Within the JRC Kyoto Experiment in the Regional Park and UN-Biosphere Reserve “Parco Ticino” (North-Italy, near Pavia), the soil carbon stocks and fluxes of CO2, N2O, and CH4 were measured in a poplar plantation in comparison with a natural mesohygrophilous 5 deciduous forest nearby, which represents the pristine land cover of the area. Soil fluxes were measured using the static and dynamic closed chamber techniques for CH4, N2O, and CO2, respectively. We made further a pedological study to relate the spatial variability found with soil parameters. Annual emission fluxes of N2O and CO2 and deposition fluxes of CH4 were calcu10 lated for the year 2003 for the poplar plantation and compared to those measured at the natural forest site. N2O emissions at the poplar plantation were 0.15±0.1 g N2O m−2 y−1 and the difference to the emissions at the natural forest of 0.07±0.06 g N2O m−2 y−1 are partly due to a period of high emissions after the flooding of the site at the end of 2002. CH4 consumption at the natural forest was twice as large as at the poplar 15 plantation. In comparison to the relict forest, carbon stocks in the soil under the poplar plantation were depleted by 61% of surface (10 cm) carbon and by 25% down the profile under tillage (45 cm). Soil respiration rates were not significant different at both sites with 1608±1053 and 2200±791 g CO2 m−2 y−1 at the poplar plantation and natural forest, respectively, indicating that soil organic carbon is much more stable in the 20 natural forest. In terms of the greenhouse gas budget, the non-CO2 gases contributed minor to the overall soil balance with only 0.9% (N2O) and −0.3% (CH4) of CO2-eq emissions in the natural forest, and 2.7% (N2O) and −0.2% of CO2-eq. emissions in the poplar plantation. The very high spatial variability of soil fluxes within the two sites was related to the 25 morphology of the floodplain area, which was formed by the historic course of the Ticino river and led to a small-scale (tenth of meters) variability in soil texture and to smallscale differences in elevation. Differences of site conditions are reflected by differences of inundation patterns, ecosystem productivity, CO2 and N2O emission rates, and soil contents of carbon and nitrogen. Additional variability was observed during a flooding event and after fertilisation at the poplar site. Despite of this variability, the two sites are comparable as both originate from alluvial deposits. The study shows that changes in soil carbon stocks and related fertility are the most visible 5 phenomena after 40 years of land use change from a pristine forest to a fast growing poplar plantation. Therefore, the conservation and careful management of existing carbon stocks deserves highest priority in the context of the Kyoto Protocol.

Ferré, C., Leip, A., Matteucci, G., Previtali, F., Seufert, G. (2005). Impact of 40 years poplar cultivation on soil carbon stocks and greenhouse gas fluxes. BIOGEOSCIENCES DISCUSSIONS, 2, 897-931 [10.5194/bgd-2-897-2005].

Impact of 40 years poplar cultivation on soil carbon stocks and greenhouse gas fluxes

Ferré, C.;Previtali, F.;
2005

Abstract

Within the JRC Kyoto Experiment in the Regional Park and UN-Biosphere Reserve “Parco Ticino” (North-Italy, near Pavia), the soil carbon stocks and fluxes of CO2, N2O, and CH4 were measured in a poplar plantation in comparison with a natural mesohygrophilous 5 deciduous forest nearby, which represents the pristine land cover of the area. Soil fluxes were measured using the static and dynamic closed chamber techniques for CH4, N2O, and CO2, respectively. We made further a pedological study to relate the spatial variability found with soil parameters. Annual emission fluxes of N2O and CO2 and deposition fluxes of CH4 were calcu10 lated for the year 2003 for the poplar plantation and compared to those measured at the natural forest site. N2O emissions at the poplar plantation were 0.15±0.1 g N2O m−2 y−1 and the difference to the emissions at the natural forest of 0.07±0.06 g N2O m−2 y−1 are partly due to a period of high emissions after the flooding of the site at the end of 2002. CH4 consumption at the natural forest was twice as large as at the poplar 15 plantation. In comparison to the relict forest, carbon stocks in the soil under the poplar plantation were depleted by 61% of surface (10 cm) carbon and by 25% down the profile under tillage (45 cm). Soil respiration rates were not significant different at both sites with 1608±1053 and 2200±791 g CO2 m−2 y−1 at the poplar plantation and natural forest, respectively, indicating that soil organic carbon is much more stable in the 20 natural forest. In terms of the greenhouse gas budget, the non-CO2 gases contributed minor to the overall soil balance with only 0.9% (N2O) and −0.3% (CH4) of CO2-eq emissions in the natural forest, and 2.7% (N2O) and −0.2% of CO2-eq. emissions in the poplar plantation. The very high spatial variability of soil fluxes within the two sites was related to the 25 morphology of the floodplain area, which was formed by the historic course of the Ticino river and led to a small-scale (tenth of meters) variability in soil texture and to smallscale differences in elevation. Differences of site conditions are reflected by differences of inundation patterns, ecosystem productivity, CO2 and N2O emission rates, and soil contents of carbon and nitrogen. Additional variability was observed during a flooding event and after fertilisation at the poplar site. Despite of this variability, the two sites are comparable as both originate from alluvial deposits. The study shows that changes in soil carbon stocks and related fertility are the most visible 5 phenomena after 40 years of land use change from a pristine forest to a fast growing poplar plantation. Therefore, the conservation and careful management of existing carbon stocks deserves highest priority in the context of the Kyoto Protocol.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Carbon, soil, poplar
English
ago-2005
2005
2
897
931
none
Ferré, C., Leip, A., Matteucci, G., Previtali, F., Seufert, G. (2005). Impact of 40 years poplar cultivation on soil carbon stocks and greenhouse gas fluxes. BIOGEOSCIENCES DISCUSSIONS, 2, 897-931 [10.5194/bgd-2-897-2005].
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/263797
Citazioni
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
Social impact