Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Changes of soil organic carbon stocks and CO2 emissions at the early stages of urban turf grasses’ development

  • Published:
Urban Ecosystems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Urbanization coincides with remarkable expansion of turf grasses and their increasing role in environmental processes and functions, including carbon (C) sequestration. Soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in turf grass soils are substantial, however, an intensive soil respiration is also likely. Therefore C sequestration in turf grasses remains uncertain, especially at the early stages after development, when C uptake and CO2 emissions are unbalanced. We analyzed changes in SOC stocks and CO2 emissions at the experimental turf grasses in Moscow megapolis during the three years period after establishment. An influence of the three contrast depths of organic layers (5, 10 and 20 cm) on soil and biomass C and on the ornamental functions of turf grasses was studied. Total CO2 emission from the turf grasses during the observation period exceeded C uptake in grass and root biomass by two to three times. Therefore the turf grasses at the early stages of development are important source of biogenic C. Although the C losses were substantial, CO2 emission decreased and C uptake in biomass increased by the end of the observation period. The highest ratio of sequestered and emitted C was obtained for the thick turf grass soil constructions with a 20 cm organic layer. The highest ornamental value, indicated by the projective cover and sprout density, was also obtained for the thick turf grasses, which is essential to consider for developing the best management practices and sustainable turf grass soil constructions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bandaranayake W, Qian YL, Parton WJ, Ojima DJ, Follett RF (2003) Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Changes in Turfgrass Systems Using the CENTURY Model. Agron J 95:558–563

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beesley L (2012) Carbon storage and fluxes in existing and newly created urban soils. J Environ Manag 104:158–165

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Belobrov VP, Zamotaev IV (2007) Soils, grounds and green-lawns of sport and technical constructions. GEOS, Moscow

    Google Scholar 

  • Blum WEH (2005) Functions of soil for society and environment. Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol 4:75–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borovikov V (2003) Art of computer data analysis. Piter, Saint-Petersburg

    Google Scholar 

  • Bremer DJ, Ham JM (2005) Measurement and partitioning of in situ CO2 fluxes in turfgrasses using a pressurized chamber. Agron J 97:627–632

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Decina SM, Hutyra LR, Gately CK, Getson JM, Reinmann AB, Short Gianotty AG, Templer PH (2016) Soil respiration contributes substantially to urban carbon fluxes in the greater Boston area. Environ Pollut 212:433–439

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Delden van L, Larsen E, Rowlings D, Scheer C, Grace P (2016) Establishing turf grass increases soil greenhouse gas emissions in peri-urban environments. Urban ecosyst 19:749–762

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FAO (1988) Soils map of the world: revised legend. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2013) Climate-smart agriculture. Sourcebook. E-ISBN 978-92-5-107721-4

  • Fu ZH, Huyan JQ, Li F, Song YS, Zhao D, Li H (2013) Impacts of different surface covers on soil respiration in urban areas. Shengtai Xuebao. Acta Ecol Sin 33:5500–5508

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gerasimova MI, Stroganova MN, Mozharova NV, Prokofieva TV (2003) Urban Soils. Oykumena, Smolensk (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gómez-Baggethun E, Barton DN (2013) Classifying and valuing ecosystem services for urban planning. Ecol Econ 86:235–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GR-514 (2011) Moscow city governmental regulations # 514 On increasing of the soil-ground’s quality in Moscow. October 25th 2011 (in Russian)

  • GR-743 (2015) Moscow city governmental regulations # 743: On approval of the guidelines for establishment and protection of green zones and natural biomes in Moscow. January 10 2015 (in Russian)

  • Gregg JW, Jones CG, Dawson TE (2003) Urbanization effects on tree growth in the vicinity of New York City. Letters to. Nature 10:183–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grimmond CSB, King TS, Cropley FD, Nowak DJ, Souch C (2002) Local-scale fluxes of carbon dioxide in urban environments: methodological challenges and results from Chicago. Environ Pollut 116:243–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanson PJ, Edwards NT, Garten CT, Andrews JA (2000) Separating root and soil microbial contributions to soil respiration: a review of methods and observations. Biogeochemistry 48:115–146

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jarvi L, Nordbo A, Junninen H, Riikonen A, Moilanen J, Nikinmaa E, Vesala T (2012) Seasonal and annual variation of carbon dioxide surface fluxes in Helsinki, Finland, in 2006-2010. Atmos Chem Phys 12:8475–8489

