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DYNAMICS OF SOIL NITROGEN AND CARBON ACCUMULATION FOR 61 YEARS AFTER AGRICULTURAL ABANDONMENT

DYNAMICS OF SOIL NITROGEN AND CARBON ACCUMULATION FOR 61 YEARS AFTER AGRICULTURAL ABANDONMENT We used two independent methods to determine the dynamics of soil carbon and nitrogen following abandonment of agricultural fields on a Minnesota sand plain. First, we used a chronosequence of 19 fields abandoned from 1927 to 1982 to infer soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. Second, we directly observed dynamics of carbon and nitrogen over a 12‐yr period in 1900 permanent plots in these fields. These observed dynamics were used in a differential equation model to predict soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. The two methods yielded similar results. Resampling the 1900 plots showed that the rates of accumulation of nitrogen and carbon over 12 yr depended on ambient carbon and nitrogen levels in the soil, with rates of accumulation declining at higher carbon and nitrogen levels. A dynamic model fitted to the observed rates of change predicted logistic dynamics for nitrogen and carbon accumulation. On average, agricultural practices resulted in a 75% loss of soil nitrogen and an 89% loss of soil carbon at the time of abandonment. Recovery to 95% of the preagricultural levels is predicted to require 180 yr for nitrogen and 230 yr for carbon. This model accurately predicted the soil carbon, nitrogen, and carbon:nitrogen ratio patterns observed in the chronosequence of old fields, suggesting that the chronosequence may be indicative of actual changes in soil carbon and nitrogen. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Ecology Wiley

DYNAMICS OF SOIL NITROGEN AND CARBON ACCUMULATION FOR 61 YEARS AFTER AGRICULTURAL ABANDONMENT

Knops, Johannes M. H.; Tilman, David
Ecology , Volume 81 (1) – Jan 1, 2000
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References (86)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
"© Society for Community Research and Action"
ISSN
0012-9658
eISSN
1939-9170
DOI
10.1890/0012-9658(2000)081[0088:DOSNAC]2.0.CO;2
Publisher site
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Abstract

We used two independent methods to determine the dynamics of soil carbon and nitrogen following abandonment of agricultural fields on a Minnesota sand plain. First, we used a chronosequence of 19 fields abandoned from 1927 to 1982 to infer soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. Second, we directly observed dynamics of carbon and nitrogen over a 12‐yr period in 1900 permanent plots in these fields. These observed dynamics were used in a differential equation model to predict soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. The two methods yielded similar results. Resampling the 1900 plots showed that the rates of accumulation of nitrogen and carbon over 12 yr depended on ambient carbon and nitrogen levels in the soil, with rates of accumulation declining at higher carbon and nitrogen levels. A dynamic model fitted to the observed rates of change predicted logistic dynamics for nitrogen and carbon accumulation. On average, agricultural practices resulted in a 75% loss of soil nitrogen and an 89% loss of soil carbon at the time of abandonment. Recovery to 95% of the preagricultural levels is predicted to require 180 yr for nitrogen and 230 yr for carbon. This model accurately predicted the soil carbon, nitrogen, and carbon:nitrogen ratio patterns observed in the chronosequence of old fields, suggesting that the chronosequence may be indicative of actual changes in soil carbon and nitrogen.

Journal

Ecology – Wiley

Published: Jan 1, 2000

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