Changes in soil organic matter driven by shifts in co-dominant plant species in a grassland

Abstract

International audienceGlobally, grassland soils, if managed properly, are important for the sake of carbon sequestration. The quality and quantity of soil organic carbon is probably influenced by vegetation traits such as composition and plant species. We determined the influence of vegetation composition and co-dominant species on soil organic carbon in two Prangus uloptera stands. The stands situated at close proximity were identified in a Prangos uloptera community in north-western Iran. Both stands shared similar dominant plant species with the same physiographical and climatological characteristics, but differed in their co-dominant plant species. To compare soil organic matter (SOM) parameters, soil samples from each stand were collected from depths of 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm. The results showed that SOM had spatial variation which was probably affected by the plant species. The highest values of total C, Total N, POM-C, POM-N, microaggregates, C in macroaggregates and C in microaggregates in the upper soil layer occurred in the stand with the highest cover of Astragalus microcephalus and Acanthophyllum microcephalum. It is suggested that, in conservation projects based on higher carbon sequestration, the plant species with more incorporation of carbon content into soil should be identified and used more widely

Rangeland Use Change to Agriculture Has Different Effects on Soil Organic Matter Fractions Depending on the Type of Cultivation

“…Indeed, SOM additions are governed by the volume of fibrous roots per unit of soil and their growth rate (Kadović et al, ; Yu & Jia, ; Ontl et al, ). In our study, the tiny dense shallow roots of poaceae such as poa bulbosa, P. pratensis, D. glomerata and Hordeum bulbosum may increase organic matter in the rangelands (Wang et al, ; Erfanzadeh et al, ; Peng et al, ). Beside the biomass input, above‐ground vegetation might affect SOM and nitrogen through other ways.…”

Effects of shrub encroachment on soil organic carbon in global grasslands

“…Thus, the different adaptive strategies to temperature and water conditions employed by grass and shrub species likely contribute substantially to the variation in SOC accumulation in response to shrub encroachment, though field data on this phenomenon are limited. Studies have shown shrublands contribute a large proportion of recalcitrant or long-lived carbon, yet, grasslands have high concentrations of labile carbon 45 . Thereby higher growth of shrub in higher precipitation and temperature environment made SEGs accumulate more SOC than control grasslands.…”

Absorption spectrometric macronutrients review of soil health during taro crop production

“…From three random soil samples, a composite soil sample was formed for each plot/stage of sampling and used for soil chemical analysis. The soil samples were collected at a depth of 30 cm; ideal depth for the growth of most plant roots and nutrients are mixed into the soil to about that depth as well as during tillage (22). The soil samples were dried, crushed and screened through a stainless steel 10-mesh (2 mm) sieve to remove unwanted debris, and then stored in zip-lock plastic bags till analysis was carried out.…”

“…In same way, P balances the cropping systems but when more P is removed with the products than recycled via external inputs (21), it threatens the long-term sustainability of farming systems (19,21). While soil organic matter (SOM) and soil macronutrients are crucial elements of soil-plant ecosystems (22), the soil pH diagnoses soil nutrient deficiency or toxicity problem (23,24). In other words, the management of soil nutrients is essential for sustainable agricultural production (25).…”