Soil organic carbon and nitrogen storage estimated with the root-zone enrichment method under conventional and conservation land management across North Carolina

Agriculture is a globally dominating land use, so efforts to restore soil organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) lost through historical degradation could have enormous benefits production the environment, particularly by storing an reserve of nutrients in avoiding return small portion biologically cycling C atmosphere. Estimates N storage from conservation agricultural management are still limited when considered proportion large diversity environmental edaphic conditions. A study was undertaken determine total, baseline, root-zone enrichment stocks as affected use on 25 research stations distributed throughout North Carolina. Root-zone matter that influenced contemporary management, baseline dominated pedogenesis. These fractions were compared with more traditional estimation procedures. Soil strongly negatively associated sand concentration. Although physiographic region overall contents, variations type station within equally influential. which did not interact textural effect. Across locations, followed order (p < 0.01) conventional-till cropland (11.1 Mg ha−1) no-till (21.5 grassland (29.6 woodland (38.6 ha−1). total similar order, except effects reversed. provided integrated soil-profile assessment targeted response change than paired approaches, primarily due separation variable pedogenic influence among sites. point-in-time results gave clear indication approaches will foster surface restoration across types southeastern United States.