Carbon sequestration potential estimates with changes in land use and tillage practice in Ohio, USA

[1] Strategies for mitigating the global greenhouse effect must account for soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics at both spatial and temporal scales, which is usually challenging owing to limitations in data and approach. This study was conducted to characterize the SOC dynamics associated with land use change history in the northwestern Great Plains ecoregion. A sampling framework (40 sample blocks of 10 Â 10 km 2 randomly located in the ecoregion) and the General Ensemble Biogeochemical Modeling System (GEMS) were used to quantify the spatial and temporal variability in the SOC stock from 1972 to 2001. Results indicate that C source and sink areas coexisted within the ecoregion, and the SOC stock in the upper 20-cm depth increased by 3.93 Mg ha À1 over the 29 years. About 17.5% of the area was evaluated as a C source at 122 kg C ha À1 yr À1 . The spatial variability of SOC stock was attributed to the dynamics of both slow and passive fractions, while the temporal variation depended on the slow fraction only. The SOC change at the block scale was positively related to either grassland proportion or negatively related to cropland proportion. We concluded that the slow C pool determined whether soils behaved as sources or sinks of atmospheric CO 2 , but the strength depended on antecedent SOC contents, land cover type, and land use change history in the ecoregion.

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“…Similar observations have been reported for cropping ecosystems in the northcentral United States [Tan and Lal, 2005].…”

supporting

confidence: 76%

Soil organic carbon dynamics as related to land use history in the northwestern Great Plains

Tan

Johnston

Loveland

et al. 2005

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

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“…Allmaras et al (2004) found that although N fertilization stimulated corn stover inputs by 20%, corn-derived SOC increased by only 1.9 Mg C/ha. Regional-level studies have highlighted the variability in predicted sequestration rates, owing to soil taxonomic group, management, and antecedent soil C (Tan and Lal 2005), and certainly these factors could explain the differences in results among sites.…”

Section: Soil Organic-carbon Balancementioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrogen fertilizer effects on soil carbon balances in Midwestern U.S. agricultural systems

Russell

Cambardella²,

Laird³

et al. 2009

Ecological Applications

168

106

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A single ecosystem dominates the Midwestern United States, occupying 26 million hectares in five states alone: the corn-soybean agroecosystem [Zea mays L.-Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Nitrogen (N) fertilization could influence the soil carbon (C) balance in this system because the corn phase is fertilized in 97-100% of farms, at an average rate of 135 kg N·ha −1 ·yr −1 . We evaluated the impacts on two major processes that determine the soil C balance, the rates of organic-carbon (OC) inputs and decay, at four levels of N fertilization, 0, 90, 180, and 270 kg/ha, in two long-term experimental sites in Mollisols in Iowa, USA. We compared the corn-soybean system with other experimental cropping systems fertilized with N in the corn phases only: continuous corn for grain; corn-corn-oats (Avena sativa L.)-alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.; corn-oats-alfalfa-alfalfa; and continuous soybean. In all systems, we estimated long-term OC inputs and decay rates over all phases of the rotations, based on long-term yield data, harvest indices (HI), and root : shoot data. For corn, we measured these two ratios in the four N treatments in a single year in each site; for other crops we used published ratios. Total OC inputs were calculated as aboveground plus belowground net primary production (NPP) minus harvested yield. For corn, measured total OC inputs increased with N fertilization (P < 0.05, both sites). Belowground NPP, comprising only 6-22% of total corn NPP, was not significantly influenced by N fertilization. When all phases of the crop rotations were evaluated over the long term, OC decay rates increased concomitantly with OC input rates in several systems. Increases in decay rates with N fertilization apparently offset gains in carbon inputs to the soil in such a way that soil C sequestration was virtually nil in 78% of the systems studied, despite up to 48 years of N additions. The quantity of belowground OC inputs was the best predictor of long-term soil C storage. This indicates that, in these systems, in comparison with increased N-fertilizer additions, selection of crops with high belowground NPP is a more effective management practice for increasing soil C sequestration. Keywords agroecosystems, carbon mineralization, corn, oats, alfalfa, and soybean crop rotations, Midwestern U.S. corn-soybean ecosystem, Nashua and Kanawha sites, Iowa, USA, net primary production, nitrogen fertilization, root production, soil carbon sequestration RightsWorks produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted. . Nitrogen (N) fertilization could influence the soil carbon (C) balance in this system because the corn phase is fertilized in 97-100% of farms, at an average rate of 135 kg NÁha À1 Áyr À1 . We evaluated the impacts on two major processes that determine the soil C balance, the rates of organic-carbon (OC) inputs and decay, at four levels of N fertilization, 0, 90, 180, and 270 kg/ha, in two long-term experimental...

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“…On the other hand, soil management practices that promote soil disturbance favor the loss of OM. Conceição et al (2013) and Tan and Lal (2005) evidenced the improvement in OM content of the surface layers in NT. On the other hand, the rates of OM decomposition increase as the soil disturbance increases, leading to a decline in this soil attribute (Bayer et al, 2000;Panettieri et al, 2013), so that the OM content, over the years, is inversely proportional to the intensity of soil disturbance caused by the different tillage practices.…”

Section: Organic Mattermentioning

confidence: 99%

Tillage, fertilization systems and chemical attributes of a Paleudult

Dorneles¹,

Lisboa²,

Abichequer³

et al. 2015

Sci. agric. (Piracicaba, Braz.)

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Tillage and fertilization methods may affect soil fertility. With the aim of assessing changes in soil chemical properties over a period of ten years, soil samples of a Paleudult were collected over nine seasons at three layer depths (0-5, 5-10, 10-20 cm) and were chemically analyzed. Grain yield and nutrient export in two summer crops, soybean (Glycine max) and corn (Zea mays), in a field experiment set in Eldorado do Sul, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, were determined. Three soil tillage systems were evaluated, conventional (CT), reduced (RT) and no-tillage (NT), combined with mineral (lime and fertilizers) and organic (poultry litter) fertilization.The no-tillage system stood out as compared to the others, especially in the surface layer, in terms of values of organic matter, soil pH, available phosphorus, cation exchange capacity and base saturation. Phosphorus content was higher under organic than mineral fertilization due to the criteria used for the establishment of fertilizer doses. Under organic fertilization, soil pH values were similar to those obtained in limed soil samples because of the cumulative effect of the organic fertilizer. Soybean yield was lower under NT in comparison to the RT and CT systems.Consequently, soybean grain exported a lower content of nutrients than maize grain. Maize yield was not affected by either tillage or fertilization systems.

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Carbon sequestration potential estimates with changes in land use and tillage practice in Ohio, USA

Cited by 79 publications

References 20 publications

Soil organic carbon dynamics as related to land use history in the northwestern Great Plains

Soil organic carbon dynamics as related to land use history in the northwestern Great Plains

Nitrogen fertilizer effects on soil carbon balances in Midwestern U.S. agricultural systems

Tillage, fertilization systems and chemical attributes of a Paleudult

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