Pore architecture and particulate organic matter in soils under monoculture switchgrass and restored prairie in contrasting topography.

ABSTRACT: Bioenergy cropping systems can substantially contribute to climate change mitigation. However, limited information is available on how they affect soil characteristics, including pores and particulate organic matter (POM), both essential components of the soil C cycle. The objective of this study was to determine effects of bioenergy systems and field topography on soil pore characteristics, POM, and POM decomposition under new plant growth. We collected intact soil cores from two systems: monoculture switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and native prairie, at two contrasting topographical positions (depressions and slopes), planting half of the cores with switchgrass. Pore and POM characteristics were obtained using X-ray computed micro-tomography (μCT) (18.2 µm resolution) before and after

SUBMITTER: Juyal A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8578609 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature