Consolidating soil carbon turnover models by improved estimates of belowground carbon input

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals

Taghizadeh-Toosi, A., Christensen, B. T., Glendining, M. J. and Olesen, J. E. 2016. Consolidating soil carbon turnover models by improved estimates of belowground carbon input. Scientific Reports. 6, p. 32568. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep32568

AuthorsTaghizadeh-Toosi, A., Christensen, B. T., Glendining, M. J. and Olesen, J. E.
Abstract

World soil carbon (C) stocks are third only to those in the ocean and earth crust, and represent twice the amount currently present in the atmosphere. Therefore, any small change in the amount of soil organic C (SOC) may affect carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the atmosphere. Dynamic models of SOC help reveal the interaction among soil carbon systems, climate and land management, and they are also frequently used to help assess SOC dynamics. Those models often use allometric functions to calculate soil C inputs in which the amount of C in both above and below ground crop residues are assumed to be proportional to crop harvest yield. Here we argue that simulating changes in SOC stocks based on C input that are proportional to crop yield is not supported by data from long-term experiments with
measured SOC changes. Rather, there is evidence that root C inputs are largely independent of crop yield, but crop specific. We discuss implications of applying fixed below ground C input regardless of crop yield on agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation and accounting.

Year of Publication2016
JournalScientific Reports
Journal citation6, p. 32568
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1038/srep32568
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
FunderBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Funder project or codeThe Rothamsted Long-Term Experiments including Sample Archive and e-RA database [2012-2017]
Sustainable farm management aimed at reducing threats to Soils under climate change - SmartSOIL
Publisher's version
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online01 Sep 2016
Publication process dates
Accepted09 Aug 2016
PublisherMacmillan & Co Ltd London
Nature Publishing Group
Copyright licenseCC BY
ISSN2045-2322

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