Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Soil organic carbon (SOC)'

The soil C stock is a consequence of the balance between the C losses by the CO2 emission (associate to the heterotrofic microorganisms activity) and erosion, and to C inputs, associate to organic compounds input by the vegetal photosynthesis process. In order to evaluate the soil tillage and crop systems regarding to the C inputs by the residues and the C losses by the CO2 evolution and its consequences on the soil C stocks, a long term experiment (19 years) was carried out over a Rhodic Hapludox. This experiment is located in FUNDACEP, Cruz Alta, RS, Brazil. The main treatments were soil tillage systems: conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT). Subplots were tree commercial crop systems: winter wheat/soybean defined as monocropping system (R0), black oat/soybean/winter wheat/soybean defined as a winter crop rotation system (R1), and black oat/soybean/black oat+common vetch/maize/oil radish/winter wheat/soybean (R2) defined as intensive crop rotation system. The soil in NT system, averaged over crop systems, showed higher SOC and TN stocks and their particulate pools than the soil in CT on the shallow soil layer (0 - 5 cm), while the CT showed higher particulate organic carbon and nitrogen stocks (POC and PN) on the 5 - 10 cm layer. The soil in NT showed 1.6% more SOC than CT, averaged on the rotation systems, estimated by the layer equivalent method. To the mass equivalent method this difference increase to 4.5%. The crop rotation R2 associated to the NT (NT R2) showed higher mineral-associated carbon, SOC, mineral-associated N and TN stocks than the others treatments, on the 0 30 cm layer. The soil organic matter restoration was more influenced by the crop rotations systems, with high biomass input, than the tillage system adopted. This result most likely is due to differences in the biomass inputs. Once the NT, in averaged on crop systems, resulted in only 14% higher C addition than the CT. When associated to the R2 (NT R2) this difference increased to 68% compared to the CT without crop rotation (CT R0). The C-CO2 losses, evaluated by CO2 flux, were similar among treatments (soil tillage and crop systems), it is mostly influenced by the moisture and soil temperature.
O estoque de C no solo é conseqüência do balanço entre a saída de C pela emissão de CO2 (devido à atividade de microrganismos heterotróficos) e erosão e, a entrada de C, principalmente pela adição de compostos orgânicos sintetizados no processo de fotossíntese vegetal. Visando avaliar sistemas de preparo do solo e de culturas quanto a entrada de C orgânico pelos resíduos e saída pela evolução de CO2 e sua conseqüência no estoque de C orgânico no solo, foi desenvolvido essa pesquisa em experimento de longa duração (19 anos) sob Latossolo Vermelho distrófico típico. O experimento está situado na Fundação Centro de Experimentação e Pesquisa Fecotrigo (FUNDACEP), Cruz Alta, RS. Neste são conduzidos os preparos de solo convencional (PC) e plantio direto (PD) e, foram selecionados três sistemas comerciais de culturas: monocultura trigo/soja (R0); rotação de inverno aveia/soja/trigo/soja (R1) e, rotação de inverno e verão aveia/soja/aveia+ervilhaca/milho/nabo/trigo/soja (R2), em cada sistema de preparo do solo. As avaliações foram realizadas nas profundidades de 0-5, 5-10, 10-20 e 20-30 cm. O solo em PD, na média dos sistemas de culturas, apresentou maior teor e estoque de C orgânico e N total e fracionados que o solo em PC na camada superficial do solo (0-5 cm), enquanto que o solo sob PC apresentou, mais C orgânico e N total particulado (COP e NTP) na camada de 5-10 cm. O solo em PD apresentou 1,6% mais COT do que o solo sob PC, na camada de 0-30 cm, na média dos sistemas de culturas, pelo cálculo da camada equivalente. No método de cálculo da massa equivalente esta diferença aumentou para 4,5%. A rotação culturas R2 associada ao PD (PD R2) apresentou mais COAM, COT, NTAM e NT que os demais tratamentos, na camada de 0-30 cm. A recuperação do estoque de matéria orgânica do solo foi mais influenciada pelo sistema de rotação de culturas, que incluíram espécies de alto aporte de resíduos orgânicos, do que pelo sistema de preparo de solo. Este comportamento ocorreu devido às diferenças de aporte de resíduos vegetais. As culturas em PD, em média, forneceram apenas 14% mais C ao solo, do que as sob PC, mas quando associado à rotação de culturas R2 com PD (PD R2) esta diferença aumentou para 68% quando comparado a monocultura em PC (PC R0). A perda de C-CO2, avaliada pela evolução de CO2, foi similar entre os tratamentos (sistemas de preparo do solo e culturas), sendo influenciadas principalmente pela temperatura e umidade do solo.

O manejo adequado do solo é de suma importância na incorporação da matéria orgânica no mesmo, sequestrando carbono da atmosfera. Neste trabalho avaliaram-se dois manejos do sistema produtivo da pecuária, em pastagens de Brachiaria decumbens: (A3) pastagem em recuperação, onde nitrogênio foi aplicado, e (A4) pastagem degradada, onde nenhum tipo de correção é efetuado. Utilizou-se uma área de Mata Atlântica (MT) próxima ao experimento como referência. O foco principal do trabalho foi o acúmulo de carbono no solo e a emissão de CO2. A partir dos teores de carbono e valores de densidade foram estimados os estoques de carbono (ECs), em superfície (0-30 cm) e em profundidade (0-100 cm), em cada um dos sistemas, aplicando as correções por massa equivalente e por teores de argila. Para a estimativa de emissão de CO2 dos solos utilizou-se um sistema portátil que monitora o fluxo de CO2 no interior da câmara através de espectroscopia de absorção no infravermelho. Os resultados mostraram que o sistema A3 acumulou o maior EC, com 142 Mg ha-1, enquanto aproximadamente 99 Mg ha-1 foi obtido para o sistema A4. Na mata o EC foi de 115 Mg ha-1. Os dados de respiração do solo mostraram situação similar para ambas as áreas de pastagem. Outra proposta desse trabalho foi avaliar a qualidade da matéria orgânica do solo (MOS) utilizando a espectroscopia de fluorescência induzida por laser (LIFS). Observou-se o aumento do grau de humificação da MOS (HFIL) com o aumento da profundidade. Os menores valores de humificação foram obtidos na área em recuperação, indicando certa fragilidade deste estoque de carbono ser perdido caso a área não seja bem manejada. Avaliou-se também o potencial da espectroscopia de emissão óptica com plasma induzido por laser (LIBS) para a quantificação de carbono total em solos. Os dados dos teores de carbono obtidos por análise elementar foram utilizados para a calibração do sistema LIBS de acordo com a textura dos solos. O coeficiente de correlação entre os valores de referência (CHNS) e os valores preditos por LIBS na validação foi de 0,87 (erro ~ 25%) para textura arenosa e 0,92 (erro ~ 16%) para textura argilosa. Este trabalho demonstrou a importância do manejo adequado para recuperação de pastagens no Brasil e o risco de se perder esse carbono para atmosfera devido à alta labilidade do carbono armazenado. As pastagens bem manejadas podem levar este sistema produtivo a patamares ambientalmente sustentáveis e contribuir para mitigação do efeito estufa. As técnicas fotônicas apresentaram potencial para determinação de carbono no solo e avaliação de sua estrutura química. Desta forma, espera-se que futuramente este tipo de instrumentação possa ser aplicada ao campo, fornecendo parâmetros que ajudem na tomada de decisões para um desenvolvimento agrícola sustentável.
Proper soil management is important to organic matter incorporation, sequestering carbon from atmosphere. This study was developed for two livestock managements: (A3) pasture recovering of Brachiaria decumbens, where nitrogen is applied, and (A4) degraded pasture of Brachiaria decumbens, with no correction. The reference system was a native forest area (Brazilian Atlantic Forest) next to the experiment. This study aims to compare the soil carbon accumulations and CO2 emissions for both productive systems. Soil carbon content and soil bulk density values were measured to calculate carbon stocks (CSs) in surface (0-30 cm) and at depth (0-100 cm) in each system, applying equivalent mass and clay content corrections. CO2 emissions were estimated using a portable system, which monitors the CO2 flux within a chamber through infrared absorption spectroscopy. The soil carbon stocks were estimated around 142 Mg ha-1 for A3 and 99 Mg ha-1 for A4, while around 115 Mg ha-1 was found in the forest. The results for CO2 emission showed a similar situation for both pasture areas. Another purpose of this study was to evaluate the soil organic matter (SOM) quality using laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (LIFS). An increasing of humification degree of SOM (HLIF) was observed with increasing of depth. The lowest HLIFS values were obtained for the recovering area, indicating a certain fragility of carbon stocks, which can be lost if the area is not well managed. In addition, Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was used for total soil carbon quantification. Using the data from elemental analysis, mathematical models were developed to calibrate the LIBS system for each class of soil texture. For carbon quantification, the correlation between reference technique (CHN) and LIBS prediction was 0.87 for sandy soils (error around 21%) and 0.92 for clayed soils (error around 16%). This study demonstrated the importance of pasture recovering in Brazil from the point of view of soil carbon sequestration, and the risk of this stock to be lost due to high lability of stored carbon. Well-managed pastures can lead this production system to environmentally sustainable levels and contribute to mitigate the greenhouse effect. Systems with high potential for portability to determine soil carbon and evaluation of its chemical structure have been successfully tested. Thus, it is expected that in a near future, this kind of instrumentation can be effectively applied in the field and provide parameters that help in the decision making for a sustainable agricultural development.

