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Soil Organic Matter Accumulation in Creeping Bentgrass Greens: A Chronosequence with Implications for Management and Carbon Sequestration
Author(s) -
Carley Danesha Seth,
Goodman David,
Sermons Shan,
Shi Wei,
Bowman Dan,
Miller Grady,
Rufty Thomas
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj2010.0335
Subject(s) - organic matter , agronomy , chronosequence , soil organic matter , carbon sequestration , agrostis , soil carbon , environmental science , poaceae , soil water , soil science , chemistry , biology , ecology , carbon dioxide
Excessive organic matter (OM) accumulation in creeping bentgrass ( Agrostis palustris Huds.) putting greens, and its restriction of permeability, is one of the most difficult problems in turfgrass management. In this transition zone study, we characterized temporal and spatial aspects of OM accumulation, in an attempt to assess the effectiveness of management and to begin to uncover the processes controlling C sequestration. Root zone samples were collected from sand‐based putting greens at 49 golf courses of various ages, generating 212 individual observations. Organic matter accumulated hyperbolically over time in the top 2.5 cm; apparent critical levels of 40 g kg −1 were exceeded within 5 yr. At a depth of 2.5 to 7.6 cm, accumulation was much slower and linear over time, and critical levels were not reached even after 20 yr. Oxygen levels were never depressed more than 15%, indicating that intensive management of the upper soil profile was successfully allowing gas exchange into the root zone. Carbon accumulated in the soil profile hyperbolically, reflecting changes in the large OM pool near the soil surface. The sequestration rate of 59 g m −2 yr −1 over 25 yr was less than that observed by others examining soil under bentgrass greens in different environments. The evidence indicates that OM and C accumulation are strongly influenced by increasing microbial degradation rates as turfgrass systems age.