中国陆地生态系统土壤有机碳变化研究进展

通过文献资料, 对中国陆地生态系统土壤有机碳变化研究进行评述. 20世纪80年代初至21世纪初, 中国森林、草地、灌丛和农田土壤有机碳库合计年均增加(71±19) Tg/a, 三江平原沼泽湿地垦殖导致土壤有机碳损失(6±2) Tg/a. 该结果存在极大的不确定性, 尤其是对森林、灌丛和草地碳库变化的估计. 未来研究需重点关注土地利用变化及其碳源、碳汇效应, 放牧管理对草地土壤有机碳库的影响, 灌丛和非森林树木(经济林、防护林及四旁绿化造林)土壤有机碳变化估算, 深层土壤有机碳变化的测定和估算, 中国土壤的固碳潜力及陆地生态系统碳收支模型开发.     

青藏高原土壤碳储量及其影响因素研究进展

青藏高原是全球变化的敏感区,也是泛第三极地区气候变化的启动区。青藏高原土壤碳作为生态系统碳库的重要组成部分,对生态系统碳循环过程具有非常重要的作用。目前,对青藏高原土壤碳储量的估算仍存在很大的不确定性。为此,本文综述了近30年来关于青藏高原土壤碳储量研究,比较不同研究的土壤碳储量估算结果,以固有因子和变化因子两类影响因素作为切入点,分析了土壤碳储量时空分异规律。从估算模型和方法看,CENTURY和TEM模型综合考虑了影响土壤碳储量的多种机理过程,结果可信度高于EVI、NDVI模型以及插值估算法。青藏高原草地土壤表层(0～20 cm)有机碳储量约10 Pg C(1 Pg=10~(15)g)。高原冻土区土壤有机碳储量(0～200 cm)约16.5 Pg C,土壤无机碳储量(0～100 cm)约14 Pg C。青藏高原土壤碳储量沿东南向西北方向逐渐降低,而关于变化因子对青藏高原土壤碳储量的作用规律还没有一致的认识。此外,采样点选择、数据源选择、估算深度以及估算方法等影响了青藏高原土壤碳储量估算结果的精确性。未来青藏高原土壤碳储量研究应建立土壤碳储量估算标准来提高结果的可比性;同时增大采样区、采样量以及采样深度并保障采样周期的时间连贯性等,有效减少土壤碳储量估算不确定性。以期更好地理解和预测未来青藏高原生态系统对气候变化的响应。     

中国陆地土壤有机碳蓄积量估算误差分析

简要介绍了土壤碳蓄积量的计算方法,包括土壤类型法、植被类型法、生命地带法、相关关系法和模型方法,以及土壤有机碳蓄积量的误差分析方法．根据中国策二次土壤普查2473个典型土种剖面数据,采用土壤类型法和两种碳密度方法计算,估算的中国陆地土壤有机碳蓄积量处于615.19×10^14-1211.37×10^14g之间,平均碳密度为10．49-10．53kg·m^-2(土壤厚度为100cm)或11．52-12．04kg·m^-3(土壤平均厚度为88cm),土壤平均碳蓄积量为913．28±298．09×10^14g,估算的不确定性在20％～50％之间．其中,土壤碳计算和采样数量的差异是导致土壤碳蓄积量估算不确定性的重要因素。     

农田生态系统土壤有机碳库及其影响因子

土壤有机碳(SOC)的数量和质量在很大程度上与维持和提高土壤肥力密切相关。农田生态系统土壤碳库研究一直是农业、生态和环境领域的一个主要方向。土地利用、耕作、作物类型、种植密度、灌溉、施肥以及其他人为活动等,对农田生态系统土壤有机碳库的变化均能产生影响。本文综合评述了农田生态系统土壤有机碳库及其影响因子,土壤碳截获潜力,维持和提高土壤有机碳库的措施,以及农田土壤碳截获在温室气体减排及气候变化中的潜在作用等,最后提出了农田生态系统土壤有机碳库研究的主要方向。     

气候变化对陆地生态系统土壤有机碳储量变化的影响

通过研究气候变化对土壤有机碳储藏的影响,对预测未来气候变化下土壤有机碳动态变化与深入理解陆地生态系统变化和气候变化之间的相互作用有着极其重要的意义。本文归纳了土壤类型法、模型模拟法等途径对土壤有机碳储量估算的结果并分析它们各自的不确定性,综述了气候变化对土壤碳贮藏影响机理的研究与相应过程模拟的模型研究进展,并综合分析了当前研究中还存在的问题与不足。     

