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Long-term organic carbon turnover rates in natural and semi-natural topsoils

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Long-term organic carbon turnover rates in natural and semi-natural topsoils. / Mills, Robert T. E.; Tipping, Edward; Bryant, C. L. et al.
In: Biogeochemistry, Vol. 118, No. 1-3, 04.2014, p. 257-272.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Mills, RTE, Tipping, E, Bryant, CL & Emmett, BA 2014, 'Long-term organic carbon turnover rates in natural and semi-natural topsoils', Biogeochemistry, vol. 118, no. 1-3, pp. 257-272. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-013-9928-z

APA

Mills, R. T. E., Tipping, E., Bryant, C. L., & Emmett, B. A. (2014). Long-term organic carbon turnover rates in natural and semi-natural topsoils. Biogeochemistry, 118(1-3), 257-272. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-013-9928-z

Vancouver

Mills RTE, Tipping E, Bryant CL, Emmett BA. Long-term organic carbon turnover rates in natural and semi-natural topsoils. Biogeochemistry. 2014 Apr;118(1-3):257-272. Epub 2013 Nov 8. doi: 10.1007/s10533-013-9928-z

Author

Mills, Robert T. E. ; Tipping, Edward ; Bryant, C. L. et al. / Long-term organic carbon turnover rates in natural and semi-natural topsoils. In: Biogeochemistry. 2014 ; Vol. 118, No. 1-3. pp. 257-272.

Bibtex

@article{0f43afe640bc4d2c84ef211f6ddb4759,
title = "Long-term organic carbon turnover rates in natural and semi-natural topsoils",
abstract = "We combined published and new radiocarbon and ancillary data for uncultivated topsoils (typically 15 cm depth), to make two databases, one for the United Kingdom (133 sites), and one global (114 sites). Forest topsoils are significantly higher in radiocarbon than non-forest soils, indicating greater enrichment with {"}bomb carbon{"} and therefore faster C turnover, if steady-state conditions are assumed. Steady-state modelling, taking into account variations in atmospheric (CO2)-C-14, including the effects of 20th century nuclear weapons testing and radioactive decay, was used to quantify soil carbon turnover rates. Application of a model with variable slow (20 year mean residence time, MRT) and passive (1,000 year MRT) carbon pools partitioned the topsoil C approximately equally, on average, between the two pools when the entire data set was considered. However, the mean slow:passive ratio of 0.65:0.35 for forest soil was highly significantly different (p <0.001) from the 0.40:0.60 ratio for non-forest soils. Values of the slow and passive fractions were normally distributed, but the non-forest fractions showed greater variation, with approximately twice the relative standard deviations of the forest values. Assuming a litter input of 500 g C m(-2) a(-1), average global C fluxes (g C m(-2) a(-1)) of forest soils are estimated to be 298 (through a fast pool of MRT 1 year), 200 (slow pool) and 2.0 (passive pool), while for non-forest soils, respective average fluxes of 347, 150 and 3.3 g C m(-2) a(-1) are obtained. The results highlight the widespread global phenomenon of topsoil C heterogeneity, and indicate key differences between forest and non-forest soils relevant for understanding and managing soil C.",
keywords = "Carbon, Modelling, Radiocarbon, Soil, Turnover, SOIL CARBON, RADIOCARBON DATA, RESIDENCE TIMES, AGE CALIBRATION, FOREST-SOIL, BOMB C-14, MATTER, NITROGEN, DYNAMICS, ACCUMULATION",
author = "Mills, {Robert T. E.} and Edward Tipping and Bryant, {C. L.} and Emmett, {Bridget A.}",
year = "2014",
month = apr,
doi = "10.1007/s10533-013-9928-z",
language = "English",
volume = "118",
pages = "257--272",
journal = "Biogeochemistry",
issn = "0168-2563",
publisher = "SPRINGER",
number = "1-3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Long-term organic carbon turnover rates in natural and semi-natural topsoils

AU - Mills, Robert T. E.

