Articles | Volume 13, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4133-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4133-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Data description paper
| 
25 Aug 2021
Data description paper |
| 25 Aug 2021
| 25 Aug 2021
Organic matter cycling along geochemical, geomorphic, and disturbance gradients in forest and cropland of the African Tropics – project TropSOC database version 1.0
Sebastian Doetterl
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Environmental System Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8092
Zürich, Switzerland
Institute of Geography, Augsburg University, Augsburg, Germany
Rodrigue K. Asifiwe
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Université Catholique de
Bukavu, Bukavu, DR Congo
Geert Baert
Department of Environment, Ghent University,
Ghent, Belgium
Fernando Bamba
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Université Catholique de
Bukavu, Bukavu, DR Congo
Marijn Bauters
Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University,
Ghent, Belgium
Department of Environment, Ghent University,
Ghent, Belgium
Pascal Boeckx
Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University,
Ghent, Belgium
Benjamin Bukombe
Institute of Geography, Augsburg University, Augsburg, Germany
Georg Cadisch
Institute of Plant Production and Agroecology in the Tropics and
Subtropics, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
Matthew Cooper
School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Mountains of the
Moon University, Fort Portal, Uganda
Landry N. Cizungu
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Université Catholique de
Bukavu, Bukavu, DR Congo
Alison Hoyt
Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
Clovis Kabaseke
School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Mountains of the
Moon University, Fort Portal, Uganda
Karsten Kalbitz
Chair of Soil Resources and Land Use, Institute of Soil Science and
Site Ecology, TU Dresden, Tharandt, Germany
Laurent Kidinda
Chair of Soil Resources and Land Use, Institute of Soil Science and
Site Ecology, TU Dresden, Tharandt, Germany
Annina Maier
Department of Environmental System Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8092
Zürich, Switzerland
Moritz Mainka
Institute of Geography, Augsburg University, Augsburg, Germany
Institut National pour L'Etude et la Recherche Agronomiques (INERA), Mulungu, DR Congo
Julia Mayrock
Institute of Geography, Augsburg University, Augsburg, Germany
Daniel Muhindo
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Université Catholique de
Bukavu, Bukavu, DR Congo
Basile B. Mujinya
Biogeochemistry and Ecology of Tropical Soils and Ecosystems Unit,
University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, DR Congo
Serge M. Mukotanyi
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Université Catholique de
Bukavu, Bukavu, DR Congo
Leon Nabahungu
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Central Africa and
Natural Resource Management, CGIAR, Nairobi, Kenya
Mario Reichenbach
Institute of Geography, Augsburg University, Augsburg, Germany
Boris Rewald
Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural
Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
Johan Six
Department of Environmental System Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8092
Zürich, Switzerland
Anna Stegmann
Institute of Geography, Augsburg University, Augsburg, Germany
Laura Summerauer
Department of Environmental System Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8092
Zürich, Switzerland
Robin Unseld
Institute of Geography, Augsburg University, Augsburg, Germany
Bernard Vanlauwe
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Central Africa and
Natural Resource Management, CGIAR, Nairobi, Kenya
Kristof Van Oost
Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS), Brussels Belgium
Kris Verheyen
Department of Environment, Ghent University,
Ghent, Belgium
Cordula Vogel
Chair of Soil Resources and Land Use, Institute of Soil Science and
Site Ecology, TU Dresden, Tharandt, Germany
Florian Wilken
Department of Environmental System Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8092
Zürich, Switzerland
Institute of Geography, Augsburg University, Augsburg, Germany
Peter Fiener
Institute of Geography, Augsburg University, Augsburg, Germany
Related authors
Johan Six, Sebastian Doetterl, Moritz Laub, Claude R. Müller, and Marijn Van de Broek
SOIL, 10, 275–279, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-275-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-275-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Soil C saturation has been tested in several recent studies and led to a debate about its existence. We argue that, to test C saturation, one should pay attention to six fundamental principles: the right measures, the right units, the right dispersive energy and application, the right soil type, the right clay type, and the right saturation level. Once we take care of those six rights across studies, we find support for a maximum of C stabilized by minerals and thus soil C saturation.
Gina Garland, John Koestel, Alice Johannes, Olivier Heller, Sebastian Doetterl, Dani Or, and Thomas Keller
SOIL, 10, 23–31, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-23-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-23-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The concept of soil aggregates is hotly debated, leading to confusion about their function or relevancy to soil processes. We propose that the use of conceptual figures showing detached and isolated aggregates can be misleading and has contributed to this skepticism. Here, we conceptually illustrate how aggregates can form and dissipate within the context of undisturbed soils, highlighting the fact that aggregates do not necessarily need to have distinct physical boundaries.
Shane W. Stoner, Marion Schrumpf, Alison Hoyt, Carlos A. Sierra, Sebastian Doetterl, Valier Galy, and Susan Trumbore
Biogeosciences, 20, 3151–3163, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3151-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3151-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Soils store more carbon (C) than any other terrestrial C reservoir, but the processes that control how much C stays in soil, and for how long, are very complex. Here, we used a recent method that involves heating soil in the lab to measure the range of C ages in soil. We found that most C in soil is decades to centuries old, while some stays for much shorter times (days to months), and some is thousands of years old. Such detail helps us to estimate how soil C may react to changing climate.
Moritz Mainka, Laura Summerauer, Daniel Wasner, Gina Garland, Marco Griepentrog, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, and Sebastian Doetterl
Biogeosciences, 19, 1675–1689, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1675-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1675-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The largest share of terrestrial carbon is stored in soils, making them highly relevant as regards global change. Yet, the mechanisms governing soil carbon stabilization are not well understood. The present study contributes to a better understanding of these processes. We show that qualitative changes in soil organic matter (SOM) co-vary with alterations of the soil matrix following soil weathering. Hence, the type of SOM that is stabilized in soils might change as soils develop.
Pengzhi Zhao, Daniel Joseph Fallu, Sara Cucchiaro, Paolo Tarolli, Clive Waddington, David Cockcroft, Lisa Snape, Andreas Lang, Sebastian Doetterl, Antony G. Brown, and Kristof Van Oost
Biogeosciences, 18, 6301–6312, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6301-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6301-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the factors controlling the soil organic carbon (SOC) stability and temperature sensitivity of abandoned prehistoric agricultural terrace soils. Results suggest that the burial of former topsoil due to terracing provided an SOC stabilization mechanism. Both the soil C : N ratio and SOC mineral protection regulate soil SOC temperature sensitivity. However, which mechanism predominantly controls SOC temperature sensitivity depends on the age of the buried terrace soils.
Laura Summerauer, Philipp Baumann, Leonardo Ramirez-Lopez, Matti Barthel, Marijn Bauters, Benjamin Bukombe, Mario Reichenbach, Pascal Boeckx, Elizabeth Kearsley, Kristof Van Oost, Bernard Vanlauwe, Dieudonné Chiragaga, Aimé Bisimwa Heri-Kazi, Pieter Moonen, Andrew Sila, Keith Shepherd, Basile Bazirake Mujinya, Eric Van Ranst, Geert Baert, Sebastian Doetterl, and Johan Six
SOIL, 7, 693–715, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-693-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-693-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We present a soil mid-infrared library with over 1800 samples from central Africa in order to facilitate soil analyses of this highly understudied yet critical area. Together with an existing continental library, we demonstrate a regional analysis and geographical extrapolation to predict total carbon and nitrogen. Our results show accurate predictions and highlight the value that the data contribute to existing libraries. Our library is openly available for public use and for expansion.
Benjamin Bukombe, Peter Fiener, Alison M. Hoyt, Laurent K. Kidinda, and Sebastian Doetterl
SOIL, 7, 639–659, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-639-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-639-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Through a laboratory incubation experiment, we investigated the spatial patterns of specific maximum heterotrophic respiration in tropical African mountain forest soils developed from contrasting parent material along slope gradients. We found distinct differences in soil respiration between soil depths and geochemical regions related to soil fertility and the chemistry of the soil solution. The topographic origin of our samples was not a major determinant of the observed rates of respiration.
Mario Reichenbach, Peter Fiener, Gina Garland, Marco Griepentrog, Johan Six, and Sebastian Doetterl
SOIL, 7, 453–475, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-453-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-453-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In deeply weathered tropical rainforest soils of Africa, we found that patterns of soil organic carbon stocks differ between soils developed from geochemically contrasting parent material due to differences in the abundance of organo-mineral complexes, the presence/absence of chemical stabilization mechanisms of carbon with minerals and the presence of fossil organic carbon from sedimentary rocks. Physical stabilization mechanisms by aggregation provide additional protection of soil carbon.
Joseph Tamale, Roman Hüppi, Marco Griepentrog, Laban Frank Turyagyenda, Matti Barthel, Sebastian Doetterl, Peter Fiener, and Oliver van Straaten
SOIL, 7, 433–451, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-433-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-433-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Soil greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes were measured monthly from nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), N and P, and control plots of the first nutrient manipulation experiment located in an African pristine tropical forest using static chambers. The results suggest (1) contrasting soil GHG responses to nutrient addition, hence highlighting the complexity of the tropical forests, and (2) that the feedback of tropical forests to the global soil GHG budget could be altered by changes in N and P availability.
Florian Wilken, Peter Fiener, Michael Ketterer, Katrin Meusburger, Daniel Iragi Muhindo, Kristof van Oost, and Sebastian Doetterl
SOIL, 7, 399–414, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-399-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-399-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This study demonstrates the usability of fallout radionuclides 239Pu and 240Pu as a tool to assess soil degradation processes in tropical Africa, which is particularly valuable in regions with limited infrastructure and challenging monitoring conditions for landscape-scale soil degradation monitoring. The study shows no indication of soil redistribution in forest sites but substantial soil redistribution in cropland (sedimentation >40 cm in 55 years) with high variability.
Sophie F. von Fromm, Alison M. Hoyt, Markus Lange, Gifty E. Acquah, Ermias Aynekulu, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Stephan M. Haefele, Steve P. McGrath, Keith D. Shepherd, Andrew M. Sila, Johan Six, Erick K. Towett, Susan E. Trumbore, Tor-G. Vågen, Elvis Weullow, Leigh A. Winowiecki, and Sebastian Doetterl
SOIL, 7, 305–332, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-305-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-305-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated various soil and climate properties that influence soil organic carbon (SOC) concentrations in sub-Saharan Africa. Our findings indicate that climate and geochemistry are equally important for explaining SOC variations. The key SOC-controlling factors are broadly similar to those for temperate regions, despite differences in soil development history between the two regions.
Simon Baumgartner, Matti Barthel, Travis William Drake, Marijn Bauters, Isaac Ahanamungu Makelele, John Kalume Mugula, Laura Summerauer, Nora Gallarotti, Landry Cizungu Ntaboba, Kristof Van Oost, Pascal Boeckx, Sebastian Doetterl, Roland Anton Werner, and Johan Six
Biogeosciences, 17, 6207–6218, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6207-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6207-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Soil respiration is an important carbon flux and key process determining the net ecosystem production of terrestrial ecosystems. The Congo Basin lacks studies quantifying carbon fluxes. We measured soil CO2 fluxes from different forest types in the Congo Basin and were able to show that, even though soil CO2 fluxes are similarly high in lowland and montane forests, the drivers were different: soil moisture in montane forests and C availability in the lowland forests.
Laurent K. Kidinda, Folasade K. Olagoke, Cordula Vogel, Karsten Kalbitz, and Sebastian Doetterl
SOIL Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2020-80, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2020-80, 2020
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
In deeply weathered tropical rainforest soils of Africa, we found that patterns of microbial processes differ between soils developed from geochemically contrasting parent materials due to differences in resource availability. Across investigated geochemical regions and soil depths, soil microbes were P-limited rather than N-limited. Topsoil microbes were more C-limited than their subsoil counterparts but inversely P-limited.
Marco Pfeiffer, José Padarian, Rodrigo Osorio, Nelson Bustamante, Guillermo Federico Olmedo, Mario Guevara, Felipe Aburto, Francisco Albornoz, Monica Antilén, Elías Araya, Eduardo Arellano, Maialen Barret, Juan Barrera, Pascal Boeckx, Margarita Briceño, Sally Bunning, Lea Cabrol, Manuel Casanova, Pablo Cornejo, Fabio Corradini, Gustavo Curaqueo, Sebastian Doetterl, Paola Duran, Mauricio Escudey, Angelina Espinoza, Samuel Francke, Juan Pablo Fuentes, Marcel Fuentes, Gonzalo Gajardo, Rafael García, Audrey Gallaud, Mauricio Galleguillos, Andrés Gomez, Marcela Hidalgo, Jorge Ivelic-Sáez, Lwando Mashalaba, Francisco Matus, Francisco Meza, Maria de la Luz Mora, Jorge Mora, Cristina Muñoz, Pablo Norambuena, Carolina Olivera, Carlos Ovalle, Marcelo Panichini, Aníbal Pauchard, Jorge F. Pérez-Quezada, Sergio Radic, José Ramirez, Nicolás Riveras, Germán Ruiz, Osvaldo Salazar, Iván Salgado, Oscar Seguel, Maria Sepúlveda, Carlos Sierra, Yasna Tapia, Francisco Tapia, Balfredo Toledo, José Miguel Torrico, Susana Valle, Ronald Vargas, Michael Wolff, and Erick Zagal
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 457–468, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-457-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-457-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The CHLSOC database is the biggest soil organic carbon (SOC) database that has been compiled for Chile yet, comprising 13 612 data points. This database is the product of the compilation of numerous sources including unpublished and difficult-to-access data, allowing us to fill numerous spatial gaps where no SOC estimates were publicly available before. The values of SOC compiled in CHLSOC have a wide range, reflecting the variety of ecosystems that exists in Chile.
Corey R. Lawrence, Jeffrey Beem-Miller, Alison M. Hoyt, Grey Monroe, Carlos A. Sierra, Shane Stoner, Katherine Heckman, Joseph C. Blankinship, Susan E. Crow, Gavin McNicol, Susan Trumbore, Paul A. Levine, Olga Vindušková, Katherine Todd-Brown, Craig Rasmussen, Caitlin E. Hicks Pries, Christina Schädel, Karis McFarlane, Sebastian Doetterl, Christine Hatté, Yujie He, Claire Treat, Jennifer W. Harden, Margaret S. Torn, Cristian Estop-Aragonés, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Marco Keiluweit, Ágatha Della Rosa Kuhnen, Erika Marin-Spiotta, Alain F. Plante, Aaron Thompson, Zheng Shi, Joshua P. Schimel, Lydia J. S. Vaughn, Sophie F. von Fromm, and Rota Wagai
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 61–76, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-61-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-61-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The International Soil Radiocarbon Database (ISRaD) is an an open-source archive of soil data focused on datasets including radiocarbon measurements. ISRaD includes data from bulk or
whole soils, distinct soil carbon pools isolated in the laboratory by a variety of soil fractionation methods, samples of soil gas or water collected interstitially from within an intact soil profile, CO2 gas isolated from laboratory soil incubations, and fluxes collected in situ from a soil surface.
S. Doetterl, J.-T. Cornelis, J. Six, S. Bodé, S. Opfergelt, P. Boeckx, and K. Van Oost
Biogeosciences, 12, 1357–1371, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1357-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1357-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
We link the mineralogy of soils affected by erosion and deposition to the distribution of soil carbon fractions, their turnover and microbial activity. We show that the weathering status of soils and their history are controlling the stabilization of carbon with minerals. After burial, aggregated C is preserved more efficiently while non-aggregated C can be released and younger C re-sequestered more easily. Weathering changes the effectiveness of stabilization mechanism limiting this C sink.
Lena Katharina Öttl, Florian Wilken, Anna Juřicová, Pedro V. G. Batista, and Peter Fiener
SOIL, 10, 281–305, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-281-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-281-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Our long-term modelling study examines the effects of multiple soil redistribution processes on carbon dynamics in a 200 km² catchment converted from natural forest to agriculture about 1000 years ago. The modelling results stress the importance of including tillage erosion processes and long-term land use and land management changes to understand current soil-redistribution-induced carbon fluxes at the landscape scale.
Johan Six, Sebastian Doetterl, Moritz Laub, Claude R. Müller, and Marijn Van de Broek
SOIL, 10, 275–279, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-275-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-275-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Soil C saturation has been tested in several recent studies and led to a debate about its existence. We argue that, to test C saturation, one should pay attention to six fundamental principles: the right measures, the right units, the right dispersive energy and application, the right soil type, the right clay type, and the right saturation level. Once we take care of those six rights across studies, we find support for a maximum of C stabilized by minerals and thus soil C saturation.
Simon Oberholzer, Laura Summerauer, Markus Steffens, and Chinwe Ifejika Speranza
SOIL, 10, 231–249, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-231-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-231-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigated the performance of visual and near-infrared spectroscopy in six fields in Switzerland. Spectral models showed a good performance for soil properties related to organic matter at the field scale. However, spectral models performed best in fields with low mean carbonate content because high carbonate content masks spectral features for organic carbon. These findings help facilitate the establishment and implementation of new local soil spectroscopy projects.
Raphael Rehm and Peter Fiener
SOIL, 10, 211–230, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-211-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-211-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
A carbon transport model was adjusted to study the importance of water and tillage erosion processes for particular microplastic (MP) transport across a mesoscale landscape. The MP mass delivered into the stream network represented a serious amount of MP input in the same range as potential MP inputs from wastewater treatment plants. In addition, most of the MP applied to arable soils remains in the topsoil (0–20 cm) for decades. The MP sink function of soil results in a long-term MP source.