利用1:5万土壤数据库估算浙江省土壤有机碳密度及储量

土壤有机碳库作为陆地生态系统中重要的碳库之一,对于温室效应和全球变化研究具有重要意义.利用浙江省1:5万土壤数据库,对浙江省277个土种0～100cm土层的有机碳密度进行估算,分析了全省土壤有机碳密度和储量,以及各主要土壤类型有机碳密度和分布.结果表明:浙江省土壤有机碳密度值主要集中在5～10kg·m-2;山香灰土有机碳密度最高,为52.80kg·m-2,清水砂最低,为1.82kg·m-2;红壤和水稻土土类土壤有机碳储量最大,两者之和占浙江省土壤有机碳总储量的63.8%;浙江省土壤总面积为100784.19km2,土壤有机碳储量为875.42×106t,土壤有机碳平均密度为8.69kg·m-2.通过叠加数字高程模型分析,发现土壤有机碳密度随高程、坡度和坡向的变化均呈现明显的变化趋势.     

利用1∶5万土壤数据库估算浙江省土壤有机碳密度及储量

土壤有机碳库作为陆地生态系统中重要的碳库之一,对于温室效应和全球变化研究具有重要意义.利用浙江省1∶5万土壤数据库,对浙江省277个土种0～100 cm土层的有机碳密度进行估算,分析了全省土壤有机碳密度和储量,以及各主要土壤类型有机碳密度和分布.结果表明： 浙江省土壤有机碳密度值主要集中在5～10 kg·m^-2;山香灰土有机碳密度最高,为52.80 kg·m^-2,清水砂最低,为1.82 kg·m^-2;红壤和水稻土土类土壤有机碳储量最大,两者之和占浙江省土壤有机碳总储量的63.8%;浙江省土壤总面积为100784.19 km²,土壤有机碳储量为875.42×10⁶ t,土壤有机碳平均密度为8.69 kg·m^-2.通过叠加数字高程模型分析,发现土壤有机碳密度随高程、坡度和坡向的变化均呈现明显的变化趋势.     

环渤海地区土壤有机碳库及其空间分布格局的研究

土壤碳库的研究和管理以及土地利用变化对土壤碳库的影响已成为全球变化研究中的核心内容．本文利用第2次土壤普查时环渤海地区1374个土壤剖面资料,对该地区土壤有机碳库进行了估算,结果表明,整个环渤海地区1m深的土壤有机碳库为2．1PgC．进一步分析该区域各土壤类型的有机碳库发现,棕壤的有机碳库最大,占该区域总有机碳库的55．6％,其次为潮土,占26．9％,风沙土和暗棕壤的土壤有机碳库则很小,仅占0．1％以下．对不同土壤类型的碳密度比较发现,沼泽土的碳密度最高,为22．9kgC·m^-2,其次是暗棕壤,为16．04kgC·m^-2;而风沙土的碳密度最低,为2．88kgC·m^-2,再次是盐土,为6．0kgC·m^-2．可见土地风沙化和盐碱化将极大地降低土壤的有机碳．此外,该地区表层土壤中的碳储量为673．30TgC,即约占总碳储量三分之一的土壤碳易受人类活动的影响．该地区土壤有机碳的水平分布主要为沿海地区、平原地区、西北部地区和山地丘陵区4个区域,其碳密度由大到小依次为山地丘陵区(森林)>西北部地区(农牧区)>平原地区(农业)>沿海地区(裸地)．其分布规律不仅在一定程度上体现了气候和地形等因素的作用,而且充分反映了不同人类活动强度对土壤有机碳的影响．因此,加强该区域土地的保护和管理对于维护土壤有机碳和土地的持续利用极其重要．     

岩溶土壤有机碳库分配、更新及其维持的微生物机制

在水-二氧化碳-碳酸盐岩-生物的相互作用下,岩溶碳循环活跃,在全球形成8.24×108 t C/a的岩溶碳汇,约占全球遗漏汇的29.4%,其中部分岩溶碳汇以土壤有机碳的形式固存,因此碱性土壤固碳是未来碳中和的主要途径。微生物作为土壤碳循环的重要驱动者,影响着土壤有机碳主要赋存形式即植物残体碳与微生物残体碳的动态变化。本文通过综述岩溶土壤有机碳库储量、岩溶土壤有机碳库的来源与构成、影响岩溶土壤有机碳库动态的微生物因素以及岩溶土壤有机碳库更新的微生物机制,探讨了微生物对岩溶土壤植物残体碳与微生物残体碳的影响,并提出亟待解决的关键科学问题。这为深入研究岩溶区土壤有机碳库分配、更新及其维持的微生物机制,深化对岩溶土壤碳循环及其微生物机理认识,进而为应对千分之四全球土壤增碳计划提供了参考。     

