Evaluation of C Stocks in Afforested High Quality Agricultural Land

Afforestation of marginal land has been recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a means enhancing capacity soil to act carbon (C) sink. However, success this practice is variable and depends many factors, including type management used. In study, we quantified compared C stocks in two highly productive agricultural soils afforested with poplar 10 years before study adjacent still used for purposes. One was sown grass maize crop rotation system other alternately (6 months) left fallow months). all soils, estimated pools associated live biomass (including extracted harvesting cropped since afforestation), dead biomass, amount fertiliser added (quantifying inputs start afforestation) organic matter (0–100 cm), enable estimation total ecosystem. had different effects various pools. Thus, although afforestation enhanced sink ecosystem when carried out land, degree which occurred varied according previous use. The increase that from lower plots employing maize-grass rotation, those maize-fallow rotation. balance quite similar both (247.4 233.0 Mg ha?1), while it cultivated (182.3 ha?1 Laraño; 73.9 A Barca). Although at sites higher plot than plot, differences were much smaller Laraño (65.1 forested plot) Barca (159.1 plot). Our results are findings land.