How do management interventions influence soil carbon storage and sequestration in UK woodland?
Abstract
The focus of this review is on the dynamics of woodland soil carbon and its exchange with the atmosphere as CO2. Activities that can influence soil carbon balance include clear-felling, site preparation, natural regeneration, direct seeding, choice of tree species, tree species diversity, continuous cover forestry, thinning, and removal of harvest residues. The level of impact from these management practices is related to the type of soil at a site. Organo-mineral soils hold large stocks of unstable carbon at the surface, which makes them particularly vulnerable to losing substantial quantities of carbon as a result of management.