Organic carbon content and distribution in soils under different land uses in tropical and subtropical China

Tropical and subtropical China comprises a land area of about 215 Mha, but reports on its soil C storage and contents are limited. The objective of this study was to investigate the C density, stocks and distribution in soils of this region under different land uses by using soil species data from the Second National Soil Survey and the Vegetation Map of the People's Republic of China (1:4 M). It was estimated that there is a total of about 28.7±8.2 Pg organic C stored in the upper 1 m of soils of the entire region. Changes of C content (C) with depth (D) were observed following a relationship of C = (c + D)/ (a + bD), or C = 1/(a + bD). Of the various patterns of land uses in the region, soil C density was generally higher in the west than in the east, and while small differences were found in croplands, there were large variations in natural soils. In the west, the C density of meadow and herbaceous swamp soil was the highest (about 40 kg C/m²), followed by coniferous and broad-leaf forest soils (19.6 and 19.2 kg C/m², respectively). The C density of paddy, bush and coppice forest soils showed a density of 12.6 and 14.6 kg C/m², respectively. Upland and grass-savanah soils ranked the lowest (9.4 and 10.5 kg C/m², respectively). In the east, meadow and herbaceous swamp soil had the highest C density (25.2 kg C/m²), but differences in C density among soils under coniferous forest, broad-leaf forest, bush and coppice forest, and rice were small, varying from 10.2 to 11.4 kg C/m². The C density of upland soil (7.2 kg C/m²), appeared a little higher than that of grass-savanah soil (6.3 kg C/m²). For the various land uses in the region, the C density estimation is accompanied by relatively large variations.     

Variability in temperature regulation of CO2 fluxes and N mineralization from five Hawaiian soils: implications for a changing climate

We examined the possibility that microbial adaptation to temperature could affect rates of CO₂, N₂O and CH₄ release from soils. Laboratory incubations were used to determine the functional relationship between temperature and CO₂, N₂O and CH₄ fluxes for five soils collected across an elevational range in Hawaii. Initial rates of CO2 production and net N mineralization increased exponentially from 15 °C to 55 °C; initial rates of CH₄ and N₂O release were more complex. No optimum temperature (in which rates decline at higher and lower temperatures) was apparent for any of the gases, but respiration declined with time at higher temperatures, suggesting rapid depletion of readily available substrate. Mean Q₁₀S for respiration varied from 1.4 to 2.0, a typical range for tropical soils. The functional relationship between CO₂ production and temperature was consistent among all five soils, despite the substantial differences in mean annual temperature, soils, and land-use among the sites. Temperature responses of N₂O and CH₄ fluxes did not follow simple Q₁₀ relationships suggesting that temperature functions developed for CO₂ release from heterotrophic respiration cannot be simply extrapolated. Expanding this study to tropical heterotrophic respiration, the flux is more sensitive to changes in Q₁₀ than to changes in temperature on a per unit basis: the partial derivative with respect to temperature is 2.4 Gt C ·° C^?1 with respect to Q₁₀, it is 3.5 Gt C · Q₁₀ unit^?1. Therefore, what appears to be minor variability might still produce substantial uncertainty in regional estimates of gas exchange.     

Nitrous oxide and methane emissions from cryptogamic covers

Cryptogamic covers, which comprise some of the oldest forms of terrestrial life on Earth (Lenton & Huntingford, 2003 ), have recently been found to fix large amounts of nitrogen and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (Elbert et al., 2012 ). Here we show that they are also greenhouse gas sources with large nitrous oxide (N₂O) and small methane (CH₄) emissions. Whilst N₂O emission rates varied with temperature, humidity, and N deposition, an almost constant ratio with respect to respiratory CO₂ emissions was observed for numerous lichens and bryophytes. We employed this ratio together with respiration data to calculate global and regional N₂O emissions. If our laboratory measurements are typical for lichens and bryophytes living on ground and plant surfaces and scaled on a global basis, we estimate a N₂O source strength of 0.32–0.59 Tg year^?1 for the global N₂O emissions from cryptogamic covers. Thus, our emission estimate might account for 4–9% of the global N₂O budget from natural terrestrial sources. In a wide range of arid and forested regions, cryptogamic covers appear to be the dominant source of N₂O. We suggest that greenhouse gas emissions associated with this source might increase in the course of global change due to higher temperatures and enhanced nitrogen deposition.     

