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How Can Land Use Management in Traditional Cultural Landscapes Become a Policy Instrument for Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration and Climate Change Mitigation? A Transylvanian Case Study

Authors :
Vlad Macicasan
Andreea Ocrain
Ramona Balc
Tiberius Dicu
Max D. V. Bodmer
Carmen Roba
Source :
Applied Sciences, Vol 14, Iss 21, p 9851 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Changes in land use from high-nature-value grasslands to arable fields reduce the organic carbon stock in soil, increasing atmospheric carbon concentrations. Maintaining grasslands through traditional agricultural techniques can mitigate climate change by transferring atmospheric carbon to the soil. Benefits of soil organic carbon sequestration include improved soil properties and enhanced ecosystem services and biodiversity. With Romania’s ratification of the Paris Agreement, it is crucial to review climate-related agricultural policies and incentivize carbon sequestration practices in organic soils. This paper presents a soil carbon study in Transylvania’s Târnava Mare region, Romania, known for its preserved cultural landscapes. Soil samples were taken at a depth of 60 cm to assess organic carbon pools under grassland and arable land management across three soil classes: Cernisoils, Hidrisoils, and Luvisoils. Several statistical tests were applied to evaluate the most significant drivers of soil organic carbon sequestration including land use, soil class, and soil depth. The results indicate that land management has the largest impact, with grasslands storing 45% more carbon than arable land on average. This finding should be integrated into national climate action plans, prioritizing the preservation of grasslands and sustainable agricultural practices to support soil organic carbon sequestration.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20763417
Volume :
14
Issue :
21
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Applied Sciences
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.09141b41b4146f4bcb9fb4fe9368335
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/app14219851