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Katarina Hedlund

Katarina Hedlund

Professor

Katarina Hedlund

What are the effects of agricultural management on soil organic carbon in boreo-temperate systems?

Author

  • Neal R. Haddaway
  • Katarina Hedlund
  • Louise E. Jackson
  • Thomas Kätterer
  • Emanuele Lugato
  • Ingrid K. Thomsen
  • Helene Bracht Jörgensen
  • Bo Söderström

Summary, in English

Background: Soils contain the largest stock of organic carbon (C) in terrestrial ecosystems and changes in soil C

stocks may significantly affect atmospheric CO2. A significant part of soil C is present in cultivated soils that occupy

about 35 % of the global land surface. Agricultural intensification has led to practices that may decrease soil organic

carbon (SOC), and agricultural management has the potential to be a powerful tool for climate change mitigation

and increased soil fertility through SOC sequestration. Here, we systematically map evidence relating to the impacts

of agricultural management on SOC in arable systems of the warm temperate and snow climate zones (subset of

temperate and continental climates: Köppen–Geiger Classification).

Methods: Seventeen academic citation databases, 3 search engines and 25 organisational websites were searched

for literature (academic and grey) using search strings translated into a range of languages relevant to the included

geographical scope of the topic. Stakeholders were also contacted with requests for evidence. Bibliographic checking

of 127 relevant reviews was undertaken to check for missing articles. Screening for relevance against predefined inclusion

criteria was undertaken at title, abstract and full text levels according to a published protocol. All relevant studies

were coded in a meta-database describing the citation, study settings, methods and quantitative data available (without

extraction of the study findings). A basic critical appraisal of included studies was also performed. A geographical

information system (GIS) presenting the map database on a physical, online map was also produced.

Results: A total of 735 studies from 553 articles was included in the systematic map database. Studies investigated

one or more of five broad categories of interventions: amendments (286 studies), crop rotations (238), fertilisers (307),

tillage (306), and multiple interventions (55). Studies were identified from across the includible climate zones, with the

notable underrepresentation from Russia. The majority of studies employed only point sampling of SOC, low levels

of true spatial replication and moderate study periods (i.e. 10–20 years). Missing key methodological information was

found in 28 % of studies.

Conclusions: Long-term study sites identified in this map provide a useful addition to existing databases of longterm

experiments (LTEs). The identification of knowledge gaps, such as studies from Russia, also identify a need for

improved cataloguing or reporting of existing and on-going research. This systematic map database represents a useful

resource for decision-makers wishing to identify knowledge gaps warranting further primary research, knowledge

gluts warranting further secondary research, and deficiencies and best practice in research methodology. In addition

to the systematic map database, we have also produced two further resources: (1) a database of LTE sites investigating

agricultural management and SOC, and (2) a database of reviews and meta-analyses. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review or map that utilises a GIS for presentation of an evidence base, which we believe substantially increases the utility of the map outputs.

Department/s

  • Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC)
  • Biodiversity
  • BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
  • Soil Ecology

Publishing year

2015

Language

English

Publication/Series

Environmental Evidence

Volume

4

Document type

Journal article review

Publisher

BioMed Central (BMC)

Topic

  • Environmental Sciences
  • Soil Science

Status

Published

Research group

  • Soil Ecology

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 2047-2382