Geographic bias of field observations of soil carbon stocks with tropical land-use changes precludes spatial extrapolation.

ABSTRACT: Accurately quantifying changes in soil carbon (C) stocks with land-use change is important for estimating the anthropogenic fluxes of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and for implementing policies such as REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) that provide financial incentives to reduce carbon dioxide fluxes from deforestation and land degradation. Despite hundreds of field studies and at least a dozen literature reviews, there is still considerable disagreement on the direction and magnitude of changes in soil C stocks with land-use change. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies that quantified changes in soil C stocks with land use in the tropics. Conversion from one land use to another caused significant increases or decreases in soil C stocks for 8 of the 14 tr

SUBMITTER: Powers JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3076837 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature