Data from: Natural tree colonisation of organo-mineral soils does not provide a net carbon capture benefit at decadal timescales
Data files
Dec 11, 2024 version files 98.22 KB
-
Housego_et_al_2024.xlsx
96.38 KB
-
README.md
1.85 KB
Abstract
Tree cover is often increased with the aim of increasing ecosystem carbon sequestration and mitigating climate change. However, when planting trees in ecosystems with carbon-rich soils, soil disturbance during ground preparation can cause soil carbon losses not counteracted by tree carbon gains at the decadal timescales relevant to climate change mitigation. Tree establishment via natural colonisation, which does not involve soil disturbance, might prevent these soil carbon losses, but this is unknown. We measured soil, ground vegetation, and tree carbon stocks and tree inputs along an 8 metre transect from single, native, 25-year-old naturally colonised trees (Pinus sylvestris or Betula spp.) onto Calluna vulgaris-dominated moorland, at sites with carbon-rich organo-mineral soils in the Cairngorms, UK. Along the transect away from the tree, organic soil carbon stocks increased from 4.0 kg C m-2 at 0.5 metres, to 6.0 kg C m-2 at 8 metres. Meanwhile, carbon stocks in the top 10 cm of the mineral soil horizon, 3.6 kg C m-2, did not vary. Ground vegetation carbon stocks increased only slightly, from 1.0 kg C m-2 at 0.5 metres, to 1.3 kg C m-2 at 8 metres. Mean carbon stock per tree was 32.4 kg, so overall, sparse natural colonisation resulted in no net ecosystem carbon gain.
Policy implications: Sparse natural colonisation of carbon-rich soils by low biomass trees might not result in net ecosystem carbon gains at decadal timescales, and instead lead to unforeseen soil carbon losses. Soil carbon changes should be taken into account when quantifying the climate change mitigation potential of natural colonisation.
README: Natural tree colonisation of organo-mineral soils does not provide a net carbon capture benefit at decadal timescales
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.zpc866th1
Authors
Naomi C Housego (1,2,*), Thomas C Parker (1), Lorna E Street (2), Elena I Vanguelova (3), Ruth J Mitchell (1)
1: The James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen, UK
2: School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
3: Forest Research, Alice Holt, Farnham, UK
* Correspondence author: naomi.housego@hutton.ac.uk
Funding Information
The collection of the data in this dataset and its analysis was funded by by Macaulay Development Trust grant E002717-00 and Natural Environment Research Council grant NE/N015460/1.
Description
The dataset and R script to support the findings, figures, and supporting information in: Housego, N. C., Parker, T. C., Street, L. E., Vanguelova, E. I., and Mitchell, R. J. (2025) Natural tree colonisation of organo-mineral soils does not provide a net carbon capture benefit at decadal timescales. Journal of Applied Ecology.
Files and variables
File: Housego_et_al_2024.xlsx
Description: A .xlsx file containing all data supporting: Housego, N. C., Parker, T. C., Street, L. E., Vanguelova, E. I., and Mitchell, R. J. (2025) Natural tree colonisation of organo-mineral soils does not provide a net carbon capture benefit at decadal timescales. Journal of Applied Ecology.
Variables
- Variables defined on first sheet of file
- Missing values indicated by: NS (not sampled); RI (recorded incorrectly); TF (trap failed); NR (not retrieved); NI (not installed); IM (insufficient mass)
Code/software
Software: R
Version: 4.3.1
Packages: readxl; tidyverse; ggplot2; ggmagnify; ggpubr; nlme; lme4; lmerTest