Estimation of Soil Carbon Input in France: An Inverse Modelling Approach

[en] Development of a quantitative understanding of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics is vital for management of soil to sequester carbon (C) and maintain fertility, thereby contributing to food security and climate change mitigation. There are well-established process-based models that can be used to simulate SOC stock evolution; however, there are few plant residue C input values and those that exist represent a limited range of environments. This limitation in a fundamental model component (i.e., C input) constrains the reliability of current SOC stock simulations. This study aimed to estimate crop-specific and environment-specific plant-derived soil C input values for agricultural sites in France based on data from 700 sites selected from a recently established French soil monitoring network (the RMQS database). Measured SOC stock values from this large scale soil database were used to constrain an inverse RothC modelling approach to derive estimated C input values consistent with the stocks. This approach allowed us to estimate significant crop-specific C input values (P < 0.05) for 14 out of 17 crop types in the range from 1.84 ± 0.69 t C ha-1 year-1 (silage corn) to 5.15 ± 0.12 t C ha-1 year-1 (grassland/pasture). Furthermore, the incorporation of climate variables improved the predictions. C input of 4 crop types could be predicted as a function of temperature and 8 as a function of precipitation. This study offered an approach to meet the urgent need for crop-specific and environment-specific C input values in order to improve the reliability of SOC stock prediction. © 2013 Soil Science Society of China.

Disciplines :

Environmental sciences & ecology

Author, co-author :

Meersmans, Jeroen ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département GxABT > Analyse des risques environnementaux

Martin, M. P.; French National Institute for Agriculture Research (INRA), InfoSol Unit, Orléans 45075, France

Lacarce, E.; French National Institute for Agriculture Research (INRA), InfoSol Unit, Orléans 45075, France

Orton, T. G.; French National Institute for Agriculture Research (INRA), InfoSol Unit, Orléans 45075, France

De Baets, S.; Earth and Life Institute (ELI), Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve 1348, Belgium, College of Life and Environmental Sciences (CLES), Department of Geography, University of Exeter, Rennes Drive, EX4 4RJ Exeter, United Kingdom

Gourrat, M.; French National Institute for Agriculture Research (INRA), InfoSol Unit, Orléans 45075, France

Saby, N. P. A.; French National Institute for Agriculture Research (INRA), InfoSol Unit, Orléans 45075, France

Wetterlind, J.; French National Institute for Agriculture Research (INRA), InfoSol Unit, Orléans 45075, France

Bispo, A.; Agriculture and Forestry Department, French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME), Angers 49004, France

Quine, T. A.; College of Life and Environmental Sciences (CLES), Department of Geography, University of Exeter, Rennes Drive, EX4 4RJ Exeter, United Kingdom

Arrouays, D.; French National Institute for Agriculture Research (INRA), InfoSol Unit, Orléans 45075, France

Language :

English

Title :

Estimation of Soil Carbon Input in France: An Inverse Modelling Approach

Publication date :

2013

Journal title :

Pedosphere

ISSN :

1002-0160

eISSN :

2210-5107

Publisher :

Soil Science Society of China

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

422-436

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Funders :

European Commission, EC: FP7-ENV-2008-1-226701, FP7-ENV-2009-1-244122\r\n\r\nAgence de l'Environnement et de la MaÃ®trise de l'Energie, ADEME

Available on ORBi :

since 08 November 2021

Statistics

Number of views

63 (3 by ULiège)

Number of downloads

1 (1 by ULiège)

More statistics

Scopus citations^®

Scopus citations^®
without self-citations

OpenCitations

OpenAlex citations

Bibliography

Andrén O., Kätterer T. ICBM: The introductory carbon balance model for exploration of soil carbon balances. Ecol. Appl. 1997, 7:1226-1236.
Andrén O., Kätterer T., Karlsson T. ICBM regional model for estimations of dynamics of agricultural soil carbon pools. Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosys. 2004, 70:231-239.
Arlot S., Celisse A. A survey of cross-validation procedures for model selection. Statis. Surv. 2010, 4:40-79.
Arrouays D., Jolivet C., Boulonne L., Bodineau G., Saby N., Grolleau E. A new initiative in Prance: a multi-institutional soil quality monitoring network. CR Acad. Agr. France. 2002, 88:93-105.
Arrouays D., Marchant B.P., Saby N.P.A., Meersmans J., Orton T.G., Martin M.P., Bellamy P.H., Lark R.M., Kibblewhite M. Generic issues on broad-scale soil monitoring schemes: A review. Pedosphere. 2012, 22:456-469.
Balesdent J. The significance of organic separates to carbon dynamics and its modelling in some cultivated soils. Eur. J. Soil Sci. 1996, 47:485-493.
Bolinder M.A., Janzen H.H., Gregorich E.G., Angers D.A., VandenBygaart A.J. An approach for estimating net primary productivity and annual carbon inputs to soil for common agricultural crops in Canada. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 2007, 118:29-42.
Carter M.R., Kunelius H.T., Sanderson J.B., Kimpinski J., Platt H.W., Bolinder M.A. Productivity parameters and soil health dynamics under long-term 2-year potato rotations in Atlantic Canada. Soil Till. Res. 2003, 72:153-168.
Chabalier P.-F., van de Kerchove V., Saint Macary H. Guide de la Fertilisation Organique à la Réunion (in French) 2006, Chambre d'Agriculture de La Réunion, Saint-Denis.
Coleman K., Jenkinson D.S., Crocker G.J., Grace P.R., Klír J., Körschens M., Poulton P.R., Richter D.D. Simulating trends in soil organic carbon in long-term experiments using RothC-26.3. Geoderma. 1997, 81:29-44.
Coleman K., Jenkinson D.S. RorthC-26.3, A Model for the Turnover of Carbon in Soil, Model Description and Windows Users Guide 2008, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden.
De Ridder F., Pintelon R., Schouwkens J., Gillikin D.P. Modified AIC and MDL model selection criteria for short data records. IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas. 2005, 54:144-150.
Falloon P., Smith P. Simulating SOC changes in long-term experiments with RothC and Century: model evaluation for a regional scale application. Soil Use Manage. 2002, 18:101-111.
Falloon P., Smith P., Coleman K., Marshall S. Estimating the size of the inert organic matter pool from total soil organic carbon content for use in the Rothamsted carbon model. Soil Biol. Biochem. 1998, 30:1207-1211.
Francis J.K. Estimating biomass and carbon content of samplings in Puerto Rican secondary forests. Caribb. J. Sci. 2000, 36:346-350.
French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) Bilan des flux de contaminants entrant sur les sols agricoles de France Métropolitaine. Final Report: Bilan Qualitatif de la Contamination par les Eléments Tracés Métalliques et les Composés Tracés Organiques et Application Quantitative pour les Eléments Tracés Métalliques (in French) 2007, ADEME, Angers. ADEME (Ed.).
French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) Les boues d'épuration municipal et leur utilisation en agriculture. Fiche Technique: Epandage-La Valeur Agronomique des Boues d'Epuration (in French) 2010, ADEME, Angers. ADEME (Ed.).
Goidts E., van Wesemael B., Crucifix M. Magnitude and sources of uncertainties in soil organic carbon (SOC) stock assessments at various scales. Eur. J. Soil Sci. 2009, 60:723-739.
Giroux M., Audesse P. Comparaison de deux méthodes de détermination des teneurs en carbone organique, en azote total et du rapport C/N de divers amendements organiques et engrais de ferme. Agrosol 2004, 15:107-110. (in French).
Grace J. Understanding and managing the global carbon cycle. J. Ecol. 2004, 92:189-202.
Guo L., Falloon P., Coleman K., Zhou B., Li Y., Lin E., Zhang F. Application of the RothC model to the results of long-term experiments on typical upland soils in northern China. Soil Use Manage. 2007, 23:63-70.
Hastie T., Tibshirani R., Friedman J. The Elements of Statistical Learning, Data Mining, Inference, and Prediction. 2nd Ed. Springer Series in Statistics 2001, Springer-Verlag, New York.
