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Reforestation with loblolly pine can restore the initial soil carbon stock relative to a subtropical natural forest after 30 years

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Abstract

We hypothesized that long-term loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) land-use restores SOC stock and lability of a subtropical Cambisol to the original levels of the natural forest (NF). Additionally, we hypothesized that roots are the major contributor to SOC and that soil stores most of the ecosystem total carbon (ETC). We investigated a chronosequence of loblolly pine land-use of 17 (first rotation) and 32 years (second rotation, unthinned or thinned) following clearing of the NF. The original SOC stock to 100 cm of NF (209 ± 9.4 Mg C ha−1) was depleted by 22% after 17 years of pine, possibly because of intense soil disturbance and low quantity and quality of the residue inputted during the pine stand implementation. However, the SOC stock was restored to the original stock of NF after 32 years of pine, with the input of above and belowground biomass at harvest of the first rotation possibly playing a role in this recovery. Thinning did not affect SOC stocks after 1 year. The POM-C reduced after 17 years and was not recovered after 32 years. We could not ascertain in 5-year evaluation whether root or litter was the major contributor to SOC. Soil held 72% of the ETC in NF and 48–59% in pine plantations, confirming that it stores most of the ETC. Overall, long-term loblolly pine land-use seems to restore the original soil carbon stock in this subtropical site, regardless of some lability losses.

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Abbreviations

SOC:

Soil organic carbon

SOM:

Soil organic matter

ETC:

Ecosystem total carbon

NF:

Natural forest

P17:

Loblolly pine land-use for 17 years

P32:

Loblolly pine land-use for 32 years

P32t:

Loblolly pine land-use for 32 years, thinned

POM-C:

Carbon in the particulate organic matter

MOM-C:

Carbon in the mineral-associated organic matter

CLI:

Carbon lability index

DBH:

Diameter at breast height

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Acknowledgements

We appreciate the financial supported provided by Saltus Project (Macroprograma 1 Grandes Desafios Nacionais—Embrapa) and CNPq (Brazilian Scientific Council). Scholarships were sponsored by Capes (Brazilian Ministry of Education) and CNPq. We appreciate the contribution of Modo Battistella Reflorestamento, for providing access to the forest stands, and also the contribution of field and laboratory staff of Embrapa and UFPR.

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Author notes

  1. Murilo Gomes Veloso

    Present address: Departamento de Solos, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 91540-000, Brazil

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Solos e Engenharia Agrícola/Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência do Solo, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua dos Funcionários 1540, Bairro Cabral, Curitiba, PR, 80035-050, Brazil

    Murilo Gomes Veloso, Jeferson Dieckow & Reinaldo C. Brevilieri

  2. Embrapa Florestas, Estrada da Ribeira km 111, Colombo, PR, 83411-000, Brazil

    Josiléia Acordi Zanatta & Rosana C. V. Higa

  3. Departamento de Solos, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 91540-000, Brazil

    Cimelio Bayer

  4. North Florida Research and Education Center, 155 Research Road, Quincy, FL, 32351, USA

    Nicholas B. Comerford

  5. Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110290, 2181, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0290, USA

    Aja M. Stoppe

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  1. Murilo Gomes Veloso
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Correspondence to Jeferson Dieckow.

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Communicated by Agustín Merino.

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Veloso, M.G., Dieckow, J., Zanatta, J.A. et al. Reforestation with loblolly pine can restore the initial soil carbon stock relative to a subtropical natural forest after 30 years. Eur J Forest Res 137, 593–604 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-018-1127-y

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