Soil Inorganic Carbon Thresholds and Formation: What are the Controls in a Transitional, Semi-Arid Watershed?

Abstract:

Inorganic Soil Carbon (SIC) constitutes approximately 40% of terrestrial soil carbon and it is an integral part of the global carbon cycle. The precipitation and storage of inorganic carbon within soils is controlled by the soil forming factors (Jenny, 1941) where the amount of rainfall is the strongest control on SIC presence or absence. However, within areas dry enough to allow inorganic carbon formation, the hierarchy of controls on SIC amount is complex. Measuring and modeling SIC accumulation at the pedon and watershed scale will improve our understanding of SIC storage. The Reynolds Creek watershed in southwestern Idaho is an ideal location for the study as it transitions from SIC dominated in low elevations to organic carbon dominated at high elevations, and includes a range of parent materials and vegetation types. Initial results show that SIC is unlikely to form at sites with >450mm of precipitation, and variability in SIC concentration at the pedon scale is significant. The study locations had vegetation types that included a variety of sagebrush species (Artimesia spp), bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus) and juniper (Juniperus occidentalis). Samples were collected from soils formed on granite, basalt, other volcanics, and alluvium. SIC measurements were made using a modified pressure calcimeter, measuring CO₂ released from the reaction of acid with the sample. The highest SIC concentrations range from 15 to 27kg/m² and are found in basaltic and terrace soils with loess accumulation, in elevations ranging from 1148-1943m and rainfall ranging from 250-716mm. Soils examined from a chronosequence of four terraces in the lower watershed (282-296mm of rainfall), and generally increasing amounts of loess accumulation with time, suggest strong accumulation of SIC on older loessal surfaces. Measurements from both fine-grained and gravelly soils suggests that approximately 15% of SIC in gravelly sites may be accumulated as coatings on clasts; developing a range of the amount of SIC accumulation found ‘on the rocks’ will simplify future analyses.