Soil Carbon Storage in Forests: Mechanisms, Dynamics, and Management

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Soil".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 11187

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Interests: biogeochemistry; forest ecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soils store approximately three times more organic carbon than global terrestrial vegetation. Indeed, forests cover about one third of the global land area and contain the largest soil carbon pool among terrestrial biomes. Forest soil carbon dynamics thus have important feedbacks to the climate system via either sequestering or releasing CO2. This Special Issue aims to present the most recent field and modelling studies to improve our understanding of the mechanisms and dynamics of soil carbon storage in natural and managed forest ecosystems. Special attention is paid to the impacts of climate warming, nitrogen deposition, rising CO2 concentrations, land use changes, and other extreme disturbances (e.g., fire). In view of these global and regional forces, forest management options to increase soil carbon storage are increasingly in need, and relevant studies are also included in this Special Issue.

Potential topics include but are not limited to:

  • Biotic and abiotic mechanisms of soil carbon storage;
  • Spatial patterns and/or temporal trends in soil carbon storage;
  • Soil carbon storage in response to climate warming;
  • Soil carbon storage in response to nitrogen deposition;
  • Soil carbon storage in response to rising CO2 concentrations;
  • Soil carbon storage in response to land use change;
  • Soil carbon storage in response to extreme disturbances;
  • Forest management options to increase soil carbon storage.

Dr. Enzai Du
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • soil carbon
  • climate warming
  • nitrogen deposition
  • CO2 enrichment
  • land use change
  • forest fire
  • forest management

