Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Coralie Triquet, Anthony Roume, Vincent Tolon, Alexander Wezel, Aurelie Ferrer
Summary: The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an undestroyed strip of winter cover crop in promoting ground-dwelling arthropod spillover and predation activity in maize fields. The results showed that the activity-density of carabids, spiders, and slugs, as well as the predation rate, were higher in the strip compared to the cropped area or field margin. The study suggests that a mid-field strip of winter cover crops can be an efficient method for conserving biodiversity and providing pest control services in agricultural landscapes.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dorota Wronska-Pilarek, Sebastian Rymszewicz, Andrzej M. Jagodzinski, Radoslaw Gawrys, Marcin K. Dyderski
Summary: Understanding the response of vegetation composition and diversity to global changes is crucial for ecosystem management and conservation. This study assessed shifts in understory vegetation in a national park in Poland after 40 years of conservation, and found overall homogenization of forest vegetation and specific shift patterns in certain forest associations. The results highlight the importance of ongoing monitoring and management for preserving diversity and functionality in the face of global changes.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chengye Hu, Yongtian Liu, Xiaolong Yang, Bonian Shui, Xiumei Zhang, Jing Wang
Summary: The effects of habitat heterogeneity on the functional trait composition and diversity of seagrass bed macrobenthos vary among different microhabitats, influenced by environmental parameters such as total organic carbon, organic matter, and grain size.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Samuel F. Stickley, Jennifer M. Fraterrigo
Summary: Research has shown that the understory vegetation structure plays a role in buffering near-surface forest temperatures, enhancing the accuracy of maximum temperature predictions. Additionally, the spatial and temporal mismatches between free-air and microclimatic temperatures are influenced by elevation and solar insolation, highlighting the potential impact of landscape physiographic characteristics on temperature deviations between macro- and micro-scales. This research underscores the importance of incorporating complex vegetation characteristics and biophysical interactions into microclimate modeling for accurately predicting microclimatic temperatures and understanding organismal responses to climate change.
Article
Forestry
Marina Roth, Anja Mueller-Meissner, Hans-Gerhard Michiels, Markus Hauck
Summary: The study found that changes in vegetation composition in temperate forest understories are reflective of environmental changes caused by atmospheric nitrogen deposition and altered forest management, leading to a trend of eutrophication. Different forest types show varying sensitivity to these environmental changes, influenced by geological and climatic site characteristics as well as historical land use.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Su-Li Li, Zhi Zheng, Yi-Dong Ding, Jia-Wen Xu, Rong Mao
Summary: The study found that litter-derived DOC biodegradation of understory ferns was comparable to that of overstory broadleaf trees, but higher than that of overstory coniferous trees in subtropical forests. Mixing overstory and understory litter-derived DOC resulted in non-additive effects on biodegradation, which were positively related to interspecific differences in DOC:dissolved total phosphorus ratio and DOC aromaticity. Non-additive effects during microbial degradation of mixed DOC sources are common in subtropical forests, with trait dissimilarity driving the magnitude and direction of these effects.
Article
Ecology
Imran Khan, Din Muhammad Zahid, Muhammad Zubair, Syed Amir Manzoor, Ghulam Yasin, Mamoona Wali Mohammad, Khalid Ali Khan, Shafeeq Ur Rahman, Anzhen Qin
Summary: The dry temperate forests of Pakistan have a diverse understory vegetation, with some species playing a crucial role in ecosystem functioning and livelihoods. However, deforestation and disturbance to the understory vegetation are threatening this valuable forest. This study aimed to fill the knowledge gap regarding the diversity status of understory vegetation in P. gerardiana forests. The results showed that aspect had a significant effect on the diversity, dominance, and evenness of the understory vegetation.
FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Abderrafea Elbahi, Colin Lawton, Widade Oubrou, Mohammed El Bekkay, Jamila Hermas, Michel Dugon
Summary: Reptiles are important components of biodiversity and ecosystems, but they are threatened by anthropogenic disturbances and habitat degradation. This study investigates the impact of habitat degradation on reptile communities in the Souss-Massa National Park in North Africa. The results show that varying degrees of vegetation cover degradation have a significant effect on species richness, diversity, abundance, composition, and similarities of reptile communities.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Felix Klaus, Teja Tscharntke, Johannes Uhler, Ingo Grass
Summary: The study revealed the importance of calcareous grassland fragments as sources of solitary bees, where larger fragments supported more than twice as many solitary bees as smaller ones. The limited foraging range of solitary bees seemed to be compensated by other groups such as bumblebees and hoverflies, suggesting a greater forage radius and/or independence from the grassland fragments as habitat.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jose Carlos Correa da Silva Junior, Ana Paula Moreira Rovedder, Luana Camila Capitani, Ricardo Bergamo Schenato, Frederico Neuenschwander, Aline Peccatti, Rodrigo Pinto da Silva
Summary: The research found that the dominance of Psychotria shrubs does not significantly affect the natural regeneration of trees, with differences in regeneration density between trees and shrubs, and environmental variables having a stronger impact on the regeneration community.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Qian Lyu, Yan Luo, Size Liu, Yan Zhang, Xiangjun Li, Guirong Hou, Gang Chen, Kuangji Zhao, Chuan Fan, Xianwei Li
Summary: The study found significant changes in soil and bacterial community composition after setting different sizes of forest gaps in weeping cypress plantations, with large gaps having the most significant impact on understory plant diversity and soil bacterial diversity. The structural equation modeling indicated that understory plant diversity was the most important factor influencing the composition and diversity of bacterial communities.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Marek Marciniak, Daniel Gebler, Mateusz Grygoruk, Joanna Zalewska-Galosz, Krzysztof Szoszkiewicz
Summary: The study aimed to assess the influence of filtration stream and hydraulic gradient on water crowfoot distribution in European rivers. The study found that the hyporheic zones covered with Ranunculus vegetation were mainly influenced by groundwater drainage. The intensity of groundwater filtration varied significantly, and the non-vegetated riverbed had a higher filtration rate compared to the zones with Ranunculus. The study provides evidence for the importance of water exchange in the hyporheic zone for the growth and conservation of Ranunculus vegetation.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yahya Kooch, Masoumeh Amani, Mehdi Abedi
Summary: Soil biological properties are important indicators for evaluating soil quality, but there is little research on the response of belowground biota to habitat degradation. This study found that vegetation degradation leads to a decrease in soil organisms and microbial activities, resulting in soil health damage, especially in semi-arid regions.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yinli Bi, Mingchao Li, Peter Christie, Xinpeng Du, Lexuan Tian, Xuejiang Gao
Summary: The vegetation restoration of land post-mining can promote soil structure development and increase organic carbon storage. The response of soil carbon sequestration pathways to different recovery modes is poorly understood, especially in soils of reclaimed surface-mine areas. This study examined the long-term carbon dynamics and revealed that tree plantations showed the maximum increase in soil organic carbon content, while shrublands showed the minimum increase. The direction of carbon flows was from small aggregates to silt + clay size classes, and tree plantations slowed down the carbon flows of aggregates.
