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Soil organic carbon temperature sensitivity of different soil types and land use systems in the Brazilian semi‐arid region
Author(s) -
Maia Stoécio Malta Ferreira,
Gonzaga Giordano Bruno Medeiros,
Silva Leilane Kristine dos Santos,
Lyra Guilherme Bastos,
Gomes Tâmara Cláudia de Araújo
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
soil use and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.709
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1475-2743
pISSN - 0266-0032
DOI - 10.1111/sum.12508
Subject(s) - environmental science , soil carbon , arid , soil texture , vegetation (pathology) , soil organic matter , climate change , global warming , soil respiration , organic matter , soil water , soil science , hydrology (agriculture) , ecology , geology , medicine , geotechnical engineering , pathology , biology
Quantifying the sensitivity of soil organic matter decomposition ( SOM ) to global warming is critical for predict future impacts of climate change on soil organic carbon stocks ( SOC ) and soil respiration, especially in semi‐arid regions such as north‐eastern Brazil, where SOC stocks are naturally small. In this study, the responses of the labile and recalcitrant carbon components and soil respiration dynamics were evaluated in three different soil types and land use systems (native vegetation, cropland and pasture) of the Brazilian semi‐arid region, when submitted to temperature increase. After 169 days of incubation, the results showed that an increase of 5°C generated an average increase in CO 2 emission of 12.0%, but which could reach 28.1%. Overall, the labile carbon ( LC ) in areas of native vegetation showed greater sensitivity to temperature than in cropland areas. It was also observed that recalcitrant carbon ( RC ) was more sensitive to warming than LC . Our results indicate that Brazil's semi‐arid region presents a substantial vulnerability to global warming, and that the sensitivity of RC and of LC in areas of native vegetation to warming can enhance SOC losses, contributing to positive feedback on climate change, and compromising the productive systems of the region. However, further studies evaluating other types of soil and texture and management systems should be carried out to consolidate the results obtained and to improve the understanding about SOM decomposition in the Brazilian semi‐arid region.