Long‐term changes in soil carbon and nitrogen fractions in switchgrass, native grasses, and no‐till corn bioenergy production systems

Perry, Sophie; Falvo, Grant; Mosier, Samantha; Robertson, G. Philip

doi:10.1002/saj2.20575

Long‐term changes in soil carbon and nitrogen fractions in switchgrass, native grasses, and no‐till corn bioenergy production systems

Journal Article · Wed Aug 23 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Soil Science Society of America Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20575· OSTI ID:1996460

^[1]; ^[2]; ^[2]; ^[2]

Keck Science Department Scripps College Claremont California USA, Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA, W. K. Kellogg Biological Station Michigan State University Hickory Corners Michigan USA
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA, W. K. Kellogg Biological Station Michigan State University Hickory Corners Michigan USA, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA

Abstract

Cellulosic bioenergy is a primary land‐based climate mitigation strategy, with soil carbon (C) storage and nitrogen (N) conservation as important mitigation elements. Here, we present 13 years of soil C and N change under three cellulosic cropping systems: monoculture switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.), a five native grasses polyculture, and no‐till corn ( Zea mays L.). Soil C and N fractions were measured four times over 12 years. Bulk soil C in the 0–25 cm depth at the end of the study period ranged from 28.4 (± 1.4 se) Mg C ha ⁻¹ in no‐till corn, to 30.8 (± 1.4) Mg C ha ⁻¹ in switchgrass, and to 34.8 (± 1.4) Mg C ha ⁻¹ in native grasses. Mineral‐associated organic matter (MAOM) ranged from 60% to 90% and particulate organic matter (POM) from 10% to 40% of total soil C. Over 12 years, total C as well as both C fractions persisted under no‐till corn and switchgrass and increased under native grasses. In contrast, POM N stocks decreased 33% to 45% across systems, whereas MAOM N decreased only in no‐till corn and by less than 13%. Declining POM N stocks likely reflect pre‐establishment land use, which included alfalfa and manure in earlier rotations. Root production and large soil aggregate formation explained 69% ( p < 0.001) and 36% ( p = 0.024) of total soil C change, respectively, and 60% ( p = 0.020) and 41% ( p = 0.023) of soil N change, demonstrating the importance of belowground productivity and soil aggregates for producing and protecting soil C and conserving soil N. Differences between switchgrass and native grasses also indicate a dependence on plant diversity. Soil C and N benefits of bioenergy crops depend strongly on root productivity and pre‐establishment land use.

View Journal Article

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0018409

OSTI ID:: 1996460

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1996461
OSTI ID: 2575930

Journal Information:: Soil Science Society of America Journal, Journal Name: Soil Science Society of America Journal Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 87; ISSN 0361-5995

Publisher:: Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (44)

