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SOIL ORGANIC CARBON DYNAMICS in TALLGRASS PRAIRIE LAND MANAGEMENT THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements Fo

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SOIL ORGANIC CARBON DYNAMICS in TALLGRASS PRAIRIE LAND MANAGEMENT THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements Fo SOIL ORGANIC CARBON DYNAMICS IN TALLGRASS PRAIRIE LAND MANAGEMENT THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree of Master of Science in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By Joshua Beniston, B.S. Graduate Program in Envrironment and Natural Resources The Ohio State University 2009 Thesis Committee: Professor Rattan Lal, Advisor Professor Frank Calhoun Professor Martin Shipitalo ii ABSTRACT This study was composed of two research components that examined the effects of tallgrass prairie land use changes on soil organic C (SOC). The first study examined changes in SOC and a suite of soil quality parameters in former agricultural soils now under restored tallgrass prairie. This study analyzed soils in a restored tallgrass prairie landscape with the primary objectives of: 1) To assess the changes in soil organic C (SOC) in restored prairie landscapes and to compare them with the SOC in conventional agricultural systems on the same soil, and 2) To quantify the impact of the restored prairie plantings on soil quality parameters and compare it with soils under conventional agricultural land uses. The primary study site was the Prairie Nature Center at the Marion Campus of The Ohio State University. The Prairie Nature Center (PNC) is a 4.5 ha site that began with the creation/restoration of tallgrass prairie plantings in 1977. Soil samples were taken from 31year (P77), 13 year (P95), and 8 year old (P00) restored prairie plantings, as well as from lawn (LA) and an annually cultivated corn (Zea mays)/soybean (Glycine max) field (AG) on similar soils. Soil samples were taken from 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, and 30-40cm depth, from 4 sites in each treatment during the summer of 2008. ii These soils demonstrated significant increases in SOC concentration, particulate organic matter C (POM-C), water stable aggregation (%WSA), aggregate mean weight diameter (MWD), total porosity (ft), and available water capacity (AWC), and significant decreases in soil bulk density (ρb) associated with time under tallgrass prairie. The accrual of SOC, in the previously cultivated soil, was greatest in the surface layer (0- 10cm) of the P77 soil (3.45%), compared with the AG soil (2.14%). Soil aggregate properties showed significant increases in the P00 (95.48%WSA) from the AG treatment (71.11%WSA). This indicates that macro-aggregate properties may be restored relatively quickly (<10yrs) under restored tallgrass prairie. The majority of significant changes observed in this study occurred in the soil surface (0-10cm) layer, which may be due to the high proportion of prairie root biomass in soil surface layers. The second research component observed long and short-term effects of the conversion of remnant tallgrass prairies to wheat production, in north central Kansas. The long-term study worked to describe and quantify the effects the conversion of a perennial plant community to an annual plant-based agricultural system on SOC pools in sites converted from tallgrass prairie to annual agriculture. The long term effects of land use change on SOC pools were analyzed by sampling five farms that contain both annually harvested tallgrass prairie remnants (PM) and conventionally farmed wheat (Triticum aestivum) fields (AG) on the same soil types. Soil core samples were collected to a depth of 1m in May and June of 2008. Management effects on SOC pools were assessed by analyzing total soil organic C (SOC), total soil nitrogen (TSN), microbial biomass C (MBC) and a particle size fractionation of SOC in coarse sand (>250µm), fine sand (250-53µm), silt (53-2µm), and iii clay (<2µm) sized fractions. PM soils showed statistically higher levels of all parameters measured to a depth of 60cm. SOC pools were decreased by 30% in the AG soils (59 Mg C ha-1) from PM soils (84 Mg C ha-1). PM soils had an average of 7.71 Mg N ha-1 in the 0-40cm depth, while AG soils contained 5.54 Mg N ha-1 at these depths; a 28% reduction. PM soils had four times as much MBC in the soil surface as AG fields, 257 µg C g-1 soil compared to 64 µg C g-1 soil. PM soils had increased SOC levels in all particle size fractions. Clay-sized particles were observed as the dominant fraction of SOC in both soils. In the short term component of the conversion study, a no-till approach to the land conversion was applied in an attempt to control the SOC disturbance caused by tillage. A replicated complete block (n = 3) experiment was established and plots in the prairie meadow (PM) were converted to wheat production (NT) through herbicide application in the summer of 2004. Soil core samples were collected to a depth of 1m in May and June of 2008. Management effects on SOC pools were assessed by analyzing total soil organic C (SOC), total soil nitrogen (TSN), microbial biomass C (MBC) and a particle size fractionation of SOC in coarse sand (>250µm), fine sand (250-53µm), silt (53-2µm), and clay (<2µm) sized fractions. Total SOC, TSN, and all particle size fractions did not show any significant decreases, 3 growing seasons after the no-till conversion. MBC showed a significant decrease in the NT plots to a depth of 40cm. The decrease in microbial activity may be due to large losses of root biomass and the application of agronomic management. These results demonstrated that a no-till conversion of landscapes reduces iv the impact on SOC pools, but more labile pools such as the MBC were heavily affected and may be predictive of future degradation in the system. Together these studies provide further evidence that perennial plant communities store and cycle C, and maintain ecosystem processes at far greater levels than annual plant communities. v DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this thesis to My wife and best friend Kat , and to My parents Martha and Bill vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In submitting this thesis and completing the requirements of the masters of science degree in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at the Ohio State University, I would like to thank all those who have helped me through the work of the last 2 years. I thank my advisor, Prof. Rattan Lal, for giving me the opportunity to work and study at the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center (CMASC). Dr Lal has provided me with support, advice, an excellent work environment and he has taught me a tremendous amount about soil science, agriculture, and working for the environment. Dr Lal, I have tremendous gratitude and appreciation for all that you have done for me. I would like to thank the other members of my research committee, Dr. Frank Calhoun and Dr. Martin Shipitalo, for their time, their advice and their support through the research process. I would also like to thank Dr Jerry Glover for the opportunity to do soil research at the Land Institute. Jerry has been an extremely helpful mentor. I would like to thank all of my colleagues who have helped me with my work at CMASC. I have been fortunate to spend the 2 years of my masters program with a great group of fellow students who have helped me to navigate graduate school and scientific research. Thank You Ji Young, Paula, Sindhu, and Umakant for all of your help. It has been a pleasure getting to know you all. A number of research scientists in Kottman Hall vii have also been extremely generous with advice and assistance during my work here. I would like to thank David Ussirri, Klaus Lorenz, and Nicola Lorenz for their helpful advice. I thank Sandy Jones for all of his advice and for his generosity with lab equipment. I thank Basant Rimal for all of the help that he has provided in the lab. I am grateful to Theresa Colson, Kate Elder, and the staff members of Kottman Hall 210 for everything that they have done for me in my time at Ohio State. I would also like to thank Emily Meyer at the Prairie Nature Center, for making my work there possible. Finally, I am incredibly grateful to my wife Kat Deaner for the loving support and the wonderful home that she has given me. I could not have done this without you Kat. I also thank the rest of my family for the support and friendship that they have given me during this process. viii VITA February 10, 1978 Born- Youngstown, Ohio 1996-2001…………………………...B.S. Plant Biology, Ohio University 2001-2002……………………………VISTA, Rural Action Sustainable Forestry Program, Rutland, Ohio 2002-2003……………………………Staff, Belize Agroforestry Research Center 2003-2007……………………………Principal, Habitats Landscaping 2007-present……………………….. Research and Teaching Assistant, Carbon Management and Sequestration Center, Ohio State University FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Environment and Natural Resources Specialization: Soil Science ix TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................ii DEDICATION...............................................................................................................vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...........................................................................................vii VITA .............................................................................................................................ix TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................x LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………xvi LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………xviii 1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................1 1.1 Soils and land use in the Global C Cycle................................................................1
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