Estimation of Carbon Stocks and Stabilization Rates of Organic Matter in Soils of the «Ladoga» Carbon Monitoring Site

Abstract

The establishment of a network of monitoring sites (term in Russian—«carbon polygons») for monitoring climatic processes as well as the emission and deposition of carbon compounds in various ecosystems is one of the priority tasks in the field of climate and biosphere conservation in the world. This paper presents the results of the study of the soil sections of the «Ladoga» carbon monitoring site. Folic Podzol (Arenic) and Fibric Histosol were considered. These soils are widely represented in the southern taiga subzone and can be used as benchmark monitoring soil sections. As a result of the analysis of chemical parameters, it was revealed that Fibric Histosol and Folic Podzol (Arenic) are characterized by an acidic reaction of pH, pronounced podsolization, and peat accumulation. Fibric Histosol stores a significant amount of soil organic matter (SOM) up to 42.95 kgC/m2. In the analysis of the molecular composition of humic acids (HAs) extracted from the studied soils, it was found that HAs from Fibric Histosol were characterized by a relatively high content of aromatic structural fragments (27–41%), while in Folic Podzol (Arenic), aliphatic structural fragments prevailed (up to 70%). The increase of aromatic structural fragments in the HAs composition indicates the stabilization and conservation of SOM. The creation of a monitoring network will make it possible to identify the main trends of SOM accumulation, determine the conditions under which accumulation occurs, and calculate its contribution to climate change on the planet.