Root biomass of carbon plantings in agricultural landscapes of southern Australia: Development and testing of allometrics

Root biomass may to contribute a substantial proportion of the carbon sequestered in new tree plantings, particularly in regions where rainfall and/or site quality is relatively low as this may result in relatively high allocation of plant biomass below-ground to source required water or nutrients. However, root biomass is often overlooked because of difficulty with measurement. In Australia, most carbon plantings are currently mixed-species environmental or mallee eucalypt plantings on agricultural land in regions with rainfall of 250-850mmyear-1. Here, we collated new and existing root biomass data from ca. 900 individual trees or shrubs to develop and test allometric equations for predicting root biomass based on stem diameter (of unharvested trees or shrubs) or height (of coppice harvested trees) in these plantings. Equations developed showed significant differences between groupings of species with differing growth habits or from different genera. Grouping species into categories of: (i) non-eucalypts, (ii) tree-form eucalypts, (iii) unharvested mallee eucalypts, and (iv) coppiced mallee eucalypts, provided equations with model efficiencies of 0.64-0.90. In the process of collating data across different studies, corrections were required for data consistency. Uncertainty analysis showed that although these corrections resulted in some uncertainty in the equations developed, measurement errors, particularly of stem diameter, were also important contributors to this uncertainty. We tested equations developed using data from 11 environmental and mallee planting sites where direct measurements of root biomass were made through whole-plot excavation. Site-level predictions of root biomass from individual tree allometry were effective, with an efficiency of prediction of 0.98. These results indicate that the generic allometric equations developed can be confidently applied across the Australian agricultural region with 250-850mmyear-1 rainfall to obtain accurate regional estimates of root biomass in the currently relatively young (<20year old) environmental and mallee plantings

CARACTERÍSTICAS DE UM LATOSSOLO VERMELHO SOB PASTAGEM NATURAL SUJEITA À AÇÃO PROLONGADA DO FOGO E DE PRÁTICAS ALTERNATIVAS DE MANEJO CHARACTERISTICS OF AN O,XISOL UNDER NATIVE PASTURE SUBMITTED TO FIRE FOR LONG TIME AND ALTERNATIVE MANAGEMENTS

Foram coletadas, em 1998, amostras de solo nas camadas de 0-2,5; 2,5-5,0; 5-10 e 10-30cm, em pastagem natural manejada sob queima sistemática e com distintas alternativas de manejo em relação às queimadas (sem queima, com ou sem roçada, e melhorado com calagem, adubação e introdução de espécies, há 7 e 24 anos), na região dos Campos de Cima da Serra, RS. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado com três repetições. O melhoramento da pastagem natural elevou os teores de Ca, Mg e P no solo, a saturação de bases e o pH e reduziu a acidez potencial. A queima da pastagem natural, em relação às demais áreas sem queima e sem melhoramento, promoveu aumento na acidez potencial e redução nos teores de magnésio na camada mais superficial do solo. A prática de roçada, por um lado aumenta o teor de Mg e a saturação de bases; e por outro, reduz a acidez potencial na superfície do solo, em relação ao solo de pastagem queimada ou só pastejada e sem roçada. Sistemas sem queima apresentam maior quantidade de água e cobertura do solo.<br>Soil samples were taken, in 1998, from distinct layers (0-2.5; 2.5-5.0; 5-10 and 10-30cm) in fields with native pasture under grazing, submitted to burning and alternative management practices (without burning with or without mowing, and improved for 7 and 24 years), in the Campos de Cima da Serra region, RS, Brazil. The experimental design was a completely randomized, with three replications. The improvement of native pasture increased the value of pH and the levels Ca, Mg, P and base saturation, and reduced the potential acidity. Biennial burning increased the potential acidity and reduced Mg. The mowing treatment increased the level of Mg and base saturation, and decreased the potencial acidity in the soil surface in comparison to the system without burning and without mowing. Systems without burning were more efficient in water conservation and soil cover