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Forests
Special Issues
Soil Carbon Sequestration in Forests
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Soil Carbon Sequestration in Forests

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2017) | Viewed by 19157

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Adele Muscolo

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Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Mediterranea University, Feo di Vito, 89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy
Interests: salinity, drought, and heat impact on seed germination, seedling growth and metabolism; forest soil management; adaptive response of plants to different environmental constraints; halophytes for the restoration and rehabilitation of salinized or contaminated soils
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Miroslava Mitrovic

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Guest Editor
Institute for Biological Research "Sinisa Stankovic", University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Interest in terrestrial carbon sequestration has increased in an effort to explore opportunities for climate change mitigation. Carbon sequestration is the process by which atmospheric carbon dioxide is taken up by trees, grasses, and other plants through photosynthesis and stored as carbon in biomass (trunks, branches, foliage, and roots) and soils. The sink of carbon sequestration in forests and wood products helps to offset sources of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, such as deforestation, forest fires, and fossil fuel emissions. The rate of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, and the magnitude and quality of soil C stock depend on the complex interaction among climate, soil and tree species, chemical composition of the litter as determined by the dominant tree species, and forest management. Even if many studies have addressed carbon cycles, there is still much to learn about soil carbon sequestration in forests. We encourage studies from all fields—including experimental studies, monitoring approaches and models—to contribute to this Special Issue in order to promote knowledge on soil carbon sequestration and ways to increase the storage time of carbon in the forest soil as a strategy to ameliorate changes in atmospheric chemistry.

Prof. Dr. Adele Muscolo
Dr. Miroslava Mitrovic
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Carbon sequestration
  • Forest soil
  • Forest management
  • Forest ecosystem
  • Global carbon cycle