O bioma Cerrado ocupa aproximadamente 20% do território brasileiro e dos seus 207 milhões de hectares, 14 são ocupados com agricultura (grãos) e 50 por pastagens cultivadas. Dessa forma, o conhecimento da dinâmica da matéria orgânica (MOS) e da agregação do solo com o emprego de diferentes usos da terra e manejos agrícolas após a conversão do sistema nativo é de extrema importância para o desenvolvimento socioeconômico e, principalmente, ambiental da região no que se refere à sustentabilidade dos sistemas produtivos. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar as alterações nos os estoques de C e N, assim como a agregação, o fracionamento da MOS, a origem do C e N (delta13C e delta15N) e as propriedades microbiológicas do solo. O estudo foi realizado em um Latossolo vermelho distrófico de textura argilosa (50-70% de argila) no município de Rio Verde (GO) (\'17GRAUS\'39\'07\'\'S e \'51GRAUS\'06\'49\'\'O). As áreas consistiram de um sistema nativo de fitofisionomia Cerradão (CE), uma pastagem de baixa produtividade com 20 anos (PA-20), um sistema plantio convencional com 29 anos (SPC-29) e quatro sistemas plantio direto com 3(SPD-3), 7(SPD-7), 10(SPD-10) e 15(SPD-15) anos de uso. As amostras de solo (0-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-30 e 30-40cm) foram coletadas em julho de 2006 (época seca) e fevereiro de 2007 (época chuvosa). Os estoques de C do solo, além de comparados entre as áreas de estudo, também foram comparados aos resultados obtidos nos mesmos locais em um estudo anterior realizado há 3 anos (2004). A densidade foi inferior e o teor e estoque de C do solo (0-40 cm) superior nas áreas sob CE, SPD-15 e SPD-10 (exceto a densidade) em relação às demais áreas. No período médio de 3 anos não houve diferenças estatísticas entre os estoques de C, enquanto a densidade do solo elevou-se significativamente nas áreas SPC-29 e SPD-7. As áreas sob SPD apresentaram taxa média de acúmulo de C anual no solo estimada em 1.17 Mg ha-1. Esses resultados sugeriram que a prática do SPD nas áreas verificadas, precedido por nove anos de cultivo sob SPC, levou aproximadamente dez anos para o restabelecimento do estoque de C semelhante à condição sob vegetação original do Cerrado. Foi verificada elevada agregação do solo, semelhante nas épocas seca e chuvosa, com predominância de agregados >2,00mm em todas as áreas e camadas de solo avaliadas. No CE e na PA-20 foram observados os maiores DMP e quantidades de agregados >2,00mm, sendo que os sistemas de plantio afetaram negativamente essas variáveis. Nos sistemas agrícolas, os SPD tiveram os maiores valores DMP e agregados > 2,00mm em comparação ao SPC-29 na camada 0-5cm de solo. Quanto a quantidade de MOS leve livre e aos teores de C e N nas classes de agregados do solo, o CE e o SPD-15 em comparação as demais áreas indicaram maiores valores, com intermediários no SPD-10 (exceto N). Os teores de C, principalmente na classe de agregado >0,25mm (0-5 cm), o DMP e estoque de C (0-20cm) apresentaram correlação significativamente positiva. Dessa forma, as observações referentes ao C e a agregação do solo indicaram que a preservação e a manutenção da classe de agregados >0,25 mm foram processos fundamentais para os maiores níveis de C observados no CE, SPD-10 e SPD-15. E a quantidade de MOS leve livre verificada, componente responsável pela manutenção dos agregados, concordam com a correlação observada. Na área PA-20, mesmo com elevada agregação do solo, provavelmente pela baixa produtividade da gramínea não houve disponibilidade suficiente de C (via MOS) para a manutenção das classes de agregados, acarretando no menor estoque de C em relação as demais áreas (exceto ao SPC-29). A mesma insuficiência de MOS ocorreu na área SPC-29, mas nesse caso devido ao revolvimento do solo que acelerou a oxidação da MOS, visto que o aporte de resíduos culturais na área é semelhante as sob SPD, por utilizarem a mesma sucessão de culturas. No CE os valores mais negativos de delta13C observados em relação a PA-20 representam a predominância de plantas de ciclo fotossintético C3. E o mesmo padrão significativo de enriquecimento de delta13C e delta15N no solo em profundidade ocorreu devido à mineralização da MOS, exceto nos valores de delta13C na PA-20 provavelmente a gradativa substituição da MOS original. Os menores valores de delta15N no Cerrado podem estar indicando maior fixação biológica de N em relação à pastagem. Da MOS original do CE, 83% foi substituída na área PA-20 e apesar da elevada substituição, demonstra que baixa produtividade da gramínea pode ter influenciado no menor estoque de C da área em relação ao CE. Não foram verificadas diferenças nos valores de delta13C e delta15N entre as classes de agregados em cada área de pesquisa. Os valores de C e N microbiano (Cmic e Nmic), assim como as relações com os teores de C e N totais, e o qCO2 foram influenciados pelas estações sazonais, sendo maiores na época chuvosa, exceto para o qCO2. Menores valores de qCO2 na época chuvosa refletiram maior eficiência de imobilização de C na biomassa microbiana. Para as áreas sob uso da terra, os maiores valores de Cmic e Nmic foram observados na PA-20 e os menores no SPC-29. Esses resultados indicaram melhores condições ao desenvolvimento microbiano na PA-20 provavelmente ao cultivo da gramínea, a excreção dos animais e a reforma da área (dezembro/2007). A adoção do SPD foi importante fator no aumento do Cmic e Nmic em relação ao SPC, possivelmente ao não revolvimento do solo e aporte de resíduos e superfície, que com o tempo de implantação adaptou a biomassa microbiana a uma nova condição. O Cmic e o Nmic indicaram alterações nas áreas implantadas em relação ao Cerrado e apontou maior equilíbrio da microbiota nessa área
The Savannah biome occupies 20% of the Brazilian territory, approximately, and of their 207 million hectares, 14 are taken by agriculture (grains productions) and 50 for farming (cultivated pastures). In that way, the knowledge of soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics and the soil aggregation with the different uses and agricultural handlings after the conversion of the native system is very important for the socioeconomic development, environmental preservation and the sustainability of the productive systems. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the alterations of C and N stocks, the aggregation, the SOM fractionation, the origin of C and N (delta13C e delta15N) - and the microbiological properties of the soil. The study was accomplished in a Oxisol (clayey Red Dystrophic Latosol) with 50-70% of clay in the municipal district of Rio Verde (Goias state, Brazil) (\'17GRAUS\'39\'07\'\'S and \'51GRAUS\'06\'49\'\'W). The areas consisted of a native system of Savannah (CE) phytophysionomy (Cerradão), a pasture of low productivity with 20 years (PA -20), a conventional till with 29 years (SPC -29) and four no-till areas with 3 (SPD -3), 7 (SPD -7), 10 (SPD -10) and 15 (SPD -15) years of use. The soil samples from different depths (0-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-30 and 30-40cm) were collected in July of 2006 (dry seasonal) and February of 2007 (rainy seasonal). The soil C stock, besides having compared among the study areas, its were also compared to the results obtained at the same places in a study accomplished previously, 3 years ago (2004). The C content and stock were higher (0-40cm) in the areas under CE, SPD-15 and SPD-10 and the bulk soil was lower in relation to the other areas. In the medium period of 3 years (2004 to 2007) there were not statistical differences among the storage of C, while the bulk soil were increased significantly in the areas SPC-29 and SPD-7. The areas under SPD showed medium rate of annual C accumulation in the soil valued to as 1.17 Mg ha-1. Those results suggested that the practice of SPD in the verified areas, preceded by 9 years of cultivation under SPC system, it took approximately ten years for the re-establishment of the C stock similar to the original vegetation (CE). Similar aggregation of the soil was verified in the dry and rainy seasons, with predominance of aggregates > 2.00mm in all areas and soil layers evaluated. In CE and in the PA-20 the largest mean weighed diameters (MWD) and amounts of aggregates were observed > 2,00mm, and the till systems affected negatively that variables. In the different agricultural systems, SPD had the largest values MWD and aggregates > 2.00mm in comparison with SPC-29 in the layer 0-5cm of soil. In relation to light free fraction from SOM and C and N in the soil aggregates, CE and SPD-15 in comparison to other areas indicated larger values, with intermediate SPD-10 (except N). The C content, mainly in the aggregate class > 0,25mm (layer 0-5cm of soil), DMP and C stock C (0-20cm) showed positive correlation. In that way, the observations regarding C and the soil aggregation showed that the preservation and the maintenance of the aggregates class > 0.25mm were fundamental processes to the largest levels of C observed in CE, SPD-10 and SPD-15 systems. The amount of light free fraction verified, responsible component for the maintenance soil aggregates, is in agree with the observed correlation. In the PA-20 area, even with high soil aggregation, probably for the low productivity of the grassy, there was not enough readiness of C (through SOM) for the maintenance of the aggregates classes, resulting in the smallest storage of C in relationship the other areas (except to SPC -29). The same deficiency of SOM happened in the area SPC-29, but in that case due to the rotation of the soil that accelerated the oxidation of the SOM, because the contribution of cultural residues in the area is similar to SPD, because these use the same cultures succession. The more negative values of delta13C observed in CE is due by the higher predominance of plants with C3 photosynthetic cycle. The same significant pattern of enrichment of delta13C and delta15N happened in the depth of the soil due to the SOM mineralization, with exception of the delta13C values in the PA-20 systems, due probably by the gradual substitution of the original SOM in the 20 years of CE transfer to PA-20 systems. The smallest delta15N values in CE system can be indicating larger N biological fixation in relation to the pasture. Of the original SOM of CE, 83% was exchange in the PA-20 area and in spite of the high exchange, the lowers productivity of the grassy might have influenced in the smallest C stock in the PA-20 to CE system. Differences were not verified in the values of delta13C e delta15N among the soil aggregates classes in each researched area. The microbial C e N values (Cmic and Nmic), as well as the relationship with the C e N contents and the qCO2 were influenced by the seasonal stations, being C e N larger and the qCO2 smaller at the rainy seasonal. The smaller qCO2 values in the rainy seasonal reflect the largest efficiency of C immobilization in the microbial biomass. The largest values of Cmic and Nmic were observed in the PA-20 and the smallest in SPC -29. Those results indicated better conditions to the microbial development in the PA-20 probably due to the grassy cultivation, the animal excretion and the reform of the area (December /2007). The adoption of SPD was an important factor in the Cmic and Nmic increase in relation to SPC, possibly due to the non soil rotation, the contribution of vegetables residues on the soil surface and- better microbial biomass adapted to the new condition of NT implantation. The Cmic and Nmic indicated alterations in the new areas implanted in relation to the CE and it pointed larger balance of the microbiota in CE system

