Impacts of poplar and alder on soil carbon in pasture-tree systems

Authors

  • G.B. Douglas
  • R.E. Vibart
  • A.D. Mackay
  • M.B. Dodd
  • I.R. Mcivor

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33584/rps.16.2016.3231

Abstract

Wide-spaced trees on pastoral land (pasture-tree (PT) systems) are a widespread feature of many farmed landscapes. They offer the potential to increase carbon (C) storage, with implications for reducing atmospheric CO2-C. The effect of PT systems on soil C stocks to 1 m depth was determined for trees aged 14-16 years at densities of 73-111 stems per hectare at four North Island sites (two with poplar, two with alder). Across sites, mean soil C concentration was 1.9-8.5% and mean total soil C mass was 120-455 tonnes C/ha. For alder systems, total C mass of PT was 37% less than adjacent pasture (Open) at Poukawa (120 versus 189 tonnes C/ha), whereas at Ruakura, there was no significant difference between systems. Total C mass of PT systems involving poplar did not vary significantly from adjacent Open systems at Tikokino (328 versus 352 tonnes C/ha) and Woodville (154 versus 202 tonnes C/ha). Soil at 0.3-1.0 m depth comprised up to half of total C mass. Results suggested that poplar and alder had different effects on soil C. Keywords: pastoral hill country, wide-spaced trees, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation

Downloads

Published

2016-01-01

How to Cite

Douglas, G., Vibart, R., Mackay, A., Dodd, M., & Mcivor, I. (2016). Impacts of poplar and alder on soil carbon in pasture-tree systems. NZGA: Research and Practice Series, 16, 197–202. https://doi.org/10.33584/rps.16.2016.3231

Issue

Vol. 16 (2016): Hill Country Symposium

Section

Past volumes

License

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Rights granted to the New Zealand Grassland Association through this agreement are non-exclusive. You are free to publish the work(s) elsewhere and no ownership is assumed by the NZGA when storing or curating an electronic version of the work(s). The author(s) will receive no monetary return from the Association for the use of material contained in the manuscript. If I am one of several co-authors, I hereby confirm that I am authorized by my co-authors to grant this Licence as their agent on their behalf. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes the rights to supply the article in electronic and online forms and systems.