Spatially governed climate factors dominate management in determining the quantity and distribution of soil organic carbon in dryland agricultural systems
Open accessAbstract
Few studies describe the primary drivers influencing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and the distribution of carbon (C) fractions in agricultural systems from semi-arid regions; yet these soils comprise one fifth of the global land area. Here we identified the primary drivers for changes in total SOC and associated particulate (POC), humus (HOC) and resistant (ROC) organic C fractions for 1347 sample points in the semi-arid agricultural region of Western Australia. Total SOC stock (0–0.3 m) varied from 4 to 209 t C ha−1 with 79% of variation explained by measured variables. The proportion of C in POC, HOC and ROC fractions averaged 28%, 45% and 27% respectively. Climate (43%) and land management practices (32%) had the largest relative influence on variation in total SOC. Carbon accumulation was constrained where average daily temperature was above 17.2 °C and annual rainfall below 450 mm, representing approximately 42% of the 197,300 km 2 agricultural region. As such large proportions of this region are not suited to C sequestration strategies. For the remainder of the region a strong influence of management practices on SOC indicate opportunities for C sequestration strategies associated with incorporation of longer pasture phases and adequate fertilisation.
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Interpretation of space-for-time substitution studies comparing crop production at locations with different SOC is problematic because soil texture and climate are strong confounding factors.
“Interpretation is problematic, however, as soil texture and climate are strong confounding factors.”
From Carbon for soils, not soils for carbon (2023) · cites this paper as Hoyle et al., 2016
The Results (Total soil organic carbon and Soil organic carbon fractions; page unavailable) identify climate and soil texture as influences on SOC that could complicate comparisons between locations. The paper does not specifically evaluate space-for-time studies comparing crop production across locations or state that their interpretation is problematic. (LLM, conf=0.82)
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Research works printed but not linked: 10
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Cited by
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Carbon for soils, not soils for carbon
Moinet, G. Y. K., Hijbeek, R., van Vuuren, D. P., & Giller, K. E. (2023) · Global Change Biology · doi:10.1111/gcb.16570 · Cited by 249 · see citing works
Brewer, K. M., & Gaudin, A. C. M. (2020) · Soil Biology and Biochemistry · doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2020.107936 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
- Authors
- Hoyle, F. C., O’Leary, R. A., & Murphy, D. V.
- Affiliations
- The University of Western Australia (AU)
- Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Hoyle, Frances C.
- Venue
- Scientific Reports
- Published
- 2016-08-17
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 31468-31468
- ISSN
- 2045-2322 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4987626
- OpenAlex
- W2511476771
- Cited by
- 35
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3
- FWCI
- 3.90
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Scientific Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Murdoch University Research Portal (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Australian Government
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
- Grains Research and Development Corporation
- Australian Research Council (FT110100246)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Soil Geostatistics and Mapping
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Keywords
- soil organic carbon, rainfed agriculture, semi-arid agriculture, particulate organic carbon, climate drivers, land management practices, carbon sequestration, soil carbon fractions, Western Australia, rainfall, temperature
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