Modeling Regional Carbon Dynamics and Soil Erosion in Disturbed and Rehabilitated Ecosystems as Affected by Land Use and Climate

Author： West T.O.

Publisher： Springer Publishing Company

ISSN： 0049-6979

Source： Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, Vol.138, Iss.1-4, 2002-07, pp. : 141-164

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Abstract

The quantification of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling in ecosystems is important for (a) understanding changes in ecosystem structure and function with changes in land use, (b) determining the sustainability of ecosystems, and (c) balancing the global C budget as it relates to global climate change. A meso-scale study was conducted to determine regional effects of climate change on C and N cycling within disturbed ecosystems. Objectives of the research were to quantify (a) sediment yield, (b) current C storage in vegetation and soils, and (c) soil C efflux from both abandoned and rehabilitated coal surface-mined lands in Ohio. A dynamic model was developed to simulate sediment yield, grassland production, and C and N cycling on surface-mined lands. Evaluation of plant production and soil erosion submodels with data sets from surface-mined lands in the mid-western U.S. resulted in r^2 values of 0.99 and 0.97, respectively. Depending on the initial values of soil organic carbon (SOC), model simulations estimated that unvegetated surface-mined lands in Ohio yield approximately 441,325 Mg yr^-1 of sediment and emit between 2,000–20,000 Mg yr^-1 of C to the atmosphere from decomposition of SOC. While rehabilitated lands had a higher C efflux rate than barren lands, a positive C sequestration rate of 18.4 Mg km^-2 yr ^-1 was estimated as a result of organic matter additions. This sequestion rate increased considerably under projected climate change scenarios, while it decreased when simulated rehabilitated grasslands were harvested for hay. Changes in land use and cover can cause surface-mined lands to be either a net sink or source for C. Successful rehabilitation of mined lands can decrease erosion and promote soil C sequestration, while at the same time providing additional lands for the management of natural resources.