Register      Login
Soil Research Soil Research Society
Soil, land care and environmental research
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > SR > SR04032
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 43(1)

Carbon storage in the soils and vegetation of contrasting land uses in northern New South Wales, Australia

Rick Young A D , Brian R Wilson B , Malem McLeod A and Clair Alston C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A NSW Department of Primary Industries, Tamworth Agricultural Institute, RMB 944, Calala Lane, Tamworth, NSW 2340, Australia.

B NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, PO Box U245, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.

C School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.

D Corresponding author. Email: rick.young@dpi.nsw.gov.au

Australian Journal of Soil Research 43(1) 21-31 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR04032
Submitted: 9 March 2004  Accepted: 23 September 2004   Published: 14 February 2005

Abstract

The organic carbon stock in biomass and soil profiles sampled from nearby paddocks with different land-use histories was estimated at 7 sites in the upper Liverpool Plains catchment and the Manilla district of north-western New South Wales, Australia. The distribution of soil carbon concentrations over a depth of 2 m was significantly affected by site and land use. Continuous cultivation and cropping over ≥20 years significantly depleted carbon concentrations compared with grassy woodlands in the surface 0.20 m at all sites and to a depth of 0.60 m at 3 sites. Depth of sampling (0–0.20 v. 0–1.0 m) significantly affected the differences between land uses at most sites regarding estimates of the stock of soil carbon. These results show that differences in soil carbon concentrations and stock size do not remain constant with depth between contrasting land uses. However, comparisons between land uses of the total amount of carbon stored were dominated by the number of trees per ha and the size of the trees in grassy woodlands. The implications of these results for carbon accounting are discussed.


Acknowledgments

We thank Brian Willoughby for so competently operating the soil coring rig over sometimes difficult terrain, landholders for access to their properties and records, Sean Murphy for soils data from the Manilla sites and Yin Chan, Brendan George, Bob Martin, and 3 anonymous referees for comments on the draft manuscript. We acknowledge funding from the Grains Research and Development Corporation.


References


AGO (1998a). ‘Greenhouse sinks and sustainable land management.’ The National Greenhouse Strategy Module 6. a. (Australian Greenhouse Office: Canberra. http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/pubs/ngs/pubs/module_6.pdf)

AGO (1998b). ‘Greenhouse challenge vegetation sinks workbook.’ b. (Australian Greenhouse Office: Canberra)

Chan Y, Heenan DP, So HB (2003) Sequestration of carbon and changes in soil quality under conservation tillage on light textured soils in Australia: a review. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43, 325–334.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Dalal RC (1989) Long-term effects of no-tillage, crop residue and nitrogen application on properties of a Vertisol. Soil Science Society of America Journal 53, 1511–1515. open url image1

Dalal RC, Chan KY (2001) Soil organic matter in rainfed cropping systems of the Australian cereal belt. Australian Journal of Soil Research 39, 435–464.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Dalal RC, Mayer RJ (1986) Long term trends in fertility of soils under continuous cultivation and cereal cropping in southern Queensland. II. Total organic carbon and its rate of loss from the soil profile. Australian Journal of Soil Research 24, 281–292. open url image1

Dalal RC, Strong WM, Weston EJ, Cooper JE, Lehane KJ, King AJ, Chicken CJ (1995) Sustaining productivity of a Vertisol at Warra, Queensland, with fertilizers, no-tillage, or legumes 1. Organic matter status. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 35, 903–913. open url image1

Fitzsimmons, RW (2001). Winter cereal production statistics NSW 1922–1999 Wheat, oats, barley. Area, production and yield by local government areas. Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology Occasional Publication No. 111, 6th edn . (AIAST)

Freebairn DM, Littleboy M, Smith GD, Coughlan KJ (1990) Optimizing soil surface management in response to climatic risk. ‘Climatic risk in crop production: Models and management for the semi-arid tropics’. (Eds RC Muchow, JA Bellamy) pp. 283–305. (CAB International: Wallingford, UK)

Gardner EA (1988) Soil water. In ‘Understanding soils and soils data’. Invited lectures for refresher training course in soil science. (Ed. IF Fergus) (Australian Society of Soil Science Inc. (Queensland Branch): Brisbane)

Gifford R (2000) Carbon contents of above-ground tissues of forest and woodland trees. National Carbon Accounting System Technical Report No. 22, Australian Greenhouse Office, Canberra. .

