Deep soil flipping increases carbon stocks of New Zealand grasslands

Marcus Schiedung; Craig S. Tregurtha; Michael H. Beare; Steve M. Thomas; Axel Don

doi:10.1111/gcb.14588

journal article Open Access Feb 27, 2019

Deep soil flipping increases carbon stocks of New Zealand grasslands

Marcus Schiedung

Craig S. Tregurtha Michael H. Beare Steve M. Thomas Axel Don

Global Change Biology Vol. 25 No. 7 pp. 2296-2309 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1111/gcb.14588

Abstract

AbstractSequestration of soil organic carbon (SOC) has been recognized as an opportunity to off‐set global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Flipping (full inversion to 1–3 m) is a practice used on New Zealand's South Island West Coast to eliminate water‐logging in highly podzolized sandy soils. Flipping results in burial of SOC formed in surface soil horizons into the subsoil and the transfer of subsoil material low in SOC to the “new” topsoil. The aims of this study were to quantify changes in the storage and stability of SOC over a 20‐year period following flipping of high‐productive pasture grassland. Topsoils (0–30 cm) from sites representing a chronosequence of flipping (3–20 years old) were sampled (2005/07) and re‐sampled (2017) to assess changes in topsoil carbon stocks. Deeper samples (30–150 cm) were also collected (2017) to evaluate the changes in stocks of SOC previously buried by flipping. Density fractionation was used to determine SOC stability in recent and buried topsoils. Total SOC stocks (0–150 cm) increased significantly by 69 ± 15% (179 ± 40 Mg SOC ha‐1) over 20 years following flipping. Topsoil burial caused a one‐time sequestration of 160 ± 14 Mg SOC ha‐1 (30–150 cm). The top 0–30 cm accumulated 3.6 Mg SOC ha‐1 year‐1. The chronosequence and re‐sampling revealed SOC accumulation rates of 1.2–1.8 Mg SOC ha‐1 year‐1 in the new surface soil (0–15 cm) and a SOC deficit of 36 ± 5% after 20 years. Flipped subsoils contained up to 32% labile SOC (compared to <1% in un‐flipped subsoils) thus buried SOC was preserved. This study confirms that burial of SOC and the exposure of SOC depleted subsoil results in an overall increase of SOC stocks of the whole soil profile and long‐term SOC preservation.

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Details

Published: Feb 27, 2019
Vol/Issue: 25(7)
Pages: 2296-2309
License: View

Authors

M

Marcus Schiedung

Thünen Institute of Climate‐Smart Agriculture Braunschweig Germany

C

Craig S. Tregurtha

New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited Lincoln New Zealand

M

Michael H. Beare

New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited Lincoln New Zealand

S

Steve M. Thomas

New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited Lincoln New Zealand

A

Axel Don

Thünen Institute of Climate‐Smart Agriculture Braunschweig Germany

Cite This Article

Marcus Schiedung, Craig S. Tregurtha, Michael H. Beare, et al. (2019). Deep soil flipping increases carbon stocks of New Zealand grasslands. Global Change Biology, 25(7), 2296-2309. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14588

Deep soil flipping increases carbon stocks of New Zealand grasslands

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