The turnover of organic carbon in subsoils. Part 2. Modelling carbon turnover
Abstract
Summary: A new model, RothPC‐1, is described for the turnover of organic C in the top metre of soil. RothPC‐1 is a version of RothC‐26.3, an earlier model for the turnover of C in topsoils. In RothPC‐1 two extra parameters are used to model turnover in the top metre of soil: one, p , which moves organic C down the profile by an advective process, and the other, s , which slows decomposition with depth. RothPC‐1 is parameterized and tested using measurements (described in Part 1, this issue) of total organic C and radiocarbon on soil profiles from the Rothamsted long‐term field experiments, collected over a period of more than 100 years. RothPC‐1 gives fits to measurements of organic C and radiocarbon in the 0–23, 23–46, 46–69 and 69–92 cm layers of soil that are almost all within (or close to) measurement error in two areas of regenerating woodland (Geescroft and Broadbalk Wildernesses) and an area of cultivated land from the Broadbalk Continuous Wheat Experiment. The fits to old grassland (the Park Grass Experiment) are less close. Two other sites that provide the requisite pre‐ and post‐bomb data are also fitted; a prairie Chernozem from Russia and an annual grassland from California. Roth‐PC‐1 gives a close fit to measurements of organic C and radiocarbon down the Chernozem profile, provided that allowance is made for soil age; with the annual grassland the fit is acceptable in the upper part of the profile, but not in the clay‐rich Bt horizon below. Calculations suggest that treating the top metre of soil as a homogeneous unit will greatly overestimate the effects of global warming in accelerating the decomposition of soil C and hence on the enhanced release of CO 2 from soil organic matter; more realistic estimates will be obtained from multi‐layer models such as RothPC‐1.
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Environmental variables such as soil water dynamics, temperature, litter incorporation, dissolved organic carbon transport and nitrogen affect carbon cycling under perennial vegetation.
“Environmental variables, such as soil water dynamics [40], temperature [38, 41], litter incorporation and dissolved organic C (DOC) transport [42] and nitrogen [14, 43], affect C cycling under perennial vegetation.”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [40]
Jenkinson and Coleman introduced an empirical coefficient to reduce SOM decomposition in the subsoil.
“Jenkinson and Coleman [40] introduced a similar empirical coefficient to reduce SOM decomposition in the subsoil.”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [40]
Depth-dependent decomposition has been implemented by water and heat flux models, empirical coefficients, or including C transport such as diffusion and adsorption of DOC.
“In summary, depth-dependent decomposition has been implemented by introducing (i) water and heat flux models [14, 169] or (ii) empirical coefficients [40] or (iii) including C transport, i.e. diffusion and adsorption of DOC [42].”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [40]
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- Authors
- Jenkinson, D. S., & Coleman, K.
- Affiliations
- Rothamsted Research (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Coleman, K.
- ORCID
- Coleman, K.
- Venue
- European Journal of Soil Science
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2008-03-04
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 400-413
- ISSN
- 1351-0754 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2389
- OpenAlex
- W1980547049
- Cited by
- 241
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 15.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Journal of Soil Science (publishedVersion)
- Rothamsted Repository (Rothamsted Repository) (submittedVersion)
- CentAUR (University of Reading) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil and Environmental Studies
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Keywords
- soil organic carbon turnover, subsoil carbon, carbon decomposition, radiocarbon dating, soil carbon models, soil age, black soil, grassland, long-term field experiment
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