ISSN:
1573-5036
Keywords:
13C isotope
;
changes in soil
;
forest clearing
;
maize crop
;
soil organic carbon
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Abstract In southwest France, sandy spodosols have developed from Quaternary sandy eolian deposits. On these soils, numerous forest lands have been converted to continuous intensive maize cropping. A chronosequence study is realized by comparing organic C pools and 13C natural abundance of one forested and 6 agricultural sites, whose ages of cultivation range from 4 to 32 yr. δ13C ratio is found to increase with time of cultivation. After 3 decades of intensive maize cropping, about half of the initial organic C content in the forest topsoil layer has disappeared. The fraction of C derived from maize crop increases during the first decades of cultivation, but its level is significantly lower than those observed in other soils, which indicates a high mineralization rate of organic C. In this context, soil characteristics associated to intensive agricultural practices lead to a rapid and large loss of C, whereas inputs from maize seem to have only a very small long-term contribution.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1004294822799
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