Soil Carbon Dynamics in Soybean Cropland and Forests in Mato Grosso, Brazil.

ABSTRACT: Climate and land use models predict that tropical deforestation and conversion to cropland will produce a large flux of soil carbon (C) to the atmosphere from accelerated decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM). However, the C flux from the deep tropical soils on which most intensive crop agriculture is now expanding remains poorly constrained. To quantify the effect of intensive agriculture on tropical soil C, we compared C stocks, radiocarbon, and stable C isotopes to 2 m depth from forests and soybean cropland created from former pasture in Mato Grosso, Brazil. We hypothesized that soil disturbance, higher soil temperatures (+2°C), and lower OM inputs from soybeans would increase soil C turnover and deplete C stocks relative to nearby forest soils. However, we found reduced C concent

SUBMITTER: Nagy RC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5993338 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature