Soil organic carbon storage in moutain grasslands of the Lake Plateau at Mt. Durmitor in Montenegro

Abstract

Soil organic C storage in mountain areas is highly heterogeneous, mainly as a result of local-scale variability in the soil environment and microclimate. The aims of the present study were to estimate soil organic carbon density (SOCD) and stocks in leptosol on morainic deposits of high-altitude grasslands of the Lake Plateau of Mt. Durmitor National Park in Montenegro, and determine the soil variables that can be used as factors to determine the SOCD at 28 soil profiles. Our results indicated that SOC storage in the top 40 cm of the alpine grasslands were estimated at 560 414.86 t C, or 152.66 t?ha-1, with an average density of 15.27 kg?m-2. The soil organic carbon density increased significantly with soil moisture, clay and silt content, but only moderately with mean annual temperature. In conjunction, these variables could explain approximately 51% of the total variation in SOC density.Sadrzaj organskog u gljenika u zemljistima planinskih oblasti je veoma heterogen, sto je uglavnom rezultat varijabilnosti zemljisne sredine i mikroklime u lokalnim razmerama. Cilj ovog istrazivanja je odredjivanje gustine zemljisnog organskog ugljenika (SOCD) i njegovog sadrzaja u leptosolu na morenskim nanosima pod travnjacima koji se nalaze na visokoj nadmorskoj visini jezerske povrsi u Nacionalnom parku ?Durmitor? u Crnoj Gori, kao i definisanje varijabli zemljista koje se mogu koristiti kao faktori za odredjivanje gustine zemljisnog organskog ugljenika (SOCD) na 28 zemljisnih profila. Nasi rezultati ukazuju na to da je sadrzaj zemljisnog organskog uglljenika (SOC) u prvih 40 cm alpskih pasnjaka procenjen na 560 414,86 t C, ili 152,66 t?ha-1, sa prosecnom gustinom od 15,27 kg?m-2. Gustina zemljisnog organskog ugljenika znacajno se povecala sa porastom vlaznosti zemljista, povecanjem sadrzaja gline i praha, i samo umereno sa porastom srednje godisnje temperature. Ove promenljive u kombinaciji daju objasnjenje za oko 51% ukupne varijacije gustine zemljisnog organskog ugljenika (SOC). PR Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 43007: Studying climate change and its influence on the environment: impacts, adaptation and mitigation