Journal article
Soil Organic Carbon Stocks in the Forests of Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
Soil Science Society of America journal, Vol.78(S1), pp.S270-S280
2014
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/116259
Abstract
Soil organic C represents a substantial component of the total ecosystem C in temperate and boreal forests. We used an isocluster‐driven process of principal components (based on elevation, precipitation, temperature, etc.) to stratify Mount Rainier National Park, a 957‐km2 federal reserve in the state of Washington, for estimating total soil organic C stocks. Eight stratification‐based forest sites for groups of soil pits and vegetation plots were located throughout the park. Average organic C in the park's forest soils (primarily Andisols, Spodosols, and Inceptisols) was 163 Mg C ha−1 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 138–188), and 205.0 Mg C ha−1 (95% CI = 177.9–232.1) with the litter layer included. The low‐elevation Andisols and Spodosols held the greatest per‐hectare stocks. Total ecosystem C stocks, strongly influenced by the live overstory C pool, varied by almost an order of magnitude across plots, ranging from 168 to 1583 Mg C ha−1. Temperature variables, rather than precipitation, were correlated with soil C pools. Site membership accounted for a significant proportion of variance in C stocks, and beta regression indicated that the proportion of total C stored in the soil varied across sites. Additional sampling in the highly variable top 35 cm of the soil significantly improved the precision of estimates for soil C to that depth. The C stocks determined in this study provide baseline data for Mount Rainier National Park and aided in developing a systematic method for resampling to determine flux with time and establishing a basis for a future comparison with adjacent managed forest landscapes.
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Details
- Title
- Soil Organic Carbon Stocks in the Forests of Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
- Creators
- Michelle E TotmanMark E Swanson - School of the EnvironmentToby M Rodgers - USDA–NRCSPaul A McDaniel - College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Univ. of IdahoRick A RuppDavid J Brown
- Publication Details
- Soil Science Society of America journal, Vol.78(S1), pp.S270-S280
- Academic Unit
- Crop and Soil Sciences, Department of; Environment, School of the (CAHNRS)
- Publisher
- The Soil Science Society of America, Inc
- Number of pages
- 11
- Grant note
- USDA–NRCS
- Identifiers
- 99900547890101842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article