Janzen H.H. Soil carbon: A measure of ecosystem response in a changing world?. Can. J. Soil Sci. 2005, 85:467-480.
Johnson J.M.F., Allmaras R.R., Reicosky D.C. Estimating source carbon from crop residues, roots and rhi-zodeposits using the national grain-yield database. Agron. J. 2006, 98:622-636.
Kaonga M.L., Coleman K. Modelling soil organic carbon turnover in improved fallows in eastern Zambia using the RothC-26.3 model. Forest Ecol. Manag. 2008, 256:1160-1166.
Kirk G.J.D., Bellamy P.H. Analysis of changes in organic carbon in mineral soils across England and Wales using a simple single-pool model. Eur. J. Soil Sci. 2010, 61:406-411.
Laiho R., Laine J. Tree stand biomass and carbon content in an age sequence of drained pine mires in southern Finland. Forest Ecol. Manag. 1997, 91:161-169.
Lal R. World crop residues production and implications of its use as a biofuel. Environ. Int. 2005, 31:575-584.
Lamlom S.H., Savidge R.A. A reassessment of carbon content in wood: variation within and between 41 North American species. Biomass Bioenerg. 2003, 25:381-388.
Lashermes G., Nicolardot B., Parnaudeau V., Thuriès L., Chaussod R., Guillotin M.L., Linère M., Mary B., Metzger L., Morvan T., Tricaud A., Villette C., Houot S. Indicator of potential residual carbon in soils after exogenous organic matter application. Eur. J. Soil Sci. 2009, 60:297-310.
Leclerc B. Guide des Matières Organiques (in French) 2001, Institute Technique de l'Agriculture Biologique, Paris. 2nd Ed.
Li C.S. Modeling trace gas emissions from agricultural ecosystems. Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosys. 2000, 58:259-276.
Lokupitiya E., Paustian K., Easter M., Williams S., Andrén O., Katterer T. Carbon balances in US croplands during the last two decades of the twentieth century. Biogeochemistry. 2012, 107:207-225.
Ludwig B., Schulz E., Rethemeyer J., Merbach I., Flessa H. Predictive modelling of C dynamics in the long-term fertilization experiment at Bad Lauchstädt with the Rothamsted Carbon Model. Eur. J. Soil Sci. 2007, 58:1155-1163.
Ludwig B., Hu K.L., Niu L.G., Liu X.J. Modelling the dynamics of organic carbon in fertilization and tillage experiments in the North China Plain using the Rothamsted Carbon Model-initialization and calculation of C inputs. Plant Soil. 2010, 332:193-206.
Lunn D.J., Thomas A., Best N., Spiegelhalter D. WinBUGS-A Bayesian modelling framework: Concepts, structure, and extensibility. Stat. Comput. 2000, 10:325-337.
Magid J., de Nowina K.R., Lindedam J., Andrén O. Organic matter in size-density fractions after 16-50 years of grass ley, cereal cropping and organic amendments. Eur. J. Soil Sci. 2010, 61:539-550.
Martin M.P., Cordier S., Balesdent J., Arrouays D. Periodic solutions for soil carbon dynamics equilibriums with time-varying forcing variables. Ecol. Model. 2007, 204:523-530.
Martin M.P., Lo Seen D., Boulonne L., Jolivet C., Nair K.M., Bourgeon G., Arrouays D. Optimizing pedotransfer functions for estimating soil bulk density using boosted regression trees. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 2009, 73:485-493.
Martin M.P., Wattenbach M., Smith P., Meersmans J., Jolivet C., Boulonne L., Arrouays D. Spatial distribution of soil organic carbon stocks in France. Biogeo-sciences. 2011, 8:1053-1065.
Meersmans J., Martin M.P., De Ridder F., Lacarce E., Wetterlind J., De Baets S., Le Bas C., Louis B.P., Orton T.G., Bispo A., Arrouays D. A novel soil organic C model using climate, soil type and management data at the national scale in France. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 2012, 32:873-888.
Meersmans J., Martin M.P., Lacarce E., De Baets S., Jolivet C., Boulonne L., Lehmann S., Saby N.P.A., Bispo A., Arrouays D. A high resolution map of French soil organic carbon. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 2012, 32:841-851.
Meersmans J., Van Wesemael B., Goidts E., Van Molle M., De Baets S., De Ridder F. Spatial analysis of soil organic carbon evolution in Belgian croplands and grasslands, 1960-2006. Glob. Change Biol. 2011, 17:466-479.
Ministére de l'Alimentation, de l'Agriculture et de la Péché (AGRESTE). 2009. Chiffres et Données-Série Agriculture No. 208, L'Utilisation du Territoire en 2008 (in French). Teruti-Lucas, Montreuilsous-Bois.
Nieto O.M., Castro J., Fernandez E., Smith P. Simulation of soil organic carbon stocks in a Mediterranean olive grove under different soil-management systems using the RothC model. Soil Use Manage. 2010, 26:118-125.
