Model based analysis of lateral and vertical soil carbon fluxes induced by soil redistribution processes in a small agricultural catchment

Soil redistribution on arable land significantly affects lateral and vertical soil carbon (C) fluxes (caused by C formation and mineralization) and soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Whether this serves as a (C) sink or source to the atmosphere is a controversial issue. In this study, the SPEROS-C model was modified to analyse erosion induced lateral and vertical soil C fluxes and their effects upon SOC stocks in a small agricultural catchment (4·2ha). The model was applied for the period between 1950 and 2007 covering 30years of conventional tillage (1950-1979) followed by 28years of conservation tillage (1980-2007). In general, modelled and measured SOC stocks are in good agreement for three observed soil layers. The overall balance (1950-2007) of erosion induced lateral and vertical C fluxes results in a C loss of -4·4gCm -2 a -1 at our test site. Land management has a significant impact on the erosion induced C fluxes, leading to a predominance of lateral C export under conventional and of vertical C exchange between soil and atmosphere under conservation agriculture. Overall, the application of the soil conservation practices, with enhanced C inputs by cover crops and decreased erosion, significantly reduced the modelled erosion induced C loss of the test site. Increasing C inputs alone, without a reduction of erosion rates, did not result in a reduction of erosion induced C losses. Moreover, our results show that the potential erosion induced C loss is very sensitive to the representation of erosion rates (long-term steady state versus event driven). A first estimate suggests that C losses are very sensitive to magnitude and frequency of erosion events. If long-term averages are dominated by large magnitude events modelled erosion induced C losses in the catchment were significantly reduced. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd