Measuring soil carbon stocks with greater simplicity, accuracy, and repeatability

Abstract

If soil samples are collected using the traditional linear depth methods, comparisons of soil constituents are most often confounded with differences in soil bulk density. Recent interest in quantifying soil C stocks will therefore require improved soil sampling protocols. The dry mass per unit area method eliminates soil bulk density as a measurement factor and therefore allows unbiased comparisons between sampling dates, soil conditions, soil types, sampling techniques, and treatments that affect soil bulk density. This note explains how this simple change in quantifying soil depth eliminates soil bulk density as a factor and improves the quantification of soil C stocks.