Higher subsoil carbon storage in species-rich than species-poor temperate forests

Schleuß, Per-Marten
Heitkamp, Felix
Leuschner, Christoph
Fender, Ann-Catrin
Jungkunst, Hermann F.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/9/1/014007
Persistent URL: http://resolver.sub.uni-goettingen.de/purl?gldocs-11858/6986
Schleuß, Per-Marten; Heitkamp, Felix; Leuschner, Christoph; Fender, Ann-Catrin; Jungkunst, Hermann F., 2014: Higher subsoil carbon storage in species-rich than species-poor temperate forests. In: Environmental Research Letters, 9, 1, 014007DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/9/1/014007. 

Abstract

Forest soils contribute ca. 70% to the global soil organic carbon (SOC) pool and thus are an important element of the global carbon cycle. Forests also harbour a large part of the global terrestrial biodiversity. It is not clear, however, whether tree species diversity affects SOC. By measuring the carbon concentration of different soil particle size fractions separately, we were able to distinguish between effects of fine particle content and tree species composition on the SOC pool in oldgrowth broadleaved forest plots along a tree diversity gradient (1, 3and 5species). Variation in clay content explained part of the observed SOC increase from monospecific to mixed forests, but we show that the carbon concentration per unit clay or fine silt in the subsoil was by 30–35% higher in mixed than monospecific stands indicating a significant species identity or species diversity effect on C stabilization. Underlying causes may be differences in fine root biomass and turnover, in leaf litter decomposition rate among the tree species, and/or speciesspecific rhizosphere effects on soil. Our findings may have important implications for forestry offering management options through preference of mixed stands that could increase forest SOC pools and mitigate climate warming.

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