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 5555 KiB  
Article
Combined Application of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers Effects on the Global Warming Potential and Greenhouse Gas Emission in Apple Orchard in Loess Plateau Region of China
by Thongsouk Sompouviset, Yanting Ma, Zhiyuan Zhao, Zhaoxia Zhen, Wei Zheng, Ziyan Li and Bingnian Zhai
Forests 2023, 14(2), 337; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14020337 - 8 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2362
Abstract
Inorganic fertilizers have been widely used to achieve high apple yields throughout China, especially in Northwest China. This approach has adverse effects on apple orchard soil environments and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, we investigated the effects of combined organic and inorganic fertilizers [...] Read more.
Inorganic fertilizers have been widely used to achieve high apple yields throughout China, especially in Northwest China. This approach has adverse effects on apple orchard soil environments and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, we investigated the effects of combined organic and inorganic fertilizers on GHG emissions, soil properties, and apple yield to assess the greenhouse gas inventory and to determine which fertilization manner is good for the sustainable development of apple orchards. A split plot design was used, with main treatment of fertilizer ditch (FD) site and a bare soil (BS) site, each with four subtreatments: organic fertilizer–goat manure (M), chemical fertilizer (NPK), chemical fertilizer combined with organic fertilizer–goat manure (MNPK), and control (CK). The cumulative N2O emissions at the FD site were higher than those at the BS site (by 105.72%). The N2O emissions ranged from approximately 0.95–5.91 kg ha−1 and were higher in the MNPK treatment than in the other treatments. The cumulative CH4 uptake from each treatment was generally negative (1.06–7.67 kg ha−1). Compared to the other treatments, the MNPK treatment applied at the FD site led to an increased global warming potential. At both the FD and BS sites, the MNPK treatment led to a lower greenhouse gas intensity than the NPK treatment. Nitrates nitrogen (NO3-N), water-filled pore space, and temperature all influenced GHG emissions. These results showed that the MNPK treatment was more conducive than the other treatments to the sustainable development of apple orchards in the Loess Plateau region of China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Storage in Forests: Mechanisms, Dynamics, and Management)
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16 pages, 2104 KiB  
Article
Effects of Drying and Rewetting Cycles on Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Soil Microbial Communities
by Yun Zhang, Xiaohan Li, Xinmei Liu, Yufei Cui, Ye Zhang, Xiaoying Zheng, Weiwei Zhang, Yue Fan and Junliang Zou
Forests 2022, 13(11), 1916; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13111916 - 15 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1640
Abstract
Extreme rainfall and drought events attributed to climate change are anticipated to occur in the current century, resulting in frequent drying and rewetting cycles (DWCs) in soils, which will, in turn, influence soil properties and microorganisms. Sample plots of Sophora japonica, Pinus [...] Read more.
Extreme rainfall and drought events attributed to climate change are anticipated to occur in the current century, resulting in frequent drying and rewetting cycles (DWCs) in soils, which will, in turn, influence soil properties and microorganisms. Sample plots of Sophora japonica, Pinus tabulaeformis, and Ginkgo biloba were selected, and undisturbed soil columns were collected. CK was the constant drying treatment; the precipitation intensities of R80, R40, and R20 were 80 mm, 40 mm, and 20 mm, respectively, and the total precipitation for the four treatments was 160 mm. Significant differences were observed in the cumulative CO2 emissions among the various DWC frequencies for the same woodland soils. A significant correlation was observed between the Birch effect and the DWC frequencies of the three woodland soils. A Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed that background nutrient contents were the key factors influencing alpha diversity. In conclusion, DWCs generally increased CO2 fluxes, cumulative CO2 emissions, and the Birch effect in addition to decreasing the alpha diversity of soil microorganisms when compared to those in the constant drying treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Storage in Forests: Mechanisms, Dynamics, and Management)
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17 pages, 2717 KiB  
Article
Soil Carbon Pool and Carbon Fluxes Estimation in 26 Years after Selective Logging Tropical Forest at Sabah, Malaysia
by Nurul Syakilah Suhaili, Syazwani Nisa Anuar, Wilson Vun Chiong Wong, Daniel Lussetti, Erik Petter Axelsson, Niles Hasselquist, Ulrik Ilstedt and Normah Awang Besar
Forests 2022, 13(11), 1890; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13111890 - 10 Nov 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1697
Abstract
The soil carbon pool holds an enormous amount of carbon, making it the largest reservoir in the terrestrial ecosystem. However, there is growing concern that unsustainable logging methods damage the soil ecosystem, thus triggering the release of soil carbon into the atmosphere hence [...] Read more.
The soil carbon pool holds an enormous amount of carbon, making it the largest reservoir in the terrestrial ecosystem. However, there is growing concern that unsustainable logging methods damage the soil ecosystem, thus triggering the release of soil carbon into the atmosphere hence contributing to ongoing climate change. This study uses a replicated (n = 4) logging experiment to examine the impact of supervised logging with climber cutting (SLCC) and conventional logging (CL) on basic soil characteristics, litter input to soils, soil carbon pools, and soil respiration in a mixed dipterocarp forest 26 years after logging. This study found that there was no significant difference observed in the soil physicochemical properties and total carbon pools between the logging treatments and the virgin forest. Soil carbon pools dominated the total carbon pools, and the highest mean value was recorded in SLCC (87.95 ± 13.67 Mg C ha−1). Conventional logging had a lower mean value (71.17 ± 12.09 Mg C ha−1) than virgin forest (83.20 ± 11.97 Mg C ha−1). SLCC also shows a higher value of soil respiration rate (161.75 ± 21.67 mg C m−2 h−1) than CL (140.54 ± 12.54 mg C m−2 h−1). These findings highlight the importance of accurate quantification of the effect of different logging methods on the forest’s carbon pools. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Storage in Forests: Mechanisms, Dynamics, and Management)
