Towards accurate measurements of soil organic carbon stock change in agroecosystems

Abstract

In response to Kyoto Protocol commitments, countries can elect agricultural carbon sinks to offset emissions from other sectors, but they need to verify soil organic carbon (SOC) stock change. We summarize issues we see as barriers to obtaining accurate measures of SOC change, including: soil depth, bulk density and equivalent soil mass, representation of landscape components, experimental design, and the equilibrium status of the SOC. If the entire plow depth is not considered, rates of SOC storage under conservation compared with conventional tillage can be overstated. Bulk density must be measured to report SOC stock on an area basis. More critical still is the need to report SOC stock on an equivalent mass basis to normalize the effects of management on bulk density. Most experiments comparing SOC under differing management have been conducted in small, flat research plots. Although results obtained from these long-term experiments have been useful to develop and validate SOC prediction models, they do not adequately consider landscape effects. Traditional agronomic experimental designs can be inefficient for assessing small changes in SOC stock within large spatial variability. Sampling designs are suggested to improve statistical power and sensitivity in detecting changes in SOC stocks over short time periods.