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-25T19:30:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Daniel Potma.pdf: 2269780 bytes, checksum: 5e498b4886f52a509f48ad0c44a512b3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-07-23
The total organic C (TOC) of the soil influences their chemical, physical and biological properties, therefore, it's important for the maintenance of soil fertility mainly of tropical soils. But, while the benefits of TOC accumulation on soil quality are well known, there is still little information about its effects on crop yields. The aims of this work were to map the compartments of the TOC on a farm managed for 30 years in no-till system, determine which soil variables that influence the spatial variation of TOC and analyze the relationships between the compartments of TOC and crop yields of soybean, corn and wheat. Deformed samples were collected in all soil classes and all landscape positions in the farm. Were analyzed the TOC, the permanganate oxidized C (POX-C) and the hot water extracted C (HWE-C) and were generated maps with the spatial variation of these variables. The effects of soil properties on the accumulation of TOC and the effect of TOC compartments on yields of soybean, corn and wheat were accessed through regressions and principal component analysis. Aiming to access the contribution of TOC to the crop yields, multiple regressions with the soil variables and yields were adjusted. The higher clay content and the largest biomass apport in Oxisols and the formation of an anaerobic environment in Inceptisols were the main factors that explained the highest contents of TOC observed in the upper thirds of the Oxisols and lower thirds of the Inceptisols. Yields of wheat and soybean showed positive correlation with TOC and total N (TN) and corn yield was positively correlated with HWE-C. The TN and TOC were the variables that contributed most to explain the variations in the wheat yield.
O C orgânico total (COT) do solo exerce influência sobre suas propriedades químicas, físicas e biológicas, sendo assim, importante para a manutenção da fertilidade principalmente de solos tropicais. Porém, embora os benefícios do acúmulo de COT sobre a qualidade do solo sejam bem conhecidos, ainda são escassas informações referentes aos seus efeitos sobre a produtividade de culturas. Os objetivos deste estudo foram mapear os compartimentos de COT em uma fazenda manejada há 30 anos no sistema plantio direto, verificar quais são as variáveis do solo que interferem na variação espacial do COT e analisar as relações entre os compartimentos do COT e a produtividade das culturas da soja, milho e trigo. Foram coletadas amostras deformadas em todas as principais classes de solos da fazenda em todas as posições da paisagem. Foram analisados o COT, o C oxidado por permanganato (C-OXP) e o C extraído por água quente (C-EAQ) e gerados mapas com a variação espacial destas variáveis. Os efeitos dos atributos do solo sobre o acúmulo de COT e dos compartimentos de COT sobre as produtividades da soja, milho e trigo foram acessados através de regressões e análises de componentes principais. Visando acessar a contribuição do COT para as produtividades das culturas foram ajustadas regressões múltiplas com as variáveis do solo e as produtividades. O maior conteúdo de argila e a maior adição de fitomassa nos Latossolos e a formação de um ambiente anaeróbico nos Cambissolos foram os principais fatores que explicaram os maiores conteúdos de COT observados nos terços superior dos Latossolos e inferior dos Cambissolos. As produtividades de trigo e soja apresentaram correlação positiva com o COT e o N total (NT) e a produtividade de milho apresentou correlação positiva com o C-EAQ. As variáveis NT e COT foram as que mais contribuíram para explicar a variação da produtividade de trigo.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-23T14:37:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lucas Contarato Pilon.pdf: 1648966 bytes, checksum: cac40ef638ed16eaccc0afa53f321565 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-28
Diante da necessidade de obter informações sobre o cultivo de cafeeiros arborizados, o objetivo do trabalho é avaliar a relação dos atributos químicos, físicos e os componentes da matéria orgânica do solo sob cultivo de café consorciado com diferentes espécies arbóreas, comparativamente ao café cultivado a pleno sol, tendo como referência uma área sob floresta. O trabalho foi conduzido em sistemas de produção de café, numa propriedade familiar, município de Nova Venécia - ES. O solo da área é um ARGISSOLO AMARELO Distrocoeso típico, cultivado com café conilon consorciado com árvores, nos seguintes sistemas de uso e manejo: 1) café sem consórcio (pleno sol), 2) café consorciado com nim (Azadirachta indica), 3) café consorciado com cedro australiano (Cedrela fissilis) e 4) café consorciado com teca (Tectona grandis). Foi utilizado um solo de área florestal, como referência. A amostragem do solo foi realizada nas seguintes profundidades: 0,0 0,05; 0,05 0,10; 0,10 0,20; e 0,20 0,40 m, avaliando-se atributos químicos (pH, P, K, Ca, Mg, Al, H+Al, N, C total, C ext em água, C biomassa microbiana e emissão de CO2) e físicos do solo (granulometria, densidade do solo e de partículas, porosidade total, macro e microporosidade, estabilidade de agregados, resistência do solo à penetração e umidade do solo). A avaliação do carbono solúvel (C ext) e do carbono da biomassa microbiana do solo (CBMS) foi realizada em duas épocas (março e setembro/2012) nas profundidades de 0,0 0,05 e 0,05 0,10 m; já a emissão de CO2 foi medida na mesma época que, na presença e ausência de serapilheira. Os resultados experimentais mostram que os sistemas de uso e manejo apresentam comportamento diferenciado para grande parte dos atributos estudados. O solo florestal apresenta maiores teores e estoques de carbono orgânico total e nitrogênio total, 19,8 e 1,99 Mg ha-1 respectivamente, além de maior teor de carbono na biomassa microbiana (518,8 μg g-1 solo em março e 364,8 μg g-1 solo em setembro). Os atributos dos solos sob cafeeiros consorciados, de maneira geral, não diferem do solo sob cafeeiro a pleno sol, exceção feita para os atributos Mg, N e o C ext, C-BMS, quociente microbiano (qMic) na duas épocas de coleta, os quais são superiores nos consórcios agroflorestais, e o quociente metabólico (qCO2) inferior, denotando maior estabilidade dos cafeeiros arborizados. O café a pleno sol mostra-se um agroecossitema mais perturbado com maior qCO2 (1,81 μg CO2 C-BMS-1 h-1 em março e 2,44 μg CO2 C-BMS-1 h-1 em setembro). A proteção do solo ocasionada pelo sombreamento das árvores e a deposição de serapilheira influencia principalmente os atributos biológicos estudados, favorecendo um maior equilíbrio nos cafeeiros arborizados. Com relação aos atributos físicos, o consórcio proporciona menor densidade do solo, maior porosidade total e macroporosidade do solo, diferindo do café a pleno sol. Os cafeeiros consorciados se diferem somente na agregação do solo. A resistência do solo à penetração é influenciada pela umidade do solo, com destaque para o café a pleno sol que apresenta valores mais baixos desse atributo, em função da irrigação, que eleva a umidade do solo. O estudo numa condição de Argissolo coeso, mostra que 5 anos de implantação de sistemas arborizados são suficiente para apresentar pequenas mudanças nos atributos estudados, no entanto para atributos de alta sensibilidade, como os biológicos, são suficientes para apresentar mudanças mais consistentes dos sistemas de uso e manejo
Faced with the need for information on the coffee agroforestry systems, the objective is to evaluate the relationship of the chemical, physical and components of soil organic matter under coffee intercropping with different tree species, compared to the full-sun coffee with an area under forest like reference. The research was conducted in coffee production systems, a family farm, in Nova Venécia city - ES. The soil is an YELLOW ULTISOL Distrocohesive typical, with shadow coffee plantation, the following different land use systems and management: 1) coffee full (full-sun), 2) coffee intercropped with neem (Azadirachta indica), 3) coffee intercropped with Australian cedar (Cedrela fissilis) and 4) coffee intercropped with Teca (Tectona grandis). It was used a soil of forest area, as a reference. Soil sampling was conducted in the following depths: 0.0-0.05, 0.05-0.10; 0.10-0.20, and 0.20-0.40 m, evaluating chemical soil attributes ( pH, P, K, Ca, Mg, Al, H + Al, total nitrogen (TN), total organic carbon (TOC), water-soluble carbon (WSC), soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and soil CO2 emission and physical soil attributes (particle size, bulk density, total porosity, macroporosity, microporosity and soil resistance penetration), was collected and characterization of accumulated litter. The evaluation of soluble carbon (soluble C) and soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) was held twice a year (March and september/2012) at depths from 0.0-0.05 and 0.05-0, 10 m, the soil CO2 emission was measured at the same times, in the presence and absence of litter. The experimental results show that the use and management systems were characterized for most attributes researched. The forest soil has higher levels of stocks and TOC and TN, 19.8 and 1.99 Mg ha-1 respectively, and the higher SMBC (518.8 mg g-1 soil in March and 364, 8 mg g-1 soil in September). The soil under shadow coffee, in general, do not differ from full-sun coffee, except for the attributes Mg, N and soluble C, SMBC, microbial quotient (QMIC) at both harvests, which are higher in agroforestry systems, and attributes TOC/ soluble C and metabolic quotient (qCO2) lower values, indicating greater stability of shadow coffee systems. The full-sun coffee shows more disturbed agroecosystem with high qCO2 (1.81 μg CO2 CBMS-1 h-1in March and 2.44 μg CO2 CBMS-1 h-1 in September). The protection of soil caused by shading from trees and litterfall influences the biological attributes primarily, favoring a greater balance in shadow coffee. Relative to physical attributes, the intercropped provides a lower bulk density, higher total porosity and macroporosity, differing full-sun coffee. The shadow coffee up differs only in soil aggregation. The soil resistance penetration is influenced by soil moisture, especially for full-sun coffee which shows lower values of this attribute, depending on irrigation management, which increase soil moisture. The study provides a ULTISOL cohesive, shows that 5 years of systems implementation, are enough to present small changes in the attributes studied, however high sensitivity to attributes such as biological changes are sufficient to represent most consistent use and management systems

Submitted by Biblioteca de Pós-Graduação em Geoquímica BGQ (bgq@ndc.uff.br) on 2017-03-13T17:47:58Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE MESTRADO ALINE MANSUR 2010.pdf: 1839199 bytes, checksum: f520bd5d9b9f9478a82cfdae75982512 (MD5)
Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-13T17:47:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE MESTRADO ALINE MANSUR 2010.pdf: 1839199 bytes, checksum: f520bd5d9b9f9478a82cfdae75982512 (MD5)
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Comissão de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Universidade Federal Fluminense. Instituto de Química. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências- Geoquímica, Niterói, RJ
O solo, parte integral e estrutural do ecossistema terrestre, contém cerca de duas vezes mais carbono (C) que a atmosfera. Importante mediador do ciclo do C, o solo funciona como reservatório temporário de C e como fonte de dióxido de carbono (CO2) para a atmosfera. A dinâmica do C na interface solo-atmosfera relaciona o conteúdo de C no solo com o fluxo de CO2 da superfície do solo para a atmosfera (respiração do solo). No solo, o CO2 é produzido naturalmente através de processo mediado por microrganismos, durante a decomposição aeróbia da matéria orgânica e durante a respiração do sistema radicular das plantas e da fauna do solo. O uso e a cobertura do solo, juntamente com as variáveis ambientais externas e edáficas, determinam as taxas de incorporação e decomposição da matéria orgânica do solo (MOS). Neste estudo, foram avaliados e quantificados fluxos médios de CO2 do solo para a atmosfera das duas principais coberturas do solo do Rio de Janeiro: pastagens e fragmentos de Floresta Atlântica. As amostragens foram realizadas em duas localidades, ambas no Estado do Rio de Janeiro: (1)Sítio Deserto, no Sana e (2)Fazenda Califórnia, em Passa Três. Fluxos de CO2 de solos foram medidos utilizando o método de câmaras colocadas sobre o solo associadas com analisador de gás por infravermelho. Foram determinadas a temperatura do solo e do ar, bem como a umidade, a densidade, a porosidade, os conteúdos de carbono (C) e nitrogênio (N) totais do solo e a fração leve livre (FLL) da matéria orgânica do solo. As pastagens apresentaram os maiores fluxos de CO2, independente da área de estudo amostrada. A dinâmica do fluxo de CO2 do solo mostrou sofrer influência da sazonalidade, já que a temperatura do solo e o conteúdo de água no solo foram os principais condicionadores da respiração do solo. Os solos sob cobertura vegetal de florestas apresentaram maiores conteúdos de C e N no solo e maiores entradas de FLL da MOS. A maior entrada de FLL e o menor distúrbio no solo sob floresta devem ser os principais responsáveis pelos maiores estoques de C nesse solo. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que em solos sob cobertura florestal a ciclagem do carbono ocorre mais lentamente que na pastagem
The soil, structural and integral part of the terrestrial ecosystem, contains approximate more carbon (C) than the atmosphere. Important mediator of the C cycle, the soil acting like a temporary reservoir of carbon and like a source of CO2 to the atmosphere. The dynamics of C in soil-atmosphere interface lists the contents of C in soil with the flow of CO2 from the soil surface to the atmosphere (soil respiration). In soil, the CO2 is naturally produced through a process mediated by microorganisms during the aerobic decomposition of organic matter and during respiration of the root system of plants and soil fauna. The land use and land cover, with the external environmental variables and soil conditions, determine the relative rates of incorporation and decomposition of organic matter. In this study, medium fluxes of CO2 of the soil for the atmosphere were assessed and quantified of the two principal coverings of the soil of Rio de Janeiro: pastures and fragments of Atlantic Forest. The samplings were accomplished at two places, located in Rio de Janeiro State: (1) Sítio Deserto, in Sana and (2) Fazenda Califórnia, in Passa Três. Fluxes of CO2 of soils were measured using an infrared gas analyser coupled to a vented dynamic chamber system. Parameters of the soil as the temperature, moisture, density, contents of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) totals and the free light fraction (FLL) from the organic matter of the soil, were adressed. The pastures had greater soil CO2 fluxes than forests, independent of the area of study. Seasonality influences CO2 fluxes from soil to atmosphere in pasture and in forest, and the soil respiration rates were positively correlated with soil water-filled pore space (WFPS) and with soil temperature. The soils under forest cover had higher content of C and N and higher inflows of FLL. Also, in the soil under forest cover, was recorded the largest stocks of C. The largest input of FLL and the smallest disturbance in the soil under forest should be the main responsible for the largest stocks of C in this soil. These results suggest that soils under forest cover in the cycling of carbon occur more slowly than in the pasture.

