Title: Spatial analysis of soil organic carbon evolution in Belgian croplands and grasslands, 1960-2006
Abstract: Global Change BiologyVolume 17, Issue 1 p. 466-479 Spatial analysis of soil organic carbon evolution in Belgian croplands and grasslands, 1960–2006 J. MEERSMANS, J. MEERSMANS Department of Geography, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place Louis Pasteur 3, 1347 Louvain-la-neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorB. Van WESEMAEL, B. Van WESEMAEL Department of Geography, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place Louis Pasteur 3, 1347 Louvain-la-neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorE. GOIDTS, E. GOIDTS Department of Geography, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place Louis Pasteur 3, 1347 Louvain-la-neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorM. Van MOLLE, M. Van MOLLE Department of Geography, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorS. De BAETS, S. De BAETS Department of Geography, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place Louis Pasteur 3, 1347 Louvain-la-neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorF. De RIDDER, F. De RIDDER Department of Geography, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this author J. MEERSMANS, J. MEERSMANS Department of Geography, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place Louis Pasteur 3, 1347 Louvain-la-neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorB. Van WESEMAEL, B. Van WESEMAEL Department of Geography, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place Louis Pasteur 3, 1347 Louvain-la-neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorE. GOIDTS, E. GOIDTS Department of Geography, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place Louis Pasteur 3, 1347 Louvain-la-neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorM. Van MOLLE, M. Van MOLLE Department of Geography, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorS. De BAETS, S. De BAETS Department of Geography, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place Louis Pasteur 3, 1347 Louvain-la-neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorF. De RIDDER, F. De RIDDER Department of Geography, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 December 2010 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02183.xCitations: 98 J. Meersmans, tel. +32 10/47 28 80, fax +32 11/47 28 77, e-mail: [email protected] Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Given the importance of soil organic carbon (SOC) as a pool in the global carbon cycle and an indicator for soil quality, there exits an urgent need to monitor this dynamic soil property. Here, we present a modelling approach to analyze the spatial patterns and temporal evolution of organic carbon in mineral soils under agricultural land use in Belgium. An empirical model, predicting the SOC concentration in the top 0.3 m, as a function of precipitation, land use, soil type and management has been constructed and applied within a spatial context using data from different time slices. The results show that SOC content is strongly correlated with precipitation and temperature under cropland and with texture and drainage under grassland. Total SOC stock increased with 1.3% from 6.18 ± 0.03 kg C m−2 in 1960 to 6.26 ± 0.07 kg C m−2 in 2006. Although this increase was not significant (P>0.05), a significant discrepancy between cropland (−8%) and grassland (+10%) was observed. Foremost, the grasslands in the hilly southern part of the country, under relatively wet climate conditions, acted as important sinks of CO2. Under cropland, all soil types were characterized by a decrease in SOC, except for the clay soils in the north-west. Currently, croplands in the central loam region have SOC concentrations close to 10 g C kg−1 indicating that these soils are at risk of a decline in aggregate stability. An overall strong SOC decline in poorly drained soils is probably caused by artificial drainage. Further research is needed to gain more insight into the processes driving the observed SOC trends. Moreover, the use of updated drainage class information and land management history would improve the empirical models. Citing Literature Volume17, Issue1January 2011Pages 466-479 RelatedInformation
Publication Year: 2010
Publication Date: 2010-01-20
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 127
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