Meeting bulk density sampling requirements efficiently to estimate soil carbon stocks
Karen W. Holmes A D , Andrew Wherrett B , Adrian Keating C and Daniel V. Murphy B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Centre for Excellence in Ecohydrology, School of Environmental Systems Engineering (M015), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; and Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, 3 Baron-Hay Court, South Perth, WA 6151, Australia.
B Soil Biology Group, School of Earth and Environment (M087), UWA Institute of Agriculture, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
C Sensors and Advanced Instrumentation Laboratory, School of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: karen.holmes@uwa.edu.au
Soil Research 49(8) 680-695 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR11161
Submitted: 6 July 2011 Accepted: 15 November 2011 Published: 28 December 2011
Abstract
Estimation of soil organic carbon stocks requires bulk density (BD) measurements. Variability in BD contributes to carbon stock uncertainty, in turn affecting how large a change in stock can be observed over time or space. However, BD is difficult and time-consuming to measure, and sample collection is further complicated by extremely dry field conditions, coarse-textured soils, and high coarse-fragment content, which are common in southern Australia and other semi-arid and Mediterranean-type climates. Two alternatives to reduce BD sampling effort are to take fewer BD samples at a site (i.e. volumetric rings or clod), and to use more time-efficient methods (i.e. gamma–neutron density meter, NDM). We evaluate these options in the context of a soil carbon stock survey in agricultural land in the south-west of Australia. The BD values within a monitoring site measured with conventional and NDM methods were statistically different when assessed using large sample sizes; the measurements diverged where the coarse fraction volume was >20%. However, carbon stocks were equivalent, reflecting the much larger relative variability in carbon percentage, which contributed 84–99% of the uncertainty in carbon stocks compared with <5% from BD. Given the maximum variability measured, soil carbon stock changes in southern Australia should be monitored on a decadal scale.
Additional keywords: carbon storage in soil, Mediterranean environments, variance component estimation.
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