The European renewable energy directive 2009/28/EC (E.C. 2009) provides a legislative framework for reducing GHG emissions by 20%, while achieving a 20% share of energy from renewable sources by 2020. Perennial energy crops could significantly contribute to limit GHG emissions through replacing equivalent fossil fuels and by sequestering a considerable amount of carbon into the soil through the large amounts of belowground biomass produced. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of land use change that perennial energy crops have on croplands (switchgrass) and marginal grasslands (miscanthus). For that purpose above and belowground biomass, SOC variation and Net Ecosystem Exchange were evaluated after five years of growth. At aboveground level both crops produced high biomass under cropland conditions as well as under marginal soils. At belowground level they also produced large amounts of biomass, but no significant influences on SOC in the upper layer (0-30 cm) were found. This is probably because of the "priming effect" that caused fast carbon substitution. In switchgrass only it was found a significant SOC increase in deeper layers (30-60 cm), while in the whole soil profile (0-60 cm) SOC increased from 42 to 51 ha-1. However, the short experimental periods (for both switchgrass and miscanthus), in which land use change was evaluated, do not permit to determine the real capacity of perennial energy crops to accumulate SOC. In conclusion the large amounts of belowground biomass enhanced the SOC dynamic through the priming effect resulting in increased SOC in cropland but not in marginal grassland.

Soils are the largest pool of carbon (C) in terrestrial ecosystems and store 1500 Gt of C in their soil organic matter (SOM). SOM is a dynamic, complex and heterogeneous mixture, which influences soil quality through a wide range of soil properties. Labile SOM comprises a small fraction of total SOM (approximately 5%), but due to its rapid turnover has been suggested to be most vulnerable to loss following soil disturbance. This research was undertaken to examine the consequences of soil disturbance on labile SOM, its availability and protection in soils using the isotopic analysis of soil-respired CO₂ (δ¹³CO₂). A range of soils were incubated in both the short- (minutes) and long-term (months) to assess changes in labile SOM. Shifts in soil-respired δ¹³CO₂ over the course of soil incubations were found to reflect changes in labile substrate utilisation. There was a rapid depletion of δ¹³CO₂ (from a starting range between -22.5 and -23.9‰, to between -25.8 and -27.5‰) immediately after soil sampling. These initial changes in δ¹³CO₂ indicated an increased availability of labile SOM following the disturbance of coring the soil and starting the incubations. Subsequently δ¹³CO₂ reverted back to the initial, relatively enriched starting values, but this took several months and was due to labile SOM pools becoming exhausted. A subsequent study was undertaken to test if soil-respired δ¹³CO₂ values are a direct function of the amount of labile SOM and soil physical conditions. A range of pasture soils were incubated in the short-term (300 minutes), and changes in soil-respired δ¹³CO₂ were measured along with physical and chemical soil properties. Equilibrium soil-respired δ¹³CO₂, observed after the initial rapid depletion and stabilisation, was a function of the amount of labile SOM (measured as hot water extractable C, HWEC), total soil C and soil protection capacity (measured as specific soil surface area, SSA). An independent experimental approach to assess the effect of SSA, where labile SOM was immobilised onto allophane – a clay mineral with large, active surface area – indicated limited availability of labile SOM through more enriched δ¹³CO₂ (in a range between -20.5 and -20.6 ‰) and a significant (up to three times) reduction in HWEC. In the third study, isotopic measurements were coupled with CO₂ evolution rates to directly test whether equilibrium soil-respired δ¹³CO₂ can reflect labile SOM vulnerability to loss. Soils were sampled from an experimental tillage trial with different management treatments (chemical fallow, arable cropping and permanent pasture) with a range of C inputs and soil disturbance regimes. Soils were incubated in the short- (300 minutes) and long-term (600 days) and changes in δ¹³CO₂ and respiration rates measured. Physical and chemical fractionation methods were used to quantify the amount of labile SOM. Pasture soils were characterised by higher labile SOM estimates (HWEC; sand-sized C; labile C respired during long-term incubations) than the other soils. Long-term absence of plant inputs in fallow soils resulted in a significant depletion of labile SOM (close to 50% based on sand-sized C and HWEC estimates) compared with pasture soils. The values of δ¹³CO₂ became more depleted in 13C from fallow to pasture soils (from -26.3 ‰ to -28.1 ‰) and, when standardised (against the isotopic composition of the solid soil material), Δ¹³CO₂ values also showed a decrease from fallow to pasture soils (from -0.3 ‰ to -1.1 ‰). Moreover, these patterns in isotopic measures were in strong agreement with the amount of labile SOM and its availability across the soils, and were best explained by the isotopic values of the labile HWEC fraction. Collectively, these results confirm that labile SOM availability and utilisation change immediately after soil disturbance. Moreover, isotopic analysis of soil-respired CO₂ is a powerful technique, which enables us to probe mechanisms and examine the consequences of soil disturbance on labile SOM by reflecting its availability and the degree of SOM protection.

The Podzols of the world are divided into intra-zonal and zonal according to then location. Zonal Podzols are typical for boreal and taiga zone associated to climate conditions. Intra-zonal podzols are not necessarily limited by climate and are typical for mineral poor substrates. The Intra-zonal Podzols of the Brazilian Amazon cover important surfaces of the upper Amazon basin. Their formation is attributed to perched groundwater associated to organic matter and metals accumulations in reducing/acidic environments. Podzols have a great capacity of storing important amounts of soil organic carbon in deep thick spodic horizons (Bh), in soil depths ranging from 1.5 to 5m. Previous research concerning the soil carbon stock in Amazon soils have not taken into account the deep carbon stock (below 1 m soil depth) of Podzols. Given this, the main goal of this research was to quantify and to map the soil organic carbon stock in the region of Rio Negro basin, considering the carbon stored in the first soil meter as well as the carbon stored in deep soil horizons up to 3m. The amount of soil organic carbon stored in soils of Rio Negro basin was evaluated in different map scales, from local surveys, to the scale of the basin. High spatial and spectral resolution remote sensing images were necessary in order to map the soil types of the studied areas and to estimate the soil carbon stock in local and regional scale. Therefore, a multi-sensor analysis was applied with the aim of generating a series of biophysical attributes that can be indirectly related to lateral variation of soil types. The soil organic carbon stock was also estimated for the area of the Brazilian portion of the Rio Negro basin, based on geostatistical analysis (multiple regression kriging), remote sensing images and legacy data. We observed that Podzols store an average carbon stock of 18 kg C m-2 on the first soil meter. Similar amount was observed in adjacent soils (mainly Ferralsols and Acrisols) with an average carbon stock of 15 kg C m-2. However if we take into account a 3 m soil depth, the amount of carbon stored in Podzols is significantly higher with values ranging from 55 kg C m-2 to 82 kg C m-2, which is higher than the one stored in adjacent soils (18 kg C m-2 to 25 kg C m-2). Given this, the amount of carbon stored in deep soil horizons of Podzols should be considered as an important carbon reservoir, face a scenario of global climate change
Os Espodossolos podem ser divididos em zonais e intrazonais de acordo com área onde ocorrem. Os Espodossolos zonais são típicos de áreas boreais e taiga, delimitados por condições climáticas. Já os intrazonais não são condicionados pelo clima. Os Espodossolo intrazonais brasileiros ocupam uma grande extensão da alta bacia amazônica, tendo sua formação atribuída à ocorrência de lençóis freáticos suspensos associados à acumulação de complexos organometálicos em ambientes ácidos redutores. Esses solos tem a capacidade de estocar grandes quantidades de carbono orgânico em horizontes espódicos profundos (Bh), em profundidades que podem variar de 1,5m a 5m. Pesquisas atuais relacionadas ao estoque de carbono em solos amazônicos, não levam em consideração os estoques encontrados no horizonte Bh (abaixo de 1m de profundidade). Sendo assim, o principal objetivo da presente pesquisa foi quantificar e mapear o estoque de carbono nos solos da bacia do Rio Negro, tendo-se em vista aquele estocado no primeiro metro de solo, bem como o carbono armazenado em até 3m de profundidade. A quantidade de carbono orgânico estocado nos solos da bacia do Rio Negro foi estimada em diferentes escalas de mapeamento, desde mapas locais até a escala da bacia do Rio Negro. Imagens de sensoriamento remoto de alta resolução espacial e espectral foram essenciais para viabilizar o mapeamento dos solos nas áreas estudadas e permitir a estimativa do estoque de carbono. Uma análise multisensor foi adotada buscando-se gerar informações biofísicas indiretamente associadas à variação lateral dos tipos de solo. Após o mapeamento do estoque de carbono em escala regional, partiu-se para a estimativa na escala da bacia do Rio Negro, com base em análise geoestatística (krigagem por regressão linear), imagens de sensoriamento remoto e base de dados de domínio público. Após o mapeamento do estoque de carbono na escala da bacia, constatou-se que os Espodossolos têm um estoque médio de 18 kg C m-2, para 1m de profundidade, valor similar ao observado em solos adjacentes (Latossolos e Argissolos) os quais tem um estoque de 15 kg C m-2. Quando são considerados os estoques profundos, até 3m, a quantidade de carbono dos Espodossolos é superior com valores variando de 55 kg C m-2 a 82 kg C m-2. Estoque relativamente maior que aquele observado em solos adjacentes para esta profundidade (18 kg C m-2 a 25 kg C m-2). Portanto, o estoque de carbono profundo dos Espodossolos, não deve ser negligenciado levando-se em conta cenários futuros de mudanças climáticas

Under the Kyoto Protocol, participating nations are required to reduce National CO₂emissions according to their 'reduction commitment' or 'quantified emissions limitation', over the first commitment period, 2008-2012. One way in which nations could achieve this would be by increasing soil carbon storage through different management practices. Most former estimates of regional scale C sequestration potential have made use of either linear regressions based on long-term experimental data, whilst some have used dynamic soil organic matter (SOM) models linked to spatial databases. Few studies have compared these two methods, and none have compared regressions with two different SOM models. This thesis presents a case study investigation of the potential of different land management practices to sequester carbon in soil in arable land, and preliminary estimates of other potential C savings. Two dynamic SOM models were chosen for this study, RothC (a soil process model) and CENTURY (a general ecosystem model). RothC and CENTURY are the two most widely used and validated SOM models world-wide. Methods were developed to enhance use and comparability of the models in a predictive mode. These methods included a) estimation of the IOM pool for RothC, b) estimation of C inputs to soil, c) investigation of pool size distributions in CENTURY, and d) creation of a program to allow use of C inputs derived from CENTURY with the RothC model. This thesis has also investigated the importance of errors in C inputs to soil for predictive SOM modelling, and performed sensitivity analyses to investigate how errors in setting the size refractory SOM pools might affect predictions of SOC. RothC and CENTURY were compared at the site scale using datasets from seven European long-term experiments, in order to a) verify their ability to predict SOC changes under changes in land use and management relevant to studies of C sequestration potential, b) evaluate model performance under European climatic conditions, and c) compare the performance of the two models. Finally, a Geographic Information System (GIS) containing soil, land use and climate layers, was assembled for a case study region in Central Hungary. GIS interfaces were developed for the RothC and CENTURY models, thus linking them to spatial datasets at the regional level. This allowed a comparison of estimates of the C sequestration potential of different land management practices obtained using the two models and using regression-based estimates. Although estimates obtained by the different approaches were of the same order of magnitude, differences were observed. Encouragingly, some of the land management scenarios studied here showed sufficient C mitigation potential to meet Hungarian CO₂reduction commitments.

