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Changes of soil C stocks and stability after 70-year afforestation in the Northeast USA

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Abstract

Background and aims

Forest restoration has been proposed as an effective strategy for the sequestration of atmosphere CO2. Understanding the mechanisms of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics in afforestation is important to quantifying and enhancing carbon (C) sequestration.

Methods

After 70 years afforestation with two conifer and three broadleaf tree species in monocultures in Northeast USA, we measured soil C pools as well as C fractions in these plantations and nearby pasture control.

Results

Soil C stored in forest floor was increased by afforestation, especially in conifer stands. Total C stock in mineral soils was not statistically different among species, but C fractions had been altered. Compared to pasture land, afforestation decreased coarse particle organic C (cPOC) fraction, while increased recalcitrant mineral associated SOC (mSOC) fraction. Afforestation decreased the macro-aggregate C fraction in the 0–5 cm soil, but increased the micro-aggregate C fraction in the 5–15 cm soil.

Conclusions

1) Afforestation using conifers could improve the whole soil-profile carbon stock compared to broadleaves when the forest floor is included; 2) Even though the overall mineral soil C stock was not changed, afforestation could improve soil C stabilization through increasing mSOC fraction and forming more micro-aggregate C fraction in deeper soils.

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Acknowledgments

This study was partially supported by the Wallace Research Foundation. Wang was supported by the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) Fellowship to study in the USA. He was also funded by the Natural Science Foundation of China (31300419), Innovation Foundation of Guangdong Forestry (2012KJCX013-02, 2014KJCX021-03) and “Strategic Priority Research Program” of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA05070307). We appreciate greatly two anonymous reviewers’ comments which have improved the quality of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, People’s Republic of China

    Faming Wang

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York-Binghamton, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA

    Faming Wang & Weixing Zhu

  3. Biology Department, University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS), Springfield, IL, 62703, USA

    Hua Chen

Authors
  1. Faming Wang
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  2. Weixing Zhu
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Correspondence to Weixing Zhu.

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Responsible Editor: Zucong Cai.

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Wang, F., Zhu, W. & Chen, H. Changes of soil C stocks and stability after 70-year afforestation in the Northeast USA. Plant Soil 401, 319–329 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2755-3

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