Carbon sequestration in bamboo plantation soil with heavy winter organic mulching management

Carbon sequestration in soils is considered to be an important option for the mitigation of increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations as a result of climate change. High carbon accumulation was observed in Lei bamboo (Phyllostachys praecox) soils when using large amounts of organic material in a mulching technique. Soil samples were collected from Lei bamboo fields in a chronosequence. The composition and stability of soil organic carbon (SOC) in the bamboo soils was investigated by a combination of ¹³C CPMAS NMR analysis and with a decomposition incubation experiment in the laboratory. SOC content decreased in the first 5 years after planting of Lei bamboo from the original paddy soil and increased strongly subsequently. The stability of SOC after application of the winter mulch was higher as compared to the original paddy soil with no mulching, indicating that SOC can be stored effectively within Lei bamboo fields under intensive management. Copyright © 2011 The New York Botanical Garden.