中国草地生态系统碳库及其变化

准确评估草地生态系统碳库及其年际变化, 对揭示草地在中国陆地生态系统碳循环中的作用以及合理利用有限的草地资源有着极为重要的意义. 虽然中国学者在研究草地碳库及其动态变化方面已开展了很多工作, 但目前仍缺乏对中国草地生态系统碳库及其动态变化特征的全面认识. 通过综述当前中国草地碳循环研究的最新进展, 结合本研究组的工作, 试图全面评价中国草地生态系统碳库(植被生物量碳库和土壤有机碳库)及其动态变化. 结果显示: (1) 不同研究得到的中国草地生物量碳密度(单位面积生物量)存在较大差异, 为215.8~348.1 g C/m², 平均值为 300.2 g C/m². 同样, 对中国草地土壤有机碳密度(单位面积土壤碳库)的估算也存在显著差异, 在8.5~15.1 kg C/m²之间变动, 但考虑到8.5 kg C/m²的估算值是基于近千个土壤剖面的实测数据计算得到, 全国平均水平的土壤碳密度一般不会超过此值. 因此, 若采用目前最广泛使用的草地面积(331×104 km²), 那么中国草地生态系统碳库约为29.1 Pg C(1 Pg=1×10¹⁵ g), 其中96.6%的碳储存于土壤有机质中. (2) 文献报道的近20年中国草地生物量和土壤有机碳库的变化方向和变化量均存在差异. 按照最新的估算, 中国草地生物量和土壤有机碳库在过去20年里没有发生显著变化, 即中国草地生态系统处于中性碳汇状态. (3) 中国草地生物量的时空变异与降水量的变化关系密切. 土壤有机碳库的空间变异主要受与降水量密切相关的土壤水分的影响, 但土壤质地等因素也起一定作用. 此外, 放牧与围封等人类活动将对草地生物量和土壤碳库及其动态变化产生强烈影响.     

Impact of woody encroachment on soil organic carbon storage in the Lopé National Park,Gabon

This study quantifies changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stock as a result of woody encroachment on savannas. Changes in SOC stocks occur below 30 cm depth, indicating the subsoil as the principal compartment contributing to SOC sequestration, and suggesting the need to consider the entire profile (0–100 cm) to thoroughly assess the effect of woody encroachment on SOC stocks.     

Projected changes in mineral soil carbon of European croplands and grasslands, 1990–2080

We present the most comprehensive pan‐European assessment of future changes in cropland and grassland soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks to date, using a dedicated process‐based SOC model and state‐of‐the‐art databases of soil, climate change, land‐use change and technology change. Soil carbon change was calculated using the Rothamsted carbon model on a European 10 × 10′ grid using climate data from four global climate models implementing four Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emissions scenarios (SRES). Changes in net primary production (NPP) were calculated by the Lund–Potsdam–Jena model. Land‐use change scenarios, interpreted from the narratives of the IPCC SRES story lines, were used to project changes in cropland and grassland areas. Projections for 1990–2080 are presented for mineral soil only. Climate effects (soil temperature and moisture) will tend to speed decomposition and cause soil carbon stocks to decrease, whereas increases in carbon input because of increasing NPP will slow the loss. Technological improvement may further increase carbon inputs to the soil. Changes in cropland and grassland areas will further affect the total soil carbon stock of European croplands and grasslands. While climate change will be a key driver of change in soil carbon over the 21st Century, changes in technology and land‐use change are estimated to have very significant effects. When incorporating all factors, cropland and grassland soils show a small increase in soil carbon on a per area basis under future climate (1–7 t C ha^?1 for cropland and 3–6 t C ha^?1 for grassland), but when the greatly decreasing area of cropland and grassland are accounted for, total European cropland stocks decline in all scenarios, and grassland stocks decline in all but one scenario. Different trends are seen in different regions. For Europe (the EU25 plus Norway and Switzerland), the cropland SOC stock decreases from 11 Pg in 1990 by 4–6 Pg (39–54%) by 2080, and the grassland SOC stock increases from 6 Pg in 1990 to 1.5 Pg (25%) under the B1 scenario, but decreases to 1–3 Pg (20–44%) under the other scenarios. Uncertainty associated with the land‐use and technology scenarios remains unquantified, but worst‐case quantified uncertainties are 22.5% for croplands and 16% for grasslands, equivalent to potential errors of 2.5 and 1 Pg SOC, respectively. This is equivalent to 42–63% of the predicted SOC stock change for croplands and 33–100% of the predicted SOC stock change for grasslands. Implications for accounting for SOC changes under the Kyoto Protocol are discussed.     

