Soil carbon sequestration during the establishment phase of M iscanthus × giganteus: a regional‐scale study on commercial farms using 13C natural abundance
Open accessAbstract
The use of biomass for energy production is considered a promising way to reduce net carbon emissions and mitigate climate change. However, land‐use change to bioenergy crops can result in carbon emissions from soil and vegetation in amounts that could take decades to compensate. Perennial grasses such as M iscanthus offer a possible solution to this problem as measurements on experimental plots planted with M iscanthus have shown significant carbon sequestration in the soil. It can, however, be expected that sequestration potentials in commercial use might differ from those measured in experimental plots due to different farming practices and soil characteristics. For this study, M iscanthus plantations on 16 farms in SE I reland as well as on‐farm controls representing the former land‐use (grassland and tillage) have been examined. The M iscanthus plantations were 2–3 years old. Soil organic carbon (SOC) content and a number of soil properties were measured and the amount of M iscanthus‐derived carbon was determined using the 13C natural abundance method. On both former tillage fields and grasslands, although there were no significant differences in SOC contents between M iscanthus and control sites, it was shown that 2–3 years after M iscanthus establishment, 1.82 ± 1.69 and 2.17 ± 1.73 Mg ha−1 of the SOC under former‐tilled and former grassland respectively were M iscanthus‐derived. Mixed‐effects models were used to link the total SOC concentrations and M iscanthus‐derived carbon to the land‐use parameters as well as to soil properties. It was shown that on control sites, pH had an effect on total SOC. In the case of M iscanthus‐derived carbon, the initial SOC content, pH, former land‐use and crop age had significant effects.
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Grass to perennial grasses changed soil organic carbon by -10.9% ± 4.3 (p < 0.0001, n = 43).
“| Grass e Perennial Grasses | À0.1158 | 0.0217 | À10.9 | 4.3 | <0.0001 | 43 | [42,49] |”
From Land use change to bioenergy: A meta-analysis of soil carbon and GHG emissions (2015) · cites this paper as [42]
The Soil organic carbon stocks section (page not available) reports a significant loss only in the upper 10 cm after grassland was converted to Miscanthus; pooled over soil depth, it found no significant difference. The Discussion likewise reports no significant change in total soil organic carbon over 0–30 cm. Thus the paper does not support the table row’s highly significant overall decrease, and it does not report the stated −10.9% ± 4.3% estimate or n = 43. (LLM, conf=0.86)
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Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAcross different environments and time periods, quite similar net storage changes could be found over 3 to 15 years.
“Across different environments and time periods, quite similar net storage changes could be found (3 to 15 years) [19, 134].”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [134]
Initial SOC gains are greater on former arable than on former grassland when planted with Miscanthus, although not significant.
“Although not significant, initial SOC gains are greater on former arable than on former grassland when planted with Miscanthus in spite of greater—probably yield-dependent—sequestration rates on grassland [134].”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [134]
Initial sequestration rates are low due to small inputs during the establishing phase.
“The opposite is evident: initial sequestration rates are low due to small inputs during the establishing phase [25, 43, 46, 60, 86, 106, 134], which could depend on the productivity and fertility of the soil, its former land use and planting material/success.”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [134]
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- Authors
- Zimmermann, J., Dauber, J., & Jones, M. B.
- Affiliations
- Trinity College Dublin (IE)
- Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Zimmermann, Jesko
- Venue
- GCB Bioenergy
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2011-09-06
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 453-461
- ISSN
- 1757-1693 (ISSN-L)
- 1757-1707
- OpenAlex
- W2022923025
- Cited by
- 80
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 14.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- GCB Bioenergy (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of California, Davis
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Bioenergy crop production and management
- 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
- Keywords
- Miscanthus × giganteus, soil carbon sequestration, soil organic carbon, 13C natural abundance, energy crops, perennial grasses, land use change, soil pH, commercial plantations, establishment phase, soil properties
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