AU - Tipping, Edward

AU - Bryant, C. L.

AU - Emmett, Bridget A.

PY - 2014/4

Y1 - 2014/4

N2 - We combined published and new radiocarbon and ancillary data for uncultivated topsoils (typically 15 cm depth), to make two databases, one for the United Kingdom (133 sites), and one global (114 sites). Forest topsoils are significantly higher in radiocarbon than non-forest soils, indicating greater enrichment with "bomb carbon" and therefore faster C turnover, if steady-state conditions are assumed. Steady-state modelling, taking into account variations in atmospheric (CO2)-C-14, including the effects of 20th century nuclear weapons testing and radioactive decay, was used to quantify soil carbon turnover rates. Application of a model with variable slow (20 year mean residence time, MRT) and passive (1,000 year MRT) carbon pools partitioned the topsoil C approximately equally, on average, between the two pools when the entire data set was considered. However, the mean slow:passive ratio of 0.65:0.35 for forest soil was highly significantly different (p <0.001) from the 0.40:0.60 ratio for non-forest soils. Values of the slow and passive fractions were normally distributed, but the non-forest fractions showed greater variation, with approximately twice the relative standard deviations of the forest values. Assuming a litter input of 500 g C m(-2) a(-1), average global C fluxes (g C m(-2) a(-1)) of forest soils are estimated to be 298 (through a fast pool of MRT 1 year), 200 (slow pool) and 2.0 (passive pool), while for non-forest soils, respective average fluxes of 347, 150 and 3.3 g C m(-2) a(-1) are obtained. The results highlight the widespread global phenomenon of topsoil C heterogeneity, and indicate key differences between forest and non-forest soils relevant for understanding and managing soil C.

AB - We combined published and new radiocarbon and ancillary data for uncultivated topsoils (typically 15 cm depth), to make two databases, one for the United Kingdom (133 sites), and one global (114 sites). Forest topsoils are significantly higher in radiocarbon than non-forest soils, indicating greater enrichment with "bomb carbon" and therefore faster C turnover, if steady-state conditions are assumed. Steady-state modelling, taking into account variations in atmospheric (CO2)-C-14, including the effects of 20th century nuclear weapons testing and radioactive decay, was used to quantify soil carbon turnover rates. Application of a model with variable slow (20 year mean residence time, MRT) and passive (1,000 year MRT) carbon pools partitioned the topsoil C approximately equally, on average, between the two pools when the entire data set was considered. However, the mean slow:passive ratio of 0.65:0.35 for forest soil was highly significantly different (p <0.001) from the 0.40:0.60 ratio for non-forest soils. Values of the slow and passive fractions were normally distributed, but the non-forest fractions showed greater variation, with approximately twice the relative standard deviations of the forest values. Assuming a litter input of 500 g C m(-2) a(-1), average global C fluxes (g C m(-2) a(-1)) of forest soils are estimated to be 298 (through a fast pool of MRT 1 year), 200 (slow pool) and 2.0 (passive pool), while for non-forest soils, respective average fluxes of 347, 150 and 3.3 g C m(-2) a(-1) are obtained. The results highlight the widespread global phenomenon of topsoil C heterogeneity, and indicate key differences between forest and non-forest soils relevant for understanding and managing soil C.

KW - Carbon

KW - Modelling

KW - Radiocarbon

KW - Soil

KW - Turnover

KW - SOIL CARBON

KW - RADIOCARBON DATA

KW - RESIDENCE TIMES

KW - AGE CALIBRATION

KW - FOREST-SOIL

KW - BOMB C-14

KW - MATTER

KW - NITROGEN

KW - DYNAMICS

KW - ACCUMULATION

U2 - 10.1007/s10533-013-9928-z

DO - 10.1007/s10533-013-9928-z

M3 - Journal article

VL - 118

SP - 257

EP - 272

JO - Biogeochemistry

JF - Biogeochemistry

SN - 0168-2563

IS - 1-3

ER -