Soil organic matter (SOM) models simplify the complex turnover dynamics of organic matter in soils. Stabilization mechanisms are currently thought to play a dominant role in SOM turnover but they are not explicitly accounted for in most SOM models. One study addresses the implementation of an approach to account for the stabilization mechanism of physical protection in the SOC model RothC using 13C abundance measurements in conjunction with soil size fractionation data. SOM models are increasingly used to support policy decisions on carbon (C) mitigation and credibility of model predictions move into the focus of research. A site scale, Monte Carlo based model uncertainty analysis of a SOM model was carried out. One of the major results was that uncertainty and factor importance depend on the combination of external drivers. A different approach was used with the SOM ECOSSE model to estimate uncertainties in soil organic carbon (SOC) stock changes of mineral and organic soils in Scotland. The average statistical model error from site scale evaluation was transferred to regional scale uncertainty to give an indication of the uncertainty in national scale predictions. National scale simulations were carried out subsequently to quantify SOC stock changes differentiating between organic and mineral soils and land use change types. Organic soils turned out to be most vulnerable to SOC losses in the last decades. The final study of this thesis emplyed the RothC model to simulate possible futures of global SOC stock changes under land use change and ten different climate scenarios. Land use change turned out to be of minor importance. The regionally balance between soil C inputs and decomposition leads to a diverse map of regional C gains and losses with different degrees of certainty.

Orientador : Dr. Anibal de Moraes, Dr Jeferson Dieckow e Dr. Alan J. Franzluebbers
Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Agrárias, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Agronomia. Defesa: Curitiba, 24/10/2016
Inclui referências: f. 47-50;72-77;97-101
Área de concentração: Produção vegetal
Resumo: A disponibilidade de solos e seus recursos está reduzindo com a evolução da humanidade e os impactos negativos, decorrentes do mau uso dos solos, estão afetando o desenvolvimento sustentável da agropecuária mundial. Portanto, se faz necessário o desenvolvimento de alternativas que permitam um uso mais sustentável dos solos, para atender as demandas no setor de produção agropecuária do século 21. O objetivo geral desta tese foi estudar solos de sistemas de produção agropecuária que buscam a intensificação de uso sustentável, ou de ecossistemas naturais, como uma etapa para melhor entender dinâmicas complexas de nutrientes. Foram estudados a composição de fósforo (P) no solo em sistemas integrados de produção agropecuária (SIPA) no subtrópico brasileiro, bem como em ecossistemas naturais em escala global e por fim, a dinâmica do carbono (C) orgânico em um sistema agroflorestal localizado na Carolina do Norte, Estados Unidos da América. O primeiro objetivo específico foi determinar a composição de P no solo de agroecossitemas com baixa e alta complexidade trófica. Especificamente, objetivou-se qualificar e quantificar os componentes orgânicos e inorgânicos de P usando extratos de NaOH-EDTA e espectroscopia de ressonância magnética nuclear, para posteriormente caracterizar a ciclagem de P em resposta ao aumento da complexidade trófica com SIPA no subtrópico brasileiro. A presença do pastejo resultou em maior concentração de ortofosfato total e biodisponível (i.e., Mehlich-I) e também diminuiu a concentração de P orgânico, incluindo os inositol fosfatos. O pastejo aumentou a biodisponibilidade de P e reduziu a concentração de P orgânico recalcitrante (i.e., inositol fosfatos), portanto, concluiu-se que a integração entre lavoura e pecuária pode ser uma alternativa sustentável para aumentar o uso do P nos sistemas de produção no subtrópico brasileiro. O segundo objetivo específico foi analisar com meta-regressão (meta-análise), a dinâmica do P em diferentes texturas de solo e de clima em escala global, relacionando os grupos funcionais de P com o pH, concentração de C, relação CN e relação CP do solo em ecossistemas naturais. A composição de P orgânico teve uma resposta complexa à estas características do solo. A relação de monoesteres para o P orgânico aumentou com o aumento do pH, e diminuiu com o decréscimo da concentração de C, relação CN e relação CP, sem haver resposta particular para os locais e textura do solo. Em contraste, a relação de diesteres para o P orgânico bem como a relação diesteres para monoesteres teve o comportamento inverso, diminuindo com o aumento do pH, e aumentando com o aumento da concentração de C, relação carbono-nitrogênio (CN) e relação carbono-fósforo (CP). Portanto, concluiu-se que o pH, a concentração de C e as relações CN e CP são importantes fatores na determinação das proporções dos grupos funcionais de P orgânico do solo. O terceiro objetivo específico foi determinar a distribuição espacial de atributos do solo (textura e frações de C orgânico do solo) usando a combinação de espectroscopia de reflectância no infravermelho proximal (NIRS) e geoestatística, em um experimento de sistema agroflorestal localizado na Carolina do Norte, Estados Unidos da América. O NIRS foi uma ferramenta útil para predizer a textura do solo e as frações de C do solo. Na fase de calibração e validação do NIRS, o modelo de máquina de vetores de suporte teve uma performance melhor do que o modelo de mínimos quadrados parciais na predição das características do solo. A geoestatística aumentou os erros em relação àquales obtidos somente com o NIRS. Entretanto, a geoestatística possibilitou realizar a exploração das características espaciais da textura do solo e frações de C. A combinação do NIRS com a geoestatística pode ser utilizada para avaliação de atributos do solo deste sistema agroflorestal e de outros sistemas de produção, permitindo assim aumentar a sustentabilidade dos agroecossistemas através do manejo com agricultura de precisão. Palavras chave: integração lavoura-pecuária, plantio direto, ciclagem de nutrientes.
Abstract: Soil resources are narrowing as human evolution occurs and the negative feedbacks resulting from soil misuse are affecting agriculture's sustainable development worldwide. Therefore, alternatives that allow a more sustainable use of soils are necessary, to fill demands of the 21-century agriculture. The general objective of this thesis was to evaluate soils of agricultural systems that pursue sustainable intensification and natural ecosystems as a step to understand complex nutrient dynamics, which knowledge might help to adapt management by agriculture. It was studied the soil phosphorus compounds on integrated crop-livestock systems in Subtropical Brazil and on natural ecosystems across the world and soil organic carbon (C) dynamics in an agroforestry system on a Coastal Plain in United States of America. The first specific objective was to determine soil P composition from agro-ecosystems with low and high trophic complexity. Specifically, we wanted to qualify and quantify soil organic and inorganic P fractions using NaOH-EDTA extraction and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and characterize P cycling in response to increasing complexity with integrated crop-livestock systems in subtropical Brazil. Our results were that in these agro-ecosystems, grazing compared with nograzing had greater soil P content as total and bioavailable (i.e., Mehlich-I) orthophosphate and lower soil organic P and fewer monoesters, including inositol phosphates. Grazing increased P bioavailability and reduced recalcitrant organic P (i.e., inositol phosphates) concentration in soil; therefore, we conclude that integrating crop and livestock systems can be a sustainable alternative to improve P use in farming systems of subtropical Brazil. The second specific objective was to analyze through meta-regression, soil organic phosphorus dynamics among different soil textures and locates at global scale, relating its organic functional groups with soil pH, C concentration, carbon-to-nitrogen (CN) ratio and carbon-to-phosphorus (CP) ratio on natural ecosystems. We found that soil organic P composition had a complex response to those soil characteristics. Monoesters-to-organic P ratio increased as pH increased, and decreased as C concentration, CN ratio and CP ratio increased, with no particular response among locates and soil textures. In contrast, diesters-to-organic P ratio as well as diesters-to-monoesters ratio had the opposite behavior, decreasing its concentrations as pH increased, and increasing as soil C concentration, CN ratio and CP ratio increased. Therefore we concluded that soil pH, C concentration, CN ratio and CP ratio are important factors in determining proportions of soil organic P functional groups. The third specific objective was to determine the spatial distribution soil properties (soil texture and organic C fractions) using a combination of near infrared spectroscopy and geostatistics, in an emerging agroforestry system experiment on a Coastal Plain site in North Carolina. Nearinfrared spectroscopy was a useful tool to predict soil texture and soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions. Using chemometrics to calibrate NIRS, a support vector machine model performed better than a partial least squares model to predict soil texture (sand and clay) and SOC fractions (total, particulate, and mineralizable C determined as the flush of CO2-C following rewetting of dried soil). Geostatistics increased errors of soil properties compared to those obtained solely by NIRS prediction. Nonetheless, geostatistics was useful to explore spatial patterns of soil texture and SOC fractions. Combining NIRS and geostatistics can be promoted for soil evaluation of this agroforestry system and in other landscapes to increase sustainability of agroecosystems through field-specific precision management. Key words: mixed crop-livestock, no-tillage, nutrient cycling.

Of the organic matter in soils typically < 1% by weight is dissolved in the soil solution (dissolved organic matter; DOM). DOM is a continuum of molecules of various sizes and chemical structures which has largely been operationally defined as the fraction of total organic carbon in an aqueous solution that passes through a 0.45 µm filter. Although only representing a relatively small proportion, it represents the most mobile part of soil organic carbon and is probably enriched with highly labile compounds. DOM acts as a source of nutrients for both soil and aquatic micro-organisms, influences the fate and transport of organic and inorganic contaminants, presents a potential water treatment problem and may indicate the mobilisation rate of key terrestrial carbon stores. The objective of this research was to ascertain some of the biologically relevant characteristics of soil DOM and specifically to determine: (1) the influence of method and time of extraction of DOM from the soil on its biochemical composition and concentration; (2) the dynamics of DOM biodegradation; and, (3) the effects of repeated applications of trace amounts of DOM on the rate of soil carbon mineralization. To examine the influence of method and time of extraction on the composition and concentration of DOM, soil solution was collected from a raised peat bog in Central Scotland using water extraction, field suction lysimetry, and centrifugation techniques on a bimonthly basis over the period of a year (Aug 2003 – Jun 2004). Samples were analysed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), protein, carbohydrate and amino acid content. For all of the sampled months except June the biochemical composition of DOC varied with extraction method, suggesting the biological, chemical and/or physical influences on DOC production and loss are different within the differently sized soil pores. Water-extractable DOC generally contained the greatest proportion of carbohydrate, protein and/or amino acid of the three extraction methods. Time of extraction had a significant effect on the composition of water- and suction-extracted DOC: the total % carbohydrate + protein + amino acid C was significantly higher in Oct than Dec, Feb and Jun for water-extracted DOC and significantly greater in Dec than Aug, Apr and Jun for suction-extracted DOC. There was no significant change in the total % carbohydrate + protein + amino acid C of centrifuge-extracted DOC during the sampled year. Time of extraction also had a significant effect on the % protein + amino acid N in water- and centrifuge-extracted DON: Oct levels were significantly higher than Feb for water-extracted DON and significantly higher in Aug and Apr for centrifuge-extracted DON. Concentrations of total DOC and total DON were also found to be dependent on time of extraction. DOC concentrations showed a similar pattern of variation over the year for all methods of extraction, with concentrations relatively constant for most of the year, rising in April to reach a peak in Jun. DON concentrations in water- and centrifuge-extracted DON peaked later, in Aug. There were no significant seasonal changes in the concentration of suction-extracted DON. A lack of correlation between DOC and DON concentrations suggested that DOC and DON production and/or loss are under different controls. Laboratory-based incubation experiments were carried out to examine the dynamics of DOC biodegradation. Over a 70 day incubation period at 20oC, the DOM from two types of peat (raised and blanket) and four samples of a mineral soil (calcaric gleysol), each previously exposed to a different management strategy, were found to be comprised of a rapidly degradable pools (half-life: 3 – 8 days) and a more stable pool (half-life: 0.4 to 6 years). For all soil types/treatments, excepting raised peat, the total net loss of DOC from the culture medium was greater than could be accounted for by the process of mineralization alone. A comparison between net loss of DOC and loss of DOC to CO2 and microbial biomass determined by direct microscopy suggested that at least some of the differences between DOC mineralised and net DOC loss were due to microbial assimilation and release. Changes in the microbial biomass during the decomposition process showed proliferation followed by decline over 15 days. The protein and carbohydrate fractions showed a complex pattern of both degradation and production throughout the incubation. The effects of repeated applications of trace amounts of litter-derived DOC on the rate of carbon mineralization over a 35 day period were investigated in a laboratory based incubation experiment. The addition of trace amounts of litter-derived DOC every 7 and 10.5 days appeared to ‘trigger’ microbial activity causing an increase in CO2 mineralisation such that extra C mineralised exceeded DOC additions by more than 2 fold. Acceleration in the rate of extra C mineralised 7 days after the second addition suggested that either the microbial production of enzymes responsible for biodegradation and/or an increase in microbial biomass, are only initiated once a critical concentration of a specific substrate or substrates has been achieved. The addition of ‘DOC + nutrients’ every 3.5 days had no effect on the total rate of mineralization. To date DOC has tended to be operationally defined according to its chemical and physical properties. An understanding of the composition, production and loss of DOC from a biological perspective is essential if we are to be able to predict the effects of environmental change on the rate of mineralization of soil organic matter. This research has shown that the pools of DOC extracted, using three different methods commonly used in current research, are biochemically distinct and respond differently to the seasons. This suggests some degree of compartmentalisation of biological processes within the soil matrix. The observed similarities between the characteristics of the decomposition dynamics of both peatland and agricultural DOC suggests that either there is little difference in substrate quality between the two systems or that the microbial community have adapted in each case to maximise their utilisation of the available substrate. The dependency of the concentration and biochemical composition of DOC on the seasons requires further work to ascertain which biotic and/or abiotic factors are exerting control. Published research has focussed on factors such as temperature, wet/dry cycles, and freeze/thawing. The effect of the frequency of doses of trace amounts of DOC on increasing the rate of soil organic C mineralization, evident from this research, suggests that the interval between periods of rainfall may be relevant. It also emphasises how it can be useful to use knowledge of a biological process as the starting point in determining which factors may be exerting control on DOC production and loss.

