Extending grassland age for climate change mitigation and adaptation on clay soils
Permanent grassland soils can act as a sink for carbon and may therefore positively contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. We compared young (5-15 years since latest grassland renewal) with old (>15 years since latest grassland renewal) permanent grassland soils in terms of carbon stock, carbon sequestration, drought tolerance and flood resistance. In old grassland soils we found a higher carbon stock (62 Mg C ha-1) than in young grassland soils (51 Mg C ha-1). The carbon sequestration rate tended to be higher (not statistically significant) in young (average 3.0 Mg C ha-1 year-1) than old (1.6 Mg C ha-1 year -1) grassland soils. Regarding potential drought tolerance, we found larger soil moisture and lower soil bulk density in old than in young grassland soils. Old grassland soils were also more resistant to heavy rainfall. We conclude that by extending grassland age on clay soil, farmers can contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation ecosystem services.
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article in monograph or in proceedings biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
European Grassland Federation EGF
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| Subjects: | Life Science, |
| Online Access: | https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/extending-grassland-age-for-climate-change-mitigation-and-adaptat-2 |
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