Maintenance of a living understory enhances soil carbon sequestration in subtropical orchards.

Orchard understory represents an important component of the orchards, performing numerous functions related to soil quality, water relations and microclimate, but little attention has been paid on its effect on soil C sequestration. In the face of global climate change, fruit producers also require...

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Main Authors: Zhanfeng Liu, Yongbiao Lin, Hongfang Lu, Mingmao Ding, Yaowen Tan, Shejin Xu, Shenglei Fu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3792872?pdf=render
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author Zhanfeng Liu
Yongbiao Lin
Hongfang Lu
Mingmao Ding
Yaowen Tan
Shejin Xu
Shenglei Fu
author_facet Zhanfeng Liu
Yongbiao Lin
Hongfang Lu
Mingmao Ding
Yaowen Tan
Shejin Xu
Shenglei Fu
author_sort Zhanfeng Liu
collection DOAJ
description Orchard understory represents an important component of the orchards, performing numerous functions related to soil quality, water relations and microclimate, but little attention has been paid on its effect on soil C sequestration. In the face of global climate change, fruit producers also require techniques that increase carbon (C) sequestration in a cost-effective manner. Here we present a case study to compare the effects of understory management (sod culture vs. clean tillage) on soil C sequestration in four subtropical orchards. The results of a 10-year study indicated that the maintenance of sod significantly enhanced the soil C stock in the top 1 m of orchard soils. Relative to clean tillage, sod culture increased annual soil C sequestration by 2.85 t C ha(-1), suggesting that understory management based on sod culture offers promising potential for soil carbon sequestration. Considering that China has the largest area of orchards in the world and that few of these orchards currently have sod understories, the establishment and maintenance of sod in orchards can help China increase C sequestration and greatly contribute to achieving CO2 reduction targets at a regional scale and potentially at a national scale.
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spelling doaj.art-c0f9993e4eca45668fff45439e2900a12022-12-22T03:36:52ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-01810e7695010.1371/journal.pone.0076950Maintenance of a living understory enhances soil carbon sequestration in subtropical orchards.Zhanfeng LiuYongbiao LinHongfang LuMingmao DingYaowen TanShejin XuShenglei FuOrchard understory represents an important component of the orchards, performing numerous functions related to soil quality, water relations and microclimate, but little attention has been paid on its effect on soil C sequestration. In the face of global climate change, fruit producers also require techniques that increase carbon (C) sequestration in a cost-effective manner. Here we present a case study to compare the effects of understory management (sod culture vs. clean tillage) on soil C sequestration in four subtropical orchards. The results of a 10-year study indicated that the maintenance of sod significantly enhanced the soil C stock in the top 1 m of orchard soils. Relative to clean tillage, sod culture increased annual soil C sequestration by 2.85 t C ha(-1), suggesting that understory management based on sod culture offers promising potential for soil carbon sequestration. Considering that China has the largest area of orchards in the world and that few of these orchards currently have sod understories, the establishment and maintenance of sod in orchards can help China increase C sequestration and greatly contribute to achieving CO2 reduction targets at a regional scale and potentially at a national scale.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3792872?pdf=render
spellingShingle Zhanfeng Liu
Yongbiao Lin
Hongfang Lu
Mingmao Ding
Yaowen Tan
Shejin Xu
Shenglei Fu
Maintenance of a living understory enhances soil carbon sequestration in subtropical orchards.
PLoS ONE
title Maintenance of a living understory enhances soil carbon sequestration in subtropical orchards.
title_full Maintenance of a living understory enhances soil carbon sequestration in subtropical orchards.
title_fullStr Maintenance of a living understory enhances soil carbon sequestration in subtropical orchards.
title_full_unstemmed Maintenance of a living understory enhances soil carbon sequestration in subtropical orchards.
title_short Maintenance of a living understory enhances soil carbon sequestration in subtropical orchards.
title_sort maintenance of a living understory enhances soil carbon sequestration in subtropical orchards
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3792872?pdf=render
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