Soil carbon stocks in temperate grasslands reach equilibrium with grazing duration.
Sci Total Environ
; 949: 175081, 2024 Nov 01.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39069182
ABSTRACT
Lost soil organic carbon (SOC) in degraded grasslands can be restored via the 'grazing exclusion' practice, but it was unknown how long (# of years) the restoration process can take. A synthesis of four decades of studies revealed that grazing exclusion increased SOC stocks in the topsoil (0-0.30 m) by 14.8 % (±0.8 Std Err), on average, compared to moderate-to-heavy grazing (MtH); During which SOC stock increased steadily, peaked in Year 18.5, and then declined. At peak, SOC stock was 42.5 % greater under grazing exclusion than under MtH due to 100.4 ± 4.2 % increase in aboveground biomass and 80.3 ± 33.5 % increase in root biomass. Grazing exclusion also increased soil CN ratio by 7.6 % while decreasing bulk density by 9.4 %. Grazing exclusion could be ceased 18.5 years after initiation of grazing exclusion as plant biomass input balances carbon decomposition and SOC equilibrium occurs then additional benefits start diminishing.
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1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sci Total Environ
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article