The DOI matches its Crossref record; 72 of the 72 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
DYNAMICS OF SOIL NITROGEN AND CARBON ACCUMULATION FOR 61 YEARS AFTER AGRICULTURAL ABANDONMENT
Abstract
We used two independent methods to determine the dynamics of soil carbon and nitrogen following abandonment of agricultural fields on a Minnesota sand plain. First, we used a chronosequence of 19 fields abandoned from 1927 to 1982 to infer soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. Second, we directly observed dynamics of carbon and nitrogen over a 12-yr period in 1900 permanent plots in these fields. These observed dynamics were used in a differential equation model to predict soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. The two methods yielded similar results. Resampling the 1900 plots showed that the rates of accumulation of nitrogen and carbon over 12 yr depended on ambient carbon and nitrogen levels in the soil, with rates of accumulation declining at higher carbon and nitrogen levels. A dynamic model fitted to the observed rates of change predicted logistic dynamics for nitrogen and carbon accumulation. On average, agricultural practices resulted in a 75% loss of soil nitrogen and an 89% loss of soil carbon at the time of abandonment. Recovery to 95% of the preagricultural levels is predicted to require 180 yr for nitrogen and 230 yr for carbon. This model accurately predicted the soil carbon, nitrogen, and carbon:nitrogen ratio patterns observed in the chronosequence of old fields, suggesting that the chronosequence may be indicative of actual changes in soil carbon and nitrogen. Our results suggest that the rate of carbon accumulation was controlled by the rate of nitrogen accumulation, which in turn depended on atmospheric nitrogen deposition and symbiotic nitrogen fixation by legumes. Our data support the hypothesis that these abandoned fields initially retain essentially all nitrogen and have a closed nitrogen cycle. Multiple regression suggests that vegetation composition had a significant influence on the rates of accumulation of both nitrogen and carbon; legumes increased these rates, and C3 grasses and forbs decreased them. C4 grasses increased the C:N ratio of the soil organic matter and thereby increased the rate of carbon accumulation, but not nitrogen accumulation.
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In the citing paper
“Soil organic matter and nitrogen typically increase after cessation of farming and during primary succession [69]”
From From the Ground Up: Prairies on Reclaimed Mine Land—Impacts on Soil and Vegetation (2020) · cites this paper as [69]
In the citing paper
“Most prairie restoration studies focus on conversion from agriculture [7,20,21,69].”
From From the Ground Up: Prairies on Reclaimed Mine Land—Impacts on Soil and Vegetation (2020) · cites this paper as [69]
In the citing paper
“Conversely, SOC accumulates upon conversion of cultivated land to secondary forest, grassland, or pasture (Potter et al., 1999;Knops & Tilman, 2000;Guo & Gifford, 2002;West et al., 2004;Grandy & Robertson, 2007).”
From Changes in soil organic carbon under biofuel crops (2009) · cites this paper as Knops & Tilman, 2000
In the citing paper
“We created regionally specific parameterizations of native forest growth based on the forest yield tables in Smith et al. ( 35 ) for the New York [“Northeast” region in Smith et al. ( 35 )], Iowa (“Northern Prairie States”), and Louisiana (“South Central”) case study sites, adjusting symbiotic nitrogen fixation for broad consistency with soil total nitrogen trend data from two representative aff”
From Robust paths to net greenhouse gas mitigation and negative emissions via advanced biofuels (2020) · cites this paper as [69]
Citations
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Parton, W. J., Stewart, J. W., & Cole, C. V. (1988) · Biogeochemistry · doi:10.1007/bf02180320 · Cited by 1,483
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PLANT FUNCTIONAL MARKERS CAPTURE ECOSYSTEM PROPERTIES DURING SECONDARY SUCCESSION
Garnier, E., Cortez, J., Billès, G., Navas, M.-L., Roumet, C., Debussche, M., Laurent, G., Blanchard, A., Aubry, D., Bellmann, A., et al. (2004) · Ecology · doi:10.1890/03-0799 · Cited by 2,313
Carbon-Negative Biofuels from Low-Input High-Diversity Grassland Biomass
Tilman, D., Hill, J., & Lehman, C. (2006) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1133306 · Cited by 1,813
Self-citationThe Importance of Land-Use Legacies to Ecology and Conservation
FOSTER, D., SWANSON, F., ABER, J., BURKE, I., BROKAW, N., TILMAN, D., & KNAPP, A. (2003) · BioScience · doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2003)053[0077:tiolul]2.0.co;2 · Cited by 1,213
Self-citationEffects of grazing on grassland soil carbon: a global review
McSherry, M. E., & Ritchie, M. E. (2013) · Global Change Biology · doi:10.1111/gcb.12144 · Cited by 829
Plant functional composition influences rates of soil carbon and nitrogen accumulation
Fornara, D. A., & Tilman, D. (2008) · Journal of Ecology · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2745.2007.01345.x · Cited by 808
Self-citation
Metadata
- Authors
- Knops, J. M. H., & Tilman, D.
- Affiliations
- University of Minnesota (US)
- Venue
- Ecology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2000-01
- Volume
- 81
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 88-98
- ISSN
- 0012-9658 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2108520349
- Cited by
- 595
- References
- 72
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 29 · 2017: 35 · 2016: 38 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 32 · 2012: 35
- FWCI
- 22.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Ecology (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation
- 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
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil and Environmental Studies
- Keywords
- soil carbon accumulation, soil nitrogen accumulation, agricultural abandonment, old field, chronosequence, soil C:N ratio, nitrogen deposition, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, Fabaceae, C3 and C4 grasses, floristic composition, soil organic matter
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Cite CoChat for the checks on this page, and the paper for its own findings.
- This page
- CoChat. (2026). Citation check: DYNAMICS OF SOIL NITROGEN AND CARBON ACCUMULATION FOR 61 YEARS AFTER AGRICULTURAL ABANDONMENT. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1890/0012-9658(2000)081%5B0088:dosnac%5D2.0.co;2
- The paper
- Knops, J. M. H., & Tilman, D. (2000). DYNAMICS OF SOIL NITROGEN AND CARBON ACCUMULATION FOR 61 YEARS AFTER AGRICULTURAL ABANDONMENT. Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1890/0012-9658(2000)081%5B0088%3Adosnac%5D2.0.co%3B2
