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Land
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A Global Perspective in Soil Carbon Sequestration and Climate Change
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A Global Perspective in Soil Carbon Sequestration and Climate Change

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil-Sediment-Water Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2024) | Viewed by 10073

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dimitris Triantakonstantis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Soil and Water Resources, ELGO DIMITRA, 1 Sofokli Venizelou, 14123 Lykovrisi, Greece
Interests: soil science; climate change; GIS; remote sensing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Carsten Paul

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
Interests: carbon farming; sustainable soil management; sustainability impact assessment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil is gaining special attention due to its capacity to store carbon in soil organic matter. Soil is the second biggest carbon storage system on Earth after oceans, having a significant impact on global climate change. It is the largest terrestrial carbon pool and the amount of carbon in the world's soil is about 2,500 billion tonnes, compared to 800 billion tonnes in the atmosphere and 560 billion tonnes in plant and animal life. The soil texture and structure, the rainfall, the temperature, and the soil management practices influence the rate of soil organic carbon sequestration. Some of the strategies for boosting soil organic carbon pool are: sustainable grazing and fertilization management, no-till farming, cover crops, manuring and sludge application, effective water management and irrigation, and agroforestry practices. The development of a Calculation Tool for estimating carbon sequestration and emissions is a challenging task despite the relative previous experience. This tool would enable decision-makers and planners to adopt relative strategies to enhance soil sustainability and prevent negative impacts on natural ecosystems due to climate change.

For this Special Issue, our aim is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) to give insights about: a) how easy is to apply sustainable soil management practices addressing food security and sustainability of natural resources, and b) how possible is to employ suggested carbon calculation tools in decision making support systems at a national and international scale.

Papers may address topics including but not limited to:

  • Examining soil carbon sequestration in croplands, grasslands, and forests;
  • Mapping and modeling of soil organic carbon;
  • Analyzing soil management practices contribute to soil carbon sequestration;
  • Developing soil carbon calculation tools;
  • Monitoring, reporting, and verification of soil organic carbon and green house gases;
  • Linking soil carbon sequestration with climate change mitigation and adaptation.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Dimitris Triantakonstantis
Dr. Carsten Paul
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • soil organic matter
  • sustainable soil management practices
  • climate change mitigation
  • climate change adaptation
  • GIS

