Carbon storage by introduced deep-rooted grasses in the South American savannas

Fisher, Myles J.; Rao, Idupulapati M.; Ayarza, Miguel Angel; Lascano, Carlos E.; Sanz, J. I.; Thomas, Richard J.; Vera, Raül

doi:10.1038/371236a0

Cited by 518 publications

(315 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Here we report a rapid rate of soil C accumulation accompanying conversion of row crop agriculture land to intensively grazed pastures (Fig. 1) that is on par with the global record for soil C accumulation rate associated with tropical grasslands in Brazil 23 . Fisher, et al 23 illustrated that the introduction of deep-rooting African grasses to lowland savannas in tropical South America drives C accumulation rates of 7.1 Mg C ha À 1 yr À 1 and suggested that other fields may have rates as high as B13 Mg C ha À 1 yr À 1 (refs 23-25).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 52%

“…1) that is on par with the global record for soil C accumulation rate associated with tropical grasslands in Brazil 23 . Fisher, et al 23 illustrated that the introduction of deep-rooting African grasses to lowland savannas in tropical South America drives C accumulation rates of 7.1 Mg C ha À 1 yr À 1 and suggested that other fields may have rates as high as B13 Mg C ha À 1 yr À 1 (refs 23-25). In our pastures, we find that peak C accumulation occurs 2-6 years after pasture establishment with a gain of 8.0±0.85 Mg C ha À 1 yr À 1 (r 2 ¼ 0.88, Po0.0001) in the upper 30 cm of soil ( Table 1), suggesting high belowground C cycling from root turnover.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 77%

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Emerging land use practices rapidly increase soil organic matter

et al. 2015

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 52%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 77%

Emerging land use practices rapidly increase soil organic matter

et al. 2015

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“…5), though only two studies examined the influence of earthworms on soil C and both took place on allophanic soils which have a high capacity for organic matter stabilization (Parfitt et al 1997). Sowing legumes and grasses led to an mean annual increase of 2.0% and 2.3%, respectively, but the mean for grasses was largely driven by the large changes reported with the introduction of deep-rooted African grasses in Colombian savanna (Fisher et al 1994). After removing this source, the mean annual increase resulting from sowing improved or endophyte-free grass species fell to 1%.…”

Section: Changes In Soil Carbon With Managementmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Increases for samples collected below 20 cm averaged 1.3% and 2.4% per year and totaled 9.4% and 13.6% for content and concentration, respectively. A major exception to the trend of decreased C storage with depth was a study examining the introduction of African grasses to Brazilian savanna (Fisher et al 1994). Total soil C content in the top 10 cm increased by almost 15%, but soil C increased nearly 30% between 20 cm and 100 cm, and total C sequestration per unit depth was relatively uniform for all depths sampled (Fisher et al 1994).…”

Section: Changes In Soil Carbon With Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A major exception to the trend of decreased C storage with depth was a study examining the introduction of African grasses to Brazilian savanna (Fisher et al 1994). Total soil C content in the top 10 cm increased by almost 15%, but soil C increased nearly 30% between 20 cm and 100 cm, and total C sequestration per unit depth was relatively uniform for all depths sampled (Fisher et al 1994). in the figure is based on all of the data, though only studies lasting Ͻ85 yr are shown.…”

Section: Changes In Soil Carbon With Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Grassland Management and Conversion into Grassland: Effects on Soil Carbon

Conant

Elliott

2001

Ecological Applications

338

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Abstract. Grasslands are heavily relied upon for food and forage production. A key component for sustaining production in grassland ecosystems is the maintenance of soil organic matter (SOM), which can be strongly influenced by management. Many management techniques intended to increase forage production may potentially increase SOM, thus sequestering atmospheric carbon (C). Further, conversion from either cultivation or native vegetation into grassland could also sequester atmospheric carbon. We reviewed studies examining the influence of improved grassland management practices and conversion into grasslands on soil C worldwide to assess the potential for C sequestration. Results from 115 studies containing over 300 data points were analyzed. Management improvements included fertilization (39%), improved grazing management (24%), conversion from cultivation (15%) and native vegetation (15%), sowing of legumes (4%) and grasses (2%), earthworm introduction (1%), and irrigation (1%). Soil C content and concentration increased with improved management in 74% of the studies, and mean soil C increased with all types of improvement. Carbon sequestration rates were highest during the first 40 yr after treatments began and tended to be greatest in the top 10 cm of soil. Impacts were greater in woodland and grassland biomes than in forest, desert, rain forest, or shrubland biomes. Conversion from cultivation, the introduction of earthworms, and irrigation resulted in the largest increases. Rates of C sequestration by type of improvement ranged from 0.11 to 3.04 Mg C·ha Ϫ1 yr Ϫ1 , with a mean of 0.54 Mg C·ha Ϫ1 ·yr Ϫ1 , and were highly influenced by biome type and climate. We conclude that grasslands can act as a significant carbon sink with the implementation of improved management.

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Soil Carbon Dynamics in Soybean Cropland and Forests in Mato Grosso, Brazil

et al. 2018

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Climate and land use models predict that tropical deforestation and conversion to cropland will produce a large flux of soil carbon (C) to the atmosphere from accelerated decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM). However, the C flux from the deep tropical soils on which most intensive crop agriculture is now expanding remains poorly constrained. To quantify the effect of intensive agriculture on tropical soil C, we compared C stocks, radiocarbon, and stable C isotopes to 2 m depth from forests and soybean cropland created from former pasture in Mato Grosso, Brazil. We hypothesized that soil disturbance, higher soil temperatures (+2°C), and lower OM inputs from soybeans would increase soil C turnover and deplete C stocks relative to nearby forest soils. However, we found reduced C concentrations and stocks only in surface soils (0–10 cm) of soybean cropland compared with forests, and these differences could be explained by soil mixing during plowing. The amount and Δ 14 C of respired CO 2 to 50 cm depth were significantly lower from soybean soils, yet CO 2 production at 2 m deep was low in both forest and soybean soils. Mean surface soil δ 13 C decreased by 0.5‰ between 2009 and 2013 in soybean cropland, suggesting low OM inputs from soybeans. Together these findings suggest the following: (1) soil C is relatively resistant to changes in land use and (2) conversion to cropland caused a small, measurable reduction in the fast‐cycling C pool through reduced OM inputs, mobilization of older C from soil mixing, and/or destabilization of SOM in surface soils.

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Carbon storage by introduced deep-rooted grasses in the South American savannas

Cited by 518 publications

References 5 publications

Emerging land use practices rapidly increase soil organic matter

Emerging land use practices rapidly increase soil organic matter

Grassland Management and Conversion into Grassland: Effects on Soil Carbon

Soil Carbon Dynamics in Soybean Cropland and Forests in Mato Grosso, Brazil

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