Effects of Soil Development Time and Litter Quality on Soil Carbon Sequestration: Assessing Soil Carbon Saturation with a Field Transplant Experiment along a Post‐mining Chronosequence

Abstract

In previous studies, the rate of soil carbon (C) sequestration decreased with increasing age of post‐mining soils. It was also shown to depend on plant biomass and earthworm bioturbation. Here, a soil transplant experiment was used to determine whether this decrease is caused by soil C saturation or other factors (such as bioturbation and litter input). Soils collected on 15‐, 25‐ and 50‐year‐old successional sites, dominated by willow (Salix caprea L.) and birch (Betula pendula Roth), and on a 50‐year‐old site reclaimed by the planting of alder (Alnus glutinosa L.) were placed in plastic boxes that were accessible to soil macrofauna. The boxes were buried in the 50‐year‐old reclaimed site and supplemented with either alder litter or successional (willow and birch) litter. Soil C content and soil C fractions (hot water C, particulate organic C, particulate organic C bound in aggregates and C bound to mineral soil) were studied. After 1 year, the C content increased by 2–5%, but there was no effect of soil source or litter type. For all C fractions, the relationships between change in C content and initial C content were described by bell‐shaped curves. Easily available C fractions were saturated earlier than more recalcitrant fractions. Despite these saturation tendencies in individual soil organic matter pools, the soil was evidently far from saturation after 50 years of soil development. The decrease in C sequestration with soil age previously observed for this soil was probably caused by a decrease in litter input rather than by C saturation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Earthworms increase plant biomass more in soil with no earthworm legacy than in earthworm‐mediated soil, and favour late successional species in competition

“…This was simply because overall plant biomass was larger in developed soil than in young soil. A similar pattern was reported for the rate of soil organic matter accumulation, which was in absolute values low in undeveloped overburden substrates, which then increased in soils that were being affected by plants and soil fauna in early to midsuccession and which then decreased in a mature soil near carbon saturation (Frouz, 2017). Previous studies have reported that the effect of earthworms on plants may depend on the soil conditions (Laossi, Decaëns, Jouquet, & Barot, 2010).…”

“…Earthworms modify the structure and chemical composition of soil (Bottinelli et al, 2015). By bioturbation they stabilize organic matter in soil and form soil aggregates (Angst et al, 2017;Bottinelli et al, 2015;Frouz, 2017). Such changes generally increase soil water holding capacity, soil nutrient content and plant productivity (Bottinelli et al, 2015;Lavelle et al, 1997).…”

Agricultural land abandonment in Mediterranean environment provides ecosystem services via soil carbon sequestration

“…The acceleration of the biological and hydrological cycles after land abandonment results in recovery of soil carbon stocks as found by other studies when land was abandoned (Brevik and Lazari, 2014), forests were transformed into crops (Wasak and Drewnik, 2015), or when degraded rangelands were restored (Zucca et al, 2016). There is a positive interaction in the soil system after abandonment that favours the recovery of the biota (fauna and flora) followed by litter and organic matter, which finally improves soil quality and as a consequence the diversity and mass of the biota (Certini et al, 2015;Chen et al, 2016;Frouz, 2016).…”

Dynamic Changes in Carbon Sequestration from Opencast Mining Activities and Land Reclamation in China’s Loess Plateau

“…Improvement of soil quality and selection of suitable vegetation in reclaimed land plays an important role in enhancing the carbon sequestration potential in mining areas. Soil organic matter in the early stage of the reclamation process is very important for the recovery of SOC in the late stage of mining and the carbon sequestration capacity will be strengthened over time [51,52].…”