VEGETATION INFLUENCES ON LONG-TERM CARBON STABILIZATION IN SOILS, VIA PLANT ALLOCATION, TISSUE CHEMISTRY,
AND SOIL DEPTH EFFECTS
EMSL Project ID
38392
Abstract
Soil organic matter is a major reservoir of carbon within the biosphere and has a fundamental impact on soil properties, and therefore on ecosystem functioning and sustainability. We are proposing to use 13C NMR spectroscopy to characterize at the molecular level the influence of vegetation on long-term carbon stabilization in soils. Our project will focus on the role of the quality of the substrate available to decomposers in determining decomposition and sequestration of C in soils at sites of similar climate, topography, and parent material. We will compare the molecular characteristics of aboveground and belowground litters with that of soil fractions at different soil depths from two contrasting ecosystems, old-growth redwood forest and prairie, which represents end-members in terms of tissue lifespan and litter recalcitrance
Project Details
Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2010-01-25
End Date
2011-01-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members
Related Publications
Mambelli S., Burton S.D., McFarlane K.J., Torn M.S., Dawson T.E., 2010. Vegetation influence on long-term carbon stabilization in soils: a coast redwood-prairie comparison.
AGU Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 13-15 December, abstract #B41E-0367