Anthropogenic and Inherent Effects on Soil Organic Carbon across the U.S

Márcio R. Nunes, Harold M. van Es, Kristen S. Veum, Joseph P. Amsili and Douglas L. Karlen
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Márcio R. Nunes: USDA-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, University Boulevard, Ames, IA 50011–3611, USA
Harold M. van Es: Section of Soil and Crop Sciences, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
Kristen S. Veum: USDA-ARS, Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit, 269 Agricultural Engineering Bldg., University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
Joseph P. Amsili: Section of Soil and Crop Sciences, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
Douglas L. Karlen: USDA-ARS, DL Karlen Consulting LLC, 487 Ashland Ave., St. Pual, MN 55102, USA

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 14, 1-19

Abstract: Soil organic carbon (SOC) influences several soil functions, making it one of the most important soil health indicators. Its quantity is determined by anthropogenic and inherent factors that must be understood to improve SOC management and interpretation. Topsoil (≤15 cm) SOC response to tillage depth and intensity, cover crops, stover removal, manure addition, and various cropping systems was assessed using 7610 observations from eight U.S. regions. Overall, including cover crops, reducing tillage depth and intensity increased SOC. The positive effects of cover crops were more noticeable in South Central, Northwest, and Midwest regions. Removing high rates (>65%) of crop residue decreased SOC in Midwestern and Southeastern soils. Depending on region, applying manure increased SOC by 21 to 41%, compared to non-manured soils. Diversified cropping systems (e.g., those utilizing small mixed vegetables, perennials, or dairy-based systems) had the highest topsoil SOC content, while more intensive annual row crops and large-scale single vegetable production systems, had the lowest. Among inherent factors, SOC increased as precipitation increased, but decreased as mean annual temperature increased. Texture influenced SOC, showing higher values in fine-texture than coarse-texture soils. Finally, this assessment confirmed that SOC can be a sensitive soil health indicator for evaluating conservation practices.

Keywords: cropping systems; cover crops; no-till; soil health; soil restoration; tillage systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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