Field and Lab Methods to Reduce Sampling Variation in Soil Carbon

Abstract:

Natural variability in soil and detrital carbon sampling is typically large enough that it hinders accurate assessment of standing stock and changes that may occur following disturbances and experimental treatments. We are developing carbon budgets in forests of Northern California and wish to see how experimental canopy thinning may affect carbon cycling in these forests. In the pre-treatment phase, we have sought methods to quantify detrital carbon pools in an accurate and efficient manner. We have found that small soil excavations 15 cm diameter to a depth of 10 cm work very well to reduce variation an avoid introducing sampling biases. We excavate a pit carefully of uniform dimensions using cutting chisels and scoops. We fill the void created using small pebbles contained in a small net and then weigh the pebbles to obtain a volume estimate of the soil collected. The samples are sorted moist through a series of sieves of 6, 4, and 2 mm into rocks, live roots, dead roots, woody debris, and remaining soil and its organic matter. From a single sample, we estimate proportional rock volume, fine soil bulk density (soil bulk density of the 2 mm fraction), live roots, dead roots, woody debris, and proportion of organic matter in the 2 mm fraction. The standard deviations of soil measures (soil carbon, loss on ignition, bulk density, rock volume, live and dead root mass) were universally reduced over similar measures by soil corers, in some instances by up to 5-fold. Coefficient of variation using excavation pits are typically 5 to 10 %, whereas cores were 20 to 30 %. We have observed that variation in soil organic matter is more a function of variation in soil bulk density than with variation in percent soil organic matter content. As a result, we often see increased soil organic matter stores at depths below 10 cm. Soils beneath highly decayed logs show increases in soil carbon in the mineral soil suggesting woody debris is a source of soil carbon. Below-ground carbon contents to a depth of 30 cm range from 90 to 150 Mg ha ^-1. It is composed of approximately 3 % liver roots, 3 % dead roots, 9 % woody debris, and the remainder soil organic matter.