Underestimation of boreal soil carbon stocks by mathematical soil carbon models linked to soil nutrient status
Inaccurate estimate of the largest terrestrial carbon pool, soil organic carbon (SOC) stock, is the major source of uncertainty in simulating feedback of climate warming on ecosystem–atmosphere carbon dioxide exchange by process-based ecosystem and soil carbon models. Although the models need to sim...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2016-08-01
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| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.biogeosciences.net/13/4439/2016/bg-13-4439-2016.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818345771829821440 |
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| author | B. Ťupek C. A. Ortiz S. Hashimoto J. Stendahl J. Dahlgren E. Karltun A. Lehtonen |
| author_facet | B. Ťupek C. A. Ortiz S. Hashimoto J. Stendahl J. Dahlgren E. Karltun A. Lehtonen |
| author_sort | B. Ťupek |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Inaccurate estimate of the largest terrestrial carbon pool, soil organic
carbon (SOC) stock, is the major source of uncertainty in simulating feedback
of climate warming on ecosystem–atmosphere carbon dioxide exchange by process-based ecosystem and soil carbon models. Although the models need to simplify
complex environmental processes of soil carbon sequestration, in a large
mosaic of environments a missing key driver could lead to a modeling bias
in predictions of SOC stock change.<br><br>We aimed to evaluate SOC stock estimates of process-based models (Yasso07, Q,
and CENTURY soil sub-model v4) against a massive Swedish forest soil
inventory data set (3230 samples) organized by a recursive partitioning method
into distinct soil groups with underlying SOC stock development linked to
physicochemical conditions.<br><br>For two-thirds of measurements all models predicted accurate SOC stock levels
regardless of the detail of input data, e.g., whether they ignored or included
soil properties. However, in fertile sites with high N deposition, high
cation exchange capacity, or moderately increased soil water content, Yasso07
and Q models underestimated SOC stocks. In comparison to Yasso07 and Q,
accounting for the site-specific soil characteristics (e. g. clay content and
topsoil mineral N) by CENTURY improved SOC stock estimates for sites with
high clay content, but not for sites with high N deposition.<br><br>Our analysis suggested that the soils with poorly predicted SOC stocks, as
characterized by the high nutrient status and well-sorted parent material,
indeed have had other predominant drivers of SOC stabilization lacking in the
models, presumably the mycorrhizal organic uptake and organo-mineral
stabilization processes. Our results imply that the role of soil nutrient
status as regulator of organic matter mineralization has to be re-evaluated,
since correct SOC stocks are decisive for predicting future SOC change and
soil CO<sub>2</sub> efflux. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T17:07:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2e89974d51904d5cb533318c52522ecb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T17:07:40Z |
| publishDate | 2016-08-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biogeosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-2e89974d51904d5cb533318c52522ecb2022-12-21T23:37:39ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892016-08-0113154439445910.5194/bg-13-4439-2016Underestimation of boreal soil carbon stocks by mathematical soil carbon models linked to soil nutrient statusB. Ťupek0C. A. Ortiz1S. Hashimoto2J. Stendahl3J. Dahlgren4E. Karltun5A. Lehtonen6Natural Resources Institute Finland, P.O. Box 18, 01301 Vantaa, Finland Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7014, 75007 Uppsala, SwedenForestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, JapanSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7014, 75007 Uppsala, SwedenSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogsmarksgränd, 90183 Umeå, SwedenSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7014, 75007 Uppsala, SwedenNatural Resources Institute Finland, P.O. Box 18, 01301 Vantaa, Finland Inaccurate estimate of the largest terrestrial carbon pool, soil organic carbon (SOC) stock, is the major source of uncertainty in simulating feedback of climate warming on ecosystem–atmosphere carbon dioxide exchange by process-based ecosystem and soil carbon models. Although the models need to simplify complex environmental processes of soil carbon sequestration, in a large mosaic of environments a missing key driver could lead to a modeling bias in predictions of SOC stock change.<br><br>We aimed to evaluate SOC stock estimates of process-based models (Yasso07, Q, and CENTURY soil sub-model v4) against a massive Swedish forest soil inventory data set (3230 samples) organized by a recursive partitioning method into distinct soil groups with underlying SOC stock development linked to physicochemical conditions.<br><br>For two-thirds of measurements all models predicted accurate SOC stock levels regardless of the detail of input data, e.g., whether they ignored or included soil properties. However, in fertile sites with high N deposition, high cation exchange capacity, or moderately increased soil water content, Yasso07 and Q models underestimated SOC stocks. In comparison to Yasso07 and Q, accounting for the site-specific soil characteristics (e. g. clay content and topsoil mineral N) by CENTURY improved SOC stock estimates for sites with high clay content, but not for sites with high N deposition.<br><br>Our analysis suggested that the soils with poorly predicted SOC stocks, as characterized by the high nutrient status and well-sorted parent material, indeed have had other predominant drivers of SOC stabilization lacking in the models, presumably the mycorrhizal organic uptake and organo-mineral stabilization processes. Our results imply that the role of soil nutrient status as regulator of organic matter mineralization has to be re-evaluated, since correct SOC stocks are decisive for predicting future SOC change and soil CO<sub>2</sub> efflux.http://www.biogeosciences.net/13/4439/2016/bg-13-4439-2016.pdf |
| spellingShingle | B. Ťupek C. A. Ortiz S. Hashimoto J. Stendahl J. Dahlgren E. Karltun A. Lehtonen Underestimation of boreal soil carbon stocks by mathematical soil carbon models linked to soil nutrient status Biogeosciences |
| title | Underestimation of boreal soil carbon stocks by mathematical soil carbon models linked to soil nutrient status |
| title_full | Underestimation of boreal soil carbon stocks by mathematical soil carbon models linked to soil nutrient status |
| title_fullStr | Underestimation of boreal soil carbon stocks by mathematical soil carbon models linked to soil nutrient status |
| title_full_unstemmed | Underestimation of boreal soil carbon stocks by mathematical soil carbon models linked to soil nutrient status |
| title_short | Underestimation of boreal soil carbon stocks by mathematical soil carbon models linked to soil nutrient status |
| title_sort | underestimation of boreal soil carbon stocks by mathematical soil carbon models linked to soil nutrient status |
| url | http://www.biogeosciences.net/13/4439/2016/bg-13-4439-2016.pdf |
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