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Rapid accumulation and turnover of soil carbon in a re-establishing forest

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel D. Richter

    (Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University)

  • Daniel Markewitz

    (Warnell School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia)

  • Susan E. Trumbore

    (University of California)

  • Carol G. Wells

    (Forest Service, Forest Sciences Laboratory, Research Triangle Park)

Abstract

Present understanding of the global carbon cycle is limited by uncertainty over soil-carbon dynamics1,2,3,4,5,6. The clearing of the world's forests, mainly for agricultural uses, releases large amounts of carbon to the atmosphere (up to 2× 1015 g yr−1), much of which arises from the cultivation driving an accelerated decomposition of soil organic matter1,2,3,4. Although the effects of cultivation on soil carbon are well studied, studies of soil-carbon recovery after cultivation are limited4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11. Here we present a four-decade-long field study of carbon accumulation by pine ecosystems established on previously cultivated soils in South Carolina, USA7. Newly accumulated carbon is tracked by its distinctive 14C signature, acquired around the onset of forest growth from thermonuclear bomb testing that nearly doubled atmospheric 14CO2 in the 1960s. Field data combined with model simulations indicate that the young aggrading forest rapidly incorporated bomb radiocarbon into the forest floor and the upper 60 cm of underlying mineral soil. By the 1990s, however, carbon accumulated only in forest biomass, forest floor, and the upper 7.5 cm of the mineral soil. Although the forest was a strong carbon sink, trees accounted for about 80%, the forest floor 20%, and mineral soil

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel D. Richter & Daniel Markewitz & Susan E. Trumbore & Carol G. Wells, 1999. "Rapid accumulation and turnover of soil carbon in a re-establishing forest," Nature, Nature, vol. 400(6739), pages 56-58, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:400:y:1999:i:6739:d:10.1038_21867
    DOI: 10.1038/21867
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    Cited by:

    1. R. Daniel Hanks & Robert F. Baldwin & Travis H. Folk & Ernie P. Wiggers & Richard H. Coen & Michael L. Gouin & Andrew Agha & Daniel D. Richter & Edda L. Fields-Black, 2021. "Mapping Antebellum Rice Fields as a Basis for Understanding Human and Ecological Consequences of the Era of Slavery," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-15, August.
    2. Christopher Galik & Megan Mobley & Daniel Richter, 2009. "A virtual “field test” of forest management carbon offset protocols: the influence of accounting," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 14(7), pages 677-690, October.
    3. Xiaomin Qin & Dongmei Zhao & Baojun Zhang & Donghong Xiong & Zhengrong Yuan & Wenduo Zhang & Lin Liu & Dil Kumar Rai & Sheikh Laraib & Wei Deng, 2023. "Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Drivers of Wind Erosion during 1990–2020 in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin, Southern Tibetan Plateau," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-20, August.
    4. Hefeng Wang & Yishao Shi & Anbing Zhang & Yuan Cao & Haixin Liu, 2017. "Does Suburbanization Cause Ecological Deterioration? An Empirical Analysis of Shanghai, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-17, January.
    5. Parolari, Anthony J. & Porporato, Amilcare, 2016. "Forest soil carbon and nitrogen cycles under biomass harvest: Stability, transient response, and feedback," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 329(C), pages 64-76.
    6. Pérez-López, Paula & Gasol, Carles M. & Oliver-Solà, Jordi & Huelin, Sagrario & Moreira, Ma Teresa & Feijoo, Gumersindo, 2013. "Greenhouse gas emissions from Spanish motorway transport: Key aspects and mitigation solutions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 705-713.
    7. Huang, Lin & Liu, Jiyuan & Shao, Quanqin & Xu, Xinliang, 2012. "Carbon sequestration by forestation across China: Past, present, and future," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 1291-1299.
    8. Parolari, Anthony J. & Mobley, Megan L. & Bacon, Allan R. & Katul, Gabriel G. & Richter, Daniel deB. & Porporato, Amilcare, 2017. "Boom and bust carbon-nitrogen dynamics during reforestation," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 360(C), pages 108-119.
    9. Chengzhang Liao & Yiqi Luo & Changming Fang & Bo Li, 2010. "Ecosystem Carbon Stock Influenced by Plantation Practice: Implications for Planting Forests as a Measure of Climate Change Mitigation," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 5(5), pages 1-6, May.
    10. Viorel Blujdea & David Bird & Carmenza Robledo, 2010. "Consistency and comparability of estimation and accounting of removal by sinks in afforestation/reforestation activities," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, January.
    11. Tomas Selecky & Sonoko D. Bellingrath-Kimura & Yuji Kobata & Masaaki Yamada & Iraê A. Guerrini & Helio M. Umemura & Dinaldo A. Dos Santos, 2017. "Changes in Carbon Cycling during Development of Successional Agroforestry," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-12, March.
    12. Ondřej HOLUBÍK & Vilém PODRÁZSKÝ & Jan VOPRAVIL & Tomáš KHEL & Jiří REMEŠ, 2014. "Effect of agricultural lands afforestation and tree species composition on the soil reaction, total organic carbon and nitrogen content in the uppermost mineral soil profile," Soil and Water Research, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 9(4), pages 192-200.

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