Estimating Soil Organic Carbon Stocks and Spatial Patterns with Statistical and GIS-Based Methods

Accurately quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) is considered fundamental to studying soil quality, modeling the global carbon cycle, and assessing global climate change. This study evaluated the uncertainties caused by up-scaling of soil properties from the county scale to the provincial scale and from lower-level classification of Soil Species to Soil Group, using four methods: the mean, median, Soil Profile Statistics (SPS), and pedological professional knowledge based (PKB) methods. For the SPS method, SOC stock is calculated at the county scale by multiplying the mean SOC density value of each soil type in a county by its corresponding area. For the mean or median method, SOC density value of each soil type is calculated using provincial arithmetic mean or median. For the PKB method, SOC density value of each soil type is calculated at the county scale considering soil parent materials and spatial locations of all soil profiles. A newly constructed 1∶50,000 soil survey geographic database of Zhejiang Province, China, was used for evaluation. Results indicated that with soil classification levels up-scaling from Soil Species to Soil Group, the variation of estimated SOC stocks among different soil classification levels was obviously lower than that among different methods. The difference in the estimated SOC stocks among the four methods was lowest at the Soil Species level. The differences in SOC stocks among the mean, median, and PKB methods for different Soil Groups resulted from the differences in the procedure of aggregating soil profile properties to represent the attributes of one soil type. Compared with the other three estimation methods (i.e., the SPS, mean and median methods), the PKB method holds significant promise for characterizing spatial differences in SOC distribution because spatial locations of all soil profiles are considered during the aggregation procedure.     

Effects of long‐term straw return on soil organic carbon storage and sequestration rate in North China upland crops: A meta‐analysis

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is essential for soil fertility and climate change mitigation, and carbon can be sequestered in soil through proper soil management, including straw return. However, results of studies of long‐term straw return on SOC are contradictory and increasing SOC stocks in upland soils is challenging. This study of North China upland agricultural fields quantified the effects of several fertilizer and straw return treatments on SOC storage changes and crop yields, considering different cropping duration periods, soil types, and cropping systems to establish the relationships of SOC sequestration rates with initial SOC stocks and annual straw C inputs. Our meta‐analysis using long‐term field experiments showed that SOC stock responses to straw return were greater than that of mineral fertilizers alone. Black soils with higher initial SOC stocks also had lower SOC stock increases than did soils with lower initial SOC stocks (fluvo‐aquic and loessial soils) following applications of nitrogen‐phosphorous‐potassium (NPK) fertilizer and NPK+S (straw). Soil C stocks under the NPK and NPK+S treatments increased in the more‐than‐20‐year duration period, while significant SOC stock increases in the NP and NP+S treatment groups were limited to the 11‐ to 20‐year period. Annual crop productivity was higher in double‐cropped wheat and maize under all fertilization treatments, including control (no fertilization), than in the single‐crop systems (wheat or maize). Also, the annual soil sequestration rates and annual straw C inputs of the treatments with straw return (NP+S and NPK+S) were significantly positively related. Moreover, initial SOC stocks and SOC sequestration rates of those treatments were highly negatively correlated. Thus, long‐term straw return integrated with mineral fertilization in upland wheat and maize croplands leads to increased crop yields and SOC stocks. However, those effects of straw return are highly dependent on fertilizer management, cropping system, soil type, duration period, and the initial SOC content.     