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jo HK, McPherson EG (1995) Carbon storage and flux in urban residential greenspace. J Environ Manag 45:109–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaye JP, McCulley RL, Burkez IC (2005) Carbon fluxes, nitrogen cycling, and soil microbial communities in adjacent urban, native and agricultural ecosystems. Glob Chang Biol 11:575–587

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kevin NM (2013) A Guide to NTEP Turfgrass ratings http://www.ntep.org/reports/ratings.htm

  • Koerner B, Klopatek J (2002) Anthropogenic and natural CO2 emission sources in an arid urban environment. Environ Pollut 116:45–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kong L, Shi Z, Chu LM (2014) Carbon emission and sequestration of urban turfgrass systems in Hong Kong. Sci Total Environ 473–474:132–138

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Koshkin EI (ed) (2010) Plant stress physiology. RSAU, Moscow

    Google Scholar 

  • Kulbachevksy (ed) (2015) Report on the environmental state in Moscow in 2014. NIA-Priroda, Moscow

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurganova IN, Gerenyu VOL, Myakshina TN, Sapronov DV, Kudeyarov VN (2011) CO2 emission from soils of various ecosystems of the southern taiga zone: data analysis of continuous 12 year monitoring. Dokl Biol Sci 436:56–58

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kuzyakov Y, Larionova AA (2005) Root and rhizomicrobial respiration: a review of approaches to estimate respiration by autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms in soil. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 168(4):503–520

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lal R (2004) Agricultural activities and the global carbon cycle. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 70:103–116

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Larionova AA, Kurganova IN, de Gerenyou VOL, Zolotareva BN, Yevdokimov IV, Kudeyarov VN (2010) Carbon dioxide emissions from agrogray soils under climate changes. Eurasian. Soil Sci 43:168–176

    Google Scholar 

  • Li X, Yang Y, Zeng H, Chen G, Xie J, Zhong X (2011) Soil CO2 efflux from urban turfgrass: a major microbe-derived soil carbon process. ISWREP 3:2329–2333. doi:10.1109/ISWREP.2011.5893734

    Google Scholar 

  • Livesley SJ, Dougherty BJ, Smith AJ, Navaund D, Wylie LJ, Arndt SK (2010) Soil-atmosphere exchange of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in urban garden systems: impact of irrigation, fertilizer and mulch. Urban Ecosyst 13:273–293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lopez-Bellido RJ, Lal R, Dannenberg TK, Street JR (2010) Plant growth regulator and nitrogen fertilizer effects on soil organic carbon sequestration in creeping bentgrass fairway turf. Plant Soil 332:247–255

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lorenz K, Lal R (2009) Biogeochemical C and N cycles in urban soils. Environ Int 35:1–8

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MA - Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2003) Ecosystems and human well-being: a framework for assessment. Island Press, Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Makarenko TV, Zykova EL, Pyrkh OV (2012) Practices of analyzing mineral components in plant materials. Gomel State University, Gomel

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazirov MA, Safonov AF (2010) Long-term field experiment in RSAU-MTAA: main points and development stages. Izvestya MTAA 2:66–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Milesi C, Running SW (2005) Mapping and modelling the biogeochemical cycling of turf grasses in the United States. Environ Manag 36:426–438

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morel JL, Chenu C, Lorenz K (2014) Ecosystem services provided by soils of urban, industrial, traffic, mining, and military areas (SUITMAs). J Soils Sediments 15:1659–1666

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naizheng X, Hongying L, Feng W, Yiping Z (2012) Urban expanding patterns and soil organic, inorganic carbon distribution in shanghai, China. Environ Earth Sci 66:1233–1238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naumov VD (ed) (2009) 145 years to forest experimental station of RSAU-MTAA. RSAU-MTAA, Moscow (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ng BJL, Hutyra LR, Nguyen H, Cobb AR, Kai FM, Harvey C, Gandois L (2015) Carbon fluxes from an urban tropical grassland. Environ Pollut 203:227–334

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nowak DJ, Crane DE, Stevens JC (2006) Air pollution removal by urban trees and shrubs in the United States. Urban For Urban Green 4:115–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pataki DE, Alig RJ, Fung AS (2006) Urban ecosystems and the north American carbon cycle. Glob Chang Biol 12:2092–2102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pickett STA, Cadenasso ML, Grove JM, Boone CG, Groffman PM, Irwin E, Kaushal SS, Marshall V, McGrath BP, Nilon CH, Pouyat RV, Szlavecz K, Troy A, Warren P (2011) Urban ecological systems: scientific foundations and a decade of progress. J Environ Manag 92:331–362