Vira Leng, Rémi Cardinael, Florent Tivet, Vang Seng, Phearum Mark, Pascal Lienhard, Titouan Filloux, Johan Six, Lyda Hok, Stéphane Boulakia, Clever Briedis, João Carlos de Moraes Sá, and Laurent Thuriès
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-541, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-541, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We assessed the long-term impacts of no-till cropping systems on soil organic carbon and nitrogen dynamics down to 1 m depth under the annual upland crop productions (cassava, maize, and soybean) in the tropical climate of Cambodia. We showed that no-till systems combined with rotations and cover crops could store large amounts of carbon in top and subsoil, in both the mineral organic-matter and particulate organic matter fractions. It also questions nitrogen management in these systems.
Astrid Françoys, Orly Mendoza, Junwei Hu, Pascal Boeckx, Wim Cornelis, Stefaan De Neve, and Steven Sleutel
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-559, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-559, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
To assess the impact of groundwater table (GWT) depth on soil moisture and C mineralization, we designed a laboratory setup using 200 cm undisturbed soil columns. Surprisingly, the moisture increase induced by a shallower GWT did not result in enhanced C mineralization. We presume this capillary moisture effect was offset by increased C mineralization upon rewetting, particularly noticeable in drier soils when capillary rise affected the topsoil to a lesser extent due to a deeper GWT.
Armwell Shumba, Regis Chikowo, Christian Thierfelder, Marc Corbeels, Johan Six, and Rémi Cardinael
SOIL, 10, 151–165, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-151-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-151-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Conservation agriculture (CA), combining reduced or no tillage, permanent soil cover, and improved rotations, is often promoted as a climate-smart practice. However, our knowledge of the impact of CA on top- and subsoil soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in the low-input cropping systems of sub-Saharan Africa is rather limited. Using two long-term experimental sites with different soil types, we found that mulch could increase top SOC stocks, but no tillage alone had a slightly negative impact.
Mosisa Tujuba Wakjira, Nadav Peleg, Johan Six, and Peter Molnar
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-37, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-37, 2024
Preprint under review for HESS
Short summary
Short summary
While rainwater is a key resource in crop production, its productivity faces challenges from climate change. Using a simple model of climate, water, and crop yield interactions, we found that rain-scarce croplands in Ethiopia are likely to experience decreases in crop yield during the main growing season, primarily due to future temperature increases. These insights are crucial for shaping future water management plans, policies, and informed decision-making for climate adaptation.
Flossie Brown, Gerd Folberth, Stephen Sitch, Paulo Artaxo, Marijn Bauters, Pascal Boeckx, Alexander W. Cheesman, Matteo Detto, Ninong Komala, Luciana Rizzo, Nestor Rojas, Ines dos Santos Vieira, Steven Turnock, Hans Verbeeck, and Alfonso Zambrano
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2937, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2937, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Ozone is a pollutant that is detrimental to human and plant health. Ozone monitoring sites in the tropics are limited, so models are often used to assess ozone exposure. We use measurements from the tropics to evaluate ozone from the UK Earth system model, UKESM1. UKESM1 is able to capture the behaviour of ozone in the tropics, except in Southeast Asia. Results demonstrate that UKESM1 can be used for health assessments and highlights areas that would benefit from further observations.
Moritz Laub, Sergey Blagodatsky, Marijn Van de Broek, Samuel Schlichenmaier, Benjapon Kunlanit, Johan Six, Patma Vityakon, and Georg Cadisch
Geosci. Model Dev., 17, 931–956, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-931-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-931-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
To manage soil organic matter (SOM) sustainably, we need a better understanding of the role that soil microbes play in aggregate protection. Here, we propose the SAMM model, which connects soil aggregate formation to microbial growth. We tested it against data from a tropical long-term experiment and show that SAMM effectively represents the microbial growth, SOM, and aggregate dynamics and that it can be used to explore the importance of aggregate formation in SOM stabilization.
Gina Garland, John Koestel, Alice Johannes, Olivier Heller, Sebastian Doetterl, Dani Or, and Thomas Keller
SOIL, 10, 23–31, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-23-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-23-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The concept of soil aggregates is hotly debated, leading to confusion about their function or relevancy to soil processes. We propose that the use of conceptual figures showing detached and isolated aggregates can be misleading and has contributed to this skepticism. Here, we conceptually illustrate how aggregates can form and dissipate within the context of undisturbed soils, highlighting the fact that aggregates do not necessarily need to have distinct physical boundaries.
Claude Raoul Müller, Johan Six, Liesa Brosens, Philipp Baumann, Jean Paolo Gomes Minella, Gerard Govers, and Marijn Van de Broek
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2170, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2170, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Subsoils in the tropics are not yet as extensively studied as in temperate regions. In this study, the conversion of forest to agriculture in a subtropical region affected the concentration of stabilized organic carbon (OC) down to 90 cm depth, while no significant differences between 90 cm and 300 cm were detected. Our results suggest that subsoils below 90 cm are unlikely to accumulate additional stabilized OC through reforestation over decadal periods due to declining OC input with depth.
Moritz Laub, Magdalena Necpalova, Marijn Van de Broek, Marc Corbeels, Samuel Mathu Ndungu, Monicah Wanjiku Mucheru-Muna, Daniel Mugendi, Rebecca Yegon, Wycliffe Waswa, Bernard Vanlauwe, and Johan Six
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1738, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1738, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We used the DayCent model to assess the potential impact of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) on maize production, soil fertility and greenhouse gas emission in Kenya. After needed adjustments, DayCent could adequately represent the measured mean yields, soil carbon stock changes, and N2O emissions. Our results showed that soil fertility losses could be reduced with ISFM and that, while N2O emissions increased with ISFM, emissions per kg of yield decreased.
Shane W. Stoner, Marion Schrumpf, Alison Hoyt, Carlos A. Sierra, Sebastian Doetterl, Valier Galy, and Susan Trumbore
Biogeosciences, 20, 3151–3163, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3151-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3151-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Soils store more carbon (C) than any other terrestrial C reservoir, but the processes that control how much C stays in soil, and for how long, are very complex. Here, we used a recent method that involves heating soil in the lab to measure the range of C ages in soil. We found that most C in soil is decades to centuries old, while some stays for much shorter times (days to months), and some is thousands of years old. Such detail helps us to estimate how soil C may react to changing climate.
Moritz Laub, Marc Corbeels, Antoine Couëdel, Samuel Mathu Ndungu, Monicah Wanjiku Mucheru-Muna, Daniel Mugendi, Magdalena Necpalova, Wycliffe Waswa, Marijn Van de Broek, Bernard Vanlauwe, and Johan Six
SOIL, 9, 301–323, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-9-301-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-9-301-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In sub-Saharan Africa, long-term low-input maize cropping threatens soil fertility. We studied how different quality organic inputs combined with mineral N fertilizer could counteract this. Farmyard manure was the best input to counteract soil carbon loss; mineral N fertilizer had no effect on carbon. Yet, the rates needed to offset soil carbon losses are unrealistic for farmers (>10 t of dry matter per hectare and year). Additional agronomic measures may be needed.
Thomas O. Hoffmann, Yannik Baulig, Stefan Vollmer, Jan H. Blöthe, Karl Auerswald, and Peter Fiener
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 287–303, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-287-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-287-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We analyzed more than 440 000 measurements from suspended sediment monitoring to show that suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in large rivers in Germany strongly declined by 50 % between 1990 and 2010. We argue that SSC is approaching the natural base level that was reached during the mid-Holocene. There is no simple explanation for this decline, but increased sediment retention in upstream headwaters is presumably the major reason for declining SSC in the large river channels studied.
Kristof Van Oost and Johan Six
Biogeosciences, 20, 635–646, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-635-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-635-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The direction and magnitude of the net erosion-induced land–atmosphere C exchange have been the topic of a big scientific debate for more than a decade now. Many have assumed that erosion leads to a loss of soil carbon to the atmosphere, whereas others have shown that erosion ultimately leads to a carbon sink. Here, we show that the soil carbon erosion source–sink paradox is reconciled when the broad range of temporal and spatial scales at which the underlying processes operate are considered.
Joseph Okello, Marijn Bauters, Hans Verbeeck, Samuel Bodé, John Kasenene, Astrid Françoys, Till Engelhardt, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, Ralf Kiese, and Pascal Boeckx
Biogeosciences, 20, 719–735, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-719-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-719-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The increase in global and regional temperatures has the potential to drive accelerated soil organic carbon losses in tropical forests. We simulated climate warming by translocating intact soil cores from higher to lower elevations. The results revealed increasing temperature sensitivity and decreasing losses of soil organic carbon with increasing elevation. Our results suggest that climate warming may trigger enhanced losses of soil organic carbon from tropical montane forests.
Pedro V. G. Batista, Daniel L. Evans, Bernardo M. Cândido, and Peter Fiener
SOIL, 9, 71–88, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-9-71-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-9-71-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Most agricultural soils erode faster than new soil is formed, which leads to soil thinning. Here, we used a model simulation to investigate how soil erosion and soil thinning can alter topsoil properties and change its susceptibility to erosion. We found that soil profiles are sensitive to erosion-induced changes in the soil system, which mostly slow down soil thinning. These findings are likely to impact how we estimate soil lifespans and simulate long-term erosion dynamics.
Charlotte Decock, Juhwan Lee, Matti Barthel, Elizabeth Verhoeven, Franz Conen, and Johan Six
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2022-221, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2022-221, 2022
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
One of the least well understood processes in the nitrogen (N) cycle is the loss of nitrogen gas (N2), referred to as total denitrification. This is mainly due to the difficulty of quantifying total denitrification in situ. In this study, we developed and tested a novel modeling approach to estimate total denitrification over the depth profile, based on concentrations and isotope values of N2O. Our method will help close N budgets and identify management strategies that reduce N pollution.
Flossie Brown, Gerd A. Folberth, Stephen Sitch, Susanne Bauer, Marijn Bauters, Pascal Boeckx, Alexander W. Cheesman, Makoto Deushi, Inês Dos Santos Vieira, Corinne Galy-Lacaux, James Haywood, James Keeble, Lina M. Mercado, Fiona M. O'Connor, Naga Oshima, Kostas Tsigaridis, and Hans Verbeeck
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 12331–12352, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-12331-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-12331-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Surface ozone can decrease plant productivity and impair human health. In this study, we evaluate the change in surface ozone due to climate change over South America and Africa using Earth system models. We find that if the climate were to change according to the worst-case scenario used here, models predict that forested areas in biomass burning locations and urban populations will be at increasing risk of ozone exposure, but other areas will experience a climate benefit.
Haicheng Zhang, Ronny Lauerwald, Pierre Regnier, Philippe Ciais, Kristof Van Oost, Victoria Naipal, Bertrand Guenet, and Wenping Yuan
Earth Syst. Dynam., 13, 1119–1144, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-1119-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-1119-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We present a land surface model which can simulate the complete lateral transfer of sediment and carbon from land to ocean through rivers. Our model captures the water, sediment, and organic carbon discharges in European rivers well. Application of our model in Europe indicates that lateral carbon transfer can strongly change regional land carbon budgets by affecting organic carbon distribution and soil moisture.
Pedro V. G. Batista, Peter Fiener, Simon Scheper, and Christine Alewell
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 3753–3770, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3753-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3753-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Patchy agricultural landscapes have a large number of small fields, which are separated by linear features such as roads and field borders. When eroded sediments are transported out of the agricultural fields by surface runoff, these features can influence sediment connectivity. By use of measured data and a simulation model, we demonstrate how a dense road network (and its drainage system) facilitates sediment transport from fields to water courses in a patchy Swiss agricultural catchment.
Tegawende Léa Jeanne Ilboudo, Lucien NGuessan Diby, Delwendé Innocent Kiba, Tor Gunnar Vågen, Leigh Ann Winowiecki, Hassan Bismarck Nacro, Johan Six, and Emmanuel Frossard
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-209, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-209, 2022
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
Our results showed that at landscape level SOC stock variability was mainly explained by clay content. We found significant linear positive relationships between VC and SOC stocks for the land uses annual croplands, perennial croplands, grasslands and bushlands without soil depth restrictions until 110 cm. We concluded that in the forest-savanna transition zone, soil properties and topography determine land use, which in turn affects the stocks of SOC and TN and to some extent the VC stocks.
Moritz Mainka, Laura Summerauer, Daniel Wasner, Gina Garland, Marco Griepentrog, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, and Sebastian Doetterl
Biogeosciences, 19, 1675–1689, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1675-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1675-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The largest share of terrestrial carbon is stored in soils, making them highly relevant as regards global change. Yet, the mechanisms governing soil carbon stabilization are not well understood. The present study contributes to a better understanding of these processes. We show that qualitative changes in soil organic matter (SOM) co-vary with alterations of the soil matrix following soil weathering. Hence, the type of SOM that is stabilized in soils might change as soils develop.
Tobias K. D. Weber, Joachim Ingwersen, Petra Högy, Arne Poyda, Hans-Dieter Wizemann, Michael Scott Demyan, Kristina Bohm, Ravshan Eshonkulov, Sebastian Gayler, Pascal Kremer, Moritz Laub, Yvonne Funkiun Nkwain, Christian Troost, Irene Witte, Tim Reichenau, Thomas Berger, Georg Cadisch, Torsten Müller, Andreas Fangmeier, Volker Wulfmeyer, and Thilo Streck
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 1153–1181, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1153-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1153-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Presented are measurement results from six agricultural fields operated by local farmers in southwestern Germany over 9 years. Six eddy-covariance stations measuring water, energy, and carbon fluxes between the vegetated soil surface and the atmosphere provided the backbone of the measurement sites and were supplemented by extensive soil and vegetation state monitoring. The dataset is ideal for testing process models characterizing fluxes at the vegetated soil surface and in the atmosphere.
Pengzhi Zhao, Daniel Joseph Fallu, Sara Cucchiaro, Paolo Tarolli, Clive Waddington, David Cockcroft, Lisa Snape, Andreas Lang, Sebastian Doetterl, Antony G. Brown, and Kristof Van Oost
Biogeosciences, 18, 6301–6312, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6301-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6301-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the factors controlling the soil organic carbon (SOC) stability and temperature sensitivity of abandoned prehistoric agricultural terrace soils. Results suggest that the burial of former topsoil due to terracing provided an SOC stabilization mechanism. Both the soil C : N ratio and SOC mineral protection regulate soil SOC temperature sensitivity. However, which mechanism predominantly controls SOC temperature sensitivity depends on the age of the buried terrace soils.
Caroline C. Clason, Will H. Blake, Nick Selmes, Alex Taylor, Pascal Boeckx, Jessica Kitch, Stephanie C. Mills, Giovanni Baccolo, and Geoffrey E. Millward
The Cryosphere, 15, 5151–5168, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5151-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5151-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Our paper presents results of sample collection and subsequent geochemical analyses from the glaciated Isfallsglaciären catchment in Arctic Sweden. The data suggest that material found on the surface of glaciers,
cryoconite, is very efficient at accumulating products of nuclear fallout transported in the atmosphere following events such as the Chernobyl disaster. We investigate how this compares with samples in the downstream environment and consider potential environmental implications.
Philipp Baumann, Juhwan Lee, Emmanuel Frossard, Laurie Paule Schönholzer, Lucien Diby, Valérie Kouamé Hgaza, Delwende Innocent Kiba, Andrew Sila, Keith Sheperd, and Johan Six
SOIL, 7, 717–731, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-717-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-717-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This work delivers openly accessible and validated calibrations for diagnosing 26 soil properties based on mid-infrared spectroscopy. These were developed for four regions in Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire, including 80 fields of smallholder farmers. The models can help to site-specifically and cost-efficiently monitor soil quality and fertility constraints to ameliorate soils and yields of yam or other staple crops in the four regions between the humid forest and the northern Guinean savanna.
Laura Summerauer, Philipp Baumann, Leonardo Ramirez-Lopez, Matti Barthel, Marijn Bauters, Benjamin Bukombe, Mario Reichenbach, Pascal Boeckx, Elizabeth Kearsley, Kristof Van Oost, Bernard Vanlauwe, Dieudonné Chiragaga, Aimé Bisimwa Heri-Kazi, Pieter Moonen, Andrew Sila, Keith Shepherd, Basile Bazirake Mujinya, Eric Van Ranst, Geert Baert, Sebastian Doetterl, and Johan Six
SOIL, 7, 693–715, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-693-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-693-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We present a soil mid-infrared library with over 1800 samples from central Africa in order to facilitate soil analyses of this highly understudied yet critical area. Together with an existing continental library, we demonstrate a regional analysis and geographical extrapolation to predict total carbon and nitrogen. Our results show accurate predictions and highlight the value that the data contribute to existing libraries. Our library is openly available for public use and for expansion.
Sergio Naranjo, Francelino A. Rodrigues Jr., Georg Cadisch, Santiago Lopez-Ridaura, Mariela Fuentes Ponce, and Carsten Marohn
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 5561–5588, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5561-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5561-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We integrate a spatially explicit soil erosion model with plot- and watershed-scale characterization and high-resolution drone imagery to assess the effect of spatial resolution digital terrain models (DTMs) on discharge and soil loss. Results showed reduction in slope due to resampling down of DTM. Higher resolution translates to higher slope, denser fluvial system, and extremer values of soil loss, reducing concentration time and increasing soil loss at the outlet. The best resolution was 4 m.