Changes in Biomass Carbon and Soil Organic Carbon Stocks following the Conversion from a Secondary Coniferous Forest to a Pine Plantation

The objectives of this study were to estimate changes of tree carbon (C) and soil organic carbon (SOC) stock following a conversion in land use, an issue that has been only insufficiently addressed. For this study, we examined a chronosequence of 2 to 54-year-old Pinus kesiya var. langbianensis plantations that replaced the original secondary coniferous forest (SCF) in Southwest China due to clearing. C stocks considered here consisted of tree, understory, litter, and SOC (0–1 m). The results showed that tree C stocks ranged from 0.02±0.001 Mg C ha^-1 to 141.43±5.29 Mg C ha^-1, and increased gradually with the stand age. Accumulation of tree C stocks occurred in 20 years after reforestaion and C stock level recoverd to SCF. The maximum of understory C stock was found in a 5-year-old stand (6.74±0.7 Mg C ha^-1) with 5.8 times that of SCF, thereafter, understory C stock decreased with the growth of plantation. Litter C stock had no difference excluding effects of prescribed burning. Tree C stock exhibited a significant decline in the 2, 5-year-old stand following the conversion to plantation, but later, increased until a steady state-level in the 20, 26-year-old stand. The SOC stocks ranged from 81.08±10.13 Mg C ha^-1 to 160.38±17.96 Mg C ha^-1. Reforestation significantly decreased SOC stocks of plantation in the 2-year-old stand which lost 42.29 Mg C ha^-1 in the 1 m soil depth compared with SCF by reason of soil disturbance from sites preparation, but then subsequently recovered to SCF level. SOC stocks of SCF had no significant difference with other plantation. The surface profile (0–0.1 m) contained s higher SOC stocks than deeper soil depth. C stock associated with tree biomass represented a higher proportion than SOC stocks as stand development proceeded.     

Scale and uncertainty in modeled soil organic carbon stock changes for US croplands using a process‐based model

Process‐based model analyses are often used to estimate changes in soil organic carbon (SOC), particularly at regional to continental scales. However, uncertainties are rarely evaluated, and so it is difficult to determine how much confidence can be placed in the results. Our objective was to quantify uncertainties across multiple scales in a process‐based model analysis, and provide 95% confidence intervals for the estimates. Specifically, we used the Century ecosystem model to estimate changes in SOC stocks for US croplands during the 1990s, addressing uncertainties in model inputs, structure and scaling of results from point locations to regions and the entire country. Overall, SOC stocks increased in US croplands by 14.6 Tg C yr^?1 from 1990 to 1995 and 17.5 Tg C yr^?1 during 1995 to 2000, and uncertainties were ±22% and ±16% for the two time periods, respectively. Uncertainties were inversely related to spatial scale, with median uncertainties at the regional scale estimated at ±118% and ±114% during the early and latter part of 1990s, and even higher at the site scale with estimates at ±739% and ±674% for the time periods, respectively. This relationship appeared to be driven by the amount of the SOC stock change; changes in stocks that exceeded 200 Gg C yr^?1 represented a threshold where uncertainties were always lower than ±100%. Consequently, the amount of uncertainty in estimates derived from process‐based models will partly depend on the level of SOC accumulation or loss. In general, the majority of uncertainty was associated with model structure in this application, and so attaining higher levels of precision in the estimates will largely depend on improving the model algorithms and parameterization, as well as increasing the number of measurement sites used to evaluate the structural uncertainty.     

Soil organic carbon stock and chemical composition along an altitude gradient in the Lushan Mountain,subtropical China

Soil organic carbon (SOC) stock in mountain ecosystems is highly heterogeneous because of differences in soil, climate, and vegetation with elevation. Little is known about the spatial distribution and chemical composition of SOC along altitude gradients in subtropical mountain regions, and the controlling factors remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the changes in SOC stock and chemical composition along an elevation gradient (219, 405, 780, and 1268 m a.s.l.) on Lushan Mountain, subtropical China. The results suggested that SOC stocks were significantly higher at high altitude sites (1268 m) than at low altitude ones (219, 405, and 780 m), but the lower altitude sites did not differ significantly. SOC stocks correlated positively with mean annual precipitation but negatively with mean annual temperature and litter C/N ratio. The variations in SOC stocks were related mainly to decreasing temperature and increasing precipitation with altitude, which resulted in decreased litter decomposition at high altitude sites. This effect was also demonstrated by the chemical composition of SOC, which showed lower alkyl C and higher O-alkyl C contents at high altitude sites. These results will improve the understanding of soil C dynamics and enhance predictions of the responses of mountain ecosystem to global warming under climate change.     

