Biomass and Carbon Partitioning in Switchgrass
Abstract
Grasslands have an underground biomass component that serves as a carbon (C) storage sink. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has potential as a biofuel crop. Our objectives were to determine biomass and C partitioning in aboveground and belowground plant components and changes in soil organic C in switchgrass. Cultivars Sunburst and Dacotah were field grown over 3 yr at Mandan, ND. Aboveground biomass was sampled and separated into leaves, stems, senesced, and litter biomass. Root biomass to 1.1‐m depth and soil organic C to 0.9‐m depth was determined. Soil C loss from respiratory processes was determined by measuring CO 2 flux from early May to late October. At seed ripe harvest, stem biomass accounted for 46% of total aboveground biomass, leaves 7%, senesced plant parts 43%, and litter 4%. Excluding crowns, root biomass averaged 27% of the total plant biomass and 84% when crown tissue was included with root biomass. Carbon partitioning among aboveground, crown, and root biomass showed that crown tissue contained approximately 50% of the total biomass C. Regression analysis indicated that soil organic C to 0.9‐m depth increased at the rate of 1.01 kg C m−2 yr−1 Carbon lost through soil respiration processes was equal to 44% of the C content of the total plant biomass. Although an amount equal to nearly half of the C captured in plant biomass during a year is lost through soil respiration, these results suggest that northern Great Plains switchgrass plantings have potential for storing a significant quantity of soil C.
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Carbon sequestration by switchgrass has been nearly ubiquitous across a broad range of growing conditions throughout North America at rates of 1.7-10.1 Mg C ha-1 year-1.
“Carbon sequestration by switchgrass has been nearly ubiquitous across a broad range of growing conditions throughout North America at rates of 1.7-10.1 Mg C ha -1 year -1 (6.2-37.0Mg CO 2 ha -1 year -1 ) [11,13,18,45].”
From Soil Carbon Storage by Switchgrass Grown for Bioenergy (2008) · cites this paper as [11]
Increased soil organic carbon under switchgrass at depths below 30 cm is common, having been observed in other studies in the northern Great Plains.
“Increased SOC under switchgrass at depths below 30 cm is common, having been observed in other studies in the northern Great Plains [11,18,20].”
From Soil Carbon Storage by Switchgrass Grown for Bioenergy (2008) · cites this paper as [11]
Increases in soil organic carbon under switchgrass were likely caused by belowground carbon input from root biomass and rhizodeposition and decreased soil organic matter losses by erosion.
“Increases in SOC under switchgrass were likely caused by belowground C input from root biomass and rhizodeposition [11,45] and decreased soil organic matter losses by erosion [6].”
From Soil Carbon Storage by Switchgrass Grown for Bioenergy (2008) · cites this paper as [11]
Frank et al. (2004) found root biomass of switchgrass in the surface 0.3 m to account for nearly 50% of total root biomass over a 1.1 m soil depth.
“Frank et al. (2004) found root biomass of switchgrass in the surface 0.3 m to account for nearly 50% of total root biomass over a 1.1 m soil depth.”
From Field-scale soil property changes under switchgrass managed for bioenergy (2011) · cites this paper as Frank et al., 2004
Soil organic C increased at rates ranging from 1.7 to 10.1 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 after switchgrass establishment throughout North America.
“Soil organic C increased at rates ranging from 1.7 to 10.1 Mg C ha À1 yr À1 after switchgrass establishment throughout North America (Garten & Wullschleger, 2000;Zan et al., 2001;Frank et al., 2004;Lee et al., 2007).”
From Field-scale soil property changes under switchgrass managed for bioenergy (2011) · cites this paper as Frank et al., 2004
Considerable SOC gains for switchgrass have been reported below 0.3 m depths.
“Considerable SOC gains for switchgrass have been reported below 0.3 m depths (Frank et al., 2004;Liebig et al., 2005;Lee et al., 2007).”
From Field-scale soil property changes under switchgrass managed for bioenergy (2011) · cites this paper as Frank et al., 2004
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- Authors
- Frank, A. B., Berdahl, J. D., Hanson, J. D., Liebig, M. A., & Johnson, H. A.
- Affiliations
- Agricultural Research Service (US)
- Corresponding author
- Frank, A. B.
- ORCID
- Liebig, M. A.
- Venue
- Crop Science
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2004-07
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 1391-1396
- ISSN
- 0011-183X (ISSN-L)
- 1435-0653
- OpenAlex
- W1966515524
- Cited by
- 243
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 25 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 19
- FWCI
- 10.90
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Crop Science (publishedVersion)
- 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 › Forestry › Pasture and Agricultural Systems
- Keywords
- switchgrass, carbon allocation, belowground biomass, root biomass, soil organic carbon, soil respiration, aboveground biomass, crown tissue, litter, energy crops, carbon sequestration, cultivar comparison
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