Benjamin Bukombe, Peter Fiener, Alison M. Hoyt, Laurent K. Kidinda, and Sebastian Doetterl
SOIL, 7, 639–659, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-639-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-639-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Through a laboratory incubation experiment, we investigated the spatial patterns of specific maximum heterotrophic respiration in tropical African mountain forest soils developed from contrasting parent material along slope gradients. We found distinct differences in soil respiration between soil depths and geochemical regions related to soil fertility and the chemistry of the soil solution. The topographic origin of our samples was not a major determinant of the observed rates of respiration.
Heleen Deroo, Masuda Akter, Samuel Bodé, Orly Mendoza, Haichao Li, Pascal Boeckx, and Steven Sleutel
Biogeosciences, 18, 5035–5051, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5035-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5035-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We assessed if and how incorporation of exogenous organic carbon (OC) such as straw could affect decomposition of native soil organic carbon (SOC) under different irrigation regimes. Addition of exogenous OC promoted dissolution of native SOC, partly because of increased Fe reduction, leading to more net release of Fe-bound SOC. Yet, there was no proportionate priming of SOC-derived DOC mineralisation. Water-saving irrigation can retard both priming of SOC dissolution and mineralisation.
Lander Van Tricht, Philippe Huybrechts, Jonas Van Breedam, Alexander Vanhulle, Kristof Van Oost, and Harry Zekollari
The Cryosphere, 15, 4445–4464, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4445-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4445-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We conducted innovative research on the use of drones to determine the surface mass balance (SMB) of two glaciers. Considering appropriate spatial scales, we succeeded in determining the SMB in the ablation area with large accuracy. Consequently, we are convinced that our method and the use of drones to monitor the mass balance of a glacier’s ablation area can be an add-on to stake measurements in order to obtain a broader picture of the heterogeneity of the SMB of glaciers.
Philipp Baumann, Anatol Helfenstein, Andreas Gubler, Armin Keller, Reto Giulio Meuli, Daniel Wächter, Juhwan Lee, Raphael Viscarra Rossel, and Johan Six
SOIL, 7, 525–546, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-525-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-525-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We developed the Swiss mid-infrared spectral library and a statistical model collection across 4374 soil samples with reference measurements of 16 properties. Our library incorporates soil from 1094 grid locations and 71 long-term monitoring sites. This work confirms once again that nationwide spectral libraries with diverse soils can reliably feed information to a fast chemical diagnosis. Our data-driven reduction of the library has the potential to accurately monitor carbon at the plot scale.
Mario Reichenbach, Peter Fiener, Gina Garland, Marco Griepentrog, Johan Six, and Sebastian Doetterl
SOIL, 7, 453–475, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-453-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-453-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In deeply weathered tropical rainforest soils of Africa, we found that patterns of soil organic carbon stocks differ between soils developed from geochemically contrasting parent material due to differences in the abundance of organo-mineral complexes, the presence/absence of chemical stabilization mechanisms of carbon with minerals and the presence of fossil organic carbon from sedimentary rocks. Physical stabilization mechanisms by aggregation provide additional protection of soil carbon.
Joseph Tamale, Roman Hüppi, Marco Griepentrog, Laban Frank Turyagyenda, Matti Barthel, Sebastian Doetterl, Peter Fiener, and Oliver van Straaten
SOIL, 7, 433–451, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-433-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-433-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Soil greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes were measured monthly from nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), N and P, and control plots of the first nutrient manipulation experiment located in an African pristine tropical forest using static chambers. The results suggest (1) contrasting soil GHG responses to nutrient addition, hence highlighting the complexity of the tropical forests, and (2) that the feedback of tropical forests to the global soil GHG budget could be altered by changes in N and P availability.
Florian Wilken, Peter Fiener, Michael Ketterer, Katrin Meusburger, Daniel Iragi Muhindo, Kristof van Oost, and Sebastian Doetterl
SOIL, 7, 399–414, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-399-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-399-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This study demonstrates the usability of fallout radionuclides 239Pu and 240Pu as a tool to assess soil degradation processes in tropical Africa, which is particularly valuable in regions with limited infrastructure and challenging monitoring conditions for landscape-scale soil degradation monitoring. The study shows no indication of soil redistribution in forest sites but substantial soil redistribution in cropland (sedimentation >40 cm in 55 years) with high variability.
Maximilian Kirsten, Robert Mikutta, Didas N. Kimaro, Karl-Heinz Feger, and Karsten Kalbitz
SOIL, 7, 363–375, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-363-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-363-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Mineralogical combinations of aluminous clay and pedogenic Fe oxides revealed significant effects on soil structure and related organic carbon (OC) storage.
The mineralogical combination resulting in the largest aggregate stability does not better preserve OC during conversion of forests into croplands.
Structural changes in the direction of smaller mean weight diameters do not cancel out the stabilizing effect of soil minerals.
Sophie F. von Fromm, Alison M. Hoyt, Markus Lange, Gifty E. Acquah, Ermias Aynekulu, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Stephan M. Haefele, Steve P. McGrath, Keith D. Shepherd, Andrew M. Sila, Johan Six, Erick K. Towett, Susan E. Trumbore, Tor-G. Vågen, Elvis Weullow, Leigh A. Winowiecki, and Sebastian Doetterl
SOIL, 7, 305–332, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-305-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-305-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated various soil and climate properties that influence soil organic carbon (SOC) concentrations in sub-Saharan Africa. Our findings indicate that climate and geochemistry are equally important for explaining SOC variations. The key SOC-controlling factors are broadly similar to those for temperate regions, despite differences in soil development history between the two regions.
Anatol Helfenstein, Philipp Baumann, Raphael Viscarra Rossel, Andreas Gubler, Stefan Oechslin, and Johan Six
SOIL, 7, 193–215, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-193-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-193-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we show that a soil spectral library (SSL) can be used to predict soil carbon at new and very different locations. The importance of this finding is that it requires less time-consuming lab work than calibrating a new model for every local application, while still remaining similar to or more accurate than local models. Furthermore, we show that this method even works for predicting (drained) peat soils, using a SSL with mostly mineral soils containing much less soil carbon.
Simon Baumgartner, Marijn Bauters, Matti Barthel, Travis W. Drake, Landry C. Ntaboba, Basile M. Bazirake, Johan Six, Pascal Boeckx, and Kristof Van Oost
SOIL, 7, 83–94, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-83-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-83-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We compared stable isotope signatures of soil profiles in different forest ecosystems within the Congo Basin to assess ecosystem-level differences in N cycling, and we examined the local effect of topography on the isotopic signature of soil N. Soil δ15N profiles indicated that the N cycling in in the montane forest is more closed, whereas the lowland forest and Miombo woodland experienced a more open N cycle. Topography only alters soil δ15N values in forests with high erosional forces.
Arianna Peron, Lisa Kaser, Anne Charlott Fitzky, Martin Graus, Heidi Halbwirth, Jürgen Greiner, Georg Wohlfahrt, Boris Rewald, Hans Sandén, and Thomas Karl
Biogeosciences, 18, 535–556, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-535-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-535-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Drought events are expected to become more frequent with climate change. Along with these events atmospheric ozone is also expected to increase. Both can stress plants. Here we investigate to what extent these factors modulate the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from oak plants. We find an antagonistic effect between drought stress and ozone, impacting the emission of different BVOCs, which is indirectly controlled by stomatal opening, allowing plants to control their water budget.
Paula Alejandra Lamprea Pineda, Marijn Bauters, Hans Verbeeck, Selene Baez, Matti Barthel, Samuel Bodé, and Pascal Boeckx
Biogeosciences, 18, 413–421, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-413-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-413-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Tropical forest soils are an important source and sink of greenhouse gases (GHGs) with tropical montane forests having been poorly studied. In this pilot study, we explored soil fluxes of CO2, CH4, and N2O in an Ecuadorian neotropical montane forest, where a net consumption of N2O at higher altitudes was observed. Our results highlight the importance of short-term variations in N2O and provide arguments and insights for future, more detailed studies on GHG fluxes from montane forest soils.
Marcus Schiedung, Severin-Luca Bellè, Gabriel Sigmund, Karsten Kalbitz, and Samuel Abiven
Biogeosciences, 17, 6457–6474, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6457-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6457-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The mobility of pyrogenic organic matter (PyOM) in soils is largely unknow, while it is a major and persistent component of the soil organic matter. With a soil column experiment, we identified that only a small proportion of PyOM can migrate through the soil, but its export is continuous. Aging and associated oxidation increase its mobility but also its retention in soils. Further, PyOM can alter the vertical mobility of native soil organic carbon during its downward migration.
Simon Baumgartner, Matti Barthel, Travis William Drake, Marijn Bauters, Isaac Ahanamungu Makelele, John Kalume Mugula, Laura Summerauer, Nora Gallarotti, Landry Cizungu Ntaboba, Kristof Van Oost, Pascal Boeckx, Sebastian Doetterl, Roland Anton Werner, and Johan Six
Biogeosciences, 17, 6207–6218, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6207-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6207-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Soil respiration is an important carbon flux and key process determining the net ecosystem production of terrestrial ecosystems. The Congo Basin lacks studies quantifying carbon fluxes. We measured soil CO2 fluxes from different forest types in the Congo Basin and were able to show that, even though soil CO2 fluxes are similarly high in lowland and montane forests, the drivers were different: soil moisture in montane forests and C availability in the lowland forests.
Laurent K. Kidinda, Folasade K. Olagoke, Cordula Vogel, Karsten Kalbitz, and Sebastian Doetterl
SOIL Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2020-80, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2020-80, 2020
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
In deeply weathered tropical rainforest soils of Africa, we found that patterns of microbial processes differ between soils developed from geochemically contrasting parent materials due to differences in resource availability. Across investigated geochemical regions and soil depths, soil microbes were P-limited rather than N-limited. Topsoil microbes were more C-limited than their subsoil counterparts but inversely P-limited.
Florian Wilken, Michael Ketterer, Sylvia Koszinski, Michael Sommer, and Peter Fiener
SOIL, 6, 549–564, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-6-549-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-6-549-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Soil redistribution by water and tillage erosion processes on arable land is a major threat to sustainable use of soil resources. We unravel the role of tillage and water erosion from fallout radionuclide (239+240Pu) activities in a ground moraine landscape. Our results show that tillage erosion dominates soil redistribution processes and has a major impact on the hydrological and sedimentological connectivity, which started before the onset of highly mechanised farming since the 1960s.
Zhengang Wang, Jianxiu Qiu, and Kristof Van Oost
Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 4977–4992, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-4977-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-4977-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This study developed a spatially distributed carbon cycling model applicable in an eroding landscape. It includes all three carbon isotopes so that it is able to represent the carbon isotopic compositions. The model is able to represent the observations that eroding area is enriched in 13C and depleted of 14C compared to depositional area. Our simulations show that the spatial variability of carbon isotopic properties in an eroding landscape is mainly caused by the soil redistribution.
Hannes P. T. De Deurwaerder, Marco D. Visser, Matteo Detto, Pascal Boeckx, Félicien Meunier, Kathrin Kuehnhammer, Ruth-Kristina Magh, John D. Marshall, Lixin Wang, Liangju Zhao, and Hans Verbeeck
Biogeosciences, 17, 4853–4870, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4853-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4853-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The depths at which plants take up water is challenging to observe directly. To do so, scientists have relied on measuring the isotopic composition of xylem water as this provides information on the water’s source. Our work shows that this isotopic composition changes throughout the day, which complicates the interpretation of the water’s source and has been currently overlooked. We build a model to help understand the origin of these composition changes and their consequences for science.
Lilli Zeh, Marie Theresa Igel, Judith Schellekens, Juul Limpens, Luca Bragazza, and Karsten Kalbitz
Biogeosciences, 17, 4797–4813, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4797-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4797-2020, 2020
Long Ho, Ruben Jerves-Cobo, Matti Barthel, Johan Six, Samuel Bode, Pascal Boeckx, and Peter Goethals
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2020-311, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2020-311, 2020
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
Rivers are being polluted by human activities, especially in urban areas. We studied the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from an urban river system. The results showed a clear trend between water quality and GHG emissions in which the more polluted the sites were, the higher were their emissions. When river water quality worsened, its contribution to global warming can go up by 10 times. Urban rivers emitted 4-times more than of the amount of GHGs compared to rivers in natural sites.
Christina Schädel, Jeffrey Beem-Miller, Mina Aziz Rad, Susan E. Crow, Caitlin E. Hicks Pries, Jessica Ernakovich, Alison M. Hoyt, Alain Plante, Shane Stoner, Claire C. Treat, and Carlos A. Sierra
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 1511–1524, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-1511-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-1511-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Carbon loss to the atmosphere via microbial decomposition is often assessed by laboratory soil incubation studies that measure greenhouse gases released from soils under controlled conditions. Here, we introduce the Soil Incubation Database (SIDb) version 1.0, a compilation of time series data from incubations, structured into a new, publicly available, open-access database of carbon dioxide and methane flux. We also provide guidance for database entry and the required variables.
Patrick Liebmann, Patrick Wordell-Dietrich, Karsten Kalbitz, Robert Mikutta, Fabian Kalks, Axel Don, Susanne K. Woche, Leena R. Dsilva, and Georg Guggenberger
Biogeosciences, 17, 3099–3113, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3099-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3099-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We studied the contribution of litter-derived carbon (C) in the formation of subsoil organic matter (OM). Soil core sampling, 13C field labeling, density fractionation, and water extractions were used to track its contribution to different functional OM fractions down to the deep subsoil. We show that while migrating down the soil profile, OM undergoes a sequence of repeated sorption, microbial processing, and desorption. However, the contribution of litter-derived C to subsoil OM is small.
Marijn Van de Broek, Shiva Ghiasi, Charlotte Decock, Andreas Hund, Samuel Abiven, Cordula Friedli, Roland A. Werner, and Johan Six
Biogeosciences, 17, 2971–2986, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2971-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2971-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Four wheat cultivars were labeled with 13CO2 to quantify the effect of rooting depth and root biomass on the belowground transfer of organic carbon. We found no clear relation between the time since cultivar development and the amount of carbon inputs to the soil. Therefore, the hypothesis that wheat cultivars with a larger root biomass and deeper roots promote carbon stabilization was rejected. The amount of root biomass that will be stabilized in the soil on the long term is, however, unknown.
Stephen J. Harris, Jesper Liisberg, Longlong Xia, Jing Wei, Kerstin Zeyer, Longfei Yu, Matti Barthel, Benjamin Wolf, Bryce F. J. Kelly, Dioni I. Cendón, Thomas Blunier, Johan Six, and Joachim Mohn
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 2797–2831, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2797-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2797-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The latest commercial laser spectrometers have the potential to revolutionize N2O isotope analysis. However, to do so, they must be able to produce trustworthy data. Here, we test the performance of widely used laser spectrometers for ambient air applications and identify instrument-specific dependencies on gas matrix and trace gas concentrations. We then provide a calibration workflow to facilitate the operation of these instruments in order to generate reproducible and accurate data.
Laure Gandois, Alison M. Hoyt, Stéphane Mounier, Gaël Le Roux, Charles F. Harvey, Adrien Claustres, Mohammed Nuriman, and Gusti Anshari
Biogeosciences, 17, 1897–1909, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1897-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1897-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Worldwide, peatlands are important sources of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and trace metals (TMs) to surface waters, and these fluxes may increase with peatland degradation. In Southeast Asia, tropical peatlands are being rapidly deforested and drained. This work aims to address the fate of organic carbon and its role as a trace metal carrier in drained peatlands of Indonesia.
Moritz Laub, Michael Scott Demyan, Yvonne Funkuin Nkwain, Sergey Blagodatsky, Thomas Kätterer, Hans-Peter Piepho, and Georg Cadisch
Biogeosciences, 17, 1393–1413, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1393-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1393-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Loss of soil carbon to the atmosphere represents a global challenge. We tested an innovative way to reduce the high uncertainty related to turnover of carbon stored in soils. With the use of infrared spectra of soils from model bare fallow systems, we were able to better assess the current state of soil carbon and predict its behavior in overdecadal time spans. In agreement with recent studies, carbon turnover seems faster than earlier assumed, with potential for high loss under mismanagement.
Marco Pfeiffer, José Padarian, Rodrigo Osorio, Nelson Bustamante, Guillermo Federico Olmedo, Mario Guevara, Felipe Aburto, Francisco Albornoz, Monica Antilén, Elías Araya, Eduardo Arellano, Maialen Barret, Juan Barrera, Pascal Boeckx, Margarita Briceño, Sally Bunning, Lea Cabrol, Manuel Casanova, Pablo Cornejo, Fabio Corradini, Gustavo Curaqueo, Sebastian Doetterl, Paola Duran, Mauricio Escudey, Angelina Espinoza, Samuel Francke, Juan Pablo Fuentes, Marcel Fuentes, Gonzalo Gajardo, Rafael García, Audrey Gallaud, Mauricio Galleguillos, Andrés Gomez, Marcela Hidalgo, Jorge Ivelic-Sáez, Lwando Mashalaba, Francisco Matus, Francisco Meza, Maria de la Luz Mora, Jorge Mora, Cristina Muñoz, Pablo Norambuena, Carolina Olivera, Carlos Ovalle, Marcelo Panichini, Aníbal Pauchard, Jorge F. Pérez-Quezada, Sergio Radic, José Ramirez, Nicolás Riveras, Germán Ruiz, Osvaldo Salazar, Iván Salgado, Oscar Seguel, Maria Sepúlveda, Carlos Sierra, Yasna Tapia, Francisco Tapia, Balfredo Toledo, José Miguel Torrico, Susana Valle, Ronald Vargas, Michael Wolff, and Erick Zagal
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 457–468, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-457-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-457-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The CHLSOC database is the biggest soil organic carbon (SOC) database that has been compiled for Chile yet, comprising 13 612 data points. This database is the product of the compilation of numerous sources including unpublished and difficult-to-access data, allowing us to fill numerous spatial gaps where no SOC estimates were publicly available before. The values of SOC compiled in CHLSOC have a wide range, reflecting the variety of ecosystems that exists in Chile.