Multiple models and experiments underscore large uncertainty in soil carbon dynamics

Soils contain more carbon than plants or the atmosphere, and sensitivities of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks to changing climate and plant productivity are a major uncertainty in global carbon cycle projections. Despite a consensus that microbial degradation and mineral stabilization processes control SOC cycling, no systematic synthesis of long-term warming and litter addition experiments has been used to test process-based microbe-mineral SOC models. We explored SOC responses to warming and increased carbon inputs using a synthesis of 147 field manipulation experiments and five SOC models with different representations of microbial and mineral processes. Model projections diverged but encompassed a similar range of variability as the experimental results. Experimental measurements were insufficient to eliminate or validate individual model outcomes. While all models projected that CO₂ efflux would increase and SOC stocks would decline under warming, nearly one-third of experiments observed decreases in CO₂ flux and nearly half of experiments observed increases in SOC stocks under warming. Long-term measurements of C inputs to soil and their changes under warming are needed to reconcile modeled and observed patterns. Measurements separating the responses of mineral-protected and unprotected SOC fractions in manipulation experiments are needed to address key uncertainties in microbial degradation and mineral stabilization mechanisms. Integrating models with experimental design will allow targeting of these uncertainties and help to reconcile divergence among models to produce more confident projections of SOC responses to global changes.     

From forest to cropland and pasture systems: a critical review of soil organic carbon stocks changes in Amazonia

The impact of deforestation on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks is important in the context of climate change and agricultural soil use. Trends of SOC stock changes after agroecosystem establishment vary according to the spatial scale considered, and factors explaining these trends may differ sometimes according to meta‐analyses. We have reviewed the knowledge about changes in SOC stocks in Amazonia after the establishment of pasture or cropland, sought relationships between observed changes and soil, climatic variables and management practices, and synthesized the δ¹³C measured in pastures. Our dataset consisted of 21 studies mostly synchronic, across 52 sites (Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Suriname), totalling 70 forest–agroecosystem comparisons. We found that pastures (n = 52, mean age = 17.6 years) had slightly higher SOC stocks than forest (+6.8 ± 3.1 %), whereas croplands (n = 18, mean age = 8.7 years) had lower SOC stocks than forest (?8.5 ± 2.9 %). Annual precipitation and SOC stocks under forest had no effect on the SOC changes in the agroecosystems. For croplands, we found a lower SOC loss than other meta‐analyses, but the short time period after deforestation here could have reduced this loss. There was no clear effect of tillage on the SOC response. Management of pastures, whether they were degraded/nominal/improved, had no significant effect on SOC response. δ¹³C measurements on 16 pasture chronosequences showed that decay of forest‐derived SOC was variable, whereas pasture‐derived SOC was less so and was characterized by an accumulation plateau of 20 Mg SOC ha^?1 after 20 years. The large uncertainties in SOC response observed could be derived from the chronosequence approach, sensitive to natural soil variability and to human management practices. This study emphasizes the need for diachronic and long‐term studies, associated with better knowledge of agroecosystem management.     

Reconstruction of Historic Forest Cover Changes Indicates Minor Effects on Carbon Stocks in Swiss Forest Soils

Forest cover in Switzerland and other European countries has gradually increased in the past century. Our knowledge of the impacts of forest expansion and development on soil organic carbon (SOC) storage is, however, limited due to uncertainties in land-use history and lack of historical soil samples. We investigated the effect of forest age on current SOC storage in Switzerland. For 857 sites, we analysed SOC stocks and determined the minimal forest age for all presently forested sites using digitized historical maps, classifying all sites into three categories: young (≤60 years), medium (60–120 years), and old (≥120 years) forests. Grassland was the primary previous use of afforested land. Forest age affected current SOC stocks only moderately, whereas climate, soil chemistry, and tree species exerted a stronger impact. In the organic layer, highest SOC stocks were found in medium sites (3.0 ± 0.3 kg C m^?2). As compared to other age categories, these sites had a 10% higher cover in coniferous forests with higher organic layer C stocks than broadleaf forests. SOC stocks in mineral soils decreased with increasing forest age (12.5 ± 0.9, 11.4 ± 0.5, 10.5 ± 0.3 kg C m^?2). This decrease was primarily related to a 200-m higher average elevation of young sites and higher SOC stocks in a colder and more humid climate. In summary, forest age has only a minor effect on SOC storage in Swiss forest soils. Therefore, ongoing forest expansion in mountainous regions of Europe is unlikely contributing to soil C sequestration.