Skip to main content

Soil organic carbon and root distribution in a temperate arable agroforestry system

Plant and Soil volume 373, pages 43–58 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Aim

To determine, for arable land in a temperate area, the effect of tree establishment and intercropping treatments, on the distribution of roots and soil organic carbon to a depth of 1.5 m.

Methods

A poplar (Populus sp.) silvoarable agroforestry experiment including arable controls was established on arable land in lowland England in 1992. The trees were intercropped with an arable rotation or bare fallow for the first 11 years, thereafter grass was allowed to establish. Coarse and fine root distributions (to depths of up to 1.5 m and up to 5 m from the trees) were measured in 1996, 2003, and 2011. The amount and type of soil carbon to 1.5 m depth was also measured in 2011.

Results

The trees, initially surrounded by arable crops rather than fallow, had a deeper coarse root distribution with less lateral expansion. In 2011, the combined length of tree and understorey vegetation roots was greater in the agroforestry treatments than the control, at depths below 0.9 m. Between 0 and 1.5 m depth, the fine root carbon in the agroforestry treatment (2.56 t ha-1) was 79% greater than that in the control (1.43 t ha−1). Although the soil organic carbon in the top 0.6 m under the trees (161 t C ha−1) was greater than in the control (142 t C ha−1), a tendency for smaller soil carbon levels beneath the trees at lower depths, meant that there was no overall tree effect when a 1.5 m soil depth was considered. From a limited sample, there was no tree effect on the proportion of recalcitrant soil organic carbon.

Conclusions

The observed decline in soil carbon beneath the trees at soil depths greater than 60 cm, if observed elsewhere, has important implication for assessments of the role of afforestation and agroforestry in sequestering carbon.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

References

  • Ashby Z (2001) Effect of soil characteristics on poplar growth. Unpublished BSc thesis. Cranfield University, Bedfordshire

    Google Scholar 

  • Aves C (2002) Factors influencing cereal establishment in a silvoarable system. Unpublished BSc thesis. Cranfield University, Bedfordshire

    Google Scholar 

  • Bambrick AD, Whalen JK, Bradley RL, Cogliastro A, Gordon AM, Olivier A, Thevathasan NV (2010) Spatial heterogeneity of soil organic carbon in tree-based intercropping systems in Quebec and Ontario. Canada Agrofor Syst 79:343–353

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Batjes NH (1996) Total carbon and nitrogen in the soils of the world. Europ J Soil Sci 47:151–163

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Benjamini Y, Hochberg Y (1995) Controlling the false discovery rate: a practical and powerful approach to multiple testing. J R Stat Soc 57(1):289–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Black KE, Harbron CG, Franklin M, Atkinson D, Hooker JE (1998) Differences in root longevity of some tree species. Tree Physiol 18:259–264

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bohm W (1979) Methods of studying root systems. Springer, Heidelberg

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • British Standards Institute (1990) BS 1377–3: 1990 Methods of test for: Soils for civil engineering purposes —Part 3: Chemical and electro-chemical tests.

  • Bukhari Y (1998) Tree-root influence on soil physical conditions, seedling establishment and natural thinning of Acacia seyal var. seyal on clays of Central Sudan. Agrofor Syst 4:33–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burgess PJ, Stephens W, Anderson G, Durston J (1996) Water use by a poplar-wheat agroforestry system. Vegetation Management in forestry, amenity and conservation areas: Managing for Multiple Objectives. Asp Appl Biol 44:129–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Burgess PJ, Nkomaula JC, Medeiros Ramos AL (1997) Root distribution and water use in a four-year old silvoarable system. Agrofor Forum 8(3):15–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Burgess PJ, Incoll LD, Corry DT, Beaton A, Hart BJ (2005) Poplar (Populus spp) growth and crop yields in a silvoarable experiment at three lowland sites in England. Agrofor Syst 63:157–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carney KM, Hungate BA, Drake BG, Megonigal JP (2007) Altered soil microbial community at elevated CO2 leads to loss of soil carbon. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 104:4990–5

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Conover WJ (1971) Practical nonparametric statistics. John Wiley & Sons Inc, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • de Mendiburu F (2010) Agricolae: Statistical procedures for agricultural research. R package version 1

  • Fontaine S, Barot S, Barré P, Bdioui N, Mary B, Rumpel C (2007) Stability of organic carbon in deep soil layers controlled by fresh carbon supply. Nature 450:277–80

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fontaine S, Henault C, Aamor A, Bdioui N, Bloor JMG, Maire V, Mary B, Revaillot S, Maron PA (2011) Fungi mediate long term sequestration of carbon and nitrogen in soil through their priming effect. Soil Biol Biochem 43:86–96

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon AM, Naresh RPF, Thevathasan V (2006) How much carbon can be stored in Canadian agroecosystems using a silvopastoral approach? In: Mosquera-Losada MR, McAdam JH (eds.). Silvopastoralism and Sustainable Land Management: Proceedings of an International Congress on Silvopastoralism and Sustainable Management Held in Lugo Spain, in April 2004. CABI Publishing, pp. 210–218

  • Guo LB, Wang M, Gifford RM (2007) The change of soil carbon stocks and fine root dynamics after land use change from a native pasture to a pine plantation. Plant Soil 299:251–262

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson RB, Mooney HA, Schulze ED (1997) A global budget for fine root biomass, surface area, and nutrient contents. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 94:7362–7366

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Janzen HH (2005) Soil carbon: A measure of ecosystem response in a changing world? Can J Soil Sci 85:467–480

