Journal article
Soil carbon and carbon/nitrogen ratio change under tree canopy, tall grass, and turf grass areas of urban green space
SJ Livesley, A Ossola, CG Threlfall, AK Hahs, NSG Williams
Journal of Environmental Quality | AMER SOC AGRONOMY | Published : 2016
Abstract
Soils in urban green spaces are an important carbon (C) store, but urban soils with a high carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio can also buffer N eutrophication from fertilizer use or atmospheric deposition. The influence of vegetation management practices on soil C cycling and C/N ratios in urban green spaces is largely unknown. In 2013, we collected replicate (n = 3) soil samples from tree canopy, tall grass, and short turf grass areas (n = 3) at four random plot locations (n = 4) established in 13 golf courses (n = 13). At each sample point, soil was separated into 0- to 0.1-, 0.1- to 0.2-, and 0.2- to 0.3-m depths (total n = 1404). Linear mixed models investigated the relationships between soi..
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Awarded by ARC Linkage program
Funding Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Stephen Stewart and Lee Wilson for helping with field work and the Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association, in particular John Neylan and John Geary, for cofunding the study and arranging site access and infrastructure support. The study was funded through the ARC Linkage program (ARC LP 110100686), with contributions from the Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association and Royal Botanical Gardens Melbourne. AKH would like to acknowledge support from the Baker Foundation. Soil analysis was performed by Najib Ahmady at the Creswick campus laboratory of the University of Melbourne.