Does conversion of forest to agricultural land change soil carbon and nitrogen? a review of the literature
Abstract
Soil carbon is a large component of the global carbon cycle and its management can significantly affect the atmospheric CO 2 concentration. An important management issue is the extent of soil carbon (C) release when forest is converted to agricultural land. We reviewed the literature to assess changes in soil C upon conversion of forests to agricultural land. Analyses are confounded by changes in soil bulk density upon land‐use change, with agricultural soils on average having 13% higher bulk density. Consistent with earlier reviews, we found that conversion of forest to cultivated land led to an average loss of approximately 30% of soil C. When we restricted our analysis to studies that had used appropriate corrections for changes in bulk density, soil C loss was 22%. When, from all the studies compiled, we considered only studies reporting both soil C and nitrogen (N), average losses of C and N were 24% and 15%, respectively, hence showing a decrease in the average C : N ratio. The magnitude of these changes in the C : N ratio did not correlate with either C or N changes. When considering the transition from forest to pasture, there was no significant change in either soil C or N, even though reported changes in soil C ranged from −50% to +160%. Among studies that reported changes in soil N as well as soil C, C : N ratios both increased and decreased, with trends depending on changes in system N. Systems with increasing soil N generally had decreased C : N ratios, whereas s…
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- Authors
- Murty, D., Kirschbaum, M. U. F., Mcmurtrie, R. E., & Mcgilvray, H.
- Affiliations
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Murty, Danuse
- Venue
- Global Change Biology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2002-02
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 105-123
- ISSN
- 1354-1013 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2486
- OpenAlex
- W2089175197
- Cited by
- 996
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 29 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 79 · 2023: 58 · 2022: 37 · 2021: 53 · 2020: 52 · 2019: 58 · 2018: 46 · 2017: 36 · 2016: 78 · 2015: 47 · 2014: 55 · 2013: 59 · 2012: 42
- FWCI
- 24.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Global Change Biology (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
- Australian Research Council
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Keywords
- soil carbon, soil nitrogen, land use change, forest conversion, cropland, pasture, bulk density, C/N ratio, soil carbon loss, fertiliser application, carbon cycle
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