Which is the contribution to the carbon sequestration of the forest ecosystems in the Castelporziano Reserve? Evidences from an integrated study on humus and vegetation

Abstract

Soil is a major carbon sink or source on terrestrial ecosystems. Despite their great importance, humus forms, which constitute the small portion above the soil, have been often neglected in local studies and in international research projects. In the present work we evaluated the organic carbon stocked in the different humus forms in a Mediterranean lowland forest, to highlight the carbon concentration in different vegetation types, particularly between evergreen and deciduous woodlands. Results showed that the carbon stock stored in the organic and organo-mineral horizons of humus and soil, expressed in Tons/Ha, had a wide range for each vegetation type, reflecting the high diversity of the forest vegetation and the variability within each type. The vegetation with the highest value of carbon stock despite its small extension was represented by humid woodlands dominated by Fraxinus oxycarpa, a relic forest type occurring in the dune slacks within the study area, which gives, therefore, an important contribution to the climate warming reduction. We demonstrated as the humus forms play a role in the carbon sequestration in a forest ecosystem; therefore, it may be important to add the evaluation of carbon stock when carbon concentration is evaluated for the soil and above and plants below ground biomass.