Article
Geography, Physical
Fan Luo, Nan Sun, Xiaoqiang Li, Xinying Zhou, Keliang Zhao, Xue Shang, Junfeng Guo, Liyan Guo
Summary: This study analyzed fossil charcoal assemblages from the southern Chinese Loess Plateau to provide temperature records during the middle Holocene, and found that winter temperature changes have the highest contribution to the mean annual temperature.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Guillaume Adeux, Severin Yvoz, Luc Biju-Duval, Emilie Cadet, Pascal Farcy, Guillaume Fried, Jean-Philippe Guillemin, Dominique Meunier, Nicolas Munier-Jolain, Sandrine Petit, Stephane Cordeau
Summary: CS diversification can increase weed diversity, but different options of CS diversification may select different weed communities. Commercial farms with lower CS complexity tend to rely heavily on herbicides, limiting the adoption of experimented CS.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Guillaume Fried, Valerie Le Corre, Tiana Rakotoson, Julie Buchmann, Thomas Germain, Remi Gounon, Helene Royer, Luc Biju-Duval, Emeline Felten, Eric Vieren, Bruno Chauvel
Summary: The use of herbicide-tolerant varieties (HTVs) in sunflower fields leads to lower weed diversity, but has no significant impact on field margin community diversity. The lower weed diversity in HTV fields is mainly attributed to increased herbicide use and shorter crop rotations, while landscape factors play a more important role in field margin diversity. HTV fields have higher abundance of A. artemisiifolia compared to organic and conventional fields.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Marie-Charlotte Bopp, Elena Kazakou, Aurelie Metay, Guillaume Fried
Summary: This study assessed the impacts of climate, soil characteristics, seasons, and weed management practices on weed communities in French wine growing regions. The results showed that region, seasonality, and management practices have significant impacts on weed community traits.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Marie-Charlotte Bopp, Guillaume Fried, Aurelie Metay, Denis Bastianelli, Laurent Bonnal, Elena Kazakou
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the impacts of pedoclimate and weed management on the mass loss of vineyard weed communities during decomposition. The results indicated that mowing is a promising alternative to herbicide use, favoring higher biomass, nitrogen content, and decomposability potential of weeds.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
A. Luscher, K. Barkaoui, J. A. Finn, D. Suter, M. Suter, F. Volaire
Summary: Climate change leads to increased variability of droughts and extreme events in Europe's semi-natural and sown productive grasslands, posing challenges to their sustainability. Plant strategies for drought resistance depend on stress intensity, with trade-offs between maintaining leaf growth and survival under severe drought. The diverse genetic pool of forage grasses presents a potential for adapting to future droughts, and plant species diversity can stabilize forage production by including drought-resistant species and enhancing ecosystem functioning. This emphasizes the importance of valuing both intra- and inter-specific plant diversity to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience of productive grasslands.
Article
Agronomy
Guillaume Fried, Cecile Blanchet, Lorelei Cazenave, Marie-Charlotte Bopp, Elena Kazakou, Aurelie Metay, Maxime Christen, Didier Alard, Stephane Cordeau
Summary: This study analyzes 400 floristic samples from 100 vineyards in the Bordeaux wine-growing region to investigate the impact of management practices on weed communities. The results show that mowing favors competitive hemicryptophytes, while soil tillage favors ruderal therophytes and nutrient-demanding species. Additionally, the trophic status of the soil affects the composition of vineyard weed communities. This study is the first to show consistent responses of weed species to disturbance and soil resource gradients, allowing for predictions of weed development based on soil characteristics and management practices.
Article
Plant Sciences
Florence Volaire, Karim Barkaoui, David Gremillet, Guillaume Charrier, Olivier Dangles, Laurent J. Lamarque, Nicolas Martin-StPaul, Isabelle Chuine
Summary: This study proposes that winter and summer dormancy are important but often overlooked plant ecological strategies for survival in the face of dehydration stress. The review highlights the interdependence of reduced physiological activity, embolism resistance, and dehydration tolerance in determining plant mortality thresholds during severe frost and drought. The authors suggest that quantifying stress survival in non-dormant versus dormant plants can provide insights into the relationship between incomplete and complete dormancy and dehydration tolerance.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sebastien Boinot, Cendrine Mony, Guillaume Fried, Aude Ernoult, Stephanie Aviron, Claire Ricono, Eloise Couthouis, Audrey Alignier
