Abstract
ABSTRACT Litter corresponds to the layer of decomposing dead organic matter present on the soil surface. This layer is very important for nutrient cycling and contributes with organic matter accumulation in the soil, besides the carbon stock. The objective herein was to quantify the carbon biomass, both content and stock, and map the litter C-stock in the Cerrado biome, which is formed by Savanna Grassland (SG), Cerrado Stricto Sensu (CE) and Forest Savanna (FS), in Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil. The data were collected in 26 fragments in Minas Gerais state, totaling 210 sampling locations. A variographic study was conducted and, for mapping, the ordinary kriging method was used for delimitation of homogeneous zones. It was possible to detect high variability in the carbon biomass, carbon content and C-stock in the Cerrado biome litter in Minas Gerais state. The carbon content presented lower variability, ranging from 40 to 44%, so that it is not responsible for explaining the variability of the litter C-stock. Savanna Grassland and Savanna Forest present, respectively, the lowest and highest C-stocks. C-stock presented a considerable spatial structure dependence, allowing to use the geostatistical procedures for mapping it in the Cerrado biome of the Minas Gerais state. The C-stock kriging map showed good accuracy, allowing to verify that the lowest C-stocks in the litter are found from the center to the northern of the Minas Gerais since the highest air temperatures are also verified in this direction.
Highlights
In recent decades, the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the atmosphere has contributed significantly to the threat of climate change caused by global warming
Considering the areas covered by each one of the physiognomies presented by Carvalho et al (2008), the Forest Savanna (FS) physiognomy area in Minas Gerais state accounts for only 355.01 km2 but present the greatest average C-stock (4.68 Mg C ha-1)
We found that the Spherical model showed less reduced mean deviation and reduced standard deviation of the mean close to 1, this model was used to perform the kriging map for the litter C-stock in Minas Gerais state
Summary
The increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the atmosphere has contributed significantly to the threat of climate change caused by global warming. In Brazil, land use changes and deforestation are the main practices that contribute to soil carbon flow into the atmosphere, placing the country in fourth position, along with the United States, China and Russia, in the ranking of countries that emit the most CO2 into the atmosphere (Matthews et al, 2014). In Minas Gerais state, which is located in southeastern Brazil, deforestation and land use changes have accounted for 54% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Brazil (Brazil, 2011). Minas Gerais still retains about 35% of its area covered by native vegetation, from which, 62% is formed by Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna) and the other 38%, Atlantic Forest (Scolforo et al, 2016). In order to preserve the Cerrado, development projects have been necessary aiming making the vegetation maintenance more favorable than deforestation, which can be achieved with carbon credit trading policies. It is essential technologies to estimate as accurate as possible the carbon stocks in forests environment and to develop maps for spatially estimations of it in the various existing compartments of a forest
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