Gilmour, AR , Gogel, BJ , Cullis, BR , Welham, SJ ,  and  Thompson, R (1999). ‘ASReml user guide release 1.0.’ (VSN International Ltd: Hemel Hempstead, UK)

Houghton RA, Hackler JL (2000) Changes in terrestrial carbon storage in the United States. 1. The roles of agriculture and forestry. Global Ecology and Biogeography 9, 125–144.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Hulugalle NR, Entwistle P (1997) Soil properties, nutrient uptake and crop growth on an irrigated Vertisol after nine years of minimum tillage. Soil and Tillage Research 42, 15–32.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Isbell, RF (1996). ‘The Australian Soil Classification.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne, Vic.)

Isbell, RF , McDonald, WS ,  and  Ashton, LJ (1997). ‘Concepts and rationale of the Australian Soil Classification.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne, Vic.)

Jackson RB, Banner JL, Jobbagy EG, Pockman WT, Wall DA (2002) Ecosystem carbon loss with woody plant invasion of grasslands. Nature 418, 623–626.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Lal R (1997) Residue management, conservation tillage and soil restoration for mitigating greenhouse effect by CO2-enrichment. Soil and Tillage Research 43, 81–107.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Lal R, Follett RF, Kimble JM (2003) Achieving soil carbon sequestration in the U.S.: A challenge to the policy makers. Soil Science 168, 827–845.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

McKenzie N, Ryan P, Fogarty P, Wood J (2000) Sampling, measurement and analytical protocols for carbon estimation in soil, litter and coarse woody debris. National Carbon Accounting System Technical Report No.14, Australian Greenhouse Office, Canberra .

Murphy B, Rawson A, Ravenscroft L, Rankin M, Millard R (2002) Paired site sampling for soil carbon estimation—NSW. Australian Greenhouse Office, Technical Report, Canberra. .

Murphy SB (2002) The effect of grazing management on the hydrological balance of natural pastures on the North-West Slopes of New South Wales. PhD thesis, The University of New England, Armidale, NSW. ( : )

Nortcliff S (2002) Standardisation of soil quality attributes. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 88, 161–168.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Rasmussen PE, Albrecht SL, Smiley RW (1998) Soil C and N changes under tillage and cropping systems in semi-arid Pacific Northwest agriculture. Soil and Tillage Research 47, 197–205.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Rayment, GE ,  and  Higginson, FR (1992). ‘Australian laboratory handbook of soil and water chemical methods.’ (Inkata Press: Melbourne, Vic.)

Ringrose-Voase AJ, Young RR, Paydar Z, Huth NI, Bernardi AL (2003) Deep drainage under different land uses in the Liverpool Plains catchment. Report 3, Agricultural Resource Management Report Series, NSW Agriculture. .

Schlesinger WH (2000) Carbon sequestration in soils: some cautions amidst optimism. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 82, 121–127.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Skjemstad JO, Spouncer LR, Beech TA (2000) Carbon conversion factors for historical soil carbon data. National Carbon Accounting System Technical Report No. 15, Australian Greenhouse Office, Canberra, ACT .

Snowdon P, Eamus D, Gibbons P, Khanna P, Keith H, Raison J, Kirschbaum M (2000) Synthesis of allometrics, review of root biomass and design of future woody biomass sampling strategies. National Carbon Accounting System Technical Report No. 17, Australian Greenhouse Office, Canberra, ACT .

Snowdon P, Raison J, Keith H, Montagu K, Bi H, Ritson P, Grierson P, Adams M, Burrows W, Eamus D (2001) Protocol for sampling tree and stand biomass. National Carbon Accounting System Technical Report No. 31. Draft, March 2001, Australian Greenhouse Office, Canberra .

URS (2001) Liverpool Plains Catchment Investment Strategy. A report for the Liverpool Plains Land Management Committee, URS Australia Pty Ltd, Hackney, South Australia .

Whitbread AM, Lefroy RDB, Blair GJ (1998) A survey of the impact of cropping on soil physical and chemical properties in north west New South Wales. Australian Journal of Soil Research 36, 669–682.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Wilson BR (2002) Managing carbon in rural Australia. Natural Resource Management 5, 7–15. open url image1

Young, RR ,  and  McLeod, MK (2001). Estimation of historic deep drainage under grassed woodland, lucerne pastures and cropped paddocks using the SODICS model. ‘Wanted: sustainable futures for saline lands. Program, Papers and Proceedings of the 7th National PURSL Conference’. Launceston, Tas. pp. 115–119.