This study was designed to evaluate the status, distribution, spatial variability, controlling factors, storage, and change in the levels of soil organic carbon (SOC) in two major alluviums of Bangladesh. The two alluviums the Brahmaputra and the Ganges were selected because they occupy a large area of Bangladesh with a wide diversity of agro-ecosystems. SOC levels were studied across the four sub-sites in the aforementioned alluviums at 0-30 cm depths to evaluate their spatial and temporal variability. The sub-sites, Delduar and Melandah, are in the Brahmaputra alluvium. The other two sub-sites, Mirpur and Fultala, are in the Ganges alluvium. Additionally, SOC and total nitrogen (TN) distribution were studied across eight soil profiles (0-120 cm depths) under the two alluviums. The results revealed that the SOC contents were very low in all the sites. The classical statistics showed that the variability of the SOC was moderate across the four sub-sites. The SOC distribution was positively skewed across all the sub-sites except Fultala. A semivariogram model showed there was generally a weak spatial correlation (R2 < 0.5) of SOC in the study sites. A relatively large sampling grid (1600m) and intensive soil management were perhaps responsible for the observed weak spatial dependency. SOC variability is lower across the highland (HL) and medium highland (MHL) sites than the medium lowland (MLL) and lowland (LL) sites. Changes in land use and land cover were also more intensive in the HL and MHL sites than the MLL and LL sites. The reason for low SOC in the HL and MHL sites may be due to their lower inundation level, e.g., land levels in relation to flooding depths, together with greater intensity of use. Temporal variability of SOC datasets revealed that SOC has declined across all the sites during the last 20-25 years due to the intensive land use with little or no crop residue inputs. It is plausible that SOC has declined to an equilibrium level, and further decline may not occur unless land use intensity changes further. The findings show that SOC is positively related to the TN and clay contents in the soils. This is not surprising as SOC is a major pool of TN, and soil clay fraction is known to protect SOC degradation. SOC and TN storage is higher in the surface soil horizon (0-20 cm) than the sub surface soils. Topsoil horizon is tilled and receives greater crop residue inputs which are subsequently mineralized resulting in higher accumulation of SOC and TN. It appears that inundation land types and land management practices may be the major driving factors of SOC storage and distribution across the study sites.

Agricultural productivity, ecosystem health, and wetland restoration rely on soil organic carbon (SOC) as vital for microbial activity and plant health. This study assessed: (1) accuracy of topographic-based non-linear models for predicting SOC; and (2) the effect of analytic strategies and soil condition on performance of spectral-based models for predicting SOC. SOC data came from 28 agriculturally converted Delmarva Bays sampled down to 1 meter. R2 was used as an indicator of model performance. For topographic-based modeling, correlation coefficients and condition indices reduced 50 terrain-related values to three datasets of 16, 11, and 7 variables. Five types of non-linear models were examined: Generalized Linear Mondel (GLM) ridge, GLM LASSO, Generalized Additive Model (GAM) non-penalized, GAM cubic splice, and partial least-squares regression. Carbon stocks varied widely, 50 to 219 Mg/ha, with the average around 93 Mg/ha. Topography shared a weak relationship to SOC with most attributes showing a correlation coefficient less than 0.3. GLM ridge and both GAMs achieved moderate accuracy at least once, usually using the 16 or 11 variable datasets. GAMs consistently performed the best. Prior to carbon analysis, hyperspectral signatures were recorded for the topmost soil horizons under different conditions: moist unground, dry unground, and dry ground. Twenty-four math treatment and smoothing technique combinations were run on each hyperspectral dataset. R2 varied greatly within datasets depending on analytic strategy, but all datasets returned an R2 greater than 0.9 at least twice. Moist unground soil models outperformed the others when comparing the best models among datasets.
Master of Science

Soil is the world’s largest terrestrial carbon (C) sink, and is estimated to contain approximately 1600 Pg of carbon to a depth of one metre. The distribution of soil organic C (SOC) largely follows gradients similar to biomass accumulation, increasing with increasing precipitation and decreasing temperature. As a result, SOC levels are a function of inputs, dominated by plant litter contributions and rhizodeposition, and losses such as leaching, erosion and heterotrophic respiration. Therefore, changes in biomass inputs, or organic matter accumulation, will most likely also alter these levels in soils. Although the soil microbial biomass (SMB) only comprises 1-5% of soil organic matter (SOM), it is critical in organic matter decomposition and can provide an early indicator of SOM dynamics as a whole due to its faster turnover time, and hence, can be used to determine soil C dynamics under changing environmental conditions.¶ Approximately 932 million ha of land worldwide are degraded due to salinity and sodicity, usually coinciding with land available for agriculture, with salinity affecting 23% of arable land while saline-sodic soils affect a further 10%. Soils affected by salinity, that is, those soils high in soluble salts, are characterised by rising watertables and waterlogging of lower-lying areas in the landscape. Sodic soils are high in exchangeable sodium, and slake and disperse upon wetting to form massive hardsetting structures. Upon drying, sodic soils suffer from poor soil-water relations largely related to decreased permeability, low infiltration capacity and the formation of surface crusts. In these degraded areas, SOC levels are likely to be affected by declining vegetation health and hence, decreasing biomass inputs and concomitant lower levels of organic matter accumulation. Moreover, potential SOC losses can also be affected from dispersed aggregates due to sodicity and solubilisation of SOM due to salinity. However, few studies are available that unambiguously demonstrate the effect of increasing salinity and sodicity on C dynamics. This thesis describes a range of laboratory and field investigations on the effects of salinity and sodicity on SOC dynamics.¶ In this research, the effects of a range of salinity and sodicity levels on C dynamics were determined by subjecting a vegetated soil from Bevendale, New South Wales (NSW) to one of six treatments. A low, mid or high salinity solution (EC 0.5, 10 or 30 dS/m) combined with a low or high sodicity solution (SAR 1 or 30) in a factorial design was leached through a non-degraded soil in a controlled environment. Soil respiration and the SMB were measured over a 12-week experimental period. The greatest increases in SMB occurred in treatments of high-salinity high-sodicity, and high-salinity low-sodicity. This was attributed to solubilisation of SOM which provided additional substrate for decomposition for the microbial population. Thus, as salinity and sodicity increase in the field, soil C is likely to be rapidly lost as a result of increased mineralisation.¶ Gypsum is the most commonly-used ameliorant in the rehabilitation of sodic and saline-sodic soils affected by adverse soil environmental conditions. When soils were sampled from two sodic profiles in salt-scalded areas at Bevendale and Young, SMB levels and soil respiration rates measured in the laboratory were found to be low in the sodic soil compared to normal non-degraded soils. When the sodic soils were treated with gypsum, there was no change in the SMB and respiration rates. The low levels of SMB and respiration rates were due to low SOC levels as a result of little or no C input into the soils of these highly degraded landscapes, as the high salinity and high sodicity levels have resulted in vegetation death. However, following the addition of organic material to the scalded soils, in the form of coarsely-ground kangaroo grass, SMB levels and respiration rates increased to levels greater than those found in the non-degraded soil. The addition of gypsum (with organic material) gave no additional increases in the SMB.¶ The level of SOC stocks in salt-scalded, vegetated and revegetated profiles was also determined, so that the amount of SOC lost due to salinisation and sodication, and the increase in SOC following revegetation relative to the amount of SOC in a vegetated profile could be ascertained. Results showed up to three times less SOC in salt-scalded profiles compared to vegetated profiles under native pasture, while revegetation of formerly scalded areas with introduced pasture displayed SOC levels comparable to those under native pasture to a depth of 30 cm. However, SOC stocks can be underestimated in saline and sodic landscapes by setting the lower boundary at 30 cm due to the presence of waterlogging, which commonly occurs at a depth greater than 30 cm in saline and sodic landscapes as a result of the presence of high or perched watertables. These results indicate that successful revegetation of scalded areas has the potential to accumulate SOC stocks similar to those found prior to degradation.¶ The experimental results from this project indicate that in salt-affected landscapes, initial increases in salinity and sodicity result in rapid C mineralisation. Biomass inputs also decrease due to declining vegetation health, followed by further losses as a result of leaching and erosion. The remaining native SOM is then mineralised, until very low SOC stocks remain. However, the C sequestration potential in these degraded areas is high, particularly if rehabilitation efforts are successful in reducing salinity and sodicity. Soil ecosystem functions can then be restored if organic material is available as C stock and for decomposition in the form of either added organic material or inputs from vegetation when these salt-affected landscapes are revegetated.

