after deforestation. Deep soil layers are generally not taken into consideration or are underestimated when C storage is calculated. Here we show that in French Guiana, the C stored in the deep soil layers contributes significantly to C stocks down to a depth of 100 cm and that C is sequestered in recalcitrant soil organic matter in the soil below a depth of 20 cm. The contribution of the 50–100 cm soil layer increased from 22 to 31 % with the age of the pasture. We show that long-term C sequestration in C4 tropical pastures is linked to the development of C3 species (legumes and shrubs), which increase both inputs of N into the ecosystem and the C:N ratio of soil organic matter. The deep soil under old pastures contained more C3 carbon than the native forest. If C sequestration in the deep soil is taken into account, our results suggest that the soil C stock in pastures in Amazonia would be higher with sustainable pasture management, in particular by promoting the development of legumes already in place and by introducing new species.     

Contamination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban soils in Beijing, China

Soil contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is an increasing problem in many countries, including China. An extensive and systematic survey has been undertaken to evaluate the contamination with PAHs of urban soils in Beijing, China. Soil samples were collected from campuses of universities, schools and kindergartens, public squares, fallow land and roadsides, and were analyzed for 16 PAHs by GC-MS. There was a high variability in the total PAHs (SigmaPAHs) concentrations, ranging from less than 366 to 27,825 ng g(-1). The highest SigmaPAHs concentrations were found at roadsides and industrial sites. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is one of the important factors that can influence the concentrations of PAHs in soils. It was found that concentrations of SigmaPAHs were significantly correlated with that of soil organic carbon. To trace the sources of PAHs, the ratios of phenanthrene to anthracene and fluoranthene to pyrene were used to identify pyrogenic and petrogenic sources, respectively. In most cases, PAHs in soils in urban areas of Beijing were pyrogenic. These sources included motor vehicle exhausts, industrial activities and coal burning. These data can be further used to assess the health risk associated with soils polluted with PAHs.