Effect of Cropland Abandonment on Soil Carbon Stock in an Agroforestry System in Southwestern Spain
The low profitability of agricultural products in a globalized market context is causing the abandonment of less profitable agroforestry systems in Spain. This fact is implicated in a change in land use, increasing the forest area, which could alter the carbon stock in the soil. Thus, the objective...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Land |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/3/425 |
| _version_ | 1827628598918381568 |
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| author | Juan Carlos Alías José Antonio Mejías Natividad Chaves |
| author_facet | Juan Carlos Alías José Antonio Mejías Natividad Chaves |
| author_sort | Juan Carlos Alías |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The low profitability of agricultural products in a globalized market context is causing the abandonment of less profitable agroforestry systems in Spain. This fact is implicated in a change in land use, increasing the forest area, which could alter the carbon stock in the soil. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine if the abandonment of rural areas and the change in land use has an impact on the soil organic carbon stock in agroforestry systems in southwestern Spain. Through historical aerial photographs and current satellite images, sites were identified where samples of abandoned agricultural soils in the 1950s were collected. They were compared with soil samples from adjacent locations whose agricultural activities continue to this day. After more than 60 years, the abandonment of agricultural activity is associated with a 54% increase in C concentration and 34.8% in soil organic carbon in the upper 30 cm of soil profiles. Therefore, the abandonment of agricultural land has influenced the carbon stock of this territory, becoming a carbon sink. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:35:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-18389964646d4956be957ea243684371 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:35:45Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj.art-18389964646d4956be957ea2436843712023-11-30T21:11:42ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2022-03-0111342510.3390/land11030425Effect of Cropland Abandonment on Soil Carbon Stock in an Agroforestry System in Southwestern SpainJuan Carlos Alías0José Antonio Mejías1Natividad Chaves2Department of Plant Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, SpainDepartment of Plant Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, SpainDepartment of Plant Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, SpainThe low profitability of agricultural products in a globalized market context is causing the abandonment of less profitable agroforestry systems in Spain. This fact is implicated in a change in land use, increasing the forest area, which could alter the carbon stock in the soil. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine if the abandonment of rural areas and the change in land use has an impact on the soil organic carbon stock in agroforestry systems in southwestern Spain. Through historical aerial photographs and current satellite images, sites were identified where samples of abandoned agricultural soils in the 1950s were collected. They were compared with soil samples from adjacent locations whose agricultural activities continue to this day. After more than 60 years, the abandonment of agricultural activity is associated with a 54% increase in C concentration and 34.8% in soil organic carbon in the upper 30 cm of soil profiles. Therefore, the abandonment of agricultural land has influenced the carbon stock of this territory, becoming a carbon sink.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/3/425carbon stockSOCland use changesland abandonment |
| spellingShingle | Juan Carlos Alías José Antonio Mejías Natividad Chaves Effect of Cropland Abandonment on Soil Carbon Stock in an Agroforestry System in Southwestern Spain Land carbon stock SOC land use changes land abandonment |
| title | Effect of Cropland Abandonment on Soil Carbon Stock in an Agroforestry System in Southwestern Spain |
| title_full | Effect of Cropland Abandonment on Soil Carbon Stock in an Agroforestry System in Southwestern Spain |
| title_fullStr | Effect of Cropland Abandonment on Soil Carbon Stock in an Agroforestry System in Southwestern Spain |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of Cropland Abandonment on Soil Carbon Stock in an Agroforestry System in Southwestern Spain |
| title_short | Effect of Cropland Abandonment on Soil Carbon Stock in an Agroforestry System in Southwestern Spain |
| title_sort | effect of cropland abandonment on soil carbon stock in an agroforestry system in southwestern spain |
| topic | carbon stock SOC land use changes land abandonment |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/3/425 |
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