A global meta‐analysis of soil organic carbon response to corn stover removal

Xu, Hui; Sieverding, Heidi; Kwon, Hoyoung; Clay, David; Stewart, Catherine; Johnson, Jane M. F.; Qin, Zhangcai; Karlen, Douglas L.; Wang, Michael

doi:10.1111/gcbb.12631

Title: A global meta‐analysis of soil organic carbon response to corn stover removal

Journal Article · Sun May 26 00:00:00 EDT 2019 · Global Change Biology. Bioenergy

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12631· OSTI ID:1559351

^[1]; Sieverding, Heidi ^[2]; Kwon, Hoyoung ^[1]; Clay, David ^[3];

^[4]; Johnson, Jane M. F. ^[5];

^[6]; Karlen, Douglas L. ^[7]; Wang, Michael ^[1]

Systems Assessment Group, Energy Systems Division Argonne National Laboratory Lemont Illinois
South Dakota School of Mines &, Technology Rapid City South Dakota
South Dakota State University Brookings South Dakota
Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture Fort Collins Colorado
Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture Morris Minnesota
Systems Assessment Group, Energy Systems Division Argonne National Laboratory Lemont Illinois, School of Atmospheric Sciences, and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Climate Change and Natural Disaster Studies Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou China
Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture Ames Iowa

Corn (Zea mays L.) stover is a global resource used for livestock, fuel, and bioenergy feedstock, but excessive stover removal can decrease soil organic C (SOC) stocks and deteriorate soil health. Many site-specific stover removal experiments report accrual rates and SOC stock effects, but a quantitative, global synthesis is needed to provide a scientific base for long-term energy policy decisions. We used 409 data points from 74 stover harvest experiments conducted around the world for a metaanalysis and meta-regression to quantify removal rate, tillage, soil texture, and soil sampling depth effects on SOC. Changes were quantified by: (a) comparing final SOC stock differences after at least 3 years with and without stover removal and (b) calculating SOC accrual rates for both treatments. Stover removal generally reduced final SOC stocks by 8% in the upper 0-15 or 0-30 cm, compared to stover retained, irrespective of soil properties and tillage practices. A more sensitive meta-regression analysis showed that retention increased SOC stocks within the 30-150 cm depth by another 5%. Compared to baseline values, stover retention increased average SOC stocks temporally at a rate of 0.41 Mg C ha^-1 year^-1 (statistically significant at $$p$$ < 0.01 when averaged across all soil layers). Although SOC sequestration rates were lower with stover removal, with moderate (< 50%) removal they can be positive, thus emphasizing the importance of site-specific management. Our results also showed that tillage effects on SOC stocks were inconsistent due to the high variability in practices used among the experimental sites. Finally, we conclude that research and technological efforts should continue to be given high priority because of the importance in providing science-based policy recommendations for long-term global carbon management.

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Research Organization:: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO); USDA Agricultural Research Service; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-06CH11357; EE0007088

OSTI ID:: 1559351

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1559354; OSTI ID: 1607476; OSTI ID: 1836096

Report Number(s):: DOE-ANTARES-07088-25

Journal Information:: Global Change Biology. Bioenergy, Journal Name: Global Change Biology. Bioenergy Vol. 11 Journal Issue: 10; ISSN 1757-1693

Publisher:: WileyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

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Cited by: 41 works

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Title: A global meta‐analysis of soil organic carbon response to corn stover removal

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