Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Changes from Cultivation, 1100+ Profiles

Over 1100 soil profiles were assembled to analyze changes in organic matter storage after land conversion. The data, authored by W. M. Post of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, shows an average carbon loss of 23% for soils with high initial carbon at 1-meter depth, while nitrogen loss averaged 6%. Regression analysis indicates carbon loss increases with initial soil storage and is influenced by the C:N ratio.

Use Cases

• Modeling soil carbon sequestration potential based on initial carbon storage and C:N ratios.
• Quantifying the impact of cultivation on soil nitrogen levels for agricultural sustainability studies.
• Analyzing the relationship between land conversion and organic matter loss using regression models described in the study.

Strengths

• Dataset is based on over 1100 soil profiles, providing a substantial sample size.
• Analysis includes specific, quantified average losses (23% carbon, 6% nitrogen) for a 1-meter depth.

Limitations

• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (via CDIAC/ESS-Dive)

Collection Method

Assembled and analyzed from a database of soil profiles.