Immediate and long-term nitrogen oxide emissions from tropical forest soils exposed to elevated nitrogen input

Tropical nitrogen (N) deposition is projected to increase substantially within the coming decades. Increases in soil emissions of the climate‐relevant trace gases NO and N₂O are expected, but few studies address this possibility. We used N addition experiments to achieve N‐enriched conditions in contrasting montane and lowland forests and assessed changes in the timing and magnitude of soil N‐oxide emissions. We evaluated transitory effects, which occurred immediately after N addition, and long‐term effects measured at least 6 weeks after N addition. In the montane forest where stem growth was N limited, the first‐time N additions caused rapid increases in soil N‐oxide emissions. During the first 2 years of N addition, annual N‐oxide emissions were five times (transitory effect) and two times (long‐term effect) larger than controls. This contradicts the current assumption that N‐limited tropical montane forests will respond to N additions with only small and delayed increases in soil N‐oxide emissions. We attribute this fast and large response of soil N‐oxide emissions to the presence of an organic layer (a characteristic feature of this forest type) in which nitrification increased substantially following N addition. In the lowland forest where stem growth was neither N nor phosphorus (P) limited, the first‐time N additions caused only gradual and minimal increases in soil N‐oxide emissions. These first N additions were completed at the beginning of the wet season, and low soil water content may have limited nitrification. In contrast, the 9‐ and 10‐year N‐addition plots displayed instantaneous and large soil N‐oxide emissions. Annual N‐oxide emissions under chronic N addition were seven times (transitory effect) and four times (long‐term effect) larger than controls. Seasonal changes in soil water content also caused seasonal changes in soil N‐oxide emissions from the 9‐ and 10‐year N‐addition plots. This suggests that climate change scenarios, where rainfall quantity and seasonality change, will alter the relative importance of soil NO and N₂O emissions from tropical forests exposed to elevated N deposition.     

Latitudinal differentiated water table control of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide fluxes from hydromorphic soils: feedbacks to climate change

The possibility of carbon (C) being locked away from the atmosphere for millennia is given in hydromorphic soils. However, the water-table-dependent feedback from soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition to the climate system is less clear. At least three greenhouse gases are produced: carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O). These gases show emission peaks at different water table positions and have different global warming potentials (GWP), for example a factor of 23 for CH₄ and 296 for N₂O as compared with the equivalent mass of CO₂ on a 100-year time horizon. This review of available annual data on all three gases revealed that the radiative forcing effect of SOM decomposition is principally dictated by CO₂ despite its low GWP. Anaerobic SOM decomposition generally has a lower potential feedback to the climatic system than aerobic SOM decomposition. Concrete values are constrained by a lack of data from tropical and subarctic regions. Furthermore, data on N₂O and on plant effects are generally rare. However, there is a clear latitudinal differentiation for the GWP of soils under anaerobic conditions compared with aerobic conditions when looking at CO₂ and CH₄: in the tropical and temperate regions, the anaerobic GWP showed a range of 25–60% of the aerobic value, but values varied between 80% and 110% in the boreal zone. Hence, particularly in the vulnerable boreal zone, the feedback from ecosystems to climate change will highly depend on plant responses to changing water tables at elevated temperatures.     

Effect of land-use change and methane mixing ratio on methane uptake from United Kingdom soil

Methane (CH₄) is a trace gas 30 times more radiatively active than carbon dioxide and, apart from a recent decrease, its atmospheric concentration has been increasing at a rate of ～ 1%per annum since 1945. The increase results from an imbalance between CH₄ production and consumption. Here we assess the impact that changes in land use and increasing atmospheric CH₄ mixing ratios have had on CH4 uptake rates by soil in the UK since before the Iron age. This has been achieved by making retrospective analyses of CH₄ uptake in UK soils under four different conditions of land use and CH₄ mixing ratio. The calculations indicate that 54% of the current CH₄ uptake by UK soils is the result of increased CH₄ mixing ratio but that land-use change has caused a reduction of ～ 37 kt CH4 y^?1 in the potential sink strength of UK soils for CH₄. The results are discussed with respect to the compilation of greenhouse gas inventories.     

