In this article we describe for the first time the amount of C stored in the plant and soil compartments of extensively grazed highland grasslands of central Argentina under different grazing pressure, to understand their contribution to regional carbon storage.
We quantified C stocks of standing plant, litter, and roots biomass, and soil in three coexisting grassland types associated with different livestock use and analysed how those stocks vary across grassland types. Our main results showed that these mountain grasslands represent an important regional C reservoir, with total C stocks (plant plus soil) ranging from 110 to 472 Mg C haâ1, with more than 95% of C being stored in soils. Differences in soil C stocks up to 30 cm depth were not associated with grassland types. However, in patches associated with higher livestock use, belowground plant C increased, whereas aboveground plant C was reduced.
Our study shows that highland grasslands of central Argentina maintain huge soil C reservoirs. Livestock use could reduce surface C stocks by affecting the plant biomass compartments, which could have a long-term effect on soil C stocks, with direct implications for mountain grasslands management and conservation in the context of climate change mitigation.
You can find the full article here, or ask Georgina Conti for a copy đ
Reference: Vaieretti, M.V., Conti, G., Poca, M., Kowaljow, E., GornĂ©, L., Bertone, G., Cingolani, A.M. and PĂ©rezâHarguindeguy, N. (2021) Plant and soil carbon stocks in grassland patches maintained by extensive grazing in the highlands of central Argentina. Austral Ecology.
https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.12992
Picture: Extensive grazing in the central highlands of Argentina (photo: Georgina Conti, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas, Argentina)