In most studies concerning the carbon (C) exchange between soil and atmosphere only the topsoil (0–0.3 m) is taken into account. However, it has been shown that important amounts of stable soil organic carbon (SOC) are also stored at...
moreIn most studies concerning the carbon (C) exchange between soil and atmosphere only the topsoil (0–0.3 m) is taken into account. However, it has been shown that important amounts of stable soil organic carbon (SOC) are also stored at greater depth. Here, we developed a quantitative model to estimate the evolution of the distribution of SOC with depth between 1960 (database ‘Aardewerk’) and 2006 in northern Belgium. This temporal analysis was conducted under different land use, texture and drainage conditions. The results indicate that intensified land management practices seriously affect the SOC status of the soil. The increase in plough depth and a change in crop rotation result in a significant decrease of C near the surface for dry silt loam cropland soils, (i.e. 1.02 ± 0.23 kg C m−2 in the top 0.3 m between 1960 and 2006). In wet to extremely wet grasslands, topsoil SOC decreased significantly, indicating a negative influence of intensive soil drainage on SOC stock. This result...
Spatial and temporal studies of soil organic carbon (SOC) are essential for a better understanding of CO2 fluxes between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere and sustainable management of the soil in the light of global climate...
moreSpatial and temporal studies of soil organic carbon (SOC) are essential for a better understanding of CO2 fluxes between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere and sustainable management of the soil in the light of global climate change. In most studies only topsoil is taken into consideration. However, it has been shown that important amounts of relatively stable soil organic carbon
Recent research identified the Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) pool as an important element of the global C-cycle. Nevertheless, a great uncertainty still exists in the CO2 fluxes between soil and atmosphere. The rate of exchange of CO2 between...
moreRecent research identified the Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) pool as an important element of the global C-cycle. Nevertheless, a great uncertainty still exists in the CO2 fluxes between soil and atmosphere. The rate of exchange of CO2 between soil and atmosphere depends to a large extent on the stability of the stored SOC. As carbon stored in the subsoil is more stable than carbon stored in the topsoil, not only the amount of SOC stored, but also its distribution within the profile is essential to improve sustainable management of this reservoir. Here we study the depth distribution of SOC is studied in relation to land use and soil type based on a large dataset containing almost 7000 profile pits sampled throughout Flanders (Belgium) during the Belgian national soil survey. Hence, a general depth distribution model was constructed and applied to all land use - soil type combinations in the database. For each parameter (e.g. SOC content at the surface) a specific pedo transfer function ...
... Daisy Tysmans*, Philippe Claeys**, Luc Deriemaeker***, Dominique Maes****, Robert Finsy***, Marc Van Molle* ... particle by particle, using comparison charts and defining an axis-ratio in two or three dimensions or by combining...
more... Daisy Tysmans*, Philippe Claeys**, Luc Deriemaeker***, Dominique Maes****, Robert Finsy***, Marc Van Molle* ... particle by particle, using comparison charts and defining an axis-ratio in two or three dimensions or by combining axis-ratios, eg, Zingg's classification (Griffiths [1 ...