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15 pages, 1719 KiB  
Article
Influence of Eucalyptus Plantation on Soil Organic Carbon and Its Fractions in Severely Degraded Soil in Leizhou Peninsula, China
by Jundi Zhong, Ping Pan, Shenghong Xiao and Xunzhi Ouyang
Forests 2022, 13(10), 1606; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13101606 - 30 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1685
Abstract
Effective vegetation restoration plays an important role in maintaining and improving soil nutrients and can promote the fixation of soil organic carbon (SOC) and its fractions in degraded soil areas. To understand the influence of Eucalyptus plantation on SOC and its fractions in [...] Read more.
Effective vegetation restoration plays an important role in maintaining and improving soil nutrients and can promote the fixation of soil organic carbon (SOC) and its fractions in degraded soil areas. To understand the influence of Eucalyptus plantation on SOC and its fractions in severely degraded soil in Leizhou Peninsula, China, vegetation restoration with Eucalyptus (RE: Eucalyptus–shrub ES, Eucalyptus–grass EG, and EucalyptusDicranopteris ED) was chosen as the research object, and natural vegetation restoration without Eucalyptus (RNE: shrub S, grass G, and Dicranopteris D) nearby was used as the control group. SOC and its fractions in different vegetation types were compared and analyzed after sample plot surveys and sample determination, and the driving forces of SOC and its fractions were discussed. SOC, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), easily oxidized organic carbon (EOC), and particulate organic carbon (POC) in RE were significantly different from those in RNE, increasing by 194.4%, 36.3%, 111.0%, 141.6%, and 289.9%, respectively. The order of SOC, EOC, DOC, MBC, and POC content in RE was ES > EG > ED. SOC and its fractions were positively correlated with leaf litter cover and biomass, and soil organic matter. SOC, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, total phosphorus, available phosphorus, and enzyme activities were negatively correlated with microbial diversity but were not significantly correlated with soil bulk density and microbial richness. Structural equation modeling analysis results showed that soil enzyme activity was a direct driving force of SOC and its fractions. The input of carbon sources from leaf litter and soil properties were indirect factors that affected SOC and its fractions by affecting microbial characteristics and enzyme activities. Thus, planting Eucalyptus in harsh environments, where natural restoration is difficult, can be an effective measure for early vegetation restoration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Storage in Forests: Mechanisms, Dynamics, and Management)
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15 pages, 4529 KiB  
Article
Distributions and Influencing Factors of Soil Organic Carbon Fractions under Different Vegetation Restoration Conditions in a Subtropical Mountainous Area, SW China
by Xiaoni Wu, Denggao Fu, Changqun Duan, Gongning Huang and Huaye Shang
Forests 2022, 13(4), 629; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13040629 - 17 Apr 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2902
Abstract
Vegetation type is known to affect soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. However, the magnitudes and distributions of SOC sequestration and driving factors for different vegetation types are still largely unknown. Thus, we studied the changes in SOC fractions along soil profiles for different [...] Read more.
Vegetation type is known to affect soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. However, the magnitudes and distributions of SOC sequestration and driving factors for different vegetation types are still largely unknown. Thus, we studied the changes in SOC fractions along soil profiles for different vegetation restoration types and their relationships with soil properties. We selected five vegetation types and collected soil samples from depth intervals of 0–10, 10–30, 30–60, and 60–90 cm. Five soil carbon fractions and the soil properties were tested to evaluate the soil carbon fraction distributions and influencing factors. Our results demonstrated that the concentrations of total organic carbon (TOC) and five carbon fractions were strongly affected by vegetation types and soil depths. The concentrations of all five soil carbon fractions in 0–10 cm depth were higher than those in the other three soil depths and generally increased with vegetation complexity. The Pearson correlations and redundancy analysis showed that the fractions of soil glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) and Fe oxides as well as the soil bulk densities, were the most significant related to soil TOC levels and carbon fractions, which suggests that soil biochemical and physicochemical processes are among the most important mechanisms that contribute to SOC persistence. Considering the sensitive indices of the soil carbon variables and PCA results, soil permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC) was considered to be the most sensitive index for differentiating the effects of vegetation types. These results provide important information regarding the distributions and driving factors of the carbon fractions that result from different vegetation restoration types and will help to improve our understanding of soil carbon sequestration during vegetation restoration processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Storage in Forests: Mechanisms, Dynamics, and Management)
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