不同水肥条件下黄河三角洲盐土的N2O排放速率

用室内培养法测定了不同水肥处理下的盐土N2O排放速率.未加氮肥时,从中盐土(ECe=6.4 mS·cm-1)到极盐土(ECe=126.5 mS·cm-1),在各水分条件下(50％WHC,80％ WHC和4 cm深水面),盐土排放N2O的速率都非常低,经常在检测限以下.添加硝酸铵(0.4 mg N·g-1 soil)后,沙质中盐土排放速率在50％ WHC时为41.0 μg N2O·kg-1soil·d-1,在4 cm深水面时为364.6 μg N2O·kg-1soil·d-1,与以往类似处理的非盐土相当.沙质重盐土和极盐土排放速率分别为中盐土的43％～65％和23％ ～48％.相反,壤质盐土排放速率极低(0.91 ～37.1 μg N2O·kg-1 soil·d-1).盐土高的N2O生产潜力及对氮和质地的强烈依赖性表明盐影响N2O排放主要来源于碳、氮供给限制,而较少受微生物因素的直接影响.     

Oxidation of atmospheric methane in Northern European soils, comparison with other ecosystems, and uncertainties in the global terrestrial sink

This paper reports the range and statistical distribution of oxidation rates of atmospheric CH₄ in soils found in Northern Europe in an international study, and compares them with published data for various other ecosystems. It reassesses the size, and the uncertainty in, the global terrestrial CH₄ sink, and examines the effect of land‐use change and other factors on the oxidation rate. Only soils with a very high water table were sources of CH₄; all others were sinks. Oxidation rates varied from 1 to nearly 200 μg CH₄ m^?2 h^?1; annual rates for sites measured for ≥1 y were 0.1–9.1 kg CH₄ ha^?1 y^?1, with a log‐normal distribution (log‐mean ≈ 1.6 kg CH₄ ha^?1 y^?1). Conversion of natural soils to agriculture reduced oxidation rates by two‐thirds –‐ closely similar to results reported for other regions. N inputs also decreased oxidation rates. Full recovery of rates after these disturbances takes > 100 y. Soil bulk density, water content and gas diffusivity had major impacts on oxidation rates. Trends were similar to those derived from other published work. Increasing acidity reduced oxidation, partially but not wholly explained by poor diffusion through litter layers which did not themselves contribute to the oxidation. The effect of temperature was small, attributed to substrate limitation and low atmospheric concentration. Analysis of all available data for CH₄ oxidation rates in situ showed similar log‐normal distributions to those obtained for our results, with generally little difference between different natural ecosystems, or between short‐and longer‐term studies. The overall global terrestrial sink was estimated at 29 Tg CH₄ y^?1, close to the current IPCC assessment, but with a much wider uncertainty range (7 to > 100 Tg CH₄ y^?1). Little or no information is available for many major ecosystems; these should receive high priority in future research.     

Nitrous oxide emissions from silage maize fields under different mineral nitrogen fertilizer and slurry applications

Intensive dairy farming systems are a large source of emission of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N₂O), because of high nitrogen (N) application rates to grasslands and silage maize fields. The objective of this study was to compare measured N₂O emissions from two different soils to default N₂O emission factors, and to look at alternative emission factors based on (i) the N uptake in the crop and (ii) the N surplus of the system, i.e., N applied minus N uptake by the crop. Twelve N fertilization regimes were implemented on a sandy soil (typic endoaquoll) and a clay soil (typic endoaquept) in the Netherlands, and N₂O emissions were measured throughout the growing season. Highest cumulative fluxes of 1.92 and 6.81 kg N₂O-N ha^–1 for the sandy soil and clay soil were measured at the highest slurry application rate of 250 kg N ha^–1. Background emissions from unfertilized soils were 0.14 and 1.52 kg N₂O-N ha^–1 for the sandy soil and the clay soil, respectively. Emission factors for the sandy soil averaged 0.08, 0.51 and 0.26% of the N applied via fertilizer, slurry, and combinations of both. For the clay soil, these numbers were 1.18, 1.21 and 1.69%, respectively. Surplus N was linearly related to N₂O emission for both the sandy soil (R²=0.60) and the clay soil (R²=0.40), indicating a possible alternative emission factor. We concluded that, in our study, N₂O emission was not linearly related to N application rates, and varied with type and application rate of fertilizer. Finally, the relatively high emission from the clay soil indicates that background emissions might have to be taken into account in N₂O budgets.     

Distributions of carbon in calcareous soils under different land uses in western Iran

Concentrations of Natural stable and unstable carbon in ecosystems have been used extensively to help to understand a wide range of soil processes and functions. This study was conducted to explore the effects of land use changes on different carbon fractions (F₁, F₂, F₃ and F₄), permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), soil organic carbon (SOC) and total organic carbon (TOC) associated with soils in calcareous soils of western Iran. Four popular land uses in the selected site including natural forest, range land, dryland farming and irrigated farming systems were employed as the basis of soil sampling. The results showed a strong relationship between land use conversion and SOC stocks changes. The greatest mean values for carbon content and the least mean values of CaCO₃ in bulk topsoil (0–15 cm) in the forest land were observed. Dryland farming had the least both active and passive pools of C in comparison with the other land uses. The positive and significant correlations was observed between SOC, Total C and POXC contents and different C fractions. Taking C and POXC pools into account, a more definitive picture of the soil C is obtained than when only total C is measured. The influence of land use changes on overall soil carbon stocks could be helpful for making management decision for farmers and policy makers in the future, for enhancing the potential of C sequestration in western Iran.     