Global urbanization has resulted in rapidly increased urban land. Soils are the foundation that supports plant growth and human activities in urban areas. Furthermore, urban soils have potential to provide a carbon sink to mitigate greenhouse gas emission and climate change. However, typical urban land development practices including vegetation clearing, topsoil removal, stockpiling, compaction, grading and building result in degraded soils. In this work, we evaluated an urban soil rehabilitation technique that includes compost incorporation to a 60-cm depth via deep tillage followed by more typical topsoil replacement. Our objectives were to assess the change in soil physical characteristics, soil carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, and stormwater mitigation after both typical urban land development practices and post-development rehabilitation. We found typical urban land development practices altered soil properties dramatically including increasing bulk density, decreasing aggregation and decreasing soil permeability. In the surface soils, construction activities broke macroaggregates into smaller fractions leading to carbon loss, even in the most stable mineral-bound carbon pool. We evaluated the effects of the soil rehabilitation technique under study, profile rebuilding, on soils exposed to these typical land development practices. Profile rebuilding incorporates compost amendment and deep tillage to address subsoil compaction. In the subsurface soils, profile rebuilding increased carbon storage in available and aggregate-protected carbon pools and microbial biomass which could partially offset soil carbon loss resulting from land development. Yet, urban soil rehabilitation increased greenhouse gas emissions while typical land development resulted in similar greenhouse gas emissions compared to undisturbed soils. Additionally, rehabilitated soils had higher saturated soil hydraulic conductivity in subsurface soils compared to other practices which could help mitigate stormwater runoff in urban areas. In our study, we found urban soil management practices can have a significant impact on urban ecosystem service provision. However, broader study integrating urban soil management practices with other ecosystem elements, such as vegetation, will help further develop effective strategies for sustainable cities.
Ph. D.

It is well documented that increases in soil organic matter (SOM) improve soil physical properties and increase the overall fertility and sustainability of the soil. Research in SOM storage has recently amplified following the proposal that agricultural soils may provide a significant carbon (C) sink that may aid in the mitigation of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide. Observed differences in lint yield and nitrogen response from a cotton performance study at the Texas A&M University Experimental Farm near College Station, TX prompted us to examine the effects of tillage and rotation on soil organic C (SOC), soil microbial biomass C (SMBC), 38-day cumulative C mineralization (38-day CMIN), hot-water extractable organic C (hot-WEOC), carbohydrate C, and total glomalin. The treatments examined included conventional-till continuous cotton (CT), reduced-till continuous cotton (RT), and conventional-till cotton after corn rotation (CC) treatments. In pre-plant soil samples, SOC, SMBC, and 38-day CMIN in the top 5 cm were 33, 58, and 79 % greater in RT and 29, 32, and 36 % greater in CC vs. CT. Comparable differences were observed for hot-WEOC and carbohydrate C. Little seasonal variation was observed for labile-C pools throughout the growing season, suggesting minimal C input from cotton roots. Water-stable aggregation was not significantly affected by management, and did not correlate with labile-C pools or total glomalin. Labile-C pools were generally more responsive to management vs. SOC and were strongly correlated with one another. Carbohydrate C of hot-water extracts exhibited the strongest relationships with SMBC and 38-day CMIN, even though it comprised only 3 and 5 % of these pools, respectively. Our data suggest that increasing SOC in Texas cotton-cropping systems through conservation management is possible. Long-term data are still needed to fully address SOC storage potentials in Texas, but increases in labile-C pools resulting from conservation management are attainable and have the potential to positively impact soil fertility.

In the past years considerable attention has been given to soil organic carbon (SOC) stored in permafrost-affected soils in periglacial terrain. Studies have shown that these soils store around half the global SOC pool, making them a key component of the global carbon cycle. Much of the SOC presently stored in these soils has accumulated since the Pleistocene and is protected from decomposition and erosion by low temperatures close to or below the freezing point. This makes it vulnerable to remobilization under a warming climate. This thesis provides new data on SOC storage in three study areas in Siberian periglacial terrain. A high-resolution land cover classification (LCC) for each study area is used to perform detailed vertical and spatial partitioning of SOC. The results show that the vast majority (>86%) of the ecosystem carbon is stored in the top meter of soil. Low relative storage of carbon in plant phytomass indicates limited uptake potential by vegetation and emphasises the vulnerability of the SOC pool to geomorphic changes. Peat formation as well as cryoturbation are identified as the two main pedogenic processes leading to accumulation of SOC. Presence or absence of ice-rich Yedoma deposits determine soil formation and SOC storage at landscape scale. At local scale, periglacial landforms dominate SOC allocation in the tundra, while forest ecosystem dynamics and catenary position control SOC storage in the taiga. A large diversity of soil types is found in these environments and soil properties within pedons can be highly variable with depth. High-resolution satellite imagery allows upscaling of the SOC storage at unprecedented detail, but replication of soil pedons is a limiting factor for mapping of SOC in remote periglacial regions. Future research must look beyond traditional LCC approaches and investigate additional data-sources such as digital elevation models. The concept of state factors of soil formation is advocated as a framework to investigate present day and future SOC allocation in periglacial terrain.

Soils in permafrost regions hold substantial amounts of carbon, much of which has accumulated due to processes that are related to cold temperatures. A warming climate will alter the dynamics governing the fluxes of carbon within a system and consequently the pools of carbon therein. Of particular concern is whether previously stored carbon will be released to the atmosphere contributing to the pool of greenhouse gases and creating a feedback effect. At the moment the International Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) does not include carbon dynamics of the Arctic in their forecast models due to a lack of adequate scientific understanding in the area. Understanding the controls which govern the fluxes of carbon between the land, the atmosphere and the aquatic systems is important in evaluating the transient state of the carbon cycle. This study investigates the potential relationship between terrestrial soil organic carbon (SOC) pools and the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in streams observed at the beginning of August 2012 in the Abiskojokka catchment in the sub-arctic region of northern Sweden. The results show that soil organic carbon pools could tentatively explain between 24 % and 44 % of the variation in DOC concentrations in streams. This is only a fraction of the variation explained compared to regions where peatlands are the single most important indicator of DOC concentrations. In the absence of peatland, which covers less than 2 % of the Abiskojokka catchment area, heath vegetation and the associated soil forming processes were shown to be an important indicator of stream water DOC concentrations.

Sugarcane cropping is an important component of the Brazil´s economy. As the main feedstock used to produce ethanol, the area occupied with this crop has meaningfully increased in the last years and continues to expand in order to attend to the national and international demand of this biofuel. Despite that it has been demonstrated that land-use transition into sugarcane can negatively impact the soil carbon (C) dynamics, little is known about the effect of those land use changes (LUC) processes on the distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) within particle-size classes, and how management practices in sugarcane can contribute to the C restoration. In this sense the main objective of this study was to evaluate through a modelling application the SOC dynamics in the sugarcane crop in response to LUC and different management scenarios. For a better understanding of LUC impact on C content in both particulate organic matter and mineral-associated fraction, we performed physical soil C fractionation in 34 study areas involving the three major land-use systems affected by sugarcane expansion. Also, biometric measurements were executed in sugarcane plant and ratoon crop in order to use those data in the model parameterization as well as to recalculate the payback time of the C debt through C conversion ratio reported in the literature. Finally, we parameterized and validate the CENTURY ecosystem model for sugarcane, pastures and annual cropland by using a data-set previously collected by the Laboratório de Biogeoquímica Ambiental (CENA-USP); then different scenarios of sugarcane management were simulated: i) SC1 - Green harvesting; ii) SC2 - Green harvesting plus organic amendments and iii) Green harvesting + low N inputs. Our results showed that the C content depletion for conversion from native vegetation and pastures to sugarcane is caused by C losses in the labile fraction (37%) as wells as in the stabilized pool associated to the mineral fraction (30%). Above and belowground biomass quantification indicated a total sugarcane carbon inputs ranging from 29.6 Mg C ha-1 to 30.6 Mg C ha-1. Considering a C retention rate of 13% we estimated net carbon changes of 0.58 to 0.6 Mg C ha-1 year-1, which contribute to reduce the payback times for sugarcane biofuel carbon debts in 3.3 and 1.2 years for Cerrado wooded and pasture conversions into sugarcane respectively. The modelling study supported the Century model as a tool to access the SOC dynamics following land-use conversion and different soil management in in sugarcane. Long-term simulations suggested that changes in the sugarcane harvest from burning to green harvesting increase the soil C stock in an average of 0.21 Mg ha-1 year-1; however the potential of C accumulation is still higher when organic amendments as vinasse and filter cake are add to the soil, with mean values varying between 0.34 and 0.37 Mg ha-1 year-1 in SC2 and SC1 respectively. By analyzing the SOC dynamic at each scenario simulated, we estimated a time span of 17 and 24 years for soil C restoration in clay and sandy soils under pastures with priority suitability (SC3). The number of years was projected to be higher in clay soils with regular suitability (40 years).
A cultura da cana-de-açúcar é uma comodity importante para a economia no Brasil. Como a principal matéria prima para a produção de etanol, a área plantada com esta cultura tem incrementado significativamente nos últimos anos e a tendência é de continuar se expandindo para atender a demanda nacional e internacional deste biocombustível. Embora tenha sido demostrado que a mudança de uso da terra (MUT) para cana-de-açúcar pode afetar negativamente a dinâmica do carbono (C) no solo, há pouca informação disponível acerca do impacto dessa MUT na distribuição do C nas frações da matéria orgânica do solo, e como as praticas de manejo da cana-de-açúcar podem contribuir para o acumulo de C no solo. Nesse contexto o principal objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar, através da modelagem matemática, a dinâmica do carbono orgânico do solo (COS) na cultura da cana-de-açúcar em resposta a mudança de uso da terra e diferentes cenários de manejo agrícola. Fracionamento físico para separar o C associado à matéria orgânica partícula (POM) do C ligado à fração mineral do solo (<53 um) foi realizado em amostras de solo de 34 áreas de estudo envolvendo os três principais sistemas de uso da terra afetados pela expansão da cana-de-açúcar. Adicionalmente, foram realizadas avaliações biométricas da cana-de-açúcar (cana planta e soca) que objetivaram a parametrização do modelo matemático assim como recalcular o tempo de reposição do debito de C gerado. Finalmente, o modelo CENTURY foi parametrizado e devidamente validado, para posteriormente proceder à simulação de diferentes cenários futuros de manejo da cana de açúcar: i) SC1 - Colheita de cana crua (sem queima); ii) SC2 - Colheita de cana crua e adição de adubos orgânicos (vinhaça e torta de filtro); iii) Colheita de cana crua e redução da adubação nitrogenada. Os resultados indicaram que a redução do conteúdo de C devido à conversão de vegetação nativa e pastagem para cana-de-açúcar foi causada pela perda de C tanto na fração lábil (37%) quanto na fração mais estável associada a fração mineral do solo (30%). A quantificação da biomassa aérea e radicular indicou entradas de C variando de 29,6 Mg C ha-1 a 30,6 Mg C ha-1, os quais resultariam em uma taxa de acumulo liquido de 0,58 a 0,6 Mg C ha-1 ano-1, que quando considerado contribui a redução do \"payback time\" do debito de C do etanol causado pela conversão de Cerrado e pastagem em 3,3 e 2 anos respectivamente. Os resultados obtidos no estudo de modelagem matemática suportaram o uso do modelo CENTURY como uma ferramenta para avaliar a influencia da MUT e das práticas de manejo na dinâmica do COS. As simulações em longo prazo sugeriram que a supressão da queima na colheita incrementa o estoque de C em 0,21 Mg ha-1 ano-1. No entanto o potencial de acúmulo de C é ainda maior quando adubação orgânica é realizada, com valores entre 0,34 e 0,37 Mg ha-1 ano-1 respectivamente. A análise da dinâmica do COS em cada cenário de manejo simulado permitiu estimar o tempo médio de recuperação do C do solo perdido pela MUT em áreas de pastagens. Os resultados indicaram um período de 17 anos para condições de cultivo sob solos argilosos e 24 anos para solos arenosos (SC3) em áreas de alta aptidão para expansão. O modelo projetou um maior número de anos em solo argiloso sob áreas de pastagem com aptidão média (40 anos).