Summary: Bocage landscapes enhance weed diversity in field cores by increasing environmental heterogeneity, providing important contributions to agroecological weed management and biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Karim Barkaoui, Florence Volaire
Summary: Dehydration tolerance in plants is crucial for drought survival, and it is influenced by factors such as soil water content, vapour pressure deficit, and plant-plant interactions. This study compared the dehydration dynamics, mortality, and recovery of two perennial grass species under different drought conditions, and found that plant-plant interactions can improve dehydration tolerance and drought resistance. The study also revealed that dehydration of leaf meristems leads to plant mortality, and acclimation to drought can increase dehydration tolerance.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Helen Metcalfe, Jana Buerger, Christoph von Redwitz, Alicia Cirujeda, Silvia Fogliatto, Denise F. Dostatny, Barbel Gerowitt, Michael Glemnitz, Jose L. Gonzalez-Andujar, Eva Hernandez Plaza, Jordi Izquierdo, Michaela Kolarova, Jevgenija Necajeva, Sandrine Petit, Gyula Pinke, Matthias Schumacher, Lena Ulber, Francesco Vidotto, Guillaume Fried
Summary: The 'Arable Weeds and Management in Europe' (AWME) database is a collection of 36 surveys on weed vegetation and management data. This database provides opportunities for future research by addressing challenges in combining disparate datasets. Three case studies conducted in France, Germany, and the UK demonstrate the utility and versatility of the AWME database, showing consistent results across different spatial scales. The Europe-wide data collection offers numerous opportunities for analysis on climate change, weed diversity, and specific weed characteristics in Europe.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Lea Genty, Elena Kazakou, Aurelie Metay, Denis Bastianelli, Marie-Charlotte Bopp, Karim Barkaoui
Summary: Our study quantified the potential of weeds to provide forage resources for livestock in perennial agroecosystems and found that weed digestion performance and forage potential are not affected by agricultural practices or soil-climatic conditions. This highlights the importance of promoting the integration of livestock in perennial cropping systems to reduce herbicide and tillage use and diversify agricultural production.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Patricia A. Ortega-Ramos, Alice L. Mauchline, Helen Metcalfe, Samantha M. Cook, Robbie D. Girling, Larissa Collins
Summary: The study found that the number of larvae of cabbage stem flea beetle in oilseed rape significantly increased in the UK after the ban of neonicotinoid insecticides. It was also discovered that crops sown later and larger fields had fewer larvae when the insecticides were available, but bigger fields tended to have more larvae after the ban. Additionally, wet and mild/hot Septembers were associated with higher larval numbers when neonicotinoids were available.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Guillaume Fried, Isis Poinas, Laura Henckel, Audrey Alignier
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the taxonomic and functional characteristics of field margin flora in metropolitan France. The research highlights the high botanical diversity of field margins and their importance for plant conservation in agricultural landscapes. Different field margin types are associated with distinct conditions of climate, soil, landscape, and agricultural practices.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jana Buerger, Filip Kuzmic, Urban Silc, Florian Jansen, Erwin Bergmeier, Milan Chytry, Alicia Cirujeda, Silvia Fogliatto, Guillaume Fried, Denise F. Dostatny, Baerbel Gerowitt, Michael Glemnitz, Jose L. Gonzalez-Andujar, Eva Hernandez Plaza, Jordi Izquierdo, Michaela Kolarova, Zdenka Lososova, Helen Metcalfe, Jevgenija Necajeva, Sandrine Petit, Gyula Pinke, Valerijus Rasomavicius, Christoph Redwitz, Matthias Schumacher, Lena Ulber, Francesco Vidotto
Summary: The diversity of arable weed vegetation in Europe has decreased significantly in the last few decades. Vegetation science and weed science collections show complementarity and can be jointly analyzed to provide a more complete understanding of weed species diversity. The differences in species numbers between the collections may be attributed to variations in methodology between the disciplines.
APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Jiarui Zhao, Xiaohu Yuan, Zhanjun Liu, Haotian Shi, Bingnian Zhai, Yuanjun Zhu
Summary: Overfertilization is common in rainfed apple orchards on China's Loess Plateau, but its impacts on soil physicochemical properties in deep soil profiles are poorly understood. This study found that different land-use types showed divergent distribution patterns in soil properties, with low variability for SWC and pH, moderate variability for NH4+-N, AP, and AK, and high variability for SOC, NO3--N, and EC. The results also showed that fertilization influenced soil water content, NO3--N, AP, and AK, and NO3--N played a crucial role in regulating pH and EC. Soil profiles were useful for studying the evolution of soil quality.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Daniel Nyfeler, Olivier Huguenin-Elie, Emmanuel Frossard, Andreas Luscher
Summary: Grass-legume mixtures combine high yields, low fertiliser requirements, and low nitrate leaching better than either pure grass or pure legume swards, both during the intact plant cover and after tilling for the subsequent crop.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Martin Faucher, Seraphine Grellier, Clemence Chaudron, Jean-Louis Janeau, Gabrielle Rudi, Fabrice Vinatier
Summary: The Mediterranean region is expected to experience more intense rainfall events and severe droughts due to climate change, leading to an increase in runoff and erosion rates in agrosystems. Vegetation cover can help reduce erosion and the soil seed bank can provide cost-effective vegetation. This study assessed the effect of vegetation cover on seed loss in vineyards and evaluated the differences in the soil seed bank along a transect. The results suggest that vegetation may not protect interrows from runoff-induced seed loss.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Christian Thierfelder, Blessing Mhlanga, Isaiah Nyagumbo, Kelvin Kalala, Esau Simutowe, Mazvita Chiduwa, Chloe Maclaren, Joao Vasco Silva, Hambulo Ngoma
Summary: The performance of different maize-legume diversification strategies was compared in southern Africa. Intercropping systems showed significant nutritional and economic benefits, but had higher labor requirements compared to other cropping systems. Soil organic carbon content and pH were not affected by the tested cropping systems.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Han Chen, Han Li, Yizhao Wei, Edward Mcbean, Hong Liang, Weimin Wang, Jinhui Jeanne Huang
Summary: This research introduces a hybrid four-sub-deep neural network (HFSD) model for partitioning NEE into GPP and ER. The HFSD employs dual sub-deep neural networks to estimate ERa and ERb and incorporates GPP and environmental variables to predict vegetation transpiration. The results of the model show that the dual sub-DNNs architecture enhances the accuracy of ER simulations, while using EC-derived T as a constraint improves the accuracy of GPP simulations. Correlation analyses suggest that solar radiation and air temperature primarily influence the seasonal variations in GPP and ER, while soil moisture has a strong impact during dry seasons. This study advances the biophysical description of data-driven models for NEE partitioning and enhances the accuracy of GPP and ER estimates.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Michael Glaser, Stefan Dullinger, Dietmar Moser, Johannes Wessely, Milan Chytry, Zdenka Lososova, Irena Axmanova, Christian Berg, Jana Buerger, Serge Buholzer, Fabrizio Buldrini, Alessandro Chiarucci, Swen Follak, Filip Kuezmic, Stefan Meyer, Petr Pysek, Nina Richner, Urban Silc, Siegrid Steinkellner, Alexander Wietzke, Franz Essl
Summary: This study investigated changes in vascular plant species in Central European arable fields and their edges from 1930 to 2019. The results showed a small decline in overall species occupancy, but a more pronounced species turnover. Species with environmental preferences for nutrient-rich sites with neutral pH increased in occupancy, while species typical for arable fields decreased. No response to climate change was observed, and there was a decrease in archaeophytes and native species and an increase in neophytes.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Thomas Abrell, Krishna Naudin, Felix J. J. A. Bianchi, Debora Veiga Aragao, Pablo Tittonell, Marc Corbeels
Summary: This study demonstrates that reducing fallow periods in shifting cultivation systems in the Eastern Amazon region has negative effects on soil fertility and weed pressure, posing a threat to the sustainability and productivity of local farming systems.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Jun Wang, Lu Lv, Ronggui Hu, Haiyang Ma, Bo Liu, Wenju Zhang, Lei Wu
Summary: Nitrification and denitrification are crucial for nitrogen losses in agricultural soils and are affected by soil properties. This study investigated the patterns and controlling factors of nitrification and denitrification potentials in paddy soils in major rice-producing areas of Hubei Province, China. The results showed that soil pH and SOC were the primary factors regulating nitrification and denitrification potentials, respectively.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Olga Fishkis, Jessica Weller, Jorn Lehmhus, Franz Pollinger, Jorn Strassemeyer, Heinz -Josef Koch