Variation in soil properties under different land uses and attitudinal gradients in soils of the Indian Himalayas

We studied the interaction effects of 8-different land uses systems viz., forestry (T₁), silvopastoral (T₂), horticulture (T₃), agrihorticulture (T₄), agrisilviculture (T₅), agrihortisilviculture (T₆) > grassland (T₇) and agriculture (T₈) in 2-altitudinal gradient for three consecutive soil layers of up to 1 m deep from sub-montane to low hill sub-tropical zone of Western Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh State of India. All the land uses under agroforestry practices viz., agrisilviculture, silvopastoral, agrihorticulture and agrihortisilviculture showed significantly enhanced values of pH, organic carbon (OC %), available N, P, K and exchangeable Ca, Mg and available S than agriculture land use. A maximum value of soil carbon (1.08%) was observed in forest land use followed by silvopastoral, horticulture, agrihorticulture, agrisilviculture, agrihortisilviculture, grassland and agriculture, respectively. Overall highest values of available N, P and K were observed under forest land use and silvopastoral among agroforestry systems. Available N, P, and K declined with increasing altitude. Exchangeable Mg followed the trend T₇ > T₂ > T₅ > T₁ > T₆ > T₃ > T₄ > T₈ and available Sulphur as T₇ > T₃ > T₂ > T₆ > T₅ > T₄ > T₈ > T_1, respectively. The value of exchangeable Ca and available S increased with increasing altitude. From the study it can be concluded that tree based land use systems of subtropical zone of the Himalayan region are more sustainable and environment friendly than agriculture and grassland use systems. Hence, they need to be conserved and promoted on large scale. The outcome of this paper will be helpful in convincing the farmers for adoptions of agroforestry practices in large scale.     

氮沉降对森林土壤主要温室气体通量的影响

大气氮沉降已经并将继续对森林土壤主要温室气体(CO2、CH4和N2O)通量产生影响.综述了国内外氮沉降对森林土壤主要温室气体通量影响及其机理的研究现状.由于森林类型、土壤N状况、氮沉降量及沉降类型等不同,氮沉降对森林土壤主要温室气体通量的影响主要表现为抑制、促进和不显著3种效果.在N限制的森林中,氮沉降对土壤主要温室气体通量无显著影响,或促进土壤CO2排放;在"N饱和"的森林中,氮沉降可减少土壤CO2排放,抑制对大气CH4的吸收,增加N2O排放.分析了产生以上影响效果的作用机理,介绍了氮沉降对森林土壤主要温室气体通量影响的研究方法,探讨了该领域存在的问题及未来研究的方向.     

Nitrous oxide and methane fluxes of a pristine slope mire in the German National Park Harz Mountains

Pristine peatlands covered by Histosols (bogs and fens) with high water table and a restricted oxygen (O₂) availability are known to have low emissions of nitrous oxide (N₂O) but may be a significant source for atmospheric methane (CH₄) which are both important greenhouse gases. For the first time N₂O and CH₄ fluxes of a pristine slope mire in the German Harz Mountains have been monitored. Previously reported peatlands are characterised by anaerobic conditions due to high water table levels. Slope mires monitored here receive O₂ through slope water inflow. Gas fluxes have been monitored deploying closed chamber method on a central non-forested area and a forested area at the periphery of the slope mire. By means of groundwater piezometers water table levels, ammonium and nitrate contents as well as hydro-chemical variables like oxygen content and redox potential of the mire pore water have been concurrently measured with trace gas fluxes at both monitoring sites of the slope mire. The slope mire took up small amounts of atmospheric methane at a rate of −0.02 ± 0.01 kg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ revealing no significant difference between the forested and non-forested site. Higher uptake rates were observed during low water table level. In contrast to pristine peatlands influx of oxygen containing pore water into slope mire does limit reduction processes and resultant CH₄ emission. N₂O fluxes of the forested and non-forested sites of the slope mire did not differ and amounted to 0.25 ± 0.44 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. Higher emissions were observed at low water table levels and during thawing periods. In spite of favourable conditions N₂O fluxes of the slope mire have been comparable to those of pristine peatlands.     

