Summary
This study evaluated the impact of afforestation on soil properties and carbon storage in the Western Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria, comparing coniferous plantations established on former cropland with active cropland and abandoned grazing land. Afforestation of cropland significantly reduced soil bulk density, acidified upper soil layers, and converted soils into carbon sinks, though the carbon sequestration benefit was context-dependent and less pronounced on abandoned land with >100 years of prior arable use. The findings suggest that afforestation can contribute to climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration, but efficacy varies substantially with land-use history and prior soil condition.
UK applicability
The findings are moderately applicable to UK upland and mountain regions where similar forest establishment on marginal agricultural land is practised, though UK soils and climates differ from Bulgarian Rhodope conditions. The study's insights on soil property changes and carbon dynamics under afforestation may inform UK woodland creation policy, particularly regarding carbon credit schemes and soil health outcomes in post-agricultural landscapes.
Key measures
Soil bulk density, coarse fragments, pH, organic carbon content, nitrogen content, C/N ratio, soil organic carbon stocks, and ecosystem carbon distribution (aboveground and belowground)
Outcomes reported
The study measured soil physical and chemical properties, soil carbon stocks, and whole ecosystem carbon storage across four mountain sites with different land-use histories (coniferous plantations, cropland, and abandoned grazing land). Results showed that afforestation of cropland converted soils into carbon sinks, though outcomes differed when afforestation occurred on abandoned cropland with prior long-term cultivation.
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