Articles | Volume 17, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-2605-2025
© Author(s) 2025. 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-17-2605-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Data description article
| 
16 Jun 2025
Data description article |
| 16 Jun 2025
| 16 Jun 2025
Mapping global distributions, environmental controls, and uncertainties of apparent topsoil and subsoil organic carbon turnover times
Lei Zhang
School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Climate and Ecosystem Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Thomas W. Crowther
Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zurich, Switzerland
Constantin M. Zohner
Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zurich, Switzerland
Sebastian Doetterl
Soil Resources Group, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
Gerard B. M. Heuvelink
Soil Geography and Landscape Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
ISRIC – World Soil Information, Wageningen, the Netherlands
Alexandre M. J.-C. Wadoux
LISAH, Univ. Montpellier, AgroParisTech, INRAE, IRD, L'Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
A.-Xing Zhu
Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
Yue Pu
School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Feixue Shen
School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Haozhi Ma
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
Yibiao Zou
Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zurich, Switzerland
Chenghu Zhou
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Jing-Li Lu, Thomas W. Crowther, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Wenjie Liu, Yamin Jiang, Hongyang Sun, and Zhiqiang Wang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 18, 3697–3710, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-3697-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-3697-2026, 2026
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We used a global dataset to examine patterns and drivers of fungal necromass C (FNC), bacterial necromass C (BNC), and their ratio across agricultural and natural ecosystems. FNC contributed about twice as much as BNC to soil organic carbon (SOC) in both systems, with higher contributions overall in agricultural soils. Soil C/N and clay content mainly drove FNC and BNC contributions, while elevation primarily influenced the FNC/BNC ratio.
Ankita Mitra, Nancy Harris, Javier G. P. Gamarra, Meredith L. Bastian, Thomas W. Crowther, Nicolas Picard, Martin Herold, Cang Hui, Sergio de-Miguel, W. Gabe Powell, Nathan R. Beane, John R. Shallock, Fons van der Plas, Michael J. Lawes, Mo Zhou, Mohammad Jahanshahi, Nadezhda M. Tchebakova, Elena I. Parfenova, Peter Reich, Cesar Ivan Alvarez, Daniel M. Griffith, Oliver L. Phillips, Ariane Mirabel, Marieke Sandker, WookJin Choi, Akane O. Abbasi, Giorgio Alberti, Jan Altman, Luciana F. Alves, Bienvenu H. K. Amani, Christian Amani, Christian Ammer, Valerio Avitabile, Gerardo A. Aymard C., Akomian F. Azihou, Timothy R. Baker, Radomir Balazy, Jorcely G. Barroso, Jean-François Bastin, Marijn Bauters, Mahmoud Bayat, Hans Beeckman, Eduardo van den Berg, Jahangeer A. Bhat, Anupam Bhatt, Angoboy Ilondea Bhely, Luca Birigazzi, Philippe Birnbaum, Robert Bitariho, Pascal Boeckx, Jan Bogaert, Alexander Bondarev, Frans Bongers, Elise Bouchard, Nils Bourland, Pedro H. S. Brancalion, Francis Q. Brearley, Jennifer L. Bufford, José Javier Corral-Rivas, Jaime Briseno-Reyes, Eben North Broadbent, David F. R. P. Burslem, Plinio Barbosa de Camargo, Goran D. Češljar, Ravi K. Chaturvedi, Han