Cette thèse aborde un point clé du couplage entre ces cycles: la dynamique des molécules azotées (AAs) des matières organiques du sol (MOS). Par des expériences d'incubation, nous avons estimé que les flux de biosynthèse des AAs par les micro-organismes du sol lors du processus de décomposition sont de l'ordre de 25% de la biomasse nouvellement formée. Le profil des AAs individuels biosynthétisés de novo est plus dépendant du type de sol que de la nature du substrat. Dans chaque sol, il est très similaire à celui des AAs des MOS. La biodégradation de matériaux végétaux marqués en 13C a révélé la transformation rapide des protéines végétales en matériaux microbiens. Ces résultats montrent que les AAs des MOS sont d'origine microbienne. Nous avons mesuré le renouvellement du C des AAs à long terme dans les horizons de surface de neuf sites présentant des végétations, climats et types de sol variés, en utilisant la technique de traçage par les abondances naturelles en 13C. L'âge moyen du carbone des AAs varie de 50 à 200 ans. Un modèle simple permet de discuter les hypothèses du recyclage des AAs des MOS par les micro-organismes. Les rapports isotopiques stables des AAs individuels ont été mesurés par chromatographie en phase gazeuse couplée à la spectrométrie de masse isotopique. À cette fin, nous avons développé une méthode d'étalonnage générique pour la détermination du rapport isotopique des composés spécifiques, par analyse de cultures microbiennes uniformément marquées. Au-delà des résultats présentés, l'étude apporte un large ensemble de données des AAs et examine les variations de l'abondance naturelle en 13C entre les AAs individuels
We analyzed the coupled dynamics of C and N in Soil Organic Matter (SOM) through the dynamics of N-containing soil organic compounds (amino acids (AAs)) by tracing their carbon atoms. Stable isotope ratios of individual amino acids were measured by gas chromatography coupled with isotope ratio mass spectrometry. For this purpose, we developed a generic calibration method for compound-specific stable isotope ratio analysis, based on the analysis of uniformly labelled microbial cultures. We quantified the biosynthesis of AAs associated with the biodegradation process in four contrasted topsoils through short-term incubation experiments of 13C-labelled substrates. Amino acids-C accounts for ca. 25% of the newly-formed microbial biomass-C. The composition of the de novo biosynthesized individual amino acids was dependent on the soil type, and in each soil was similar to that of SOM amino acids. Biodegradation of 13C-labelled plant materials revealed the rapid conversion of plant proteins into microbial materials. These results together demonstrate that SOM amino acids are of microbial origin. We measured the dynamics of amino acids-C on the long term (decades to centuries) in nine sites using the natural 13C-labelling technique. On average, the age of AAs was equal or slightly inferior to that of bulk soil organic carbon, with mean ages ranging from 50 to 200 years. We built a conceptual model of AAs dynamics to discuss various hypotheses of AAs stabilization. Beyond these perspectives on C and N coupling in soil processes, the overall study brings a broad dataset of amino acids, as well as discuses variations of 13C natural abundance (δ13C) in-between individual amino acids

Eine biochemische Indikation des Anteils exogener organischer Kohlenstoffquellen (EOC), der nach dem Eintrag potenziell im Boden verbleibt (Cpot) wurde entwickelt. Haupthypothese dieser Studie war, dass der Abbau von EOC durch die biochemische Zusammensetzung vorhergesagt werden kann, welche bei Pflanzenrückständen von der Kulturart, dem Pflanzenrückstandstyp sowie dem Anbausystem und im Allgemeinen vom Ausgangssubstrat organischer Düngestoffe und der EOC-Kategorie (pyrogen , mikrobiell und pflanzlich) beeinflusst wird. Zunächst wurden Pflanzenrückstände im Energiepflanzenanbau zur Biogasgewinnung (Restpflanze / Stroh, Stoppeln, Grobwurzeln, Feinwurzeln, natürlicher Bestandsabfall) von Mais, Sorghum, Sudangras, Wintergetreide, Hafer, Erbse in Einzel-, Zwei- und Mischkultursystemen betrachtet. In einem zweiten Schritt wurden Pflanzenrückstände im Allgemeinen mit organischen Düngern, Komposten, Rückständen aus anaerober Vergärung in der Biogasproduktion (Gärrückstände) und Biokohlen verglichen. Die biochemische Zusammensetzung von EOC wurde durch die Konzentrationen von Kohlenstoff- (C), Stickstoff (N), wasserlöslicher Kohlehydrate (WSC), Hemizellulose (HEM), Zellulose (CEL) und Lignin (LIC) in g pro kg Trockenmasse dargestellt. In Inkubationsversuchen wurde EOC gleichmäßig mit Boden vermischt und über 310 Tage die Zugabe-induzierte Kohlendioxid-Freisetzung gemessen. Cpot wurde als Grenzwert der Modellschätzung für die Inkubationsdaten bestimmt. Die Beziehung zwischen biochemischer Zusammensetzung und Cpot wurde durch die Partial-Least-Squares-Regression-Methode abgeleitet. Cpot unterschied sich stärker zwischen verschiedenen organischen Düngestoffen, als speziell zwischen verschiedenen Pflanzenrückständen und konnte durch die biochemische Zusammensetzung vorhergesagt werden. Der Indikator für Cpot (in g C pro kg EOC) wurde als Ipot = 269 + 13 N – 0.5 WSC + 0.7 CEL + 1.5 LIC für Pflanzenrückstände und im Allgemeinen als Ipot = 924 – 1.9 C + 2.0 LIC vorgeschlagen.
A biochemical indication for the fraction of exogenous organic carbon (EOC), potentially remaining in soil after application (Cpot) has been developed. Main hypothesis of this study was that decomposition of EOC can be predicted by the biochemical composition, which in case of plant residues is influenced by the crop residue type, crop species and agricultural management and in general depends on the original substrate and category (pyrogen, microbial, and plant-derived EOC) of organic materials. A first set of EOC was created, containing plant residues in energy crop cultivation for biogas production (shoot / straw, stubble, coarse root, fine root, and litter) of maize, sorghum, sudan grass, winter cereal, pea, and oats in single-, double- and intercropping systems. In a second set of EOC, plant residues in general were compared with other organic fertilisers, urban composts, residues of anaerobic fermentation in biogas production (digestates), and biochar. The biochemical composition of EOC was characterised by the concentrations of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), hemicelluloses (HEM), cellulose (CEL), and lignin (LIC) in g per kg dry matter. In incubation experiments, EOC was homogeneously incorporated into soil and EOC-induced carbon dioxide-release was measured for 310 d. Cpot was determined as modelled limit for the incubation results. Finally, the relation between biochemical composition and Cpot of EOC was evaluated by the partial least squares regression method. Cpot largely varied between different types and categories of EOC, while less variation was obtained between different plant residues. The biochemical composition was predictive for Cpot (expressed as g C per kg EOC), proposing the biochemical indicator as Ipot = 269 + 13 N – 0.5 WSC + 0.7 CEL + 1.5 LIC specifically for plant residues and as Ipot = 924 – 1.9 C + 2.0 LIC for EOC in general.

La compréhension du cycle de la matière organique du sol (MOS) est un outil majeur dans la lutte contre le réchauffement climatique, la préservation de la biodiversité ainsi que dans la consolidation de la sécurité alimentaire. Dans ce contexte, cette thèse porte sur la modélisation et l'analyse mathématique de modèles de la dynamique du carbone organique dans le sol.Dans le chapitre 2, nous avons étudié la robustesse et les propriétés mathématiques d'un modèle non linéaire (MOMOS). Nous avons montré que si les données sont périodiques nous obtenons l'existence d'une solution périodique attractive. Le chapitre3 est consacré à la validation mathématique d'un modèle spatialisé basé sur les équations de MOMOS, auxquels nous avons ajouté des opérateurs de diffusion et de transport. L'effet de l'hétérogénéité spatiale sur ce modèle est étudié dans le chapitre4 en utilisant des techniques d'homogénéisation. Suivant la méthodologie de Bosattaet Agren, nous dérivons un autre modèle à qualité continue, qui prend en compte l'effet de l'âge sur la décomposition de la MOS. Le chapitre 5 contient la validation mathématique et expérimentale du modèle. Enfin, nous considérons dans les chapitres6 et 7, un modèle incluant l'effet de la chemotaxie. Nous montrons l'existence, la positivité et l'unicité des solutions dans des domaines suffisamment réguliers de dimension inférieure ou égale à 3
Understanding the soil organic matter (SOM) cycle is a major tool in the effort toreduce global warming, to preserve biodiversity and to improve food safety strategies.In this context, this thesis is about modelling and mathematical analysis of thedynamics of the organic carbon in soil.In chapter 2, we validate mathematically a nonlinear soil organic carbon model(MOMOS) and we prove that, if data is periodic, then there is a unique attractiveperiodic solution. In chapter 3, we focus on the mathematical validation of a spatialmodel derived from MOMOS and where we used diffusion and transport operators.We prove also the existence of a periodic solution. In addition, the effect of soilheterogeneities on the model is studied in chapter 4 using homogenization techniques.Moreover, following the Bosatta and Agren methodology, we derive a continuousquality model taking in consideration the effect of age on the quality of SOM. Wevalidate the model mathematically and experimentally in chapter 5. Finally, weconsider in chapters 6 and 7 another model that takes into account the chemotaxismovement of soil microorganisms. We prove mainly the existence and uniqueness of apositive solution in a regular spatial domain of dimension less or equal to 3

Soil organic matter (SOM) is a well known indicator of soil quality due to its direct influence on soil properties such as structure, soil stability, water availability, cation exchange capacity, nutrient cycling, and pH buffering and amelioration. Study sites were selected in the Valley region of Virginia with the study objectives to: i) compare the efficiency of density solutions used in recovering free-light fraction (FLF) organic matter; ii) compare different soil organic fractions as sensitive indices of short-term changes in SOM due to management practices; iii) investigate on-farm effects of tillage management on soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil organic nitrogen (SON) stocks; and iv) evaluate the role of SOM in controlling soil available nitrogen (N) for corn uptake. The efficiency of the density solutions sodium iodide (NaI) and sodium polytungstate (SPT) in recovering FLF was the same at densities of 1.6 and 1.8 g cm⁻³, with both chemicals presenting less variability at 1.8 g cm⁻³. The sensitivity of SOM fractions in response to crop and soil management depended on the variable tested with particulate organic matter (POM) being the most sensitive when only tillage was tested, and FLF being the most sensitive when crop rotation and cover crop management were added. The on-farm investigation of tillage management on stocks of SOC and total soil N (TSN) indicated significant increases at 0–15 cm depth by increasing the duration (0 to 10 years) of no-tillage (NT) management (0.59 ± 0.14 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and 0.05 ± 0.02 Mg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). However, duration of NT had no significant effect on SOC and TSN stocks at 0–60 cm depth. Soil available N as controlled by SOM was modeled using corn (Zea mays L.) plant uptake as response and several soil N fractions as explanatory variables. The final model developed for 0–30 cm depth had 6 regressors representing the different SOM pools (active, intermediate, and stable) and a 𝑅² value of 65%. In summary, this study provides information about on-farm management affects on SOM levels; measurement of such effects in the short-term; and estimation of soil available N as related to different soil organic fractions.
Ph. D.