Systems with greater perenniality and crop diversity enhance soil biological health Sprunger, Christine D.; Martin, Tvisha; Mann, Meredith Agricultural & Environmental Letters, Vol. 5, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20030	journal	January 2020
Mixed effects models and extensions in ecology with R Zuur, Alain F.; Ieno, Elena N.; Walker, Neil Statistics for Biology and Health https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-87458-6	book	January 2009
Soil Carbon Storage by Switchgrass Grown for Bioenergy Liebig, M. A.; Schmer, M. R.; Vogel, K. P. BioEnergy Research, Vol. 1, Issue 3-4 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-008-9019-5	journal	September 2008
Soil Organic Carbon Pools Under Switchgrass Grown as a Bioenergy Crop Compared to Other Conventional Crops Dou, F. G.; Hons, F. M.; Ocumpaugh, W. R. Pedosphere, Vol. 23, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1016/S1002-0160(13)60033-8	journal	August 2013
Soil carbon lost from Mollisols of the North Central U.S.A. with 20 years of agricultural best management practices Sanford, Gregg R.; Posner, Joshua L.; Jackson, Randall D. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, Vol. 162 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2012.08.011	journal	November 2012
The knowns, known unknowns and unknowns of sequestration of soil organic carbon Stockmann, Uta; Adams, Mark A.; Crawford, John W. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, Vol. 164 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2012.10.001	journal	January 2013
Nitrogen conservation decreases with fertilizer addition in two perennial grass cropping systems for bioenergy Jach-Smith, Laura C.; Jackson, Randall D. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, Vol. 204 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2015.02.006	journal	June 2015
Comparative productivity of alternative cellulosic bioenergy cropping systems in the North Central USA Sanford, Gregg R.; Oates, Lawrence G.; Jasrotia, Poonam Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, Vol. 216 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2015.10.018	journal	January 2016
Soil carbon under switchgrass stands and cultivated cropland Liebig, M. A.; Johnson, H. A.; Hanson, J. D. Biomass and Bioenergy, Vol. 28, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2004.11.004	journal	April 2005
Land use change to bioenergy: A meta-analysis of soil carbon and GHG emissions Harris, Z. M.; Spake, R.; Taylor, G. Biomass and Bioenergy, Vol. 82 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2015.05.008	journal	November 2015
Plant community composition influences fine root production and biomass allocation in perennial bioenergy cropping systems of the upper Midwest, USA Sprunger, Christine D.; Oates, Lawrence G.; Jackson, Randall D. Biomass and Bioenergy, Vol. 105 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2017.07.007	journal	October 2017
Early accumulation of active fraction soil carbon in newly established cellulosic biofuel systems Sprunger, Christine D.; Philip Robertson, G. Geoderma, Vol. 318 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2017.11.040	journal	May 2018
SOM fractionation methods: Relevance to functional pools and to stabilization mechanisms von Lützow, Margit; Kögel-Knabner, Ingrid; Ekschmitt, Klemens Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 39, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2007.03.007	journal	September 2007
Belowground interplant carbon transfer promotes soil carbon gains in diverse plant communities Kravchenko, A. N.; Zheng, H.; Kuzyakov, Y. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 159 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2021.108297	journal	August 2021
Long-term tillage, rotation and perennialization effects on particulate and aggregate soil organic matter Cates, Anna M.; Ruark, Matthew D.; Hedtcke, Janet L. Soil and Tillage Research, Vol. 155 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2015.09.008	journal	January 2016
Empirical Evidence for the Potential Climate Benefits of Decarbonizing Light Vehicle Transport in the U.S. with Bioenergy from Purpose-Grown Biomass with and without BECCS Gelfand, Ilya; Hamilton, Stephen K.; Kravchenko, Alexandra N. Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 54, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b07019	journal	February 2020
A question of litter quality Norby, Richard J.; Cotrufo, M. Francesca Nature, Vol. 396, Issue 6706 https://doi.org/10.1038/23812	journal	November 1998
Microbial spatial footprint as a driver of soil carbon stabilization Kravchenko, A. N.; Guber, A. K.; Razavi, B. S. Nature Communications, Vol. 10, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467‐019‐11057‐4	journal	July 2019
Soil carbon storage informed by particulate and mineral-associated organic matter Cotrufo, M. Francesca; Ranalli, Maria Giovanna; Haddix, Michelle L. Nature Geoscience, Vol. 12, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561‐019‐0484‐6	journal	November 2019
Carbon debt of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands converted to bioenergy production Gelfand, I.; Zenone, T.; Jasrotia, P. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 108, Issue 33 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1017277108	journal	August 2011
Plant biodiversity and the regeneration of soil fertility Furey, George N.; Tilman, David Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 118, Issue 49 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2111321118	journal	November 2021
Loamy, Two-Storied Soils on the Outwash Plains of Southwestern Lower Michigan: Pedoturbation of Loess with the Underlying Sand Luehmann, Michael D.; Peter, Brad G.; Connallon, Christopher B. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Vol. 106, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1080/00045608.2015.1115388	journal	January 2016
Rectangular Confidence Regions for the Means of Multivariate Normal Distributions Šidák, Zbyněk Journal of the American Statistical Association, Vol. 62, Issue 318 https://doi.org/10.1080/01621459.1967.10482935	journal	June 1967
