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Riparian reforestation: are there changes in soil carbon and soil microbial communities?
J E Mackay1, S C Cunningham2, T R Cavagnaro3
1The Waite Research Institute and The School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, PMB1 Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
The Science of the Total Environment
|June 13, 2016
Summary
Reforestation of riparian zones enhances soil carbon sequestration, but microbial processes, not just time, regulate this. Understanding soil microbes is key to maximizing carbon storage in these restored ecosystems.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Soil Science
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Reforestation in riparian zones offers benefits like reduced nutrient runoff, habitat provision, and climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration.
- Soil microbes are crucial for the soil carbon cycle but are often overlooked in reforestation studies.
- Understanding belowground responses is vital for effective ecosystem restoration and carbon management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate belowground chemical and biological responses to reforestation in riparian zones over time.
- To assess the role of soil microbial communities and enzyme activities in soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration.
- To compare reforestation plantings with remnant woodlands and adjacent pastures to understand long-term ecological trajectories.
Main Methods:
- A chronosequence of mixed-species riparian plantings (0-23 years) was surveyed, alongside adjacent pastures and remnant woodlands.
- Soil organic carbon (SOC) content was measured.
- Soil microbial biomass (using phospholipid fatty acids - PLFA) and decomposition enzyme activities (β-glucosidase, polyphenol oxidase) were analyzed.
- Microbial community composition was assessed using PLFA markers.
Main Results:
- Remnant woodlands showed significantly higher SOC than pastures, but no clear SOC trend was observed with planting age.
- Soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities did not show a clear trend with reforestation age.
- Positive correlations were found between SOC concentration and microbial indicators (total PLFA, fungal PLFA, bacterial PLFA, enzyme activities).
- Microbial community composition in older plantings resembled that of remnant woodlands, with positive correlations between soil C:N and fungal:bacterial ratios.
Conclusions:
- Soil organic carbon sequestration in riparian reforestation is highly variable and influenced by factors beyond time, potentially including soil moisture and initial pasture conditions.
- Microbial biomass and activity are positively linked to SOC concentration, highlighting their importance in carbon cycling.
- Maximizing SOC sequestration requires considering both carbon inputs and the microbial processes that regulate soil carbon cycling.
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