Oelbermann M., Voroney R.P., Kass D.C.L., Schloänvoigt A.M. Above- and below-ground carbon inputs in 19-, 10- and 4-year-old Costa Rican Alley cropping systems. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 2005, 105:163-172.
Parton W.J., Schimel D.S., Cole C.V., Ojima D.S. Analysis of factors controlling soil organic matter levels in Great Plains grasslands. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 1987, 51:1173-1179.
Prince S.D., Haskett J., Steininger M., Strand H., Wright R. Net primary production of U.S. midwest croplands from agricultural harvest yield data. Ecol. Appl. 2001, 11:1194-1205.
Reeves D.W. The role of soil organic matter in maintaining soil quality in continuous cropping systems. Soil Till. Res. 1997, 43:131-167.
Romanyà J., Cortina J., Falloon P., Coleman K., Smith P. Modelling changes in soil organic matter after planting fast-growing Pinus radiata on Mediterranean agricultural soils. Eur. J. Soil Sci. 2000, 51:627-641.
Sleutel S., De Neve S., Hofmas G. Assessing causes of recent organic carbon losses from cropland soils by means of regional-scaled input balances for the case of Flanders (Belgium). Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosys. 2007, 78:265-278.
Smith P., Smith J.U., Powlson D.S., McGill W.B., Arah J.R.M., Chertov O.G., Coleman K., Franko U., Frolking S., Jenkinson D.S., Jensen L.S., Kelly R.H., Klein-Gunnewiek H., Komarov A.S., Li C., Molina J.A.E., Mueller T., Parton W.J., Thornley J.H.M., Whitmore A.P. A comparison of the performance of nine soil organic matter models using datasets from seven long-term experiments. Geoderma. 1997, 81:153-225.
Takata Y., Funakawa S., Yanai J., Mishima A., Akshalov K., Ishida N., Kosaki T. Influence of crop rotation system on the spatial and temporal variation of the soil organic carbon budget in northern Kazakhstan. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr. 2008, 54:159-171.
Tengoö M., Belfrage K. Local management practices for dealing with change and uncertainty-a cross-scale comparison of cases in Sweden and Tanzania. Ecol. Soc. 2004, 9:4.
Thirion F., Chabot F. Épandage des boues résiduaires et effluents organiques-Materiels et pratiques (in French) 2003, Cemagref, Paris.
Union des Industries de la Fertilisation (UNIFA) La Fertilisation (in French) 1998, UNIFA, Paris.
Vanai P. Valorisation agronomique d'un compost urbain produit par methanisation: Etude en milieu tropical (in French). Ph.D. Thesis 1995, Centre Universitaire de Polynésie Français, France.
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., da Silva J.R.M., Merckx R. The impact of agricultural soil erosion on the global carbon cycle. Science. 2007, 318:626-629.
van Wesemael B., Lettens S., Roelandt C., Van Orshoven J. Changes in soil carbon stocks from 1960 to 2000 in the main Belgian cropland areas. Biotechnol. Agron. Soc. Environ. 2004, 8:133-139.
van Wesemael B., Paustian K., Meersmans J., Goidts E., Barancikova G., Easter M. Agricultural management explains historic changes in regional soil carbon stocks. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2010, 107:14926-14930.
van Wesemael B., Paustian K., Andren O., Cerri C.E.P., Dodd M., Etchevers J., Goidts E., Grace P., Käatterer T., McConkey B.G., Ogle S., Pan G.X., Siebner C. How can soil monitoring networks be used to improve predictions of organic carbon pool dynamics and CO2 fluxes in agricultural soils. Plant Soil. 2011, 338:247-259.
Vuichard N., Ciais P., Belelli L., Smith P., Valentini R. Carbon sequestration due to the abandonment of agriculture in the former USSR since 1990. Glob. Biogeochem. 2008, Cy. GB4018. 10.1029/2008GB003212.
Xu X.L., Liu W., Kiely G. Modeling the change in soil organic carbon of grassland in response to climate change: Effects of measured versus modelled carbon pools for initializing the Rothamsted Carbon model. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 2011, 140:372-381.
Yeluripati J.B., van Oijen M., Wattenbach M., Netfel A., Ammann A., Parton W.J., Smith P. Bayesian calibration as a tool for initialising the carbon pools of dynamic soil models. Soil Biol. Biochem. 2009, 41:2579-2583.
Zhang W.J., Wang X.J., Xu M.G., Huang S.M., Liu H., Peng C. Soil organic carbon dynamics under long-term fertilizations in arable land of northern China. Biogeo-sciences. 2010, 7:409-425.
Zimmermann M., Leifeld J., Schmidt M.W.I., Smith P., Fuhrer J. Measured soil organic matter fractions can be related to pools in the RothC model. Eur. J. Soil Sci. 2007, 58:658-667.