Summary
This field study evaluated how afforestation of former cropland in Bulgarian mountain ecosystems affects soil properties and carbon sequestration. Conversion to coniferous plantations (Douglas fir and mixed pine) significantly reduced soil bulk density and coarse fragments in the upper soil layer, though it also acidified upper soil layers compared to cropland controls. The findings suggest afforestation converts cropland soils into carbon sinks, though results were conflicting when afforestation occurred on abandoned land with prior long-term cultivation history.
UK applicability
The findings on soil property changes during afforestation are potentially relevant to UK upland and marginal land conversion schemes, though the specific soil types, climate, and tree species differ from typical UK conditions. The research provides evidence supporting carbon sequestration through woodland establishment on former arable land, informing UK land-use and climate policy, but outcomes on abandoned or degraded land may vary due to different pedological and climatic contexts.
Key measures
Soil bulk density, sand content, pH, organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) contents, C/N ratio, soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, ecosystem carbon stock distribution, aboveground tree biomass
Outcomes reported
The study measured soil physical and chemical properties, soil carbon stocks, and whole ecosystem carbon storage across four land-use types in the Western Rhodopes. Afforestation of cropland significantly altered soil bulk density, pH, organic carbon content, and total ecosystem carbon distribution compared to active cropland and abandoned grazing land.
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