Impacts of climate and land use on N2O and CH4 fluxes from tropical ecosystems in the Mt. Kilimanjaro region,Tanzania

In this study, we quantify the impacts of climate and land use on soil N₂O and CH₄ fluxes from tropical forest, agroforest, arable and savanna ecosystems in Africa. To do so, we measured greenhouse gases (GHG) fluxes from 12 different ecosystems along climate and land‐use gradients at Mt. Kilimanjaro, combining long‐term in situ chamber and laboratory soil core incubation techniques. Both methods showed similar patterns of GHG exchange. Although there were distinct differences from ecosystem to ecosystem, soils generally functioned as net sources and sinks for N₂O and CH₄ respectively. N₂O emissions correlated positively with soil moisture and total soil nitrogen content. CH₄ uptake rates correlated negatively with soil moisture and clay content and positively with SOC. Due to moderate soil moisture contents and the dominance of nitrification in soil N turnover, N₂O emissions of tropical montane forests were generally low (<1.2 kg N ha^?1 year^?1), and it is likely that ecosystem N losses are driven instead by nitrate leaching (~10 kg N ha^?1 year^?1). Forest soils with well‐aerated litter layers were a significant sink for atmospheric CH₄ (up to 4 kg C ha^?1 year^?1) regardless of low mean annual temperatures at higher elevations. Land‐use intensification significantly increased the soil N₂O source strength and significantly decreased the soil CH₄ sink. Compared to decreases in aboveground and belowground carbon stocks enhanced soil non‐CO₂ GHG emissions following land‐use conversion from tropical forests to homegardens and coffee plantations were only a small factor in the total GHG budget. However, due to lower ecosystem carbon stock changes, enhanced N₂O emissions significantly contributed to total GHG emissions following conversion of savanna into grassland and particularly maize. Overall, we found that the protection and sustainable management of aboveground and belowground carbon and nitrogen stocks of agroforestry and arable systems is most crucial for mitigating GHG emissions from land‐use change.     

A comparative account of the microbiological characteristics of soils under natural forest,grassland and cropfield from Eastern India

Microbiological and physico-chemical characteristics of tropical forest, grassland and cropfield soils from India were investigated. The study revealed that the conversion of natural forest led to a reduction of soil organic C (26–36%), total N (26–35%), total P (33–44%), microfungal biomass (44–66%) and total microbial biomass C, N and P (25–60%) over a period of 30–50 years. Comparative analysis of microbial activity in terms of basal soil respiration revealed maximum activity in the forest and minimum in the cropfield soil. Analysis of microbial metabolic respiratory activity (qCO₂) indicated relatively greater respiratory loss of CO₂-C per unit microbial biomass in cropfield and grassland than in forest soil. Considering the importance of the microbial component in soil, we conclude that the conversion of the tropical forest to different land uses leads to the loss of biological stability of the soil.     

Effects of nitrogen deposition on the greenhouse gas fluxes from forest soils

Nitrogen (N) deposition can alter the rates of microbial N- and C- turnover, and thus can affect the fluxes of greenhouse gases (GHG, e.g., CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O) from forest soils. The effects of N deposition on the GHG fluxes from forest soils were reviewed in this paper. N deposition to forest soils have shown variable effects on the soil GHG fluxes from forest, including increases, decreases or unchanged rates depending on forest type, N status of the soil, and the rate and type of atmospheric N deposition. In forest ecosystems where biological processes are limited by N supply, N additions either stimulate soil respiration or have no significant effect, whereas in “N saturated” forest ecosystems, N additions decrease CO₂ emission, reduce CH₄ oxidation and elevate N₂O flux from the soil. The mechanisms and research methods about the effects of N deposition on GHG fluxes from forest soils were also reviewed in this paper. Finally, the present and future research needs about the effects of N deposition on the GHG fluxes from forest soils were discussed.     

