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Assessment of soil organic carbon in semi-arid Sudan using GIS and the CENTURY model

Ardö, Jonas LU orcid and Olsson, Lennart LU (2003) In Journal of Arid Environments 54(4). p.633-651
Abstract
Using the UNFCCC as a basis, and the objectives of estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) changes during the period 1900-2100, a spatially explicit database of climate, land cover and soil texture was compiled for a 262,000 km(2) region in semi-arid Sudan. The area is characterized by low input cultivation of millet, sorghum and sesame combined with livestock grazing. By integrating the database with the CENTURY ecosystem model, we were able to estimate historical, current and future pools of SOC as a function of land management and climate. The SOC (upper 20 cm) decrease from 1900 to 2000 was estimated to be 6.8 Mt and the maximum potential carbon sink (SOC increase) for the period 2000 to 2 100 was estimated to be 17 Mt. Cropland and... (More)
Using the UNFCCC as a basis, and the objectives of estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) changes during the period 1900-2100, a spatially explicit database of climate, land cover and soil texture was compiled for a 262,000 km(2) region in semi-arid Sudan. The area is characterized by low input cultivation of millet, sorghum and sesame combined with livestock grazing. By integrating the database with the CENTURY ecosystem model, we were able to estimate historical, current and future pools of SOC as a function of land management and climate. The SOC (upper 20 cm) decrease from 1900 to 2000 was estimated to be 6.8 Mt and the maximum potential carbon sink (SOC increase) for the period 2000 to 2 100 was estimated to be 17 Mt. Cropland and grassland lost 293 and 152t SOC km(-2) respectively whereas the savannahs gained 76t SOC km(-2) from 1900 to 2000. The SOC sequestration scenario simulated during 2000-2100 recovered 94, 84 and 75 tkm(-2) for cropland, grassland and savannah respectively. In addition to climate and soils, cropping intensity, fallow periods, fire frequency and grazing intensity also influence cropland SOC variation. Grassland and savannah SOC variations depend on grazing intensity and fire return interval. Land management may affect future amounts of SOC in semi-arid areas thereby turning them from sources into sinks of carbon. SOC estimates were reasonably consistent with measurements (r(2) = 0.70, n = 13). (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
CENTURY, GIS, modelling, carbon sequestration, semi-arid, SOC, Sudan
in
Journal of Arid Environments
volume
54
issue
4
pages
633 - 651
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000183577100002
  • scopus:0037701666
ISSN
1095-922X
DOI
10.1006/jare.2002.1105
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
215fb3c6-d94d-4ad7-bf2d-6f9e9c131ea7 (old id 308532)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:38:39
date last changed
2022-03-28 00:58:42
@article{215fb3c6-d94d-4ad7-bf2d-6f9e9c131ea7,
  abstract     = {{Using the UNFCCC as a basis, and the objectives of estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) changes during the period 1900-2100, a spatially explicit database of climate, land cover and soil texture was compiled for a 262,000 km(2) region in semi-arid Sudan. The area is characterized by low input cultivation of millet, sorghum and sesame combined with livestock grazing. By integrating the database with the CENTURY ecosystem model, we were able to estimate historical, current and future pools of SOC as a function of land management and climate. The SOC (upper 20 cm) decrease from 1900 to 2000 was estimated to be 6.8 Mt and the maximum potential carbon sink (SOC increase) for the period 2000 to 2 100 was estimated to be 17 Mt. Cropland and grassland lost 293 and 152t SOC km(-2) respectively whereas the savannahs gained 76t SOC km(-2) from 1900 to 2000. The SOC sequestration scenario simulated during 2000-2100 recovered 94, 84 and 75 tkm(-2) for cropland, grassland and savannah respectively. In addition to climate and soils, cropping intensity, fallow periods, fire frequency and grazing intensity also influence cropland SOC variation. Grassland and savannah SOC variations depend on grazing intensity and fire return interval. Land management may affect future amounts of SOC in semi-arid areas thereby turning them from sources into sinks of carbon. SOC estimates were reasonably consistent with measurements (r(2) = 0.70, n = 13).}},
  author       = {{Ardö, Jonas and Olsson, Lennart}},
  issn         = {{1095-922X}},
  keywords     = {{CENTURY; GIS; modelling; carbon sequestration; semi-arid; SOC; Sudan}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{633--651}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Arid Environments}},
  title        = {{Assessment of soil organic carbon in semi-arid Sudan using GIS and the CENTURY model}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/jare.2002.1105}},
  doi          = {{10.1006/jare.2002.1105}},
  volume       = {{54}},
  year         = {{2003}},
}