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

2412 KiB  
Article
Land Use Affects the Soil C Sequestration in Alpine Environment, NE Italy
by Diego Pizzeghello, Ornella Francioso, Giuseppe Concheri, Adele Muscolo and Serenella Nardi
Forests 2017, 8(6), 197; https://doi.org/10.3390/f8060197 - 06 Jun 2017
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4211
Abstract
Soil carbon sequestration is strongly affected by soil properties, climate, and anthropogenic activities. Assessing these drivers is key to understanding the effect of land use on soil organic matter stabilization. We evaluated land use and soil depth influencing patterns of soil organic matter [...] Read more.
Soil carbon sequestration is strongly affected by soil properties, climate, and anthropogenic activities. Assessing these drivers is key to understanding the effect of land use on soil organic matter stabilization. We evaluated land use and soil depth influencing patterns of soil organic matter stabilization in three types of soil profiles located under the same pedogenetic matrix and alpine conditions but with different vegetation cover. The stock in soil organic carbon in the mean 0–20 cm layer increased from prairie (31.9 t ha−1) to prairie in natural reforestation (42 t ha−1) to forest (120 t ha−1), corresponding to increments of 1.3-fold prairie, for prairie in natural reforestation, and of 3.8-fold prairie for forest. The forest showed the highest humic carbon (21.7 g kg−1), which was 2.8 times greater than the prairie in natural reforestation and 4 times higher than the prairie. 13C-NMR spectroscopic measurements suggested a different C pattern. The prairie in natural reforestation and the prairie were characterized by a higher content in O,N-alkyl C with respect to the forest. Alkyl C and aromatic C in the prairie in natural reforestation and prairie did not show relevant differences while they decreased with respect to the forest. Carboxyl and phenolic C groups were markedly higher in forest and prairie than prairie in natural reforestation. Alkyl C, carboxyl C, and phenolic C prevailed in the Ah horizons whereas aromatic C and O,N-alkyl C were dominant in the B horizons. Overall, the marked distribution of O,N-alkyl C and alkyl C in humic substances (HS) indicates a low degree of humification. Nevertheless, in forest, the relatively high presence of aromatic C designated HS endowed with a relatively high humification degree. Thus, our results might suggest that in the alpine environment of NE Italy differences in soil organic matter (SOM) stocks and characteristics are affected by land use and anthropic activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Sequestration in Forests)
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1653 KiB  
Article
Chemical and Biochemical Properties of Soils Developed from Different Lithologies in Northwestern Spain (Galicia)
by Valeria Cardelli, Stefania Cocco, Alberto Agnelli, Serenella Nardi, Diego Pizzeghello, Maria J. Fernández-Sanjurjo and Giuseppe Corti
Forests 2017, 8(4), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/f8040135 - 22 Apr 2017
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4256
Abstract
Physical and chemical soil properties are generally correlated with the parent material, as its composition may influence the pedogenetic processes, the content of nutrients, and the element biocycling. This research studied the chemical and biochemical properties of the A horizon from soils developed [...] Read more.
Physical and chemical soil properties are generally correlated with the parent material, as its composition may influence the pedogenetic processes, the content of nutrients, and the element biocycling. This research studied the chemical and biochemical properties of the A horizon from soils developed on different rocks like amphibolite, serpentinite, phyllite, and granite under a relatively similar climatic regime from Galicia (northwest Spain). In particular, the effect of the parent material on soil evolution, organic carbon sequestration, and the hormone-like activity of humic and fulvic acids were tested. Results indicated that all the soils were scarcely fertile because of low concentrations of available P, exchangeable Ca (except for the soils on serpentinite and phyllite), and exchangeable K, but sequestered relevant quantities of organic carbon. The scarce soil fertility was common to all soils independently of the parent material, and we attributed this similarity to the pedogenetic pressure induced by the climatic conditions. Also, the hormone-like activity of humic and fulvic acids, similar for all the soils, was probably due to pedogenesis. We hypothesized that the hormone-like activity of the humic substances helps growth and diffusion of vegetation in low fertile soils and, consequently, soil organic carbon sequestration too. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Sequestration in Forests)
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4274 KiB  
Article
An Assessment of Carbon Storage in China’s Arboreal Forests
by Weiwei Shao, Jingya Cai, Haibing Wu, Jiahong Liu, Haixing Zhang and Hao Huang
Forests 2017, 8(4), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/f8040110 - 06 Apr 2017
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4837
Abstract
In the years 2009–2013, China carried out its eighth national survey of forest resources. Based on the survey data, this paper used a biomass conversion function method to evaluate the carbon stores and carbon density of China’s arboreal forests. The results showed that: [...] Read more.
In the years 2009–2013, China carried out its eighth national survey of forest resources. Based on the survey data, this paper used a biomass conversion function method to evaluate the carbon stores and carbon density of China’s arboreal forests. The results showed that: (1) By age group, the largest portion of carbon stores in China’s arboreal forests are in middle-aged forests. Over-mature forests have the least carbon storage; (2) By origin, natural forests of all age groups have higher carbon storage and carbon density than man-made forest plantations. The carbon density of natural forests and forest plantations increases gradually with the age of the trees; (3) By type (dominant tree species), the 18 most abundant types of arboreal forest in China account for approximately 94% of the nation’s total arboreal forest biomass and carbon storage. Among these, broadleaf mixed and Quercus spp. form the two largest portions. Taxus spp. forests, while comprising a very small portion of China’s forested area, have very high carbon density; (4) By region, the overall arboreal forest carbon storage is highest in the southwest part of China, and lowest in the northwest. However, because of differences in land use and forest coverage ratios, regions with arboreal forests of high carbon density are not necessarily the same regions that have high overall carbon storage; (5) By province, Heilongjiang, Yunnan, Tibet, Sichuan, Inner Mongolia, and Jilin have rather high carbon storage. The arboreal forests in Tibet, Jilin, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Hainan have a rather high carbon density. This paper’s evaluation of carbon storage in China’s arboreal forests is a valuable reference for interpreting the role and function of Chinese ecosystems in coping with global climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Sequestration in Forests)
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4815 KiB  
Article
A Basin-Scale Estimation of Carbon Stocks of a Forest Ecosystem Characterized by Spatial Distribution and Contributive Features in the Liuxihe River Basin of Pearl River Delta
by Chao Zhang, Beicheng Xia and Junyu Lin
Forests 2016, 7(12), 299; https://doi.org/10.3390/f7120299 - 06 Dec 2016
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5152
Abstract
Forest ecosystems make a greater contribution to carbon (C) stocks than any other terrestrial ecosystem. To understand the role of regional forest ecosystems in global climate change and carbon exchange, forest C stocks and their spatial distribution within the small (2300 km2 [...] Read more.
Forest ecosystems make a greater contribution to carbon (C) stocks than any other terrestrial ecosystem. To understand the role of regional forest ecosystems in global climate change and carbon exchange, forest C stocks and their spatial distribution within the small (2300 km2) Liuxihe River basin in China were analyzed to determine the different contributors to the C stocks. Forest C stocks were quantified by measuring the biomass of trees, understory vegetation, litter and roots, as well as soil organic C, using data from field samples and laboratory experiments. The results showed that forests stored 38.04 Tg·C in the entire basin, with secondary and planted forests accounting for 89.82% and 10.18%, respectively, of the stored C. Five types of forests, a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, a subtropical coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest, a subtropical coniferous forest, a timber forest, and a non-wood forest, stored 257.55 ± 15.01, 218.92 ± 9.59, 195.24 ± 18.29, 177.42 ± 17.55, and 117.86 ± 6.04 Mg·C·ha−1, respectively. In the forest ecosystem C stocks of the basin, soils on average contributed about 73.78%, not including root underground biomass. The results of this study, which provide baseline forest C stock data for ecosystem services and regional C flux research, are useful to support the basin-scale forest management and land use change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Sequestration in Forests)
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