Biomass,Carbon, and Nitrogen Pools in Mexican Tropical Dry Forest Landscapes

Tropical dry forest is the most widely distributed land-cover type in the tropics. As the rate of land-use/land-cover change from forest to pasture or agriculture accelerates worldwide, it is becoming increasingly important to quantify the ecosystem biomass and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools of both intact forests and converted sites. In the central coastal region of México, we sampled total aboveground biomass (TAGB), and the N and C pools of two floodplain forests, three upland dry forests, and four pastures converted from dry forest. We also sampled belowground biomass and soil C and N pools in two sites of each land-cover type. The TAGB of floodplain forests was as high as 416 Mg ha^–1, whereas the TAGB of the dry forest ranged from 94 to 126 Mg ha^–1. The TAGB of pastures derived from dry forest ranged from 20 to 34 Mg ha^–1. Dead wood (standing and downed combined) comprised 27%–29% of the TABG of dry forest but only about 10% in floodplain forest. Root biomass averaged 32.0 Mg ha^–1 in floodplain forest, 17.1 Mg ha^–1 in dry forest, and 5.8 Mg ha^–1 in pasture. Although total root biomass was similar between sites within land-cover types, root distribution varied by depth and by size class. The highest proportion of root biomass occurred in the top 20 cm of soil in all sites. Total aboveground and root C pools, respectively, were 12 and 2.2 Mg ha^–1 in pasture and reached 180 and 12.9 Mg ha^–1 in floodplain forest. Total aboveground and root pools, respectively, were 149 and 47 kg ha^–1 in pasture and reached 2623 and 264 kg ha^–1 in floodplain forest. Soil organic C pools were greater in pastures than in dry forest, but soil N pools were similar when calculated for the same soil depths. Total ecosystem C pools were 306. The Mg ha^–1 in floodplain forest, 141 Mg ha^–1 in dry forest, and 124 Mg ha^–1 in pasture. Soil C comprised 37%–90% of the total ecosystem C, whereas soil N comprised 85%–98% of the total. The N pools lack of a consistent decrease in soil pools caused by land-use change suggests that C and N losses result from the burning of aboveground biomass. We estimate that in México, dry forest landscapes store approximately 2.3 Pg C, which is about equal to the C stored by the evergreen forests of that country (approximately 2.4 Pg C). Potential C emissions to the atmosphere from the burning of biomass in the dry tropical landscapes of México may amount to 708 Tg C, as compared with 569 Tg C from evergreen forests.     

Mobilization of DOC from sandy loamy soils under different land use (Lower Saxony,Germany)

The conversion of natural forests into cultivated lands causes changes of the carbon cycle, which are of particular importance for fragile landscapes. We examined the mobilization of organic carbon in undisturbed soil monoliths of a deciduous forest, a pine plantation, and a pasture under constant temperature (20°C) and moisture via a leaching experiment. Soil percolation was performed with synthetic rainfall solution (pH 5) for a period of 20 weeks. The leachates of the first 12 weeks were analyzed for the pH, DOC content, light absorbance at 260 and 330 nm. At the end of the experiment soil pH, total carbon, C:N ratio, content of fractions of humic substances were examined. After 20 weeks of the leaching experiment the decrease of soil total C_org reached 29, 23, and 50% in soil monoliths of deciduous forest, pasture, and coniferous forest, respectively. The amounts of DOC removed constituted 6.4, 3.8, and 6.2% of initial soil C_org, respectively. Cumulative values of DOC production decreased in the sequence coniferous forest > deciduous forest > pasture. UV-Vis absorptivities of DOC were similar in both forests and differed from those in pasture. UV-Vis characteristics showed that DOC composition changed during the experiment. The intensive soil percolation caused alterations of the properties of soil organic matter, in particular a change of fraction composition of humic substances occurred.     

Substantial labile carbon stocks and microbial activity in deeply weathered soils below a tropical wet forest

Contrary to large areas in Amazonia of tropical moist forests with a pronounced dry season, tropical wet forests in Costa Rica do not depend on deep roots to maintain an evergreen forest canopy through the year. At our Costa Rican tropical wet forest sites, we found a large carbon stock in the subsoil of deeply weathered Oxisols, even though only 0.04–0.2% of the measured root biomass (>2 mm diameter) to 3 m depth was below 2 m. In addition, we demonstrate that 20% or more of this deep soil carbon (depending on soil type) can be mobilized after forest clearing for pasture establishment. Microbial activity between 0.3 and 3 m depth contributed about 50% to the microbial activity in these soils, confirming the importance of the subsoil in C cycling. Depending on soil type, forest clearing for pasture establishment led from no change to a slight addition of carbon in the topsoil (0–0.3 m depth). However, this effect was countered by a substantial loss of C stocks in the subsoil (1–3 m depth). Our results show that large stocks of relatively labile carbon are not limited to areas with a prolonged dry season, but can also be found in deeply weathered soils below tropical wet forests. Forest clearing in such areas may produce unexpectedly high C losses from the subsoil.