Influence of Oak and Maple Species on Soil Carbon: A Case Study

Résumé fourni par la source

Forests are of immense importance as CO 2 sinks.However, the relationship that exists between forests and the carbon they sequester into their soil is still unclear.This research aims to investigate the ability of maple (Acer rubrum, A. saccharum) and oak (Quercus rubra, Q. alba), trees to enhance a soil's carbon sequestration potential.Fourteen samples each were taken from two sites: The Ohio State University's Waterman Woods and The Ohio State University's main campus (representing an "urban" sample).Comparisons were made between and among species and site, as well as between under the dripline and outside of it.It was determined that maples likely have a larger, positive impact on soil carbon sequestration because a significant positive correlation was found in a Pearson Correlation Coefficient between total soil carbon (C) stored and diameter at breast height (DBH).This conclusion also stems from the significant difference in maple tree sizes sampled between sites.For example, the OSU campus site stored a significantly higher total soil C with much larger maple trees sampled, further backing our conclusion.Additionally, no significant difference was found between carbon stored inside the dripline and outside of it, though, inside the dripline C stored was slightly higher.The difference between these species may stem from a difference in respiration rate, percentage of lignin, or litter quality/turnover rate.Follow up projects could be done to compare these finding across different tree species and/or in different soil/forestry environments on a larger scale to confirm their validity.

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