Abstract
We present analyses of major driving variable controls on soil C in agroecosystems. Historical changes in soil C storage in agricultural soils are characterized by large losses during transition from natural grasslands and forests. A major driver in more recent times is the steadily increasing rate of net primary production of major land areas in agriculture. Simulation and analytical models are used to predict trajectories and potential soil C storage under possible scenarios of changed management and climate. Database and analytical requirements for extrapolation from regional to global scales are outlined.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Acock, B.: 1990, in:Impact of carbon dioxide, trace gases, and climate changes on global agriculture. American Society of America Special Publication No. 53.
Akita, S. and Moss, D.N.: 1973,Crop Science 13, 234–237.
Burke, I.C., Yonker, C.M., Parton, W.J., Cole, C.V., Flach, K. and Schimel, D.S.: 1989,Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 53, 800–805.
Cole, C.V., Stewart, J.W.B., Ojima, D.S., Parton, W.J. and Schimel, D.S.: 1989, in:Ecology of Arable Land, Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Cole, C.V., Burke, I.C., Parton, W.J., Schimel, D.S., Ojima, D.S. and Stewart, J.W.B.: 1990, in:Challenges in Dryland Agriculture, A Global Perspective. Proceedings of the International Conference on Dryland Farming, Aug. 15–19, 1988, Amarillo/Bushland, Texas. P.W. Unger, T.V. Sneed, W.R. Jordon and R. Jensen, editors.
Cure, J.D. and Acock, B.: 1986,Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 38, 127–145.
Elliott, E.T. and Cole, C.V.: 1989,Ecology 70, 1597–1602.
Elliott, E.T., Paustian, K., Collins, H.P., Paul, E.A., Cole, C.V., Burke, I.C., Blevins, R.L., Lyon, D.J., Frye, W.W., Halvorson, A.D., Huggins, D.R., Turco, R.F., Hickman, M., Monz, C.A. and Frey, S.D.: 1993, SSSA Spec. Publ. (in press).
Gifford, R.M.: 1979,Search 10, 316–318.
Goudriaan, J.: 1992,Journal of Experimental Botany 43, 1111–1119.
Haas, H.J., Evans, C.E. and Miles, E.F.: 1957,Nitrogen and carbon changes in Great Plains soils as influenced by cropping and soil treatments. Tech. Bull. 1164, U.S. Dept. Agric.
Hocking, P.J. and Meyer, C.P.: 1991,Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 18, 339–356.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: 1990,Climate change: The intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) scientific assessment. Univ. Press, Cambridge, England.
Kimball, B.A.: 1983,Agronomy Journal 75, 779–788.
Larson, W.E., Clapp, C.E., Pierre, W.H. and Morachan, Y.B.: 1972,Agronomy Journal 64, 204–208.
Long, S.P.: 1991,Plant, Cell and Environment 14, 729–739.
Metherell, A.K.: 1992,Simulation of Soil Organic Matter Dynamics and Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems. Ph.D. Dissertation, Colorado State University, Fort Collins.
Molina, L.T.: 1992,Trace Gas Exchange: Mid-latitude Terrestrial Ecosystems and the Atmosphere (TRAGEX). MIT, Cambridge, MA.
Morrison, J.I.L. and Gifford, R.M.: 1984a,Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 11, 361–374.
Morrison, J.I.L. and Gifford, R.M.: 1984b,Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 11, 375–384.
Moss, D.N., Musgrave, R.B. and Lemon, E.R.: 1961,Crop Science 1, 83–87.
Ojima, D.S., Parton, W.J., Schimel, D.S., Scurlock, J.M.O. and Kittel, T.G.F.: 1993, (this volume).Modeling the effects of climatic and CO2 changes on grassland storage of soil C.
Parton, W.J. and Rasmussen, P.E.:(in press)Soil. Sci. Soc. Am. J.
Parton, W.J., Schimel, D.S., Cole, C.V. and Ojima, D.S.: 1987,Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 51, 1173–1179.
Paustian, K., Andrén, O., Clarholm, M., Hansson, A.C., Johansson, G., Lagerlöf, J., Lindberg, T., Pettersson, R. and Sohlenius, B.: 1990,J. Appl. Ecol. 27, 60–84.
Paustian, K., Parton, W.J. and Persson, J.: 1992,Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 56, 476–488.
Paustian, K., Robertson, G.P. and Elliott, E.T.:Advances in Soil Science (in press).
Rasmussen, P.E., Allmaras, R.R., Rohde, C.R. and Roager, Jr., N.C.: 1980,Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 44, 596–600.
Rogers, H.H., Bingham, G.E., Cure, J.D., Smith, J.M. and Surano, K.A.: 1983,Journal of Environmental Quality 12, 569–574.
Schmitt, M.R. and Edwards. G.E.: 1981,Journal of Experimental Botany 32, 459–466.
Scholes, R.J. and Skole, D: (in prep.)Global soils data: a proposal for a synthesis task. Global Change Report No. 27, Stockholm.
Sinclair, T.R.: 1992,Journal of Experimental Botany 43, 1141–1146.
Wong, S.C.: 1979,Oecologia 44, 68–74.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cole, C.V., Paustian, K., Elliott, E.T. et al. Analysis of agroecosystem carbon pools. Water Air Soil Pollut 70, 357–371 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01105007
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01105007