Songyu Yang, Boris Jansen, Samira Absalah, Rutger L. van Hall, Karsten Kalbitz, and Erik L. H. Cammeraat
SOIL, 6, 1–15, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-6-1-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-6-1-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Soils store large carbon and are important for global warming. We do not know what factors are important for soil carbon storage in the alpine Andes or how they work. We studied how rainfall affects soil carbon storage related to soil structure. We found soil structure is not important, but soil carbon storage and stability controlled by rainfall is dependent on rocks under the soils. The results indicate that we should pay attention to the rocks when we study soil carbon storage in the Andes.
Corey R. Lawrence, Jeffrey Beem-Miller, Alison M. Hoyt, Grey Monroe, Carlos A. Sierra, Shane Stoner, Katherine Heckman, Joseph C. Blankinship, Susan E. Crow, Gavin McNicol, Susan Trumbore, Paul A. Levine, Olga Vindušková, Katherine Todd-Brown, Craig Rasmussen, Caitlin E. Hicks Pries, Christina Schädel, Karis McFarlane, Sebastian Doetterl, Christine Hatté, Yujie He, Claire Treat, Jennifer W. Harden, Margaret S. Torn, Cristian Estop-Aragonés, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Marco Keiluweit, Ágatha Della Rosa Kuhnen, Erika Marin-Spiotta, Alain F. Plante, Aaron Thompson, Zheng Shi, Joshua P. Schimel, Lydia J. S. Vaughn, Sophie F. von Fromm, and Rota Wagai
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 61–76, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-61-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-61-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The International Soil Radiocarbon Database (ISRaD) is an an open-source archive of soil data focused on datasets including radiocarbon measurements. ISRaD includes data from bulk or
whole soils, distinct soil carbon pools isolated in the laboratory by a variety of soil fractionation methods, samples of soil gas or water collected interstitially from within an intact soil profile, CO2 gas isolated from laboratory soil incubations, and fluxes collected in situ from a soil surface.
Jeroen H. T. Zethof, Martin Leue, Cordula Vogel, Shane W. Stoner, and Karsten Kalbitz
SOIL, 5, 383–398, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-5-383-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-5-383-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
A widely overlooked source of carbon (C) in the soil environment is organic C of geogenic origin, e.g. graphite. Appropriate methods are not available to quantify graphite and to differentiate it from other organic and inorganic C sources in soils. Therefore, we examined Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and the smart combustion method for their ability to identify and quantify graphitic C in soils. The smart combustion method showed the most promising results.
Samuel Bouchoms, Zhengang Wang, Veerle Vanacker, and Kristof Van Oost
SOIL, 5, 367–382, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-5-367-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-5-367-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Soil erosion has detrimental effects on soil fertility which can reduce carbon inputs coming from crops to soils. Our study integrated this effect into a model linking soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics to erosion and crop productivity. When compared to observations, the inclusion of productivity improved SOC loss predictions. Over centuries, ignoring crop productivity evolution in models could result in underestimating SOC loss and overestimating C exchanged with the atmosphere.
Nicolette Tamara Regina Johanna Maria Jonkman, Esmee Daniëlle Kooijman, Karsten Kalbitz, Nicky Rosa Maria Pouw, and Boris Jansen
SOIL, 5, 303–313, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-5-303-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-5-303-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
In the urban gardens of Kisumu we interviewed female farmers to determine the sources and scope of their agricultural knowledge. We assessed the impact of the knowledge by comparing the influence of two types of management on soil nutrients. While one type of management was more effective in terms of preserving soil nutrients, the other management type had socioeconomic benefits. Both environmental and socioeconomic effects have to be considered in agricultural training to increase their impact.
François Clapuyt, Veerle Vanacker, Marcus Christl, Kristof Van Oost, and Fritz Schlunegger
Solid Earth, 10, 1489–1503, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1489-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1489-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Using state-of-the-art geomorphic techniques, we quantified a 2-order of magnitude discrepancy between annual, decadal, and millennial sediment fluxes of a landslide-affected mountainous river catchment in the Swiss Alps. Our results illustrate that the impact of a single sediment pulse is strongly attenuated at larger spatial and temporal scales by sediment transport. The accumulation of multiple sediment pulses has rather a measurable impact on the regional pattern of sediment fluxes.
He Zhang, Emilien Aldana-Jague, François Clapuyt, Florian Wilken, Veerle Vanacker, and Kristof Van Oost
Earth Surf. Dynam., 7, 807–827, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-807-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-807-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We evaluated the performance of a drone system to reconstruct 3-D topography. We used a direct georeferencing method to make the pictures have precise coordinates, which also improves the survey efficiency. With both consumer-grade and professional-grade camera and drone setups, we obtained centimetric accuracy, which provides a flexible application in topography remote sensing using drones.
Peter Fiener, Florian Wilken, and Karl Auerswald
Adv. Geosci., 48, 31–48, https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-48-31-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-48-31-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
An 8-year dataset of erosion monitoring (e.g. agricultural management, rainfall, runoff, sediment delivery) is made available. It covers 14 adjoining and partly nested watersheds (sizes 1–14 ha) that were cultivated following integrated (4 crops) and organic farming (7 crops and grassland) practices. Drivers of erosion and runoff were determined and with high spatial and temporal detail. The data set closes the gap between plot research and watershed research.
Karl Voglmeier, Johan Six, Markus Jocher, and Christof Ammann
Biogeosciences, 16, 1685–1703, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1685-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1685-2019, 2019
Tino Colombi, Florian Walder, Lucie Büchi, Marlies Sommer, Kexing Liu, Johan Six, Marcel G. A. van der Heijden, Raphaël Charles, and Thomas Keller
SOIL, 5, 91–105, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-5-91-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-5-91-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The role of soil aeration in carbon sequestration in arable soils has only been explored little, especially at the farm level. The current study, which was conducted on 30 fields that belong to individual farms, reveals a positive relationship between soil gas transport capability and soil organic carbon content. We therefore conclude that soil aeration needs to be accounted for when developing strategies for carbon sequestration in arable soil.
Elizabeth Verhoeven, Matti Barthel, Longfei Yu, Luisella Celi, Daniel Said-Pullicino, Steven Sleutel, Dominika Lewicka-Szczebak, Johan Six, and Charlotte Decock
Biogeosciences, 16, 383–408, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-383-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-383-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This study utilized state-of-the-art measurements of nitrogen isotopes to evaluate nitrogen cycling and to assess the biological sources of the potent greenhouse gas, N2O, in response to water-saving practices in rice systems. Water-saving practices did emit more N2O, and high N2O production had a lower 15N isotope signature. Modeling and visual interpretation indicate that these emissions mostly came from denitrification or nitrifier denitrification, controlled upstream by nitrification rates.
Victoria Naipal, Philippe Ciais, Yilong Wang, Ronny Lauerwald, Bertrand Guenet, and Kristof Van Oost
Biogeosciences, 15, 4459–4480, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4459-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4459-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We seek to better understand the links between soil erosion by rainfall and the global carbon (C) cycle by coupling a soil erosion model to the C cycle of a land surface model. With this modeling approach we evaluate the effects of soil removal on soil C stocks in the presence of climate change and land use change. We find that accelerated soil erosion leads to a potential SOC removal flux of 74 ±18 Pg of C globally over the period AD 1850–2005, with significant impacts on the land C balance.
Natalie Orlowski, Lutz Breuer, Nicolas Angeli, Pascal Boeckx, Christophe Brumbt, Craig S. Cook, Maren Dubbert, Jens Dyckmans, Barbora Gallagher, Benjamin Gralher, Barbara Herbstritt, Pedro Hervé-Fernández, Christophe Hissler, Paul Koeniger, Arnaud Legout, Chandelle Joan Macdonald, Carlos Oyarzún, Regine Redelstein, Christof Seidler, Rolf Siegwolf, Christine Stumpp, Simon Thomsen, Markus Weiler, Christiane Werner, and Jeffrey J. McDonnell
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 3619–3637, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3619-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3619-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
To extract water from soils for isotopic analysis, cryogenic water extraction is the most widely used removal technique. This work presents results from a worldwide laboratory intercomparison test of cryogenic extraction systems. Our results showed large differences in retrieved isotopic signatures among participating laboratories linked to interactions between soil type and properties, system setup, extraction efficiency, extraction system leaks, and each lab’s internal accuracy.
François Clapuyt, Veerle Vanacker, Fritz Schlunegger, and Kristof Van Oost
Earth Surf. Dynam., 5, 791–806, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-791-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-791-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
This work aims at understanding the behaviour of an earth flow located in the Swiss Alps by reconstructing very accurately its topography over a 2-year period. Aerial photos taken from a drone, which are then processed using a computer vision algorithm, were used to derive the topographic datasets. Combination and careful interpretation of high-resolution topographic analyses reveal the internal mechanisms of the earthflow and its complex rotational structure, which is evolving over time.
Marijn Bauters, Hans Verbeeck, Miro Demol, Stijn Bruneel, Cys Taveirne, Dries Van der Heyden, Landry Cizungu, and Pascal Boeckx
Biogeosciences, 14, 5313–5321, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5313-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5313-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We assessed community-weighted functional canopy traits and indicative δ15N shifts along two new altitudinal transects in the tropical forest biome of both South America and Africa. We found that the functional forest composition and δ15N response along both transects was parallel, with a species shift towards more nitrogen-conservative species at higher elevations.
Dane Dickinson, Samuel Bodé, and Pascal Boeckx
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 4507–4519, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4507-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4507-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) is an increasingly popular technology for isotope analysis of trace gases. However, most commercial CRDS instruments are designed for continuous gas sampling and cannot reliably measure small discrete samples. We present a novel technical adaptation that allows routine analysis of 50 mL syringed samples on an isotopic-CO2 CRDS unit. Our method offers excellent accuracy and precision, fast sample throughput, and is easily implemented in other CRDS instruments.
Florian Wilken, Michael Sommer, Kristof Van Oost, Oliver Bens, and Peter Fiener
SOIL, 3, 83–94, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-3-83-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-3-83-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Model-based analyses of the effect of soil erosion on carbon (C) dynamics are associated with large uncertainties partly resulting from oversimplifications of erosion processes. This study evaluates the need for process-oriented modelling to analyse erosion-induced C fluxes in different catchments. The results underline the importance of a detailed representation of tillage and water erosion processes. For water erosion, grain-size-specific transport is essential to simulate lateral C fluxes.
Gerard Govers, Roel Merckx, Bas van Wesemael, and Kristof Van Oost
SOIL, 3, 45–59, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-3-45-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-3-45-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We discuss pathways towards better soil protection in the 21st century. The efficacy of soil conservation technology is not a fundamental barrier for a more sustainable soil management. However, soil conservation is generally not directly beneficial to the farmer. We believe that the solution of this conundrum is a rapid, smart intensification of agriculture in the Global South. This will reduce the financial burden and will, at the same time, allow more effective conservation.
Florian Wilken, Peter Fiener, and Kristof Van Oost
Earth Surf. Dynam., 5, 113–124, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-113-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-113-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents a model that accounts for preferential erosion and transport of sediment and soil organic carbon in agricultural landscapes. We applied the model to a small catchment in Belgium for a period of 100 years. After a thorough model evaluation, these simulations shows that sediment and carbon export are highly episodic and that the temporal variability is largely influenced by selective erosion and deposition.
Johanna I. F. Slaets, Hans-Peter Piepho, Petra Schmitter, Thomas Hilger, and Georg Cadisch
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 571–588, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-571-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-571-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Determining measures of uncertainty on loads is not trivial, as a load is a product of concentration and discharge per time point, summed up over time. A bootstrap approach enables the calculation of confidence intervals on constituent loads. Ignoring the uncertainty on the discharge will typically underestimate the width of 95 % confidence intervals by around 10 %. Furthermore, confidence intervals are asymmetric, with the largest uncertainty on the upper limit.
Lien De Wispelaere, Samuel Bodé, Pedro Hervé-Fernández, Andreas Hemp, Dirk Verschuren, and Pascal Boeckx
Biogeosciences, 14, 73–88, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-73-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-73-2017, 2017
Louise C. Andresen, Anna-Karin Björsne, Samuel Bodé, Leif Klemedtsson, Pascal Boeckx, and Tobias Rütting
SOIL, 2, 433–442, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2-433-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2-433-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
In soil the constant transport of nitrogen (N) containing compounds from soil organic matter and debris out into the soil water, is controlled by soil microbes and enzymes that literally cut down polymers (such as proteins) into single amino acids (AA), hereafter microbes consume AAs and excrete ammonium back to the soil. We developed a method for analysing N turnover and flow of organic N, based on parallel 15N tracing experiments. The numerical model gives robust and simultaneous quantification.
Jianlin Zhao, Kristof Van Oost, Longqian Chen, and Gerard Govers
Biogeosciences, 13, 4735–4750, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4735-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4735-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
We used a novel approach to reassess erosion rates on the CLP. We found that both current average topsoil erosion rates and the maximum magnitude of the erosion-induced carbon sink are overestimated on the CLP. Although average topsoil losses on the CLP are still high, a major increase in agricultural productivity occurred since 1980. Hence, erosion is currently not a direct threat to agricultural productivity on the CLP but the long-term effects of erosion on soil quality remain important.
Thimo Klotzbücher, Karsten Kalbitz, Chiara Cerli, Peter J. Hernes, and Klaus Kaiser
SOIL, 2, 325–335, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2-325-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2-325-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Uncertainties concerning stabilization of organic compounds in soil limit our basic understanding on soil organic matter (SOM) formation and our ability to model and manage effects of global change on SOM stocks. One controversially debated aspect is the contribution of aromatic litter components, such as lignin and tannins, to stable SOM forms. Here, we summarize and discuss the inconsistencies and propose research options to clear them.
Johanna I. F. Slaets, Petra Schmitter, Thomas Hilger, Tran Duc Vien, and Georg Cadisch
Biogeosciences, 13, 3267–3281, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3267-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3267-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Maize production on steep slopes causes erosion. Where the eroded material ends up is not well understood. This study assessed transport of sediment in mountainous Vietnam, where maize is cultivated on slopes and rice is cultivated in valleys. Per year, 64 tons per hectare of sediments are brought into the rice fields and 28 tons of those are deposited there. The sediment fraction captured by the paddies is mostly sandy, while fertile silt and clay are exported. Upland erosion thus impacts rice production.
Victoria Naipal, Christian Reick, Kristof Van Oost, Thomas Hoffmann, and Julia Pongratz
Earth Surf. Dynam., 4, 407–423, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-407-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-407-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
We present a new large-scale coarse-resolution sediment budget model that is compatible with Earth system models and simulates sediment dynamics in floodplains and on hillslopes. We applied this model on the Rhine catchment for the last millennium, and found that the model reproduces the spatial distribution of sediment storage and the scaling relationships as found in observations. We also identified that land use change explains most of the temporal variability in sediment storage.
R. Hüppi, R. Felber, A. Neftel, J. Six, and J. Leifeld
SOIL, 1, 707–717, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-707-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-707-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Biochar is considered an opportunity to tackle major environmental issues in agriculture. Adding pyrolised organic residues to soil may sequester carbon, increase yields and reduce nitrous oxide emissions from soil. It is unknown, whether the latter is induced by changes in soil pH. We show that biochar application substantially reduces nitrous oxide emissions from a temperate maize cropping system. However, the reduction was only achieved with biochar but not with liming.
C. Decock, J. Lee, M. Necpalova, E. I. P. Pereira, D. M. Tendall, and J. Six
SOIL, 1, 687–694, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-687-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-687-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Further progress in understanding and mitigating N2O emissions from soil lies within transdisciplinary research that reaches across spatial scales and takes an ambitious look into the future.
V. Naipal, C. Reick, J. Pongratz, and K. Van Oost
Geosci. Model Dev., 8, 2893–2913, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-2893-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-2893-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
We adjusted the topographical and rainfall erosivity factors that are the triggers of erosion in the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model to make the model better applicable at coarse resolution on a global scale. The adjusted RUSLE model compares much better to current high resolution estimates of soil erosion in the USA and Europe. It therefore provides a basis for estimating past and future global impacts of soil erosion on climate with the use of Earth system models.
M. S. Torn, A. Chabbi, P. Crill, P. J. Hanson, I. A. Janssens, Y. Luo, C. H. Pries, C. Rumpel, M. W. I. Schmidt, J. Six, M. Schrumpf, and B. Zhu
SOIL, 1, 575–582, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-575-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-575-2015, 2015
F. Wiaux, M. Vanclooster, and K. Van Oost
Biogeosciences, 12, 4637–4649, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4637-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4637-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we highlight the role of soil physical conditions and gas transfer mechanisms and dynamics in the decomposition and storage of soil organic carbon in subsoil layers. To illustrate it, we measured the time series of soil temperature, moisture and CO2 concentration and calculated CO2 fluxes along 1 m depth soil profiles during 6 months throughout two contrasted soil profiles along a hillslope in the central loess belt of Belgium.