Summary: The Farm to Fork strategy of the European Union aims to reduce pesticide use and replace chemical measures with mechanical methods in weed control. However, there is currently no comprehensive evaluation of the ecological and economic parameters of mechanical methods. This study quantified these parameters for different weed control methods in sugar beet and found that no method can be considered fully environmentally friendly.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Mercedes Guerrero-Brotons, Nuria Perujo, Anna M. Romani, Rosa Gomez
Summary: Proper bed substrate selection is crucial for the performance of constructed wetlands, especially when treating drainage water with high nitrogen and low carbon and phosphorus concentrations. In a field-scale pilot plant, adding a carbon-rich substrate such as soil or biochar increased phosphorus availability in beds. Beds with soil displayed higher microbial density and activity, as well as better plant growth compared to gravel. These findings highlight the importance of selecting suitable substrates for treating irrigated agricultural water.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Beatrice Giannetta, Cesar Plaza, Giorgio Galluzzi, Iria Benavente-Ferraces, Juan Carlos Garcia-Gil, Marco Panettieri, Gabriel Gasco, Claudio Zaccone
Summary: This study examines the long-term effects of biochar application on soil organic C protection and finds that biochar, especially when combined with other amendments, has the potential to increase the content of particulate organic C and mineral-associated organic C in soils. The presence of ferrihydrite may mediate the positive effects on mineral-associated organic matter.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Emily Rose Waring, Carl Pederson, Ainis Lagzdins, Chelsea Clifford, Matthew J. Helmers
Summary: Addressing the global problem of eutrophication requires better management of inorganic nitrogen in the agricultural landscape. This study compares the effects of different tillage practices and cover crops on soil and water quality. The results show that the conventional tillage system is more effective in improving water quality and maintaining crop yields compared to other tillage practices. Additionally, the study reveals that the impact of tillage practices and cover crop growth methods on water and soil quality changes over time.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Annalisa Stevenson, Yakun Zhang, Jingyi Huang, Jie Hu, Keith Paustian, Alfred E. Hartemink
Summary: Considerable advances have been made in the assessment and mapping of soil organic carbon stocks. However, the rates of change in carbon stocks are influenced by various factors and need to be quantified. This study found that sandy soils under cultivation and forests have different organic carbon stocks. Factors such as tillage, irrigation, and nitrogen applications contribute to the decline in soil organic carbon stocks. Afforestation of abandoned cultivated fields can increase soil organic carbon, but it is still lower than soils under forest that have never been cultivated.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Zhiyuan Yao, Chuanxiong Huang, Huiling Hu, Tao Wang, Yulong Li, Xiaoming Sune, Sina Adl, Bo Zhu
Summary: Enhancing soil organic carbon levels through improved fertilization strategies is important for soil health and sustainable crop production. This study found that the relative abundance of organisms from higher trophic levels and increased network complexity in the soil micro-food webs are vital contributors to effective SOC accumulation.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Qing Qu, Lei Deng, Zhouping Shangguan, Jian Sun, Jinsheng He, Kaibo Wang, Zhengchao Zhou, Jiwei Li, Josep Penuelas
Summary: Grazing exclusion is a widely implemented strategy for restoring degraded grassland ecosystems and increasing carbon stocks. This study analyzed data from 199 experiments to understand the temporal responses and factors influencing plant and soil carbon stocks following grazing exclusion in different grassland ecosystems. The results showed that plant biomass carbon stocks and soil organic carbon stocks decreased exponentially or rationally with years since enclosure. Grazing exclusion had positive effects on aboveground biomass carbon, but the effects on belowground biomass and soil carbon were influenced by climate, initial carbon levels, and grazing exclusion duration. The response of carbon stocks to grazing exclusion stabilized after approximately 40 years, with soil carbon sequestration showing a lagged pattern compared to plant biomass carbon. The study highlighted the effectiveness of grazing exclusion in regions with low carbon content and non-water limited conditions. However, it might not be an effective measure to increase soil organic carbon stocks in water-limited areas like desert grasslands.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)