Soil-Organic-Carbon Concentration and Storage under Different Land Uses in the Carrizal-Chone Valley in Ecuador

Abstract

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important indicator of soil quality; an elevated percentage of SOC indicates very high-quality soil, physically as well as chemically. As such, the principal objective of the present study was to determine the concentration of SOC at different depths, as well as its accumulation through the entire soil profile. The Carrizal-Chone system (SCCH) area was stratified by agricultural use. Sixty-three soil samples were taken from different depths of up to a maximum of 150 cm. The physical and chemical properties of the soil were determined. SOC was determined by the Walkley and Black method. The following results are highlighted: (1) 21 different varieties of soil management were identified; (2) the largest area was livestock grazing land, which had the greatest concentration of SOC; (3) the type of soil with the greatest SOC sequestration capacity was silty clay loam; (4) the area cultivated with corn presented the highest accumulation of total carbon; and (5) the highest concentration of SOC was found in the top 40 cm, with a tendency to decrease with depth. It is concluded that soil management influences the concentration and accumulation of SOC in the topsoil layers and the entire soil profile.