Evaluation of Topsoil Carbon Content and Quality in a Peatland and Reforested Soil after 50 Years of Soil Restoration in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (Spain)

Marco A. Jiménez-González (), Sana Boubehziz, Ana M. Álvarez, Pilar Carral, María José Marqués-Pérez, Sameh K. Abd-Elmabod and Gonzalo Almendros
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Marco A. Jiménez-González: Department of Geology and Geochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28049 Madrid, Spain
Sana Boubehziz: Department of Agronomy, Universidad de Córdoba (UCO), 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Ana M. Álvarez: Department of Geology and Geochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28049 Madrid, Spain
Pilar Carral: Department of Geology and Geochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28049 Madrid, Spain
María José Marqués-Pérez: Department of Geology and Geochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28049 Madrid, Spain
Sameh K. Abd-Elmabod: Soils and Water Use Department, Agricultural and Biological Research Institute, National Research Centre (NRC), Cairo 12622, Egypt
Gonzalo Almendros: Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), 28006 Madrid, Spain

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 23, 1-11

Abstract: The increase in atmospheric CO 2 levels and the advance of desertification due to soil degradation across our planet is becoming one of humanity’s most serious concerns. The restoration and development of soil management techniques are becoming widespread tools to protect soils. The Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (Spain) is an area that has suffered historically severe deforestation, but it was reforested in an extensive program 50 years ago. In this study, an evaluation of the soils in the restored area was carried out. For this purpose, the chemical composition of the different soil organic matter fractions was characterized using infrared and UV-vis spectroscopies. The results showed a large increase in carbon stocks in the topsoil (0–10 cm) (about 30 Mg·ha −1 more than the area not reforested) after reforestation 50 years ago. There was also an increased level of transformation of organic carbon into resilient humic structures, which are resistant to degradation. Reforestation activities within the National Park have greatly increased the humification rates of organic matter, resulting in the accumulation of high-quality organic carbon.

Keywords: soil organic matter; carbon sequestration; humic acid; fulvic acid; climatic change; greenhouse gases; humic substances (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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