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jug MF, Rehfuess K, Hofmann-Schielle C (1999) Short-rotation plantations of balsam poplars, aspen and willows on former arable land in the Federal Republic of Germany. III. Soil ecological effects. For Ecol Manag 121:85–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klute A (1986) Methods of soil analysis: Part 1—physical and mineralogical methods. 2nd Ed. American society of agronomy, Wisconsin. Messing I, Alriksson A, Johansson W (1997) Soil physical properties of afforested and arable land. Soil Use Manag 13:209–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Messing I, Alriksson A, Johansson W (1997) Soil physical properties of afforested and arable land. Soil Use Manag 13:209–217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montagnini F (2004) Carbon sequestration: An underexploited environmental benefit of agroforestry systems. Agrofor Syst 61:281–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore T, Knowles R (1989) The influence of water table levels on methane and carbon dioxide emissions from peatland soils. Can J Soil Sci 69:33–38

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moreno G, Obrador JJ, Cubera E, Dupraz C (2005) Fine root distribution in Dehesas of Central-Western Spain. Plant Soil 277:153–162

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mulia R, Dupraz C (2006) Unusual fine root distributions of two deciduous tree species in Southern France: What consequences for modelling of tree root dynamics? Plant Soil 281:71–85

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nair PKR, Kumar BM, Nair VD (2009) Agroforestry as a strategy for carbon sequestration. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 172:10–23

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nair PKR (2011) Methodological challenges in estimating carbon sequestration potential of agroforestry systems. In: Kumar BM, Nair PKR (eds) Carbon Sequestration Potential of Agroforestry Systems. Springer, pp 3–16

  • Nkomaula JC (1996) Root distribution of four-year-old poplar in a Silvo-Arable system. Unpublished MSc Thesis. Cranfield University, Bedfordshire

    Google Scholar 

  • Oelbermann M, Voroney RP (2007) Carbon and nitrogen in a temperate agroforestry system: Using stable isotopes as a tool to understand soil dynamics. Ecol Eng 29:342–349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pandey D (2002) Carbon sequestration in agroforestry systems. Clim Policy 2:367–377

    Google Scholar 

  • Pasturel P (2004) Light and water use in a poplar silvoarable system. Unpublished MSc by Research Thesis. Cranfield University, Bedfordshire

    Google Scholar 

  • Peichl M, Thevathasan NV, Gordon AM, Huss J, Abohassan R (2006) Carbon sequestration potentials in temperate tree-based intercropping systems, Southern Ontario. Canada Agrofor Syst 66:243–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pietola L, Alakukku L (2005) Root growth dynamics and biomass input by Nordic annual field crops. Agric Ecosyst Environ 108:135–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Post WM, Kwon KC (2000) Soil carbon sequestration and land-use change: Processes and potential. Glob Change Biol 11:317–327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R Development Core Team (2011) R: A language and environment for statistical computing.

  • Recous S, Coppens F, Abiven S, Garnier P, Merckx R (2008) Carbon and nitrogen dynamics in soils: Effects of residue quality and localization. In: Systems for enhancing management of agroforestry systems. Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency, p. 99.

  • Richter DD, Markewitz D, Trumbore SE, Wells CG (1999) Rapid accumulation and turnover of soil carbon in a re-establishing forest. Nature 400:14–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rumpel C, Kögel-Knabner I, Bruhn F (2002) Vertical distribution, age, and chemical composition of organic carbon in two forest soils of different pedogenesis. Org Geochem 33:1131–1142

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schöning I, Kögel-Knabner I (2006) Chemical composition of young and old carbon pools throughout Cambisol and Luvisol profiles under forests. Soil Biol Biochem 38:2411–2424

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seobi T, Anderson SH, Udawatta RP, Gantzer CJ (2005) Influence of grass and agroforestry buffer strips on soil hydraulic properties for an albaqualf. Soil Sci Soc Am J 69:893

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharrow SH, Ismail S (2004) Carbon and nitrogen storage in agroforests, tree plantations, and pastures in western Oregon. USA Agrofor Syst 60:123–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNEP (2011) Bridging the Emissions Gap. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

  • Veen J, Ladd JN, Osmond G (1985) Turnover of carbon and nitrogen through the microbial biomass in a sandy loam and a clay soil incubated with 14C glucose under different moisture regimes. Soil Biol Biochem 17:747–756

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vesterdal L, Ritter E (2002) Change in soil organic carbon following afforestation of former arable land. For Ecol Manag 169:137–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmermann M, Leifeld J, Schmidt MWI, Smith P, Fuhrer J (2007) Measured soil organic matter fractions can be related to pools in the RothC model. Eur J Soil Sci 58:658–667

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of William Stephens in securing funding for the research and the help of Francois Clavagnier, Pascal Pasturel, and Julius Nkomaula in undertaking important fieldwork. The fractionation of the soil organic carbon was undertaken by Andy Gregory at Rothamsted Research. We also acknowledge support from Forest Research and the Scottish Forestry Trust during the writing up of this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, UK, MK43 0AL

    M. A. Upson & P. J. Burgess

Authors
  1. M. A. Upson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. J. Burgess
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. J. Burgess.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Zucong Cai.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Upson, M.A., Burgess, P.J. Soil organic carbon and root distribution in a temperate arable agroforestry system. Plant Soil 373, 43–58 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1733-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1733-x

Keywords

  • Agroforestry
  • Roots
  • Soil
  • Carbon
  • Carbon fractions
  • Populus
  • Carbon sequestration