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 5398 KiB  
Article
Carbon Release Characteristics at Soil–Air Interface under Litter Cover with Different Decomposition Degrees in the Arbor and Bamboo Forests of Pi River Basin
by Junwei Zhang, Tao Du, Shanshan Liu, Sintayehu A. Abebe, Sheng Yan, Wei Li and Tianling Qin
Land 2024, 13(4), 427; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land13040427 - 27 Mar 2024
Viewed by 521
Abstract
This study adopted the method of “exchanging space for time” and set up three experimental groups based on the shape, degree of damage, and degree of humification of the litter, namely the undecomposed layer, the semi-decomposed layer, and the decomposed layer. Using typical [...] Read more.
This study adopted the method of “exchanging space for time” and set up three experimental groups based on the shape, degree of damage, and degree of humification of the litter, namely the undecomposed layer, the semi-decomposed layer, and the decomposed layer. Using typical slopes of arbor and bamboo forests in the Pi River Basin as the research object, from October 2021 to December 2022, the soil carbon release flux was measured by using a closed static chamber gas chromatography method to reveal the carbon release law at the soil–air interface during the decomposition process of litter and quantitatively characterize the dynamic impact of the litter decomposition process on soil carbon release flux. Results showed that soil methane flux remained negative (sink) while soil carbon dioxide flux was positive (source) in both litter-covered and bare soil conditions. The methane and carbon dioxide release from soil was positively correlated with and significantly influenced by environmental factors such as soil moisture content and temperature. The methane release flux from soil showed a linear fitting relationship with soil moisture content and temperature, while the carbon dioxide release flux from soil was more in line with the exponential fitting relationship with soil moisture content and temperature. However, there were significant differences in the roles of various factors under different types of litter. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Global Perspective in Soil Carbon Sequestration and Climate Change)
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23 pages, 13151 KiB  
Article
Opportunities for Monitoring Soil and Land Development to Support United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A Case Study of the United States of America (USA)
by Elena A. Mikhailova, Hamdi A. Zurqani, Lili Lin, Zhenbang Hao, Christopher J. Post, Mark A. Schlautman and George B. Shepherd
Land 2023, 12(10), 1853; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land12101853 - 28 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1678
Abstract
Land, including soil resources, makes important contributions to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, there are challenges in identifying land/soil measurable information (e.g., indicators, metrics, etc.) to monitor the progress toward achieving these goals. This study examines the role of [...] Read more.
Land, including soil resources, makes important contributions to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, there are challenges in identifying land/soil measurable information (e.g., indicators, metrics, etc.) to monitor the progress toward achieving these goals. This study examines the role of land/soil in selected SDGs (SDG 2: Zero Hunger; SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; SDG 13: Climate Action; SDG 15: Life on Land) and provides practical examples on how to use geospatial analysis to track relevant qualitative and quantitative land/soil data using the contiguous United States of America (USA) as a case study. The innovative aspect of this study leverages geospatial technologies to track the intersection of land use/land cover (LULC) change and soil resources to quantify development trends within the overall land cover matrix to evaluate if these trends are sustainable. Classified land cover data derived from satellite-based remote sensing were used to identify the extent of developed areas in 2016 and the change in development areas since 2011. Most land development through time in the USA has caused losses (area loss of nearly 355,600 km2, with projected midpoint losses of about 5.7 × 1012 kg total soil carbon (TSC) and about $969B (where B = billion = 109, USD) in social costs of carbon dioxide emissions, SC-CO2). All ten soil orders present in the contiguous USA experienced losses from developments, which represents a loss for both biodiversity and soil diversity (pedodiversity). The contiguous USA experienced an increase in land/soil consumption between 2001 and 2016 at the expense of deciduous forest (−3.1%), evergreen forest (−3.0%), emergent herbaceous wetlands (−0.6%), and hay/pasture (−7.9%). These “new” land developments (24,292.2 km2) caused a complete projected midpoint loss of 4.0 × 1011 kg TSC, equivalent to $76.1B SC-CO2. States with the largest developed areas and the highest TSC losses with associated SC-CO2 were Texas and Florida. The proposed methodology used in this study can be applied worldwide, at various spatial scales, to help monitor SDGs over time. With improved tools to monitor SDGs, progress on these SDGs may require linking the SDGs to existing or future international and national legal frameworks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Global Perspective in Soil Carbon Sequestration and Climate Change)
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19 pages, 9056 KiB  
Article
Migration of Dissolved Organic Matter in the Epikarst Fissured Soil of South China Karst
by Kun Cheng, Ziqi Liu, Kangning Xiong, Qiufang He, Yuan Li, Lulu Cai and Yi Chen
Land 2023, 12(4), 887; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land12040887 - 14 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1443
Abstract
The efficient reactivity and mobility of dissolved organic matter (DOM) affect biogeochemical processes. As important components that link aboveground and belowground vertical systems under the binary 3D structure of karst, fissures provide soil–water–nutrient leakage channels and storage spaces. However, reports on DOM properties [...] Read more.
The efficient reactivity and mobility of dissolved organic matter (DOM) affect biogeochemical processes. As important components that link aboveground and belowground vertical systems under the binary 3D structure of karst, fissures provide soil–water–nutrient leakage channels and storage spaces. However, reports on DOM properties and drivers in fissured soil are extremely rare. This study characterizes DOM in the fissured soil of different vegetation types under medium-intensity rocky desertification conditions. Soil samples were characterized via ultraviolet (UV)–visible absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence excitation–emission matrix–parallel factor analysis. Five fluorescent fractions were identified. The controlling factors for the optical properties of soil DOM were determined via the redundancy analysis method. Results showed the following: (1) Dissolved organic C/soil organic C < 4.68 + 0.49‰, specific UV absorbance (SUVA)254 and SUVA260 exhibited low overall performance with the vast majority of the humification index (HIX) < 4, most of the fluorescence index (FI) ≥ 1.7, most of the biological index (BIX) in 0.6 < BIX < 1 and 31.67–41.67% of protein-like fractions. These data indicate that cleaved soil, except for topsoil, has low DOM content, weak aromaticity, and low humification; (2) Rainfall intensity, aperture, and near-surface vegetation type are the major causes of DOM transport and loss; and (3) Most DOM losses are likely to be protein-like and enhance the loss of soil P. In summary, environmental factors and the characteristics of fissures determine DOM content and migration, particularly rainfall intensity and vegetation type. The loss of lighter DOM components will be greater in an area with high karst desertification grade, strong fissure development, weaker soil aromaticity, and lower humification. These results provide a clearer basis for optimizing the fissure nutrient element migration scheme in karst areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Global Perspective in Soil Carbon Sequestration and Climate Change)
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19 pages, 2738 KiB  
Article
Satellite-Based Carbon Estimation in Scotland: AGB and SOC
by Chun Ki Chan, Carla Arus Gomez, Anish Kothikar and P. M. Baiz-Villafranca
Land 2023, 12(4), 818; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land12040818 - 03 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1963
Abstract
The majority of state-of-the-art research employs remote sensing on AGB (Above Ground Biomass) and SOC (Soil Organic Carbon) separately, although some studies indicate a positive correlation between the two. We intend to combine the two domains in our research to improve state-of-the-art total [...] Read more.
The majority of state-of-the-art research employs remote sensing on AGB (Above Ground Biomass) and SOC (Soil Organic Carbon) separately, although some studies indicate a positive correlation between the two. We intend to combine the two domains in our research to improve state-of-the-art total carbon estimation. We begin by establishing a baseline model in our study area in Scotland, using state-of-the-art methodologies in the SOC and AGB domains. The effects of feature engineering techniques such as variance inflation factor and feature selection on machine learning models are then investigated. This is extended by combining predictor variables from the two domains. Finally, we leverage the possible correlation between AGB and SOC to establish a relationship between the two and propose novel models in an attempt to outperform the state-of-the-art results. We compared three machine learning techniques, boosted regression tree, random forest, and xgboost. These techniques have been demonstrated to be the most effective in both domains. This research makes three contributions: (i) Including Digital Elevation Map (DEM) as a predictor variable in the AGB model improves the model result by 13.5 % on average across the three machine learning techniques experimented, implying that DEM should be considered for AGB estimation as well, despite the fact that it has previously been used exclusively for SOC estimation. (ii) Using SOC and SOC Density improves the prediction of the AGB model by a significant 14.2% on average compared to the state-of-the-art baseline (When comparing the R2 value across all three modeling techniques in Model B and Model H, there is an increase from 0.5016 to 0.5604 for BRT, 0.4958 to 0.5925 for RF and 0.5161 to 0.5750 for XGB), which strengthens our experiment results and suggests a future research direction of combining AGB and SOC as a joint study domain. (iii) Including AGB as a predictor variable for SOC improves model performance for Random Forest, but reduced performance for Boosted Regression tree and XG Boost, indicating that the results are specific to ML models and more research is required on the feature space and modeling techniques. Additionally, we propose a method for estimating total carbon using data from Sentinel 1, Sentinel 2, Landsat 8, Digital Elevation, and the Forest Inventory. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Global Perspective in Soil Carbon Sequestration and Climate Change)
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Review

