SURFACE CARBON STOCKS OF SOIL UNDER PISTACHIO COVER ON SOUTHEASTERN TURKEY

Abstract

Soil plays an important role in global carbon cycle in arid and semi-arid regions. Carbon stocks (CS) are the most significant and widespread of terrestrial carbon components. As in the past, soil carbon has still been considered as a soil quality parameter. Knowledge of the soil carbon stock is quite important for global carbon cycle. Small changes that occur in surface soil where most of the carbon stock is contained affect atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Soil samples were taken from the pistachio covered soils at 0-20 cm depth, and were analyzed. As result of the study, it was determined that soil samples contained 0.07-1.95% soil organic carbon (SOC), and 12.7-42.81% calcareous. Whereas SOC concentration of the soils was 0.19-4.44 kg C m(-2), soil inorganic carbon (SIC) concentrations were determined to be 1.53-14.08 kg C m-2. SOC and SIC stocks of the study area soils were identified as 0.170.39 Tg and 0.033-1.25 Tg (1 Tg= 1012 g), respectively. It was found that SOC content of the soils in arid and semi-arid regions was lower than moist climate regions. Insufficient precipitation, low biomass and low level of carbon input into the soil have all caused carbon content to be low. However, it was considered that the clay and calcareous content of the soil, especially the high clay content, protected SOC against weathering and decomposition. The correlation between soil parameters, a very significant and positive correlation was determined between SOC and soil clay content (r(2)= 0.246, p< 0.01).