TITLE:
Comparison of Prairie and Eroded Agricultural Lands on Soil Organic Carbon Retention (South Dakota)
AUTHORS:
K. R. Olson, A. N. Gennadiyev, R. G. Kovach, T. E. Schumacher
KEYWORDS:
oil Organic Carbon, Fly Ash, Erosion, Prairie, Cultivation, Grazing
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Soil Science,
Vol.4 No.4,
April
14,
2014
ABSTRACT:
The primary objective of
this research was to predict changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) and total
soil nitrogen (TSN) stocks as a result of land use change from prairie to
agricultural land if the mesic-frigid temperature line moved north in the US
and the former frigid soils were cultivated. The conversion of prairie to
agricultural use, as a result of climate shift, would release SOC to atmosphere
and enhance greenhouse gas emissions. The SOC and TSN differences between the
prairie site and agricultural land were compared in South Dakota. The
agricultural land had 18% less SOC and 16% less TSN or only half of the
expected loss from prairie levels. An attempt was made to document the land use
history of the prairie site to understand why SOC and TSN losses were less than
anticipated. The fly ash concentration levels on prairie side slopes suggested that
the prairie was historically disturbed and eroded. Intensive grazing and
burning contributed to the disturbance. The SOC and TSN stock losses appear to
represent the minimal change that would occur in the next 100-year time period
if a prairie was shifted to agricultural use as a result of climate shift and
the mesic-frigid temperature line in US was to move north.