Nitrogen fertilization challenges the climate benefit of cellulosic biofuels Ruan, Leilei; Bhardwaj, Ajay K.; Hamilton, Stephen K. Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 11, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748‐9326/11/6/064007	journal	June 2016
Senescence and nitrogen use efficiency in perennial grasses for forage and biofuel production Yang, Jiading; Udvardi, Michael Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol. 69, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erx241	journal	August 2017
Crop rotational diversity enhances belowground communities and functions in an agroecosystem Tiemann, L. K.; Grandy, A. S.; Atkinson, E. E. Ecology Letters, Vol. 18, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.12453	journal	May 2015
The Microbial Efficiency-Matrix Stabilization (MEMS) framework integrates plant litter decomposition with soil organic matter stabilization: do labile plant inputs form stable soil organic matter? Cotrufo, M. Francesca; Wallenstein, Matthew D.; Boot, Claudia M. Global Change Biology, Vol. 19, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12113	journal	February 2013
Initial nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, and methane costs of converting conservation reserve program grassland to row crops under no-till vs. conventional tillage Ruan, Leilei; Philip Robertson, G. Global Change Biology, Vol. 19, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12216	journal	May 2013
Conceptualizing soil organic matter into particulate and mineral‐associated forms to address global change in the 21st century Lavallee, Jocelyn M.; Soong, Jennifer L.; Cotrufo, M. Francesca Global Change Biology, Vol. 26, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14859	journal	November 2019
Land‐based climate solutions for the United States Robertson, G. Philip; Hamilton, Stephen K.; Paustian, Keith Global Change Biology https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16267	journal	May 2022
N fertilizer and harvest impacts on bioenergy crop contributions to SOC Stewart, Catherine E.; Follett, Ronald F.; Pruessner, Elizabeth G. GCB Bioenergy, Vol. 8, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12326	journal	May 2016
Cover crop root contributions to soil carbon in a no-till corn bioenergy cropping system Austin, Emily E.; Wickings, Kyle; McDaniel, Marshall D. GCB Bioenergy, Vol. 9, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12428	journal	January 2017
Predicting soil carbon changes in switchgrass grown on marginal lands under climate change and adaptation strategies Martinez‐Feria, Rafael; Basso, Bruno GCB Bioenergy, Vol. 12, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12726	journal	July 2020
Land Clearing and the Biofuel Carbon Debt Fargione, J.; Hill, J.; Tilman, D. Science, Vol. 319, Issue 5867 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1152747	journal	February 2008
Greenhouse Gases in Intensive Agriculture: Contributions of Individual Gases to the Radiative Forcing of the Atmosphere Robertson, G. P. Science, Vol. 289, Issue 5486 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.289.5486.1922	journal	September 2000
Cellulosic biofuel contributions to a sustainable energy future: Choices and outcomes Robertson, G. Philip; Hamilton, Stephen K.; Barham, Bradford L. Science, Vol. 356, Issue 6345 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aal2324	journal	June 2017
Grassland soil carbon sequestration: Current understanding, challenges, and solutions Bai, Yongfei; Cotrufo, M. Francesca Science, Vol. 377, Issue 6606 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abo2380	journal	August 2022
Aggregate and Soil Organic Matter Dynamics under Conventional and No-Tillage Systems Six, J.; Elliott, E. T.; Paustian, K. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 63, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1999.6351350x	journal	January 1999
Short-Term Dynamics of Root- and Shoot-Derived Carbon from a Leguminous Green Manure Puget, P.; Drinkwater, L. E. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 65, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2001.653771x	journal	January 2001
Aggregation and Organic Matter Protection Following Tillage of a Previously Uncultivated Soil Grandy, A. Stuart; Robertson, G. Philip Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 70, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2005.0313	journal	January 2006
Tracing Root vs. Residue Carbon into Soils from Conventional and Alternative Cropping Systems Kong, Angela Y. Y.; Six, Johan Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 74, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2009.0346	journal	January 2010
Agricultural Management and Soil Carbon Storage in Surface vs. Deep Layers Syswerda, S. P.; Corbin, A. T.; Mokma, D. L. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 75, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2009.0414	journal	January 2011
A Research Road Map for Responsible Use of Agricultural Nitrogen Udvardi, Michael; Below, Frederick E.; Castellano, Michael J. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Vol. 5 https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2021.660155	journal	May 2021
Restoring Soil Fertility on Degraded Lands to Meet Food, Fuel, and Climate Security Needs via Perennialization Mosier, Samantha; Córdova, S. Carolina; Robertson, G. Philip Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Vol. 5 https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2021.706142	journal	October 2021

Similar Records

Cover crop root contributions to soil carbon in a no‐till corn bioenergy cropping system

Journal Article · Sun Jan 29 23:00:00 EST 2017 · Global Change Biology. Bioenergy · OSTI ID:1619452

Long‐term changes in soil carbon and nitrogen fractions in switchgrass, native grasses, and no‐till corn bioenergy production systems

Citation Formats

References (44)

Similar Records

Related Subjects