Evaluation of the organic carbon of the soils of the province of Estuaire (NW, Gabon) according to the type of occupation

Abstract

Soil is the best alternative to greenhouse gases because, according to the IPCC, it is the largest superficial carbon reservoir with more than 1500 to 2000 Gigatons of carbon captured per year (IPCC). For a long time, the evaluation of the organic carbon storage potential in the soils of Gabon was exclusively oriented in the forest environment. This study aims to assess the organic carbon potential of soils in the Estuary province, according to 7 types of land use, defined by the Gabonese Agency for Spatial Studies and Observations (AGEOS). We compared the soils under cultivated land (TC; n=11), under buildings (BT; n=12), under village crops (CV; n=8), under savannas and low vegetation (SVB; n=6), under flooded forests (FI; n=9), under secondary forests (FS; n=12), to those under mature forests (FM; n=14). The soils were sampled (n=864) over a depth of 0 to 100 cm with a regular step of 20 cm. The analysis results showed geographical and geological specificities in the soils of the sampled sites. Indeed, all the soils are acidic (pH<5.01), and the sites near the coast (BT, SVB, FI and CV) are highly desaturated and reworked, undergoing high annual rainfall (3500 mm to 3000 mm), with the highest apparent densities, but the lowest total organic carbon (TOC) contents. While the sites farther from the coast (FM, FS and TC) rest on a crystalline basement, experience less rainfall (2500 mm to 3000 mm), have the lowest apparent densities and the highest TOC contents. In addition, the clayey-loamy to clayey texture of the soils of the FM, FS, and TC sites allows greater TOC storage than the sandy to sandy-loamy texture of the soils of the BT, SVB, FI and CV sites.