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Patterns of Organic Carbon Accumulation in a Semiarid Shortgrass Steppe, Colorado
Author(s) -
Yonker C. M.,
Schimel D. S.,
Paroussis E.,
Heil R. D.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1988.03615995005200020032x
Subject(s) - transect , total organic carbon , environmental science , soil water , steppe , organic matter , biogeochemical cycle , horizon , soil horizon , soil carbon , hydrology (agriculture) , soil science , environmental chemistry , geology , ecology , geography , chemistry , oceanography , archaeology , physics , geotechnical engineering , astronomy , biology
Organic C accumulation was measured along an 8‐km transect at a site in the semiarid shortgrass steppe of northeastern Colorado. Specific objectives of the study were to (i) measure the quantity and distribution of organic C across toposequences, (ii) test the hypothesis that a disproportionate amount of soil organic C resides in the lowlands (as defined herein), and (iii) assess the role of geomorphic history as a determinant of contemporary rates of biogeochemical organic C transformations. Results of the study showed the surface (A) horizon organic C concentration did not vary systematically among slope positions of a given toposequence. Similarly, the mass of organic C within the surface meter of soil often did not increase with decreasing elevation across a toposequence. Mass of organic C was found to range from 2.5 kg m −3 on terrace escarpments to 10.7 kg m −3 on sandy uplands. The mass of organic C , as calculated to the BCk horizon, was highest in the lowlands. The mass of buried organic C, as calculated uniformly for a 50‐cm thickness of material, represents 17% of the total organic C estimate for the site. In spite of buried soils, lowlands did not contain a disproportionate amount of total landscape organic C .