B. Vanlauwe, K. Descheemaeker, K. E. Giller, J. Huising, R. Merckx, G. Nziguheba, J. Wendt, and S. Zingore
SOIL, 1, 491–508, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-491-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-491-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
The "local adaptation" component of integrated soil fertility management operates at field and farm scale. At field scale, the application of implements other than improved germplasm, fertilizer, and organic inputs can enhance the agronomic efficiency (AE) of fertilizer. Examples include the application of lime, secondary and micronutrients, water harvesting, and soil tillage practices. At farm scale, targeting fertilizer within variable farms is shown to significantly affect AE of fertilizer.
B. Wolf, L. Merbold, C. Decock, B. Tuzson, E. Harris, J. Six, L. Emmenegger, and J. Mohn
Biogeosciences, 12, 2517–2531, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2517-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2517-2015, 2015
L. C. Andresen, S. Bode, A. Tietema, P. Boeckx, and T. Rütting
SOIL, 1, 341–349, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-341-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-341-2015, 2015
J. W. van Groenigen, D. Huygens, P. Boeckx, Th. W. Kuyper, I. M. Lubbers, T. Rütting, and P. M. Groffman
SOIL, 1, 235–256, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-235-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-235-2015, 2015
S. Doetterl, J.-T. Cornelis, J. Six, S. Bodé, S. Opfergelt, P. Boeckx, and K. Van Oost
Biogeosciences, 12, 1357–1371, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1357-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1357-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
We link the mineralogy of soils affected by erosion and deposition to the distribution of soil carbon fractions, their turnover and microbial activity. We show that the weathering status of soils and their history are controlling the stabilization of carbon with minerals. After burial, aggregated C is preserved more efficiently while non-aggregated C can be released and younger C re-sequestered more easily. Weathering changes the effectiveness of stabilization mechanism limiting this C sink.
E. C. Brevik, A. Cerdà, J. Mataix-Solera, L. Pereg, J. N. Quinton, J. Six, and K. Van Oost
SOIL, 1, 117–129, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-117-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-117-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
This paper provides a brief accounting of some of the many ways that the study of soils can be interdisciplinary, therefore giving examples of the types of papers we hope to see submitted to SOIL.
D. Xue, P. Boeckx, and Z. Wang
Biogeosciences, 11, 5957–5967, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5957-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5957-2014, 2014
Z. Wang, K. Van Oost, A. Lang, T. Quine, W. Clymans, R. Merckx, B. Notebaert, and G. Govers
Biogeosciences, 11, 873–883, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-873-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-873-2014, 2014
T. Hoffmann, S. M. Mudd, K. van Oost, G. Verstraeten, G. Erkens, A. Lang, H. Middelkoop, J. Boyle, J. O. Kaplan, J. Willenbring, and R. Aalto
Earth Surf. Dynam., 1, 45–52, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-1-45-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-1-45-2013, 2013
P. Fiener, K. Auerswald, F. Winter, and M. Disse
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 4121–4132, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4121-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4121-2013, 2013
M. S. Demyan, F. Rasche, M. Schütt, N. Smirnova, E. Schulz, and G. Cadisch
Biogeosciences, 10, 2897–2913, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-2897-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-2897-2013, 2013
R. M. Rees, J. Augustin, G. Alberti, B. C. Ball, P. Boeckx, A. Cantarel, S. Castaldi, N. Chirinda, B. Chojnicki, M. Giebels, H. Gordon, B. Grosz, L. Horvath, R. Juszczak, Å. Kasimir Klemedtsson, L. Klemedtsson, S. Medinets, A. Machon, F. Mapanda, J. Nyamangara, J. E. Olesen, D. S. Reay, L. Sanchez, A. Sanz Cobena, K. A. Smith, A. Sowerby, M. Sommer, J. F. Soussana, M. Stenberg, C. F. E. Topp, O. van Cleemput, A. Vallejo, C. A. Watson, and M. Wuta
Biogeosciences, 10, 2671–2682, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-2671-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-2671-2013, 2013
N. Gharahi Ghehi, C. Werner, K. Hufkens, R. Kiese, E. Van Ranst, D. Nsabimana, G. Wallin, L. Klemedtsson, K. Butterbach-Bahl, and P. Boeckx
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-10-1483-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-10-1483-2013, 2013
Revised manuscript not accepted
Related subject area
Biogeosciences and biodiversity
Spatial mapping of key plant functional traits in terrestrial ecosystems across China
HiQ-LAI: a high-quality reprocessed MODIS leaf area index dataset with better spatiotemporal consistency from 2000 to 2022
EUPollMap: the European atlas of contemporary pollen distribution maps derived from an integrated Kriging interpolation approach
Reference maps of soil phosphorus for the pan-Amazon region
Mapping 24 woody plant species phenology and ground forest phenology over China from 1951 to 2020
Sensor-independent LAI/FPAR CDR: reconstructing a global sensor-independent climate data record of MODIS and VIIRS LAI/FPAR from 2000 to 2022
Investigating limnological processes and modern sedimentation at Lake Żabińskie, northeast Poland: a decade-long multi-variable dataset, 2012–2021
Spatiotemporally consistent global dataset of the GIMMS leaf area index (GIMMS LAI4g) from 1982 to 2020
Spatiotemporally consistent global dataset of the GIMMS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (PKU GIMMS NDVI) from 1982 to 2022
CLIM4OMICS: a geospatially comprehensive climate and multi-OMICS database for maize phenotype predictability in the United States and Canada
Quantifying exchangeable base cations in permafrost: a reserve of nutrients about to thaw
Routine monitoring of western Lake Erie to track water quality changes associated with cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms
National forest carbon harvesting and allocation dataset for the period 2003 to 2018
The Portuguese Large Wildfire Spread database (PT-FireSprd)
Thirty-meter map of young forest age in China
GRiMeDB: the Global River Methane Database of concentrations and fluxes
A gridded dataset of a leaf-age-dependent leaf area index seasonality product over tropical and subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests
Fire weather index data under historical and shared socioeconomic pathway projections in the 6th phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project from 1850 to 2100
A remote-sensing-based dataset to characterize the ecosystem functioning and functional diversity in the Biosphere Reserve of the Sierra Nevada (southeastern Spain)
A global long-term, high-resolution satellite radar backscatter data record (1992–2022+): merging C-band ERS/ASCAT and Ku-band QSCAT
A global database on holdover time of lightning-ignited wildfires
National CO2 budgets (2015–2020) inferred from atmospheric CO2 observations in support of the global stocktake
Mammals in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone's Red Forest: a motion-activated camera trap study
Maps with 1 km resolution reveal increases in above- and belowground forest biomass carbon pools in China over the past 20 years
AnisoVeg: anisotropy and nadir-normalized MODIS multi-angle implementation atmospheric correction (MAIAC) datasets for satellite vegetation studies in South America
TiP-Leaf: a dataset of leaf traits across vegetation types on the Tibetan Plateau
Forest structure and individual tree inventories of northeastern Siberia along climatic gradients
Global climate-related predictors at kilometer resolution for the past and future
A daily and 500 m coupled evapotranspiration and gross primary production product across China during 2000–2020
Global land surface 250 m 8 d fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR) product from 2000 to 2021
Rates and timing of chlorophyll-a increases and related environmental variables in global temperate and cold-temperate lakes
Harmonized gap-filled datasets from 20 urban flux tower sites
Holocene spatiotemporal millet agricultural patterns in northern China: a dataset of archaeobotanical macroremains
The biogeography of relative abundance of soil fungi versus bacteria in surface topsoil
Airborne SnowSAR data at X and Ku bands over boreal forest, alpine and tundra snow cover
The Landscape Fire Scars Database: mapping historical burned area and fire severity in Chile
Aridec: an open database of litter mass loss from aridlands worldwide with recommendations on suitable model applications
LegacyPollen 1.0: a taxonomically harmonized global late Quaternary pollen dataset of 2831 records with standardized chronologies
Individual tree point clouds and tree measurements from multi-platform laser scanning in German forests
A 30 m annual maize phenology dataset from 1985 to 2020 in China
Optical and biogeochemical properties of diverse Belgian inland and coastal waters
Comparing national greenhouse gas budgets reported in UNFCCC inventories against atmospheric inversions
European pollen-based REVEALS land-cover reconstructions for the Holocene: methodology, mapping and potentials
Global GOSAT, OCO-2, and OCO-3 solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence datasets
The Reading Palaeofire Database: an expanded global resource to document changes in fire regimes from sedimentary charcoal records
VODCA2GPP – a new, global, long-term (1988–2020) gross primary production dataset from microwave remote sensing
EcoDes-DK15: high-resolution ecological descriptors of vegetation and terrain derived from Denmark's national airborne laser scanning data set
The ABCflux database: Arctic–boreal CO2 flux observations and ancillary information aggregated to monthly time steps across terrestrial ecosystems
Multi-year, spatially extensive, watershed-scale synoptic stream chemistry and water quality conditions for six permafrost-underlain Arctic watersheds
Vertical profiles of leaf photosynthesis and leaf traits and soil nutrients in two tropical rainforests in French Guiana before and after a 3-year nitrogen and phosphorus addition experiment
Nannan An, Nan Lu, Weiliang Chen, Yongzhe Chen, Hao Shi, Fuzhong Wu, and Bojie Fu
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 1771–1810, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1771-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1771-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study generated a spatially continuous plant functional trait dataset (~1 km) in China in combination with field observations, environmental variables and vegetation indices using machine learning methods. Results showed that wood density, leaf P concentration and specific leaf area showed good accuracy with an average R2 of higher than 0.45. This dataset could provide data support for development of Earth system models to predict vegetation distribution and ecosystem functions.
Kai Yan, Jingrui Wang, Rui Peng, Kai Yang, Xiuzhi Chen, Gaofei Yin, Jinwei Dong, Marie Weiss, Jiabin Pu, and Ranga B. Myneni
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 1601–1622, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1601-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1601-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Variations in observational conditions have led to poor spatiotemporal consistency in leaf area index (LAI) time series. Using prior knowledge, we leveraged high-quality observations and spatiotemporal correlation to reprocess MODIS LAI, thereby generating HiQ-LAI, a product that exhibits fewer abnormal fluctuations in time series. Reprocessing was done on Google Earth Engine, providing users with convenient access to this value-added data and facilitating large-scale research and applications.
Fabio Oriani, Gregoire Mariethoz, and Manuel Chevalier
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 731–742, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-731-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-731-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Modern and fossil pollen data contain precious information for reconstructing the climate and environment of the past. However, these data are only achieved for single locations with no continuity in space. We present here a systematic atlas of 194 digital maps containing the spatial estimation of contemporary pollen presence over Europe. This dataset constitutes a free and ready-to-use tool to study climate, biodiversity, and environment in time and space.
João Paulo Darela-Filho, Anja Rammig, Katrin Fleischer, Tatiana Reichert, Laynara Figueiredo Lugli, Carlos Alberto Quesada, Luis Carlos Colocho Hurtarte, Mateus Dantas de Paula, and David M. Lapola
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 715–729, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-715-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-715-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Phosphorus (P) is crucial for plant growth, and scientists have created models to study how it interacts with carbon cycle in ecosystems. To apply these models, it is important to know the distribution of phosphorus in soil. In this study we estimated the distribution of phosphorus in the Amazon region. The results showed a clear gradient of soil development and P content. These maps can help improve ecosystem models and generate new hypotheses about phosphorus availability in the Amazon.
Mengyao Zhu, Junhu Dai, Huanjiong Wang, Juha M. Alatalo, Wei Liu, Yulong Hao, and Quansheng Ge
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 277–293, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-277-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-277-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study utilized 24,552 in situ phenology observation records from the Chinese Phenology Observation Network to model and map 24 woody plant species phenology and ground forest phenology over China from 1951 to 2020. These phenology maps are the first gridded, independent and reliable phenology data sources for China, offering a high spatial resolution of 0.1° and an average deviation of about 10 days. It contributes to more comprehensive research on plant phenology and climate change.
Jiabin Pu, Kai Yan, Samapriya Roy, Zaichun Zhu, Miina Rautiainen, Yuri Knyazikhin, and Ranga B. Myneni
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 15–34, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-15-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-15-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Long-term global LAI/FPAR products provide the fundamental dataset for accessing vegetation dynamics and studying climate change. This study develops a sensor-independent LAI/FPAR climate data record based on the integration of Terra-MODIS/Aqua-MODIS/VIIRS LAI/FPAR standard products and applies advanced gap-filling techniques. The SI LAI/FPAR CDR provides a valuable resource for researchers studying vegetation dynamics and their relationship to climate change in the 21st century.
Wojciech Tylmann, Alicja Bonk, Dariusz Borowiak, Paulina Głowacka, Kamil Nowiński, Joanna Piłczyńska, Agnieszka Szczerba, and Maurycy Żarczyński
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 5093–5103, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-5093-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-5093-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We present a dataset from the decade-long monitoring of Lake Żabińskie, a hardwater and eutrophic lake in northeast Poland. The lake contains varved sediments, which form a unique archive of past environmental variability. The monitoring program was designed to capture a pattern of relationships between meteorological conditions, limnological processes, and modern sedimentation and to verify if meteorological and limnological phenomena can be precisely tracked with varves.
Sen Cao, Muyi Li, Zaichun Zhu, Zhe Wang, Junjun Zha, Weiqing Zhao, Zeyu Duanmu, Jiana Chen, Yaoyao Zheng, Yue Chen, Ranga B. Myneni, and Shilong Piao
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 4877–4899, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-4877-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-4877-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The long-term global leaf area index (LAI) products are critical for characterizing vegetation dynamics under environmental changes. This study presents an updated GIMMS LAI product (GIMMS LAI4g; 1982−2020) based on PKU GIMMS NDVI and massive Landsat LAI samples. With higher accuracy than other LAI products, GIMMS LAI4g removes the effects of orbital drift and sensor degradation in AVHRR data. It has better temporal consistency before and after 2000 and a more reasonable global vegetation trend.
Muyi Li, Sen Cao, Zaichun Zhu, Zhe Wang, Ranga B. Myneni, and Shilong Piao
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 4181–4203, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-4181-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-4181-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Long-term global Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) products support the understanding of changes in vegetation under environmental changes. This study generates a consistent global NDVI product (PKU GIMMS NDVI) from 1982–2022 that eliminates the issue of orbital drift and sensor degradation in Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data. More accurate than its predecessor (GIMMS NDVI3g), it shows high temporal consistency with MODIS NDVI in describing vegetation trends.
Parisa Sarzaeim, Francisco Muñoz-Arriola, Diego Jarquin, Hasnat Aslam, and Natalia De Leon Gatti
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 3963–3990, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3963-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3963-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
A genomic, phenomic, and climate database for maize phenotype predictability in the US and Canada is introduced. The database encompasses climate from multiple sources and OMICS from the Genomes to Fields initiative (G2F) data from 2014 to 2021, including codes for input data quality and consistency controls. Earth system modelers and breeders can use CLIM4OMICS since it interconnects the climate and biological system sciences. CLIM4OMICS is designed to foster phenotype predictability.
Elisabeth Mauclet, Maëlle Villani, Arthur Monhonval, Catherine Hirst, Edward A. G. Schuur, and Sophie Opfergelt
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 3891–3904, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3891-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3891-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Permafrost ecosystems are limited in nutrients for vegetation development and constrain the biological activity to the active layer. Upon Arctic warming, permafrost degradation exposes organic and mineral soil material that may directly influence the capacity of the soil to retain key nutrients for vegetation growth and development. Here, we demonstrate that the average total exchangeable nutrient density (Ca, K, Mg, and Na) is more than 2 times higher in the permafrost than in the active layer.
Anna G. Boegehold, Ashley M. Burtner, Andrew C. Camilleri, Glenn Carter, Paul DenUyl, David Fanslow, Deanna Fyffe Semenyuk, Casey M. Godwin, Duane Gossiaux, Thomas H. Johengen, Holly Kelchner, Christine Kitchens, Lacey A. Mason, Kelly McCabe, Danna Palladino, Dack Stuart, Henry Vanderploeg, and Reagan Errera
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 3853–3868, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3853-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3853-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Western Lake Erie suffers from cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (HABs) despite decades of international management efforts. In response, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) and the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR) created an annual sampling program to detect, monitor, assess, and predict HABs. Here we describe the data collected from this monitoring program from 2012 to 2021.
Daju Wang, Peiyang Ren, Xiaosheng Xia, Lei Fan, Zhangcai Qin, Xiuzhi Chen, and Wenping Yuan
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-309, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-309, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
This study generated a high-precision dataset, locating forest harvested carbon and quantifying post-harvest wood emissions for various uses. It enhances our understanding of forest harvesting and post-harvest carbon dynamics in China, providing essential data for estimating the forest ecosystem carbon budget and emphasizing wood utilization's impact on carbon emissions.
Akli Benali, Nuno Guiomar, Hugo Gonçalves, Bernardo Mota, Fábio Silva, Paulo M. Fernandes, Carlos Mota, Alexandre Penha, João Santos, José M. C. Pereira, and Ana C. L. Sá
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 3791–3818, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3791-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3791-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We reconstructed the spread of 80 large wildfires that burned recently in Portugal and calculated metrics that describe how wildfires behave, such as rate of spread, growth rate, and energy released. We describe the fire behaviour distribution using six percentile intervals that can be easily communicated to both research and management communities. The database will help improve our current knowledge on wildfire behaviour and support better decision making.
