Abstract
Abstract. Rising atmospheric CO 2 concentrations and their association with global climate change have led to several major international initiatives to reduce net CO 2 emissions, including the promotion of bioenergy crops such as short rotation coppice (SRC) willow. Although the above‐ground harvested bio‐fuel is likely to be the major contributor to the CO 2 mitigation potential of bioenergy crops, additional carbon may be sequestered through crop inputs into plantation soils. Here, we describe a process‐based model specifically designed to evaluate the potential for soil carbon sequestration in SRC willow plantations in the UK. According to the model predictions, we conclude that the potential for soil carbon sequestration in these plantations is comparable to, or even greater than, that of naturally regenerating woodland. Our preliminary, site‐specific model output suggests that soil carbon sequestration may constitute about 5% of the overall carbon mitigation benefit arising from SRC plantations. Sensitivity analyses identified the following factors as the principal controls on rates and amounts of soil carbon sequestration under SRC: carbon inputs (net primary production), decomposition rates of the major soil carbon pools, initial soil carbon content (an inverse relationship with rates of soil carbon sequestration), crop/plantation management, and depth of soil being influenced by the bioenergy crop. Our results suggest that carbon sequestration potential is greatest in soils whose carbon content has been depleted to relatively low levels due to agricultural land use practices such as annual deep ploughing of agricultural soils.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
Predicted soil carbon sequestration in willow plantations was comparable to or greater than natural woodland.
- Outcome
- potential for soil carbon sequestratione0
- Direction
- comparable to, or even greater thane0
- Comparator
- naturally regenerating woodlande0
SalixOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the potential for soil carbon sequestration in these plantations is comparable to, or even greater than, that of naturally regenerating woodland”
t0“short rotation coppice willow”
Claim · model-written summary
Model output placed soil carbon sequestration at about 5% of SRC plantation carbon mitigation benefit.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soil carbon sequestration may constitute about 5% of the overall carbon mitigation benefit arising from SRC plantations”
t0“willow”
Claim · model-written summary
Sensitivity analysis identified carbon inputs, decomposition, initial soil carbon, management and soil depth as principal controls on sequestration.
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Sensitivity analyses identified the following factors as the principal controls on rates and amounts of soil carbon sequestration under SRC: carbon inputs (net primary production), decomposition rates of the major soil carbon pools, initial soil carbon content (an inverse relationship with rates of soil carbon sequestration), crop/plantation management, and depth of soil being influenced by the bioenergy crop”
t0“willow”
Claim · model-written summary
Initial soil carbon content had an inverse relationship with sequestration rates.
- Outcome
- rates of soil carbon sequestratione0
- Direction
- inverse relationshipe0
- Comparator
- initial soil carbon contente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“initial soil carbon content (an inverse relationship with rates of soil carbon sequestration)”
t0“willow”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest greater carbon sequestration potential in soils depleted by agricultural use.
- Outcome
- carbon sequestration potentiale0
- Direction
- greateste0
- Setting
- soils whose carbon content has been depleted to relatively low levelse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“carbon sequestration potential is greatest in soils whose carbon content has been depleted to relatively low levels due to agricultural land use practices such as annual deep ploughing of agricultural soils”
t0“willow”