Y. H. Chen, Jiaxin Chen, Francesco Chianucci, George Chuyong, Emil Cienciala, Zorayda Restrepo Correa, Antonio Lola da Costa, Anibal Cuchietti, Javid Ahmad Dar, Selvadurai Dayanandan, Mathieu Decuyper, Tran Van Do, Jiri Dolezal, Ilija Đorđević, Donald R. Drake, Giselda Durigan, Guy-Michel A. Elogne, Tsutomu Enoki, Javier Silva Espejo, Tom Maurice Fayle, Rinaldo Luiz Caraciolo Ferreira, Paul F. Foster, Lorenzo Frizzera, Orou G. Gaoue, Roberto Cazzolla Gatti, Damiano Gianelle, Mario Guevara, Jesús Aguirre Gutiérrez, Richard Habonayo, David J. Harris, Billy C. H. Hau, Bruno Hérault, Wannes Hubau, Nobuo Imai, Andrzej M. Jagodzinski, Štěpán Janeček, Patrick A. Jansen, Bogdan Jaroszewicz, Vivian Kvist Johannsen, Carlos A. Joly, Daniel J. Johnson, Tommaso Jucker, Ben Hur Marimon Junior, Raimundo Cosme de Oliveira Junior, Goytom A. Kahsay, Victor Karminov, Elizabeth Kearsley, Deborah K. Kennard, Sebastian Kepfer-Rojas, Gunnar Keppel, Mohammed Latif Khan, John N. Kigomo, Hyun Seok Kim, Sukyung Kim, Carine Klauberg, Henn Korjus, Subashree Kothandaraman, Florian Kraxner, Leonid Krivobokov, Amit Kumar, Gajendra Kumar, Anna E. Kvashnina, Diana Laarmann, Felix Laurent, Gaia Vaglio Laurin, Rodrigo Vieira Leite, Bas Lerink, Simon L. Lewis, Moses B. Libalah, Weiguo Liu, Jon Lovett, Huicui Lu, Maria de los Angeles Soriano-Luna, Anne Mette Lykke, Emma Jane Mackintosh, Jean-Remy Makana, Andrew R. Marshall, Emanuel H. Martin, Radim Matula, Musingo Mbuvi, Sandra Liliana Medina, Vincent P. Medjibe, Desmond Mensah, Sylvanus Mensah, Thiago Metzker, Stanisław Miścicki, Liudmila Mukhortova, Sharif A. Mukul, Agustinus Murdjoko, Gert-Jan Nabuurs, Anny Estelle N'Guessan, Michael R. Ngugi, Alain Senghor K. Ngute, Thomas Nord-Larsen, Thomas O. Ochuodho, Friday N. Ogana, Luzmila Arroyo Padilla, Nazir A. Pala, Alain Paquette, Pablo L. Peri, Sebastian Pfautsch, Maria Teresa F. Piedade, Daniel Piotto, John James Pipoly III, Nigel C. A. Pitman, John R. Poulsen, Akhilesh Raghubanshi, Dipika Rana, Mirco Rodeghiero, Samir Rolim, Purabi Saikia, Peter Schall, Dmitry Schepaschenko, Jochen Schöngart, Vladimír Šebeň, Giacomo Sellan, Carlos Alberto Silva, Marcos Silveira, Jamuna Singh, Ferry Slik, Jarosław Socha, José Daniel Soto, Alexandre F. Souza, Prashant K. Srivastava, Hans ter Steege, Krzysztof Stereńczak, Somaiah Sundarapandian, Martin Svátek, Jens-Christian Svenning, Xiaolu Tang, Raquel S. Thomas, Antonio Tomao, Liam A. Trethowan, Robert Tropek, Kalidas Upadhyaya, Renato Valencia, Rodolfo Vásquez, Daniel Jose Vega-Nieva, Hans Verbeeck, Helder F. Viana, Alexander Christian Vibrans, Simone A. Vieira, Barbara Vinceti, Jason Vleminckx, Vincent Antoine Vos, Anna S. Vozmishcheva, Foma Vozmitel, Hayden Wagia, Hua-Feng Wang, Eric K. Wasingya, Edward L. Webb, Chemuku Wekesa, Verginia Wortel, Emmanuel Kasongo Yakusu, Zhen Yu, Angelica M. Almeyda Zambrano, Irié Casimir Zo-Bi, and Jingjing Liang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-226, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-226, 2026
Preprint under review for ESSD
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This study introduces the first global, spatially explicit dataset of tree diameter structure, capturing key aspects of forest organization, including average tree size, large-tree dominance, and within-stand variability. Built from over one million ground-based field plots combined with more than 50 satellite and environmental layers using machine learning, it provides a consistent representation of forest structure and supports ecosystem research, climate modeling, and forest management.
Johanne Lebrun Thauront, Philippa Ascough, Sebastian Doetterl, Negar Haghipour, Pierre Barré, Christian Walter, and Samuel Abiven
Biogeosciences, 23, 155–179, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-155-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-155-2026, 2026
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Fire-derived carbon is a form of organic carbon that has a long persistence in soils. However, its persistence at the landscape scale may be underestimated due to lateral and vertical redistribution. We measured fire-derived carbon in soils of a hilly agricultural watershed to identify the result of transport processes on the centennial time-scale. We show that the subsoil stores a large amount of fire-derived carbon and that erosion can redistribute it to localized accumulation zones.
Annina Maier, Maria E. Macfarlane, Marco Griepentrog, and Sebastian Doetterl
Biogeosciences, 22, 7337–7361, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-7337-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-7337-2025, 2025
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A systematic analysis of the interaction between pedo- and biosphere in shaping alpine soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks remains missing. Our regional-scale study of alpine SOC stocks across five parent materials shows that plant biomass stock is not a strong control of SOC stocks. Rather, the greatest SOC stocks are linked to more weathered soil profiles with higher Fe and Al pedogenic oxide content, showing the importance of parent material weatherability and geochemistry for SOC stabilization.
Laura Summerauer, Fernando Bamba, Bendicto Akoraebirungi, Ahurra Wobusobozi, Marijn Bauters, Travis William Drake, Negar Haghipour, Clovis Kabaseke, Daniel Muhindo Iragi, Landry Cizungu Ntaboba, Leonardo Ramirez-Lopez, Johan Six, Daniel Wasner, and Sebastian Doetterl
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4625, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4625, 2025
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Deforestation for croplands on tropical hillslopes causes severe soil degradation and loss of fertile topsoil. We found that this leads to a steep decline in soil fertility, including organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. This makes the land unproductive, often leading farmers to abandon it. Replanting with Eucalyptus trees doesn't restore fertility. This degradation leads to cropland lifespans of only 100–170 years and poses a serious threat to future food production.
Xin Yang, Sijin Li, Junfei Ma, Yang Chen, Xingyu Zhou, Fayuan Li, Liyang Xiong, Chenghu Zhou, Guoan Tang, and Michael E. Meadows
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 4331–4350, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-4331-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-4331-2025, 2025
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Surveys of global relief classes are important for understanding the morphology and land processes of Earth's surface. This study proposes a novel framework integrating the accumulated slope and a new surface relief index for global relief classification (GRC) with 1 arcsec resolution. This dataset can provide abundant and detailed land surface information for the field of Earth sciences.
Anatol Helfenstein, Vera L. Mulder, Mirjam J. D. Hack-ten Broeke, Maarten van Doorn, Kees Teuling, Dennis J. J. Walvoort, and Gerard B. M. Heuvelink
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 2941–2970, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2941-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2941-2024, 2024
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Earth system models and decision support systems greatly benefit from high-resolution soil information with quantified accuracy. Here we introduce BIS-4D, a statistical modeling platform that predicts nine essential soil properties and their uncertainties at 25 m resolution in surface 2 m across the Netherlands. Using machine learning informed by up to 856 000 soil observations coupled with 366 spatially explicit environmental variables, prediction accuracy was the highest for clay, sand and pH.
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
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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
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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
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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.
Mercedes Román Dobarco, Alexandre M. J-C. Wadoux, Brendan Malone, Budiman Minasny, Alex B. McBratney, and Ross Searle
Biogeosciences, 20, 1559–1586, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1559-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1559-2023, 2023
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Soil organic carbon (SOC) is of a heterogeneous nature and varies in chemistry, stabilisation mechanisms, and persistence in soil. In this study we mapped the stocks of SOC fractions with different characteristics and turnover rates (presumably PyOC >= MAOC > POC) across Australia, combining spectroscopy and digital soil mapping. The SOC stocks (0–30 cm) were estimated as 13 Pg MAOC, 2 Pg POC, and 5 Pg PyOC.
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
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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.
Jun Qin, Weihao Pan, Min He, Ning Lu, Ling Yao, Hou Jiang, and Chenghu Zhou
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 331–344, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-331-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-331-2023, 2023
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To enrich a glacial surface air temperature (SAT) product of a long time series, an ensemble learning model is constructed to estimate monthly SATs from satellite land surface temperatures at a spatial resolution of 1 km, and long-term glacial SATs from 1961 to 2020 are reconstructed using a Bayesian linear regression. This product reveals the overall warming trend and the spatial heterogeneity of warming on TP glaciers and helps to monitor glacier warming, analyze glacier evolution, etc.
Alexandre M. J.-C. Wadoux, Nicolas P. A. Saby, and Manuel P. Martin
SOIL, 9, 21–38, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-9-21-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-9-21-2023, 2023
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We introduce Shapley values for machine learning model interpretation and reveal the local and global controlling factors of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. The method enables spatial analysis of the important variables. Vegetation and topography determine much of the SOC stock variation in mainland France. We conclude that SOC stock variation is complex and should be interpreted at multiple levels.
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
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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.
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
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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
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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.
Hou Jiang, Ling Yao, Ning Lu, Jun Qin, Tang Liu, Yujun Liu, and Chenghu Zhou
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 5389–5401, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-5389-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-5389-2021, 2021
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A multi-resolution (0.8, 0.3, and 0.1 m) photovoltaic (PV) dataset is established using satellite and aerial images. The dataset contains 3716 samples of PVs installed on various land and rooftop types. The dataset can support multi-scale PV segmentation (e.g., concentrated PVs, distributed ground PVs, and fine-grained rooftop PVs) and cross applications between different resolutions (e.g., from satellite to aerial samples and vice versa), as well as other research related to PVs.
Chongyang Wang, Li Wang, Danni Wang, Dan Li, Chenghu Zhou, Hao Jiang, Qiong Zheng, Shuisen Chen, Kai Jia, Yangxiaoyue Liu, Ji Yang, Xia Zhou, and Yong Li
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 6833–6846, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-6833-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-6833-2021, 2021
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The turbidity maximum zone (TMZ) is a special phenomenon in estuaries worldwide. However, the extraction methods and criteria used to describe the TMZ vary significantly both spatially and temporally. This study proposes an new index, the turbidity maximum zone index, based on the corresponding relationship of total suspended solid concentration and Chl a concentration, which could better extract TMZs in different estuaries and on different dates.
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
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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
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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.
Sebastian Doetterl, Rodrigue K. Asifiwe, Geert Baert, Fernando Bamba, Marijn Bauters, Pascal Boeckx, Benjamin Bukombe, Georg Cadisch, Matthew Cooper, Landry N. Cizungu, Alison Hoyt, Clovis Kabaseke, Karsten Kalbitz, Laurent Kidinda, Annina Maier, Moritz Mainka, Julia Mayrock, Daniel Muhindo, Basile B. Mujinya, Serge M. Mukotanyi, Leon Nabahungu, Mario Reichenbach, Boris Rewald, Johan Six, Anna Stegmann, Laura Summerauer, Robin Unseld, Bernard Vanlauwe, Kristof Van Oost, Kris Verheyen, Cordula Vogel, Florian Wilken, and Peter Fiener
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 4133–4153, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4133-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4133-2021, 2021
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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.
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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
Laura Poggio, Luis M. de Sousa, Niels H. Batjes, Gerard B. M. Heuvelink, Bas Kempen, Eloi Ribeiro, and David Rossiter
SOIL, 7, 217–240, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-217-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-217-2021, 2021
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This paper focuses on the production of global maps of soil properties with quantified spatial uncertainty, as implemented in the SoilGrids version 2.0 product using DSM practices and adapting them for global digital soil mapping with legacy data. The quantitative evaluation showed metrics in line with previous studies. The qualitative evaluation showed that coarse-scale patterns are well reproduced. The spatial uncertainty at global scale highlighted the need for more soil observations.
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Short summary
Current understandings of depth-dependent variations and controls of soil organic carbon turnover time (τ) at global, biome, and local scales remain incomplete. We used the state-of-the-art soil and root profile databases and satellite observations to generate new spatially explicit global maps of topsoil and subsoil τ, with quantified uncertainties for better user applications. The new insights from the resulting maps will facilitate efforts to model the carbon cycle and will support effective carbon management.
Current understandings of depth-dependent variations and controls of soil organic carbon...
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