Summary
This field study assessed the impact of afforestation on soil properties and carbon sequestration in the Western Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria, comparing four sites representing different land-use conversions: Douglas fir and mixed pine plantations established on former cropland, active cropland, and abandoned grazed land. The research found that afforestation of cropland converted soils into carbon sinks and reduced bulk density, though plantation soils showed acidification in upper layers; however, results were conflicting when afforestation occurred on previously abandoned cropland. The majority of stored carbon in forests was located in aboveground tree biomass rather than soil.
UK applicability
The findings may have limited direct applicability to the UK, as the study focuses on mountain ecosystems in South-Eastern Europe with distinct climate and soil conditions. However, the methodological approach to measuring soil carbon stocks following land-use change and the insight that afforestation outcomes depend critically on prior land-use history could inform UK policy on woodland creation and carbon accounting in marginal agricultural areas.
Key measures
Soil bulk density, coarse fragments, pH, organic carbon (C) content, nitrogen (N) content, 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 organic carbon stocks, and whole ecosystem carbon storage across four land-use types in Bulgarian mountain ecosystems. It evaluated how conversion from cropland to forest plantations affected soil bulk density, pH, organic carbon content, and ecosystem-level carbon distribution.
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