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pouyat RV, Yesilonis ID, Nowak DJ (2006) Carbon storage by urban soils in the United States. J Environ Qual 35:1566–1575

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pouyat RV, Yesilonis ID, Golubiewski NE (2009) A comparison of soil organic carbon stocks between residential turfgrass and native soil. Urban Ecosyst 12:45–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prokhorov IS, Karev SY (2012) Particulates of artificial soil-ground production for landscape and shade gardening. Agrochem Vestn 3:21–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Prokof’eva TV, Gerasimova MI, Bezuglova OS, et al. (2014) Inclusion of soils and soil-like bodies of urban territories into the Russian soil classification system. Eurasian Soil Sci 47:959–967

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prokofyeva TV, Martynenko IA, Ivannikov FA (2011) Classification of Moscow soils and parent materials and its possible inclusions in the classification system of Russian soils. Eurasian Soil Sci 44:561–571

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qian YL, Follett RF (2002) Assessing soil carbon sequestration in turfgrass systems using long-term soil testing data. Agron J 94:30–935

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qian YL, Bandaranayake W, Parton WJ, Mecham B, Harivandi MA, Mosier AR (2003) Long-term effects of clipping and nitrogen management in turfgrass on soil organic carbon and nitrogen dynamics: The CENTURY model simulation. J Environ Qual 32:1694–1700

  • Qian YL, Follet RF, Kimble JM (2010) Soil organic carbon input from urban turfgrasses. Soil Sci Soc Am J 74:366–371

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raciti SM, Groffman PM, Fahey YJ (2008) Nitrogen retention in urban lawns and forests. Ecol Appl 18:1615–1626

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raciti SM, Groffman PM, Jenkins JC, Pouyat RV, Fahey TJ, Pickett STA, Cadenasso ML (2011) Accumulation of carbon and nitrogen in residential soils with different land-use histories. Ecosystems 14:287–297

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rawlins BG, Vane CH, Kim AW, Tye AM, Kemp SJ, Bellamy PH (2008) Methods for estimating types of soil organic carbon and their application to surveys of UK urban areas. Soil Use Manag 24:47–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robbins P, Birkenholtz T (2003) Turfgrass revolution: the expansion of the American lawn. Land Use Policy 20:181–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ross CW, Grunwald S, Myers DB, Xiong X (2016) Land use, land use change and soil carbon sequestration in the St. Johns River basin, Florida, USA. Geoderma Regional 7:19–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossiter DG (2007) Classification of urban and industrial soils in the world Reference Base for soil resources. J Soils Sediments 7:96–100

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sarzhanov DA, Vasenev VI, Sotnikova YL, Tembo A, Vasenev II, Valentini R (2015) Short-term dynamics and spatial heterogeneity of CO2 emission from the soils of natural and urban ecosystems in the central chernozemic region. Eurasian Soil Sci 48:416–424

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Selhorst AL, Lal R (2011) Carbon budgeting in golf course soils of Central Ohio. Urban Ecosyst 14:771–781

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selhorst AL, Lal R (2013) Net carbon sequestration potential and emission in home lawn turfgrasses of the United States. Environ Manag 51:198–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shchepeleva AS (2015) Assessing ecological functions of urban lawn ecosystems in the northern part of Moscow megapolis based on the analysis of carbon stocks and fluxes. Russian State Agrarian University, Dissertation

    Google Scholar 

  • Shein EV (ed) (2007) Theory and methods of soil physics. Grif and K, Tula (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Shi W, Dell E, Bowmann D, Iyyemperumal K (2006) Soil enzyme activities and organic matter composition in turfgrass chronosequence. Plant Soil 288:285–296

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shishov, LL, Voitovich, NV (Eds) (2002) Soils of moscow region and their use. Dokuchaev Soil Sci Inst. Moscow (in Russian)

  • Smagin AV, Sadovnikova NB (2015) Creation of soil-like constructions. Eurasian. Soil Sci 48(9):981–990

    Google Scholar 

  • Stroganova MN, Myagkova AD, Prokofieva TV (1997) The role of soils in urban ecosystems. Eurasian. Soil Sci 30:82–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun Q, Fang HL, Liang J, Qian XW, Liu MD, Zhang QF, Hao RJ, Hao GJ (2009) Soil respiration characteristics of typical urban lawns in shanghai. Chinese J Ecol 28(8):1572–1578

