Agroforestry Systems

, Volume 68, Issue 1, pp 27–36 | Cite as

Soil carbon dynamics and residue stabilization in a Costa Rican and southern Canadian alley cropping system

  • Maren Oelbermann
  • R. Paul Voroney
  • Naresh V. Thevathasan
  • Andrew M. Gordon
  • Donald C. L. Kass
  • Andrea M. Schlönvoigt
Article
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Abstract

Agroforestry systems can play a major role in the sequestration of carbon (C) because of their higher input of organic material to the soil compared to sole crop agroecosystems. This study quantified C input in a 19-year old tropical alley cropping system with E. poeppigiana (Walp.) O.F Cook in Costa Rica and in a 13-year old hybrid poplar (Populus deltoides × nigra DN-177) alley cropping system in southern Canada. Changes in the level of the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool, residue decomposition rate, residue stabilization efficiency, and the annual rate of accumulation of SOC were also quantified in both systems. Carbon input from tree prunings in Costa Rica was 401 g C m−2 y−1 compared to 117 g C m−2 y−1 from litterfall at the Canadian site. In southern Canada, crop residue input from maize (Zea mays L.) was 212 g C m−2 y−1, 83 g C m−2 y−1 from soybeans (Glycine max L.) and 125 g C m−2 y−1 for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and was not significantly different (p < 0.05) from the sole crop. The average yearly C input from crop residues in Costa Rica was significantly greater (p < 0.05) in the alley crop for maize (134 g C m−2 y−1) and Phaseolus vulgaris L. bean crops (35 g C m−2 y−1) compared to the sole crop. The SOC pool was significantly greater (p < 0.05) in the Costa Rican alley crop (9536 g m−2) compared to its respective sole crop (6143 g m−2) to a 20 cm depth, but no such difference was found for the southern Canadian system. Residue stabilization, defined as the efficiency of the stabilization of added residue (crop residues, tree prunings, litterfall) that is added to the soil C pool, is more efficient in southern Canada (31%) compared to the alley cropping system in Costa Rica (40%). This coincides with a lower organic matter decomposition rate (0.03 y−1) to a 20 cm depth in Canada compared to the Costa Rican system (0.06 y−1). However, the average annual accumulation rate of SOC is greater in Costa Rica (179 g m−2 y−1) and is likely related to the greater input of organic material derived from tree prunings, compared to that in southern Canada (30 g m−2 y−1) to a 20 cm depth.

Keywords

Alley cropping Average annual accumulation rate of soil organic carbon Decomposition rate Erythrina poeppigiana Gross soil organic carbon turnover time Hybrid poplar Residue stabilization 
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Copyright information

© Springer 2006

Authors and Affiliations

  • Maren Oelbermann
    • 1
  • R. Paul Voroney
    • 2
  • Naresh V. Thevathasan
    • 3
  • Andrew M. Gordon
    • 3
  • Donald C. L. Kass
    • 4
  • Andrea M. Schlönvoigt
    • 5
  1. 1.Department of Environment and Resource StudiesUniversity of WaterlooWaterlooCanada
  2. 2.Department of Land Resource ScienceUniversity of GuelphGuelphCanada
  3. 3.Department of Environmental BiologyUniversity of GuelphGuelphCanada
  4. 4.Department of Health and Human ServicesNortheast Regional Laboratory, Food and Drug AdministrationJamaicaUSA
  5. 5.Latin America DivisionGFA Terra SystemsHamburgGermany

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