Soil carbon benchmarks and cropland management effects: Insights from the Bavarian soil organic matter monitoring

Summary

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a key property for soil productivity and functionality. According to the Federal Soil Protection Act in Germany, site-specific SOC contents need to be maintained in the course of agricultural land use in order to ensure soil fertility and the performance of soils as a natural resource. In this study, representative SOC benchmarks have been derived for arable mineral soils in Bavaria on the basis of a comprehensive soil organic matter (SOM) monitoring program as reference values for farmers and other stakeholders. Data from 283 representative study sites across Bavaria has been stratified according to the most influential site factors on SOC, particularly clay content and the elevation above sea level as a proxy for climate (temperature and precipitation). Due t