    Google Scholar 

  • Townsend-Small A, Czimczik CI (2010) Carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emission in urban turf. Geophys Res Lett 37:L02707

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasenev VI, Ananyeva ND, Makarov OA (2012) Specific features of the ecological functioning of urban soils in Moscow and Moscow oblast. Eurasian Soil Sci 45:194–205

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vasenev VI, Stoorvogel JJ, Vasenev II (2013) Urban soil organic carbon and its spatial heterogeneity in comparison with natural and agricultural areas in the Moscow region. Catena 107:96–102

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vasenev VI, Epikhina AS, Fatiev MM, Prokhorov IS (2014a) Experimental modelling of urban soils’ constructions with minimal emissions of greenhouse gases. Agroecology 1:43–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasenev VI, Stoorvogel JJ, Vasenev II, Valentini R (2014b) How to map soil organic stocks in highly urbanized region? Geoderma 226–227:103–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vasenev VI, Stoorvogel JJ, Ananyeva ND, Ivashchenko KV, Sarzhanov DA, Epikhina AS, Vasenev II, Valentini R (2015) Quantifying spatial-temporal variability of carbon stocks and fluxes in urban soils: from local monitoring to regional modelling. In: Muthu SS (ed) The Carbon Footprint Handbook. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp. 185–222

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Vizirskaya MM, Shchepeleva AS, Mazrov IM, Vasenev VI (2015) The soil greenhouse gases fluxes (CO2, CH4, N2O) investigation at representative landscapes of Moscow city. Theoretical Appl Probl Agro-ind complex 3:47–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Vorobyova LA (1998) Soil Chemical Analysis. MSU, Moscow

    Google Scholar 

  • Weissert LF, Salmond JA, Schwendenmann L (2016) Variability of soil organic carbons stocks and soil CO2 efflux across urban land use and soil cover types. Geoderma 217:80–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Reference Base for soil resources (2014) World soil resources reports, 106. FAO UNESCO, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Yao H, Bowman D, Rufty T, Shi W (2009) Interaction between N fertilization, grass clipping addition and pH in turf ecosystems: implications for soil enzyme activities and organic matter decomposition. Soil Biol Biochem 41:1425–1432

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang GX, Xu J, Wang GB, Wu SS, Ruan HH (2010). Soil respiration under different vegetation types in Nanjing urban green space. Chinese J Ecol 29 (2):274–280

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Qian Y, Mecham B, Parton WJ (2013) Development of best turfgrass management practices using the DAYCENT model. Agron J 105:1151–1159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhideeva VA, Vasenev II, Shcherbakov AP (2002) Fractionation of Pb, Cd, Ni and Zn compounds in meadow-chernozemic soils polluted by emissions of the accumulator plant. Eurasian Soil Sci 6:643–650

    Google Scholar 

  • Zircle G, Lal R, Augustin B (2011) Modelling Carbon Sequestration in Home Lawns. Hortscience 46:808–814

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The project was partly supported by Governmental Grant # 11. G34.31.0079 and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research projects # 14-04-31992, 15-34-70003 and 15-54-53117. The authors thank Agata Alunova, Bhoobun Bhavish for collecting field data and Anastasia Lebedeva for the assistance with biomass analysis, Dr. Tatiana Morin, Ellen Moedt and Anna Paltseva for assistance with editing the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agrarian-Technological Institute, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, Miklukho-Maklaya str., 6, Moscow, Russia

    A. S. Shchepeleva & V. I. Vasenev

  2. Laboratory of agroecological monitoring, modelling and prediction of ecossytems, Russian State Agricultural University, Timiryazevskaya str., 49, Moscow, Russia

    V. I. Vasenev, I. M. Mazirov, I. I. Vasenev & I. S. Prokhorov

  3. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gori, 1, Moscow, Russia

    D. D. Gosse

Authors
  1. A. S. Shchepeleva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V. I. Vasenev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. I. M. Mazirov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. I. I. Vasenev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. I. S. Prokhorov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. D. D. Gosse
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shchepeleva, A.S., Vasenev, V.I., Mazirov, I.M. et al. Changes of soil organic carbon stocks and CO2 emissions at the early stages of urban turf grasses’ development. Urban Ecosyst 20, 309–321 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-016-0594-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-016-0594-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation