Changes in carbon pool and CO2 emission in the course of postagrogenic succession on gray soils (Luvic Phaeozems) in European Russia

Abstract

An analogous time series of fallow ecosystems (gray soils (Luvic Phaeozems) plowed and fallowed for 2, 7, 20, 60, and more than 120 years) in the broad-leaved forest zone of Orel oblast has been analyzed. Changes in carbon pool and CO2 emission in the course of postagrogenic succession during the vegetation and winter seasons have been estimated. The restoration of ecosystems on Luvic Phaeozems follows regularities revealed in analogous studies of southern taiga Podzols and forest-steppe Chernozems. Analogously to the other studied zonal chronosequences, total annual soil respiration on Luvic Phaeozems reaches the initial level of undisturbed ecosystems simultaneously with the restoration of phytomass reserve, although significantly earlier than the organic carbon reserve in soils is restored. According to regression models, among the zonal fallows in European Russia, including the southern taiga (Podzols), mixed forests (Luvisols), broadleaved forests (Luvic Phaeozems ), forest-steppe (Chernozems) and dry steppe (Calcisol–Solonetz soil complexes), the mean annual soil respiration is maximum in the zone of gray soils and Chernozems. The increase in soil respiration under artificial wetting (Birch effect) on fallows in the broad-leaved forest zone is minimum among the studied zonal chronosequences: 1.1 ± 0.6 (no effect), which corresponds to the optimal hydrothermal conditions in this zone.