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41 pages, 651 KiB  
Review
Biochar as Soil Amendment: The Effect of Biochar on Soil Properties Using VIS-NIR Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy, Biochar Aging and Soil Microbiology—A Review
by Vasileios Tsolis and Pantelis Barouchas
Land 2023, 12(8), 1580; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land12081580 - 10 Aug 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3597
Abstract
This literature review explores the assessment of biochar quality and its impact on soil properties using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Biochar, a product of biomass pyrolysis, is recognized for its positive effects on soil fertility and carbon sequestration. This review emphasizes the need for [...] Read more.
This literature review explores the assessment of biochar quality and its impact on soil properties using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Biochar, a product of biomass pyrolysis, is recognized for its positive effects on soil fertility and carbon sequestration. This review emphasizes the need for systematic research on biochar stability and highlights the potential of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for analyzing soil–biochar interactions. Biochar acts as a soil conditioner, improving physical, chemical, and biological properties and enhancing soil fertility and crop yield. Furthermore, it aids in mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide. However, the long-term behavior of biochar and its interactions with various factors require further field research for optimal utilization, as the aging process of biochar in soil is complex, involving physical, chemical, and biological interactions that influence its impact on the agroecosystem. This review also emphasizes the importance of studying the interaction between biochar and soil microbes, as it plays a crucial role in enhancing soil fertility and plant resistance to pathogens. However, research on this interaction is limited. VIS-NIR spectroscopy is a valuable tool for monitoring biochar application to soil. Nevertheless, controversial results highlight the intricate interactions between biochar, soil, and environmental conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Global Perspective in Soil Carbon Sequestration and Climate Change)
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