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Productivity and carbon storage in silvopastoral systems with Pinus ponderosa and Trifolium spp., plantations and pasture on an Andisol in Patagonia, Chile

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Abstract

No information is available about carbon (C) sequestration potentials in ecosystems on Andisols of the Chilean Patagonia. This study was undertaken to measure the size of C stocks in three predominant ecosystems: Pinus ponderosa-based silvopastoral systems (SPS), pine plantations (PPP) and natural pasture (PST), and examine how clover affect tree growth and stocks of soil C. The C contents of trees and pasture were determined by destructive sampling and dry combustion. Soil samples were taken at 0–5, 5–20, 20–40 cm depths in order to determine soil C and N. For PPP and SPS total aboveground tree C was 38.4 and 53.1 kg tree−1 and belowground was 21.3 and 23.4 kg tree−1, respectively. Annual diameter increment at breast height was 1 and 2 cm in PPP and SPS, respectively, and was significantly higher in SPS. Trees in SPS, due to lower density and the presence of leguminous pasture, demonstrated enhanced growth and C sequestration. Soil organic C (SOC) stocks at 0–40 cm depth were 193.76, 177.10 and 149.25 Mg ha−1 in SPS, PST and PPP, respectively. The conversion of PPP to SPS and PST to PPP resulted in an increase of 44.51 Mg ha−1 and a decrease of 27.85 Mg ha−1 in SOC, respectively. Favorable microclimatic conditions in relation to air temperature and soil moisture were observed in SPS as well as a synergy between trees and pasture.

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Acknowledgments

We sincerely wish to acknowledge and express our sincere thanks to Mr. Victor “Titi” Mata for hosting the research sites in his property near Coyhaique, to Silvia Marchetti and Luis Guzman for continual assistance, to Forestal Mininco S.A.—Aysén Project for logistical support, and to the Center of Biotechnology of the University of Concepción for help with laboratory analysis. In addition, we sincerely thank Dr. Katia Sáez from the University of Concepción for assistance with statistical analysis, Dr. Wayne A. Geyer for kindly reviewing this paper, and the Forestry Research Institute (INFOR) for sharing valuable information and data. This study was funded by a grant (Project No. 207.142.025-1.0) from the Direction of Investigations of the University of Concepción (DIUC). Additional financial support was also obtained from CONICYT of the Chilean Government through a doctoral scholarship to F.D. and from SAI Global Inc.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forest Sciences, University of Concepción, Victoria 631, Casilla 160-C, Concepcion, VIII Region, Chile

    Francis Dube & Miguel Espinosa

  2. Department of Soils and Natural Resources, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Concepción, Vicente Mendez 595, Casilla 537, Chillan, VIII Region, Chile

    Neal B. Stolpe & Erick Zagal

  3. School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada

    Naresh V. Thevathasan & Andrew M. Gordon

Authors
  1. Francis Dube
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  2. Miguel Espinosa
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  3. Neal B. Stolpe
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  4. Erick Zagal
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  5. Naresh V. Thevathasan
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  6. Andrew M. Gordon
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Correspondence to Francis Dube.

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Dube, F., Espinosa, M., Stolpe, N.B. et al. Productivity and carbon storage in silvopastoral systems with Pinus ponderosa and Trifolium spp., plantations and pasture on an Andisol in Patagonia, Chile. Agroforest Syst 86, 113–128 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-011-9471-7

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