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| Titel |
Soil carbon changes after plantation of autochthonous species in a semi-arid Mediterranean old-field in Sardinia |
| VerfasserIn |
Giovanbattista de Dato, Paolo De Angelis |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2010
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 12 (2010) |
| Datensatznummer |
250036464
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Forested areas are important in arid and semi-arid regions primarily to combat desertification,
but also to increase carbon sinks. According to the last Italian National Inventory of Forest
and Carbon INFC dated 2005, Mediterranean maquis and shrublands cover about 690,100 ha,
in Italy. Considering their vast diffusion, efforts should be done to evaluate the potential of
these ecosystems in sequestering C in order to achieve the Kyoto Protocol commitments and
dampen desertification processes.
The aim of this work was to present preliminary observations on soil C accumulation and
release in a planted Mediterranean semi-arid shrubland. During the first three years particular
effort was done to quantify the plant growth and soil CO2 emission, to test if species-specific
responses could be detectable and relevant for the C-budget.
The experimental area is located in North West Sardinia, and is characterized by a
Mediterranean climate. The revegetation was set up in February 2006, in an old-field,
planting local species (Juniperus phoenicea, Pistacia lentiscus and Rosmarinus officinalis) in
mono-specific or mixed plots. Soil total organic carbon and nitrogen was measured at
the same time of plantation and after 3 years, collecting soil cores (144 samples)
at two depths (0-20 cm and 20-40 cm). Moreover, in order to measure soil CO2
emissions, 4 collars are inserted into the soil at 30-60-90-120 cm from 3 plants per each
species. Measurements have being made monthly since July 2006 by a portable
IRGA.
Presently, soil C in the studied area is about 0.7 - 0.8 t ha-1. Based on soil CO2
emissions measurements (-7 t C ha-1 yr-1) and on the low biomass accumulation
(0.25-0.60 t ha-1 yr-1), the plantation is at the present a net C source. This is an
effect of the low plant growth, very little input from litter, and the contemporary
mineralization of old C deriving from the preceding agricultural phase (priming effect). |
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