Yuelong Xiao, Qunming Wang, Xiaohua Tong, and Peter M. Atkinson
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 3365–3386, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3365-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3365-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Forest age is closely related to forest production, carbon cycles, and other ecosystem services. Existing stand age products in China derived from remote-sensing images are of a coarse spatial resolution and are not suitable for applications at the regional scale. Here, we mapped young forest ages across China at an unprecedented fine spatial resolution of 30 m. The overall accuracy (OA) of the generated map of young forest stand ages across China was 90.28 %.
Emily H. Stanley, Luke C. Loken, Nora J. Casson, Samantha K. Oliver, Ryan A. Sponseller, Marcus B. Wallin, Liwei Zhang, and Gerard Rocher-Ros
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 2879–2926, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-2879-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-2879-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The Global River Methane Database (GRiMeDB) presents CH4 concentrations and fluxes for flowing waters and concurrent measures of CO2, N2O, and several physicochemical variables, plus information about sample locations and methods used to measure gas fluxes. GRiMeDB is intended to increase opportunities to understand variation in fluvial CH4, test hypotheses related to greenhouse gas dynamics, and reduce uncertainty in future estimates of gas emissions from world streams and rivers.
Xueqin Yang, Xiuzhi Chen, Jiashun Ren, Wenping Yuan, Liyang Liu, Juxiu Liu, Dexiang Chen, Yihua Xiao, Qinghai Song, Yanjun Du, Shengbiao Wu, Lei Fan, Xiaoai Dai, Yunpeng Wang, and Yongxian Su
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 2601–2622, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-2601-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-2601-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We developed the first time-mapped, continental-scale gridded dataset of monthly leaf area index (LAI) in three leaf age cohorts (i.e., young, mature, and old) from 2001–2018 data (referred to as Lad-LAI). The seasonality of three LAI cohorts from the new Lad-LAI product agrees well at eight sites with very fine-scale collections of monthly LAI. The proposed satellite-based approaches can provide references for mapping finer spatiotemporal-resolution LAI products with different leaf age cohorts.
Yann Quilcaille, Fulden Batibeniz, Andreia F. S. Ribeiro, Ryan S. Padrón, and Sonia I. Seneviratne
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 2153–2177, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-2153-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-2153-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We present a new database of four annual fire weather indicators over 1850–2100 and over all land areas. In a 3°C warmer world with respect to preindustrial times, the mean fire weather would increase on average by at least 66% in both intensity and duration and even triple for 1-in-10-year events. The dataset is a freely available resource for fire danger studies and beyond, highlighting that the best course of action would require limiting global warming as much as possible.
Beatriz P. Cazorla, Javier Cabello, Andrés Reyes, Emilio Guirado, Julio Peñas, Antonio J. Pérez-Luque, and Domingo Alcaraz-Segura
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 1871–1887, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1871-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1871-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This dataset provides scientists, environmental managers, and the public in general with valuable information on the first characterization of ecosystem functional diversity based on primary production developed in the Sierra Nevada (Spain), a biodiversity hotspot in the Mediterranean basin and an exceptional natural laboratory for ecological research within the Long-Term Social-Ecological Research (LTSER) network.
Shengli Tao, Zurui Ao, Jean-Pierre Wigneron, Sassan Saatchi, Philippe Ciais, Jérôme Chave, Thuy Le Toan, Pierre-Louis Frison, Xiaomei Hu, Chi Chen, Lei Fan, Mengjia Wang, Jiangling Zhu, Xia Zhao, Xiaojun Li, Xiangzhuo Liu, Yanjun Su, Tianyu Hu, Qinghua Guo, Zhiheng Wang, Zhiyao Tang, Yi Y. Liu, and Jingyun Fang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 1577–1596, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1577-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1577-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We provide the first long-term (since 1992), high-resolution (8.9 km) satellite radar backscatter data set (LHScat) with a C-band (5.3 GHz) signal dynamic for global lands. LHScat was created by fusing signals from ERS (1992–2001; C-band), QSCAT (1999–2009; Ku-band), and ASCAT (since 2007; C-band). LHScat has been validated against independent ERS-2 signals. It could be used in a variety of studies, such as vegetation monitoring and hydrological modelling.
Jose V. Moris, Pedro Álvarez-Álvarez, Marco Conedera, Annalie Dorph, Thomas D. Hessilt, Hugh G. P. Hunt, Renata Libonati, Lucas S. Menezes, Mortimer M. Müller, Francisco J. Pérez-Invernón, Gianni B. Pezzatti, Nicolau Pineda, Rebecca C. Scholten, Sander Veraverbeke, B. Mike Wotton, and Davide Ascoli
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 1151–1163, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1151-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1151-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This work describes a database on holdover times of lightning-ignited wildfires (LIWs). Holdover time is defined as the time between lightning-induced fire ignition and fire detection. The database contains 42 datasets built with data on more than 152 375 LIWs from 13 countries in five continents from 1921 to 2020. This database is the first freely-available, harmonized and ready-to-use global source of holdover time data, which may be used to investigate LIWs and model the holdover phenomenon.
Brendan Byrne, David F. Baker, Sourish Basu, Michael Bertolacci, Kevin W. Bowman, Dustin Carroll, Abhishek Chatterjee, Frédéric Chevallier, Philippe Ciais, Noel Cressie, David Crisp, Sean Crowell, Feng Deng, Zhu Deng, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Manvendra K. Dubey, Sha Feng, Omaira E. García, David W. T. Griffith, Benedikt Herkommer, Lei Hu, Andrew R. Jacobson, Rajesh Janardanan, Sujong Jeong, Matthew S. Johnson, Dylan B. A. Jones, Rigel Kivi, Junjie Liu, Zhiqiang Liu, Shamil Maksyutov, John B. Miller, Scot M. Miller, Isamu Morino, Justus Notholt, Tomohiro Oda, Christopher W. O'Dell, Young-Suk Oh, Hirofumi Ohyama, Prabir K. Patra, Hélène Peiro, Christof Petri, Sajeev Philip, David F. Pollard, Benjamin Poulter, Marine Remaud, Andrew Schuh, Mahesh K. Sha, Kei Shiomi, Kimberly Strong, Colm Sweeney, Yao Té, Hanqin Tian, Voltaire A. Velazco, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Thorsten Warneke, John R. Worden, Debra Wunch, Yuanzhi Yao, Jeongmin Yun, Andrew Zammit-Mangion, and Ning Zeng
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 963–1004, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-963-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-963-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Changes in the carbon stocks of terrestrial ecosystems result in emissions and removals of CO2. These can be driven by anthropogenic activities (e.g., deforestation), natural processes (e.g., fires) or in response to rising CO2 (e.g., CO2 fertilization). This paper describes a dataset of CO2 emissions and removals derived from atmospheric CO2 observations. This pilot dataset informs current capabilities and future developments towards top-down monitoring and verification systems.
Nicholas A. Beresford, Sergii Gashchak, Michael D. Wood, and Catherine L. Barnett
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 911–920, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-911-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-911-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Camera traps were established in a highly contaminated area of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) to capture images of mammals. Over 1 year, 14 mammal species were recorded. The number of species observed did not vary with estimated radiation exposure. The data will be of value from the perspectives of effects of radiation on wildlife and also rewilding in this large, abandoned area. They may also have value in future studies investigating impacts of recent Russian military action in the CEZ.
Yongzhe Chen, Xiaoming Feng, Bojie Fu, Haozhi Ma, Constantin M. Zohner, Thomas W. Crowther, Yuanyuan Huang, Xutong Wu, and Fangli Wei
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 897–910, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-897-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-897-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This study presented a long-term (2002–2021) above- and belowground biomass dataset for woody vegetation in China at 1 km resolution. It was produced by combining various types of remote sensing observations with adequate plot measurements. Over 2002–2021, China’s woody biomass increased at a high rate, especially in the central and southern parts. This dataset can be applied to evaluate forest carbon sinks across China and the efficiency of ecological restoration programs in China.
Ricardo Dalagnol, Lênio Soares Galvão, Fabien Hubert Wagner, Yhasmin Mendes de Moura, Nathan Gonçalves, Yujie Wang, Alexei Lyapustin, Yan Yang, Sassan Saatchi, and Luiz Eduardo Oliveira Cruz Aragão
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 345–358, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-345-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-345-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The AnisoVeg dataset brings 22 years of monthly satellite data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor for South America at 1 km resolution aimed at vegetation applications. It has nadir-normalized data, which is the most traditional approach to correct satellite data but also unique anisotropy data with strong biophysical meaning, explaining 55 % of Amazon forest height. We expect this dataset to help large-scale estimates of vegetation biomass and carbon.
Yili Jin, Haoyan Wang, Jie Xia, Jian Ni, Kai Li, Ying Hou, Jing Hu, Linfeng Wei, Kai Wu, Haojun Xia, and Borui Zhou
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 25–39, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-25-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-25-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The TiP-Leaf dataset was compiled from direct field measurements and included 11 leaf traits from 468 species of 1692 individuals, covering a great proportion of species and vegetation types on the highest plateau in the world. This work is the first plant trait dataset that represents all of the alpine vegetation on the TP, which is not only an update of the Chinese plant trait database, but also a great contribution to the global trait database.
Timon Miesner, Ulrike Herzschuh, Luidmila A. Pestryakova, Mareike Wieczorek, Evgenii S. Zakharov, Alexei I. Kolmogorov, Paraskovya V. Davydova, and Stefan Kruse
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 5695–5716, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5695-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5695-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We present data which were collected on expeditions to the northeast of the Russian Federation. One table describes the 226 locations we visited during those expeditions, and the other describes 40 289 trees which we recorded at these locations. We found out that important information on the forest cannot be predicted precisely from satellites. Thus, for anyone interested in distant forests, it is important to go to there and take measurements or use data (as presented here).
Philipp Brun, Niklaus E. Zimmermann, Chantal Hari, Loïc Pellissier, and Dirk Nikolaus Karger
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 5573–5603, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5573-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5573-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Using mechanistic downscaling, we developed CHELSA-BIOCLIM+, a set of 15 biologically relevant, climate-related variables at unprecedented resolution, as a basis for environmental analyses. It includes monthly time series for 38+ years and 30-year averages for three future periods and three emission scenarios. Estimates matched well with station measurements, but few biases existed. The data allow for detailed assessments of climate-change impact on ecosystems and their services to societies.
Shaoyang He, Yongqiang Zhang, Ning Ma, Jing Tian, Dongdong Kong, and Changming Liu
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 5463–5488, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5463-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5463-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This study developed a daily, 500 m evapotranspiration and gross primary production product (PML-V2(China)) using a locally calibrated water–carbon coupled model, PML-V2, which was well calibrated against observations at 26 flux sites across nine land cover types. PML-V2 (China) performs satisfactorily in the plot- and basin-scale evaluations compared with other mainstream products. It improved intra-annual ET and GPP dynamics, particularly in the cropland ecosystem.
Han Ma, Shunlin Liang, Changhao Xiong, Qian Wang, Aolin Jia, and Bing Li
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 5333–5347, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5333-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5333-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR) is one of the essential climate variables. This study generated a global land surface FAPAR product with a 250 m resolution based on a deep learning model that takes advantage of the existing FAPAR products and MODIS time series of observation information. Direct validation and intercomparison revealed that our product better meets user requirements and has a greater spatiotemporal continuity than other existing products.
Hannah Adams, Jane Ye, Bhaleka D. Persaud, Stephanie Slowinski, Homa Kheyrollah Pour, and Philippe Van Cappellen
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 5139–5156, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5139-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5139-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Climate warming and land-use changes are altering the environmental factors that control the algal
productivityin lakes. To predict how environmental factors like nutrient concentrations, ice cover, and water temperature will continue to influence lake productivity in this changing climate, we created a dataset of chlorophyll-a concentrations (a compound found in algae), associated water quality parameters, and solar radiation that can be used to for a wide range of research questions.
Mathew Lipson, Sue Grimmond, Martin Best, Winston T. L. Chow, Andreas Christen, Nektarios Chrysoulakis, Andrew Coutts, Ben Crawford, Stevan Earl, Jonathan Evans, Krzysztof Fortuniak, Bert G. Heusinkveld, Je-Woo Hong, Jinkyu Hong, Leena Järvi, Sungsoo Jo, Yeon-Hee Kim, Simone Kotthaus, Keunmin Lee, Valéry Masson, Joseph P. McFadden, Oliver Michels, Wlodzimierz Pawlak, Matthias Roth, Hirofumi Sugawara, Nigel Tapper, Erik Velasco, and Helen Claire Ward
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 5157–5178, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5157-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5157-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We describe a new openly accessible collection of atmospheric observations from 20 cities around the world, capturing 50 site years. The observations capture local meteorology (temperature, humidity, wind, etc.) and the energy fluxes between the land and atmosphere (e.g. radiation and sensible and latent heat fluxes). These observations can be used to improve our understanding of urban climate processes and to test the accuracy of urban climate models.
Keyang He, Houyuan Lu, Jianping Zhang, and Can Wang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 4777–4791, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4777-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4777-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Here we presented the first quantitative spatiotemporal cropping patterns spanning the Neolithic and Bronze ages in northern China. Temporally, millet agriculture underwent a dramatic transition from low-yield broomcorn to high-yield foxtail millet around 6000 cal. a BP under the influence of climate and population. Spatially, millet agriculture spread westward and northward from the mid-lower Yellow River (MLY) to the agro-pastoral ecotone (APE) around 6000 cal. a BP and diversified afterwards.
Kailiang Yu, Johan van den Hoogen, Zhiqiang Wang, Colin Averill, Devin Routh, Gabriel Reuben Smith, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Kate M. Scow, Fei Mo, Mark P. Waldrop, Yuanhe Yang, Weize Tang, Franciska T. De Vries, Richard D. Bardgett, Peter Manning, Felipe Bastida, Sara G. Baer, Elizabeth M. Bach, Carlos García, Qingkui Wang, Linna Ma, Baodong Chen, Xianjing He, Sven Teurlincx, Amber Heijboer, James A. Bradley, and Thomas W. Crowther
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 4339–4350, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4339-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4339-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We used a global-scale dataset for the surface topsoil (>3000 distinct observations of abundance of soil fungi versus bacteria) to generate the first quantitative map of soil fungal proportion across terrestrial ecosystems. We reveal striking latitudinal trends. Fungi dominated in regions with low mean annual temperature (MAT) and net primary productivity (NPP) and bacteria dominated in regions with high MAT and NPP.
Juha Lemmetyinen, Juval Cohen, Anna Kontu, Juho Vehviläinen, Henna-Reetta Hannula, Ioanna Merkouriadi, Stefan Scheiblauer, Helmut Rott, Thomas Nagler, Elisabeth Ripper, Kelly Elder, Hans-Peter Marshall, Reinhard Fromm, Marc Adams, Chris Derksen, Joshua King, Adriano Meta, Alex Coccia, Nick Rutter, Melody Sandells, Giovanni Macelloni, Emanuele Santi, Marion Leduc-Leballeur, Richard Essery, Cecile Menard, and Michael Kern
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 3915–3945, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3915-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3915-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The manuscript describes airborne, dual-polarised X and Ku band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data collected over several campaigns over snow-covered terrain in Finland, Austria and Canada. Colocated snow and meteorological observations are also presented. The data are meant for science users interested in investigating X/Ku band radar signatures from natural environments in winter conditions.
Alejandro Miranda, Rayén Mentler, Ítalo Moletto-Lobos, Gabriela Alfaro, Leonardo Aliaga, Dana Balbontín, Maximiliano Barraza, Susanne Baumbach, Patricio Calderón, Fernando Cárdenas, Iván Castillo, Gonzalo Contreras, Felipe de la Barra, Mauricio Galleguillos, Mauro E. González, Carlos Hormazábal, Antonio Lara, Ian Mancilla, Francisca Muñoz, Cristian Oyarce, Francisca Pantoja, Rocío Ramírez, and Vicente Urrutia
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 3599–3613, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3599-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3599-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Achieving a local understanding of fire regimes requires high-resolution, systematic and dynamic data. High-quality information can help to transform evidence into decision-making. Taking advantage of big-data and remote sensing technics we developed a flexible workflow to reconstruct burned area and fire severity data for more than 8000 individual fires in Chile. The framework developed for the database can be applied anywhere in the world with minimal adaptation.
Agustín Sarquis, Ignacio Andrés Siebenhart, Amy Theresa Austin, and Carlos A. Sierra
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 3471–3488, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3471-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3471-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Plant litter breakdown in aridlands is driven by processes different from those in more humid ecosystems. A better understanding of these processes will allow us to make better predictions of future carbon cycling. We have compiled aridec, a database of plant litter decomposition studies in aridlands and tested some modeling applications for potential users. Aridec is open for use and collaboration, and we hope it will help answer newer and more important questions as the database develops.
Ulrike Herzschuh, Chenzhi Li, Thomas Böhmer, Alexander K. Postl, Birgit Heim, Andrei A. Andreev, Xianyong Cao, Mareike Wieczorek, and Jian Ni
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 3213–3227, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3213-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3213-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Pollen preserved in environmental archives such as lake sediments and bogs are extensively used for reconstructions of past vegetation and climate. Here we present LegacyPollen 1.0, a dataset of 2831 fossil pollen records from all over the globe that were collected from publicly available databases. We harmonized the names of the pollen taxa so that all datasets can be jointly investigated. LegacyPollen 1.0 is available as an open-access dataset.
Hannah Weiser, Jannika Schäfer, Lukas Winiwarter, Nina Krašovec, Fabian E. Fassnacht, and Bernhard Höfle
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 2989–3012, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2989-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2989-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
3D point clouds, acquired by laser scanning, allow us to retrieve information about forest structure and individual tree properties. We conducted airborne, UAV-borne and terrestrial laser scanning in German mixed forests, resulting in overlapping point clouds with different characteristics. From these, we generated a comprehensive database of individual tree point clouds and corresponding tree metrics. Our dataset may serve as a benchmark dataset for algorithms in forestry research.
Quandi Niu, Xuecao Li, Jianxi Huang, Hai Huang, Xianda Huang, Wei Su, and Wenping Yuan
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 2851–2864, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2851-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2851-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper we generated the first national maize phenology product with a fine spatial resolution (30 m) and a long temporal span (1985–2020) in China, using Landsat images. The derived phenological indicators agree with in situ observations and provide more spatial details than moderate resolution phenology products. The extracted maize phenology dataset can support precise yield estimation and deepen our understanding of the response of agroecosystem to global warming in the future.
Alexandre Castagna, Luz Amadei Martínez, Margarita Bogorad, Ilse Daveloose, Renaat Dasseville, Heidi Melita Dierssen, Matthew Beck, Jonas Mortelmans, Héloïse Lavigne, Ana Dogliotti, David Doxaran, Kevin Ruddick, Wim Vyverman, and Koen Sabbe
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 2697–2719, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2697-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2697-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Here we describe a dataset of optical measurements paired with the concentration and composition of dissolved and particulate components of water systems in Belgium. Sampling was performed over eight lakes, a coastal lagoon, an estuary, and coastal waters, covering the period of 2017 to 2019. The data cover a broad range of conditions and can be useful for development and evaluation of hyperspectral methods in hydrology optics and remote sensing.
Zhu Deng, Philippe Ciais, Zitely A. Tzompa-Sosa, Marielle Saunois, Chunjing Qiu, Chang Tan, Taochun Sun, Piyu Ke, Yanan Cui, Katsumasa Tanaka, Xin Lin, Rona L. Thompson, Hanqin Tian, Yuanzhi Yao, Yuanyuan Huang, Ronny Lauerwald, Atul K. Jain, Xiaoming Xu, Ana Bastos, Stephen Sitch, Paul I. Palmer, Thomas Lauvaux, Alexandre d'Aspremont, Clément Giron, Antoine Benoit, Benjamin Poulter, Jinfeng Chang, Ana Maria Roxana Petrescu, Steven J. Davis, Zhu Liu, Giacomo Grassi, Clément Albergel, Francesco N. Tubiello, Lucia Perugini, Wouter Peters, and Frédéric Chevallier
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 1639–1675, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1639-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1639-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In support of the global stocktake of the Paris Agreement on climate change, we proposed a method for reconciling the results of global atmospheric inversions with data from UNFCCC national greenhouse gas inventories (NGHGIs). Here, based on a new global harmonized database that we compiled from the UNFCCC NGHGIs and a comprehensive framework presented in this study to process the results of inversions, we compared their results of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O).
Esther Githumbi, Ralph Fyfe, Marie-Jose Gaillard, Anna-Kari Trondman, Florence Mazier, Anne-Birgitte Nielsen, Anneli Poska, Shinya Sugita, Jessie Woodbridge, Julien Azuara, Angelica Feurdean, Roxana Grindean, Vincent Lebreton, Laurent Marquer, Nathalie Nebout-Combourieu, Miglė Stančikaitė, Ioan Tanţău, Spassimir Tonkov, Lyudmila Shumilovskikh, and LandClimII data contributors
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 1581–1619, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1581-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1581-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Reconstruction of past land cover is necessary for the study of past climate–land cover interactions and the evaluation of climate models and land-use scenarios. We used 1128 available pollen records from across Europe covering the last 11 700 years in the REVEALS model to calculate percentage cover and associated standard errors for 31 taxa, 12 plant functional types and 3 land-cover types. REVEALS results are reliant on the quality of the input datasets.
Russell Doughty, Thomas P. Kurosu, Nicholas Parazoo, Philipp Köhler, Yujie Wang, Ying Sun, and Christian Frankenberg
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 1513–1529, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1513-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1513-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We describe and compare solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence data produced by NASA from the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) and the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) and OCO-3 platforms.
Sandy P. Harrison, Roberto Villegas-Diaz, Esmeralda Cruz-Silva, Daniel Gallagher, David Kesner, Paul Lincoln, Yicheng Shen, Luke Sweeney, Daniele Colombaroli, Adam Ali, Chéïma Barhoumi, Yves Bergeron, Tatiana Blyakharchuk, Přemysl Bobek, Richard Bradshaw, Jennifer L. Clear, Sambor Czerwiński, Anne-Laure Daniau, John Dodson, Kevin J. Edwards, Mary E. Edwards, Angelica Feurdean, David Foster, Konrad Gajewski, Mariusz Gałka, Michelle Garneau, Thomas Giesecke, Graciela Gil Romera, Martin P. Girardin, Dana Hoefer, Kangyou Huang, Jun Inoue, Eva Jamrichová, Nauris Jasiunas, Wenying Jiang, Gonzalo Jiménez-Moreno, Monika Karpińska-Kołaczek, Piotr Kołaczek, Niina Kuosmanen, Mariusz Lamentowicz, Martin Lavoie, Fang Li, Jianyong Li, Olga Lisitsyna, José Antonio López-Sáez, Reyes Luelmo-Lautenschlaeger, Gabriel Magnan, Eniko Katalin Magyari, Alekss Maksims, Katarzyna Marcisz, Elena Marinova, Jenn Marlon, Scott Mensing, Joanna Miroslaw-Grabowska, Wyatt Oswald, Sebastián Pérez-Díaz, Ramón Pérez-Obiol, Sanna Piilo, Anneli Poska, Xiaoguang Qin, Cécile C. Remy, Pierre J. H. Richard, Sakari Salonen, Naoko Sasaki, Hieke Schneider, William Shotyk, Migle Stancikaite, Dace Šteinberga, Normunds Stivrins, Hikaru Takahara, Zhihai Tan, Liva Trasune, Charles E. Umbanhowar, Minna Väliranta, Jüri Vassiljev, Xiayun Xiao, Qinghai Xu, Xin Xu, Edyta Zawisza, Yan Zhao, Zheng Zhou, and Jordan Paillard
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 1109–1124, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1109-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1109-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We provide a new global data set of charcoal preserved in sediments that can be used to examine how fire regimes have changed during past millennia and to investigate what caused these changes. The individual records have been standardised, and new age models have been constructed to allow better comparison across sites. The data set contains 1681 records from 1477 sites worldwide.
Benjamin Wild, Irene Teubner, Leander Moesinger, Ruxandra-Maria Zotta, Matthias Forkel, Robin van der Schalie, Stephen Sitch, and Wouter Dorigo
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 1063–1085, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1063-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1063-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Gross primary production (GPP) describes the conversion of CO2 to carbohydrates and can be seen as a filter for our atmosphere of the primary greenhouse gas CO2. We developed VODCA2GPP, a GPP dataset that is based on vegetation optical depth from microwave remote sensing and temperature. Thus, it is mostly independent from existing GPP datasets and also available in regions with frequent cloud coverage. Analysis showed that VODCA2GPP is able to complement existing state-of-the-art GPP datasets.
Jakob J. Assmann, Jesper E. Moeslund, Urs A. Treier, and Signe Normand
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 823–844, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-823-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-823-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In 2014 and 2015, the Danish government scanned the whole of Denmark using laser scanners on planes. The information can help biologists learn more about Denmark's natural environment. To make it easier to access the outputs from the scan, we divided the country into 10 m x 10 m squares and summed up the information most relevant to biologists for each square. The result is a set of 70 maps describing the three-dimensional architecture of the Danish landscape and vegetation.
Anna-Maria Virkkala, Susan M. Natali, Brendan M. Rogers, Jennifer D. Watts, Kathleen Savage, Sara June Connon, Marguerite Mauritz, Edward A. G. Schuur, Darcy Peter, Christina Minions, Julia Nojeim, Roisin Commane, Craig A. Emmerton, Mathias Goeckede, Manuel Helbig, David Holl, Hiroki Iwata, Hideki Kobayashi, Pasi Kolari, Efrén López-Blanco, Maija E. Marushchak, Mikhail Mastepanov, Lutz Merbold, Frans-Jan W. Parmentier, Matthias Peichl, Torsten Sachs, Oliver Sonnentag, Masahito Ueyama, Carolina Voigt, Mika Aurela, Julia Boike, Gerardo Celis, Namyi Chae, Torben R. Christensen, M. Syndonia Bret-Harte, Sigrid Dengel, Han Dolman, Colin W. Edgar, Bo Elberling, Eugenie Euskirchen, Achim Grelle, Juha Hatakka, Elyn Humphreys, Järvi Järveoja, Ayumi Kotani, Lars Kutzbach, Tuomas Laurila, Annalea Lohila, Ivan Mammarella, Yojiro Matsuura, Gesa Meyer, Mats B. Nilsson, Steven F. Oberbauer, Sang-Jong Park, Roman Petrov, Anatoly S. Prokushkin, Christopher Schulze, Vincent L. St. Louis, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Juha-Pekka Tuovinen, William Quinton, Andrej Varlagin, Donatella Zona, and Viacheslav I. Zyryanov
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 179–208, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-179-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-179-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The effects of climate warming on carbon cycling across the Arctic–boreal zone (ABZ) remain poorly understood due to the relatively limited distribution of ABZ flux sites. Fortunately, this flux network is constantly increasing, but new measurements are published in various platforms, making it challenging to understand the ABZ carbon cycle as a whole. Here, we compiled a new database of Arctic–boreal CO2 fluxes to help facilitate large-scale assessments of the ABZ carbon cycle.
Arial J. Shogren, Jay P. Zarnetske, Benjamin W. Abbott, Samuel Bratsman, Brian Brown, Michael P. Carey, Randy Fulweber, Heather E. Greaves, Emma Haines, Frances Iannucci, Joshua C. Koch, Alexander Medvedeff, Jonathan A. O'Donnell, Leika Patch, Brett A. Poulin, Tanner J. Williamson, and William B. Bowden
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 95–116, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-95-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-95-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Rapidly sampling multiple points in an entire river network provides a high-resolution snapshot in time that can reveal where nutrients and carbon are being taken up and released. Here, we describe two such datasets of river network chemistry in six Arctic watersheds in northern Alaska. We describe how these repeated snapshots can be used as an indicator of ecosystem response to climate change and to improve predictions of future release of carbon, nutrient, and other solutes.
Lore T. Verryckt, Sara Vicca, Leandro Van Langenhove, Clément Stahl, Dolores Asensio, Ifigenia Urbina, Romà Ogaya, Joan Llusià, Oriol Grau, Guille Peguero, Albert Gargallo-Garriga, Elodie A. Courtois, Olga Margalef, Miguel Portillo-Estrada, Philippe Ciais, Michael Obersteiner, Lucia Fuchslueger, Laynara F. Lugli, Pere-Roc Fernandez-Garberí, Helena Vallicrosa, Melanie Verlinden, Christian Ranits, Pieter Vermeir, Sabrina Coste, Erik Verbruggen, Laëtitia Bréchet, Jordi Sardans, Jérôme Chave, Josep Peñuelas, and Ivan A. Janssens
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 5–18, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We provide a comprehensive dataset of vertical profiles of photosynthesis and important leaf traits, including leaf N and P concentrations, from two 3-year, large-scale nutrient addition experiments conducted in two tropical rainforests in French Guiana. These data present a unique source of information to further improve model representations of the roles of N and P, and other leaf nutrients, in photosynthesis in tropical forests.
Cited articles
Alcántara, V., Don, A., Vesterdal, L., Well, R., and Nieder R.: Stability
of buried carbon in deep-ploughed forest and cropland soils – implications
for carbon stocks, Sci. Rep.-UK, 7, 5511, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-05501-y,
2017.
Amundson, R., Berhe, A. A., Hopmans, J. W., Olson, C., Sztein, A. E., and
Sparks, D.L.: Soil and human security in the 21st century, Science,
348, 1261071, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1261071, 2015.
Bauters, M., Moonen, P., Summerauer, L., Doetterl, S., Wasner, D.,
Griepentrog, M., Mumbanza, F. M., Kearsley, E., Ewango, C., Boyemba, F., Six,
J., Muys, B., Verbist, B., Boeckx, P., and Verheyen, K.: Soil Nutrient
Depletion and Tree Functional Composition Shift Following Repeated Clearing
in Secondary Forests of the Congo Basin, Ecosystems,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-020-00593-6, 2021.
Berhe, A. A., Harden, J. W., Torn, M. S., Kleber, M., Burton, S. D., and Harte,
J.: Persistence of soil organic matter in eroding versus depositional
landform positions, J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeo., 117, 1–16,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JG001790, 2012.
Bukombe, B., Fiener, P., Hoyt, A. M., and Doetterl, S.: Controls on heterotrophic soil respiration and carbon cycling in geochemically distinct African tropical forest soils, SOIL Discuss. [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2020-96, in review, 2021.
Carreño-Rocabado, G., Claros-Peña, M., Bongers, F., Díaz,
Quetier, F., Chuviña, J., and Poorter, L.: Land-use intensification
effects on functional properties in tropical plant communities, Ecol. Appl.,
26, 174–189, https://doi.org/10.1890/14-0340, 2016.
CBO – The Congo Biogeochemistry Observatory, https://www.congo-biogeochem.com/data, last access: 19 August 2021.
Chave J., Andalo, C. , Brown, S., Cairns, M. A. , Chambers, J. Q., Eamus,
D., Fölster, H., Fromard, F., Higuchi, N., Kira, T., Lescure, J. P.,
Nelson, B. W., Ogawa, H., Puig, H., Riéra, B., and Yamakura, T. :Tree
allometry and improved estimation of carbon stocks and balance in tropical
forests, Oecologia, 145, 87–99, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-005-0100-x, 2005.
Chave, J., Rejou-Mechain, M., Burquez, A., Chidumayo, E., Colgan, M.,
Delitti, W., Eid, T., Duque, A., Fearnside, P., Goodman, R., Henry, M.,
Martínez-Yrízar, A., Mugasha, W., Muller-Landau, H., Mencuccini,
M., Nelson, B., Ngomanda, A., Nogueira, E., Ortiz-Malavassi, E.,
Pélissier, R., Ploton, P., Ryan, C., Saldarriaga, J., and
Vieilledent, G.: Improved allometric models to estimate the aboveground
biomass of tropical trees, Glob. Change Biol., 20, 3177–3190,
https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12629, 2014.
Curtis, P. G., Slay, C. M., Harris, N. L., Tyukavina, A., and Hansen, M. C.:
Classifying drivers of global forest loss, Science, 361, 1108–1111,
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aau3445, 2018.
Dewitte, O., Jones, A., Spaargaren, O., Breuning-Madsen, H., Brossard, M., Dampha, A., Deckers, J., Gallali, T., Hallett, S., Jones, R., Kilasara, M., Le Roux, P., Michéli, E., Montanarella, L., Thiombiano, L., Van Ranst, E., Yemefack, M., and Zougmore, R.: Harmonisation of the soil map of Africa at the continental scale, Geoderma, 211–212, 138–153, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.07.007, 2013.
Doetterl, S., Six, J., Van Wesemael, B., and Van Oost, K.: Carbon cycling in
eroding landscapes: Geomorphic controls on soil organic C pool composition
and C stabilization, Glob. Change Biol., 18, 2218–2232,
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02680.x, 2012.
Doetterl, S., Kearsley, E., Bauters, M., Hufkens, K., Lisingo, J., Baert,
G., Verbeeck, H., and Boeckx, P.: Aboveground vs. belowground carbon stocks
in African tropical lowland rainforest: Drivers and implications, PLoS One,
10, 1–14, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0143209, 2015.
Doetterl, S., Berhe, A.A., Nadeu, E., Wang, Z., Sommer, M., and Fiener, P.:
Erosion, deposition and soil carbon: a review of process-level controls,
experimental tools and models to address C cycling in dynamic landscapes,
Earth Sci. Rev., 154, 102–122,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2015.12.005, 2016.
Doetterl, S., Drake, T., Bauters, M., Van Oost, K., Barthel, M., and Hoyt,
A.: Environmental research in the heart of Africa: The Congo biogeochemistry
Observatory: The role of the changing Tropics for future global carbon
dynamics, Editoria, Open Access Government, 25, 328–329, 2020.
Doetterl, S., Bukombe, B., Cooper, M., Kidinda, L., Muhindo, D.,
Reichenbach, M., Stegmann, A., Summerauer, L., Wilken, F., and Fiener, P.:
TropSOC Database, Version 1.0, GFZ Data Services,
https://doi.org/10.5880/fidgeo.2021.009, 2021.
Dressée P. L. C. and Lepersonne, J.: Carte Géologique 1.5 000 000, Institut Royal Colonial Belge Commission cen-trale de látlas general du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi, Index No. 31, 1949.
Du, E., Terrer, C., Pellegrini, A., Ahlstrom, A., van Lissa, C. J., Zhao, X.,
Xia, N., and Jackson, R. B.: Global patterns of terrestrial nitrogen and
phosphorus limitation, Nat. Geosci., 13, 221–226,
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0530-4, 2020.
Dumbaugh, M., Bapolisi, W., Bisimwa, G., Mwamini, M-C., Mommers, P., and
Merten, S.: Navigatin fertility, reproduction and modern contraception in
the fragile context of South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo: “Les
enfants son tune richesse”, Cult. Health Sex., 21, 323–337,
https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2018.1470255, 2018.
Ewel, J. J., Mazzarino, M. J., and Berish, C. W.: Tropical Soil Fertility
Changes Under Monocultures and Successional Communities of Different
Structure, Ecol. Appl., 1, 289–302, https://doi.org/10.2307/1941758, 1991.
FAO: Guidelines for soil description, 4th edition, FAO, Rome,
available at: http://www.fao.org/3/a-a0541e.pdf (last access: 1 December 2020), 2006.
FAO: World references base for soil resources 2014, International soil
classification system for naming soils and creating legends for soil maps,
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome,
Italy, 203 pp., 2014 (updated 2015).
Farr, T. G., Rosen, P. A., Caro, E., Crippen, R., Duren, R., Hensley, S., Kobrick, M., Paller, M., Rodriguez, E., Roth, L., Seal, D., Shaffer, S., Shimada, J., Umland, J., Werner, M., Oskin, M., Burbank, D., and Alsdorf, D. E.: The shuttle radar topography mission, Rev. Geophys., 45, RG2004, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005RG000183, 2007.
Fenta, A. A., Yasuda, H., Shimizu, K., Haregeweyn, N., Kawai, T., Sultan, D.,
Ebabu, K., and Belay, A.S.: Spatial distribution and temporal trends of
rainfall and erosivity in the Eastern Africa region, Hydrol. Process., 31,
4555–4567, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.11378, 2017.
Fick, S. E. and Hijmans, R. J.: WorldClim 2: new 1-km spatial resolution
climate surfaces for global land areas, Int. J. Climatol., 37, 4302–4315,
https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.5086, 2017.
Friedl, M. A., Sulla-Menashe, D., Tan, B., Schneider, A., Ramankutty, N., Sibley, A., and Huang, X.: MODIS Collection 5 global land cover: Algorithm refinements and characterization of new datasets, Remote Sens. Environ., 114, 168–182, 2013.
Gerland, P., Raftery, A. E., Ševcíková, H., Li, N., Gu, D.,
Spoorenberg, T., Alkema, L., Fosdick, B. K., Chunn, J., Lalic, N., Bay, G.,
Buettner, T., Heilig, G. K., and Wilmoth, J.: World Population Stabilization
Unlikely This Century, Science, 346, 234–237, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1257469,
2014.
Grau, O., Peñuelas, J., Ferry, B., Freycon, V., Blanc, L., Desprez, M.,
Baraloto, C., Chave, J., Descroix, L., Doudain, A., Guitet, S., Janssens,
I.A., Sardans, J., and Hérault, B.: Nutrient-cycling mechanisms other
than the direct absorption from soil may control forest structure and
dynamics in poor Amazonian soils, Sci. Rep.-UK, 7, 45017,
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep45017, 2017.
Hahm, W. J., Riebe, C. S., Lukens, C. E., and Araki, S.: Bedrock composition
regulates mountain ecosystems and landscape evolution, P. Natl. Acad.
Sci. USA, 111, 3338–3343, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1315667111, 2014.
Hansen, M. C., Potapov, P. V., Moore, R., Hancher, M., Turubanova, S. A.,
Tyukavina, A., Thau, D., Stehman, S. V., Goetz, S. J., Loveland, T. R.,
Kommareddy, A., Egorov, A., Chinin, L., Justice, C. O., and Townshends,
J. R. G.: High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change,
Science, 342, 850–853, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1244693, 2013.
Hattori, D., Kenzo, T., Shirahama, T., Harada, Y., Kendawang, J. J.,
Ninomiya, I., and Sakurai, K.: Degradation of soil nutrients and slow
recovery of biomass following shifting cultivation in the heath forests of
Sarawak, Malaysia, Forest Ecol. Manag., 432, 467–477,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2018.09.051, 2019.
Heinrich, V., Dalagnol, R., Cassol, H., Rosan, T., Torres de Almeida, C., Silva Junior, C. H. L., Campanharo, W., House, J., Sitch, S., Hales, T., Adami, M., Anderson,
L., and Aragão, L.: Large carbon sink potential of Amazonian Secondary
Forests to mitigate climate change, Europe PMC [preprint],
https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-71626/v1, 2020.
Heri-Kazi Bisimwa, A. and Bielders, C.: Dégradation des terres
cultivées au Sud-Kivu, R.D. Congo: perceptions paysannes et
caractéristiques des exploitations agricoles, Biotechnol. Agron. Soc., 200, 99–116, 2020.
Hobley, E. U. and Wilson, B.: The depth distribution of organic carbon in the
soils of eastern Australia, Ecosphere, 7, e01214, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1214, 2016.
International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) Working Group WRB: World
reference base for soil resources 2014, World Soil Resources
Reports No. 106, FAO, Rome, 2014 (updated 2015).
Jobbágy, E. and Jackson, R. B.: The Vertical Distribution of Soil Organic
Carbon and Its Relation to Climate and Vegetation, Ecol. Appl., 10, 423–436,
https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(2000)010[0423:TVDOSO]2.0.CO;2, 2000.
Juo, A. S. R. and Franzluebbers, K.: Tropical Soils. Properties and Management
for Sustainable Agriculture, Oxford University Press, New York, 2003.
Karamage, F., Shao, H., Chen, X., Ndayisaba, F., Nahayo, L., Kayiranga, A.,
Omifolaji, J. K., Liu, T., and Zhang, C.: Deforestation Effects on Soil
Erosion in the Lake Kivu Basin, D.R. Congo-Rwanda, Forests, 7, 281,
https://doi.org/10.3390/f7110281, 2016.
Kleinman, P., Bryant, R. B., and Pimentel, D.: Assessing ecological
sustainability of slash-and-burn agriculture through soil fertility
indicators, Agron. J., 88, 122–127,
https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj1996.00021962008800020002x, 1996.
Kujirakqinja, D., Shamavu, P., Hammill, A., Crawford, A., Bamba, A., and
Plumptre, A.J.: Healing the Rift: Peacebuilding in and around protected
areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Albertine Rift, unpublished
Report to USAID, IISD, WCS, 2010.
Lawrence, D., Radel, C., Tully, Schmook, B., and Schneider, L.: Untangling a
Decline in Tropical Forest Resilience: Constraints on the Sustainability of
Shifting Cultivation across the Globe, Biotropica, 42, 21–30,
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00599.x, 2010.
Lewis, S. L., Phyllips, O. L., Sheil, D., Vinceti, B., Baker, T. R., Brown, S.,
Graham, A. W., Higuchi, N., Hilbert, D. W., Laurance, W. F., Lejoly, J., Malhi
Y., Monteagudo, A., Vargas, P. N., Sonké, B., Supardi, N. M. N., Terborgh,
J. W., and Martínez, R. V.: Tropical forest tree mortality, recruitment and
turnover rates: calculation, interpretation and comparison when census
intervals vary, J. Ecol., 92, 929–944, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-0477.2004.00923.x,
2004.
Losos, E. and Leigh, E. G.: Tropical Forest Diversity and Dynamism, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 688 pp., 2004.
Matthews, T. R., Metcalfe, D., Malhi, Y., Phillips, O., Huasco, H. W., Riutta,
T., Ruiz Jaén, M., Girardin, C., Urrutia, R., Butt, N., Cain, R., Menor,
O., and colleagues from the RAINFOR and GEM networks: Measuring tropical
forest carbon allocation and cycling: a RAINFOR-GEM field manual for
intensive census plots (v2.2), Manual, Global Ecosystems Monitoring
network, 104 pp., available at: http://gem.tropicalforests.ox.ac.uk/ (last access: 1 October 2020), 2012.
McCarthy, J. S., Ott, K., Ridolfo H., McGovern, P., Sirkis, R., and Moore, D.:
Combining Multiple Methods in Establishment Questionnaire Testing: The 2017
Census of Agriculture Testing Bento Box, J. Off. Stat., 34,
341–364, https://doi.org/10.2478/JOS-2018-0016, 2018.
Méchain, M., Ariane, T., Piponiot, C., Chave, J., and Hérault, B.:
Biomass: An R Package for estimating above-ground biomass and its
uncertainty in tropical forests, Methods Ecol. Evol., 8, 1163–1167,
https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12753, 2017.
Mohr, E. C. J. and van Baren, F. A.: Tropical Soils: A Critical Study of Soil
Genesis as Related to Climate, Rock and Vegetation, Interscience Publishers, The Hague, edited by: Van Hoeve, W., 498 pp., 1954.
Mohr, E. C. J., van Baren, F. A., and van Schuylenborgh, J.: Tropical Soils: a
comprehensive study on their genesis, Mouton-Ichtiar Baru-Van Hoeve, The Hague, 490 pp., 1972.
Nadeu, E., Gobin, A., Fiener, P., Van Wesemael, B., and Van Oost, K.:
Modelling the impact of agricultural management on soil carbon stocks at the
regional scale: the role of lateral fluxes, Glob. Change Biol., 21, 3181–3192, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12889, 2015.
Ohashi, M., Nakano, A., Hirano, Y., Noguchi, K., Ikeno, H., Fukae, R.,
Yamase, K., Makita, N., and Finer, L.: Applicability of the net sheet method
for estimating fine root production in forest ecosystems, Trees-Struct.
Funct., 30, 571–578, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-015-1308-y, 2016.
Ostonen, I., Lõhmus, K., and Pajuste, K.: Fine root biomass, production
and its proportion of NPP in a fertile middle-aged Norway spruce forest:
comparison of soil core and ingrowth core methods, Forest Ecol. Manage., 212,
264–277, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2005.03.064, 2005.
Pan, Y., Birdsey, R. A., Fang, J., Houghton, J. R., Kauppi, P. E., Kurz, W. A.,
Phillips, O., Shvidenko, A., Lewis, S. L., Canadell, J. G., Ciais, P.,
Jackson, R. B., Pacala, S. W., McGuire, D., Piao, S. W., Rautiainen, A., Sitch,
S., Hayes, D., McGuire, A. D., Piao, S., Rautiainen, A., Sitch, S., and Hayes,
D.: A large and persistent carbon sink in the world's forests, Science, 333,
988–993, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1201609, 2011.
Park, J. H., Meusburger, K., Jang, I., Kang, H., and Alewell, C.: Erosion-induced
changes in soil biogeochemical and microbiological properties in Swiss
Alpine grasslands, Soil Biol. Biochem., 69, 382–392, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.11.021, 2014.
Pérez-Harguindeguy, N., Díaz, S., Garnier, E., Lavorel, S.,
Poorter, H., Jaureguiberry, P., Bret-Harte, M. S., Cornwell, W. K., Craine,
J. M., Gurvich, D. E., Urcelay, C., Veneklaas, E. J., Reich, P. B., Poorter,
L., Wright, I. J., Ray, P., Enrico, L., Pausas, J. G., de Vos, A. C.,
Buchmann, N., Funes, G., Quétier, F., Hodgson, J. G., Thompson, K.,
Morgan, H. D., ter Steege, H., van der Heijden, M. G. A., Sack, L., Blonder,
B., Poschlod, P., Vaieretti, M. V., Conti, G., Staver, A. C., Aquino, S.,
and Cornelissen, J. H. C.: New handbook for standardised measurement of plant
functional traits worldwide, Aust. J. Bot., 64, 715–716,
https://doi.org/10.1071/BT12225_CO, 2016.
Phillips, O., Baker, T., Feldpausch, T., and Brienen, R.: RAINFOR Field
Manual for Plot Establishment and Remeasurement, Pan-Amazonia, Gordon and
Betty Moore Foundation, The Royal Society and European Research Council,
Brussels, 22 pp., 2016.
Reichenbach, M., Fiener, P., Garland, G., Griepentrog, M., Six, J., and Doetterl, S.: The role of geochemistry in organic carbon stabilization against microbial decomposition in tropical rainforest soils, SOIL, 7, 453–475, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-453-2021, 2021.
Sahani, U. and Behera, N.: Impact of deforestation on soil physicochemical
characteristics, microbial biomass and microbial activity of tropical soil,
Land Degrad. Dev., 12, 93–105, https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.429, 2001.
Schimel, D., Pavlick, R., Fisher, J. B., Asner, G. P., Saatchi, S.,
Townsend, P., Miller, C., Frankenberg, C., Hibbard, K., and Cox, P.:
Observing terrestrial ecosystems and the carbon cycle from space, Glob.
Change Biol., 21, 1762–1776, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12822, 2015.
Schlüter, T. and Trauth, M. H.: Geological atlas of Africa: with notes
on stratigraphy, tectonics, economic geology, geohazards and geosites of
each country, Springer, Berlin, New York, 272 pp., 2006.
Ssali, H., Ahn, P. M., and Mokwunye, A. U.: Fertility of soils of tropical
Africa: A historical perspective, in:
Management of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizers in sub-Saharan Africa, edited by: Mokwunye, A. U. and Vlek, P. L. G.,
Martinus Nijhoff, Dodrecht, the Netherlands, 1986.
Summerauer, L., Baumann, P., Ramirez-Lopez, L., Barthel, M., Bauters, M., Bukombe, B., Reichenbach, M., Boeckx, P., Kearsley, E., Van Oost, K., Vanlauwe, B., Chiragaga, D., Heri-Kazi, A. B., Moonen, P., Sila, A., Shepherd, K., Mujinya, B. B., Van Ranst, E., Baert, G., Doetterl, S., and Six, J.: Filling a key gap: a soil infrared library for central Africa, SOIL Discuss. [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2020-99, in review, 2021.
Tang, J. and Riley, W.J.: Weaker soil carbon-climate feedbacks resulting
from microbial and abiotic interactions, Nat. Clim. Change, 5, 56–60,
https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2438, 2015.
Todd-Brown, K. E. O., Randerson, J. T., Post, W. M., Hoffman, F. M., Tarnocai, C., Schuur, E. A. G., and Allison, S. D.: Causes of variation in soil carbon simulations from CMIP5 Earth system models and comparison with observations, Biogeosciences, 10, 1717–1736, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-1717-2013, 2013.
Trabucco, A. and Zomer, R. J.: Global aridity index and potential evapo-transpiration (ET0) climate database v2, CGIAR Consortium for Spatial Information (CGIAR-CSI), available at: https://cgiarcsi.community/2019/01/24/global-aridity-index-and-potential-evapotranspiration-climate-database-v2/ (last access: 1 October 2020), 2018.
Tyukavina, A., Hansen, M., Potapov, P., Parker, D., Okpa, C., Stehman, S. V.,
Kommareddy, I., and Turubanova, S.: Congo Basin forest loss dominated by
increasing smallholder clearing, Science Advances, 4, eaat2993,
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aat2993, 2018.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
and World Heritage Centre (WHC): World Heritage in the Congo Basin, Paris,
France, available at: https://whc.unesco.org/en/conservation-congo-basin/ (last access: 10 August 2021), 2010.
van Breugel, P., Kindt, R., Lillesø, J.-P. B., Bingham, M., Demissew, S.,
Dudley, C., Friis, I., Gachathi, F., Kalema, J., and Mbago, F. M.: Potential
Natural Vegetation Map of Eastern Africa (Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi,
Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia), Version 2.0, 2015.
Van Oost, K., Quine, T. A., Govers, G., De Gryze, S., Six, J., Harden, J. W., Ritchie, J. C., McCarty, G. W., Heckrath, G., Kosmas, C., Giraldez, J. V., Marques Da Silva, J. R., and Merckx, R.: The impact of agricultural soil erosion on the global carbon cycle, Science, 318, 626–629, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1145724,
2007.
Veldkamp, E., Schmidt, M., Powers, J. S., and Corre, M. D.: Deforestation and
reforestation impacts on soils in the tropics, Nat. Rev. Earth Environ., 1,
590–605, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0091-5, 2020.
Verdooht, A. and Van Ranst, E.: Land evaluation for agricultural production in the tropics. A large-scale land suitability classification for Rwanda, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium, ISBN 90-76769-89-3, 183 pp., 2003.
Verhegghen, A., Mayaux, P., de Wasseige, C., and Defourny, P.: Mapping Congo Basin vegetation types from 300 m and 1 km multi-sensor time series for carbon stocks and forest areas estimation, Biogeosciences, 9, 5061–5079, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-9-5061-2012, 2012.
Vitousek, P. M.: Litterfall, nutrient cycling, and nutrient limitation in
tropical forests, Ecology, 65, 285–298, 1984.
Walker, T. W. and Syers, J. K.: The fate of phosphorus during pedogenesis,
Geoderma, 15, 1–19, https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7061(76)90066-5, 1976.
Wilken, F., Fiener, P., Ketterer, M., Meusburger, K., Muhindo, D. I., van Oost, K., and Doetterl, S.: Assessing soil redistribution of forest and cropland sites in wet tropical Africa using 239+240Pu fallout radionuclides, SOIL, 7, 399–414, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-399-2021, 2021.
Zanne, A. E., Lopez-Gonzalez, G., Coomes, D. A., Ilic, J., Jansen, S., Lewis,
S. L., Miller, R. B., Swenson, N. G., Wiemann, M. C., and Chave, J.: Global wood
density database, Dryad Digital Repository,
http://datadryad.org/handle/10255/dryad.235 (last access: 1 February 2021), 2009.
Short summary
The African Tropics are hotspots of modern-day land use change and are of great relevance for the global carbon cycle. Here, we present data collected as part of the DFG-funded project TropSOC along topographic, land use, and geochemical gradients in the eastern Congo Basin and the Albertine Rift. Our database contains spatial and temporal data on soil, vegetation, environmental properties, and land management collected from 136 pristine tropical forest and cropland plots between 2017 and 2020.
The African Tropics are hotspots of modern-day land use change and are of great relevance for...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint