TY - JOUR

T1 - Accumulation of soil organic carbon linked to Holocene sea level changes in West Greenland

AU - Jensen, Louise A.

AU - Schmidt, Lea Bjerre

AU - Hollesen, Jørgen

AU - Elberling, Bo

PY - 2006/8

Y1 - 2006/8

N2 - Changes in the amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) stored in arctic soils may influence the global carbon cycle and be an important feedback mechanism to global climate changes. In order to estimate the carbon stock and accumulation rates at Flakkerhuk on Disko Island in West Greenland, an 1800-ha study area was divided into land cover types using a satellite image. Total SOC was estimated to be on average 67.3 ton C ha-1 (6.7 kg m-2) and the fen area contributing 42% of the total SOC. Soil profiles investigated at different terraces revealed that the SOC stock was significantly age-related, increasing six fold from a terrace dated to 7000 (BP) to one dated to 10,000 (BP). This equals an average soil C accumulation rate of 0.5 kg C m-2 100 yr-1. This rate was compared to vegetation-specific accumulation rates in the last 7000 yr which were in the order of 0.05 kg C m-2 100 yr-1 in heath and sparse vegetation, 0.4 in fen areas and between 2 and 5 kg C m-2 the last 100 yr in the present salt marsh. The study shows the importance of landscape history and age when sampling and evaluating SOC stocks and provides estimates of arctic soil C accumulation rates during Holocene versus present rates.

AB - Changes in the amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) stored in arctic soils may influence the global carbon cycle and be an important feedback mechanism to global climate changes. In order to estimate the carbon stock and accumulation rates at Flakkerhuk on Disko Island in West Greenland, an 1800-ha study area was divided into land cover types using a satellite image. Total SOC was estimated to be on average 67.3 ton C ha-1 (6.7 kg m-2) and the fen area contributing 42% of the total SOC. Soil profiles investigated at different terraces revealed that the SOC stock was significantly age-related, increasing six fold from a terrace dated to 7000 (BP) to one dated to 10,000 (BP). This equals an average soil C accumulation rate of 0.5 kg C m-2 100 yr-1. This rate was compared to vegetation-specific accumulation rates in the last 7000 yr which were in the order of 0.05 kg C m-2 100 yr-1 in heath and sparse vegetation, 0.4 in fen areas and between 2 and 5 kg C m-2 the last 100 yr in the present salt marsh. The study shows the importance of landscape history and age when sampling and evaluating SOC stocks and provides estimates of arctic soil C accumulation rates during Holocene versus present rates.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33748770680&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1657/1523-0430(2006)38[378:AOSOCL]2.0.CO;2

DO - 10.1657/1523-0430(2006)38[378:AOSOCL]2.0.CO;2

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:33748770680

VL - 38

SP - 378

EP - 383

JO - Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research

JF - Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research

SN - 1523-0430

IS - 3

ER -