Searching for the best post-land abandonment management to enhance long-term carbon storage in Mediterranean mountain areas
The abandonment of rural activities in the Mediterranean mid-mountains has led to the activation of revegetation processes, as well as the subsequent implementation of various management measures to mitigate the associated ecosystem disservices. Focusing on soil environment and its growing importanc...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Geography and Sustainability |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666683925000045 |
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| author | Melani Cortijos-López Teodoro Lasanta Erik Cammeraat Estela Nadal-Romero |
| author_facet | Melani Cortijos-López Teodoro Lasanta Erik Cammeraat Estela Nadal-Romero |
| author_sort | Melani Cortijos-López |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The abandonment of rural activities in the Mediterranean mid-mountains has led to the activation of revegetation processes, as well as the subsequent implementation of various management measures to mitigate the associated ecosystem disservices. Focusing on soil environment and its growing importance in a climate change scenario, it is of great interest to study how land management and landscape changes can affect, not only the soil carbon storage process, but also its dynamics. A study was conducted in La Rioja (Iberian System, Spain), comparing three post-abandonment management strategies: secondary succession, forest management, and shrub clearing and extensive grazing. These strategies were analysed in two types of soil environments (acid and alkaline) and for two depth ranges (0–20 cm and 20–40 cm). Laboratory analyses were performed on aggregate stability and soil organic carbon fractionation with regard to three aggregate sizes (< 2 mm, 2–5 mm, > 5 mm) and three density fractions (free labile, occluded, and heavy fraction). The results showed that: 1) SOC content in aggregates < 2 mm (relative to total SOC) increases with shrub clearing and grazing strategy in acid environments; 2) aggregate stability benefits from the implementation of afforestation in acid environments and from all three study strategies in alkaline ones; 3) in acid environments, the percentage of labile fractions (free and occluded) in afforested sites is significantly higher compared with shrubland, while in alkaline environments, recalcitrant SOC is significantly higher in shrub clearing sites. Thus, land management should be focused on SOC storage after land abandonment in Mediterranean mountainous environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f064dd1b62264d4ea901e4eabd450705 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-6839 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geography and Sustainability |
| spelling | doaj-art-f064dd1b62264d4ea901e4eabd4507052025-02-11T04:35:31ZengElsevierGeography and Sustainability2666-68392025-04-0162100265Searching for the best post-land abandonment management to enhance long-term carbon storage in Mediterranean mountain areasMelani Cortijos-López0Teodoro Lasanta1Erik Cammeraat2Estela Nadal-Romero3Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPE-CSIC); Campus de Aula Dei, Zaragoza 50059, Spain; Corresponding author.Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPE-CSIC); Campus de Aula Dei, Zaragoza 50059, SpainEcosystem & Landscape Dynamics (IBED-ELD), Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1090GE, the NetherlandsInstituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPE-CSIC); Campus de Aula Dei, Zaragoza 50059, SpainThe abandonment of rural activities in the Mediterranean mid-mountains has led to the activation of revegetation processes, as well as the subsequent implementation of various management measures to mitigate the associated ecosystem disservices. Focusing on soil environment and its growing importance in a climate change scenario, it is of great interest to study how land management and landscape changes can affect, not only the soil carbon storage process, but also its dynamics. A study was conducted in La Rioja (Iberian System, Spain), comparing three post-abandonment management strategies: secondary succession, forest management, and shrub clearing and extensive grazing. These strategies were analysed in two types of soil environments (acid and alkaline) and for two depth ranges (0–20 cm and 20–40 cm). Laboratory analyses were performed on aggregate stability and soil organic carbon fractionation with regard to three aggregate sizes (< 2 mm, 2–5 mm, > 5 mm) and three density fractions (free labile, occluded, and heavy fraction). The results showed that: 1) SOC content in aggregates < 2 mm (relative to total SOC) increases with shrub clearing and grazing strategy in acid environments; 2) aggregate stability benefits from the implementation of afforestation in acid environments and from all three study strategies in alkaline ones; 3) in acid environments, the percentage of labile fractions (free and occluded) in afforested sites is significantly higher compared with shrubland, while in alkaline environments, recalcitrant SOC is significantly higher in shrub clearing sites. Thus, land management should be focused on SOC storage after land abandonment in Mediterranean mountainous environments.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666683925000045Mediterranean mountainSoil organic carbonAfforestationPasturesNatural revegetation |
| spellingShingle | Melani Cortijos-López Teodoro Lasanta Erik Cammeraat Estela Nadal-Romero Searching for the best post-land abandonment management to enhance long-term carbon storage in Mediterranean mountain areas Geography and Sustainability Mediterranean mountain Soil organic carbon Afforestation Pastures Natural revegetation |
| title | Searching for the best post-land abandonment management to enhance long-term carbon storage in Mediterranean mountain areas |
| title_full | Searching for the best post-land abandonment management to enhance long-term carbon storage in Mediterranean mountain areas |
| title_fullStr | Searching for the best post-land abandonment management to enhance long-term carbon storage in Mediterranean mountain areas |
| title_full_unstemmed | Searching for the best post-land abandonment management to enhance long-term carbon storage in Mediterranean mountain areas |
| title_short | Searching for the best post-land abandonment management to enhance long-term carbon storage in Mediterranean mountain areas |
| title_sort | searching for the best post land abandonment management to enhance long term carbon storage in mediterranean mountain areas |
| topic | Mediterranean mountain Soil organic carbon Afforestation Pastures Natural revegetation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666683925000045 |
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