Carbon stocks in forest soils of the Krasnoyarsk Region: analysis of soil and tree species role

Soils are the largest reservoir of organic carbon in terrestrial ecosystems. However, current estimates of pools of soil organic carbon (SOC) are characterized by the wide variations of obtained values. So, there is a requirement for upgrading of SOC calculation techniques. One of the ways is an evaluation of mean SOC for separate soil group or type of vegetation. The aim of this work is to determine mean SOC dependence on soil group and dominant tree species for forest ecosystems of Krasnoyarsk Region. Calculations were carried out for next layers of mineral soil: 0-30 cm (reference layer FAO), 0-50 cm (root zone) and 0-100 cm (concentrates the most SOC of soil profile) that didn't include carbon stocks in forest litter. Estimates of the mean SOC were made according to our own research data obtained near ZOTTO (Zotino Tall Tower Observatory) and the results of soil descriptions given in the literature for the forests of the Krasnoyarsk Region. Higher concentration of carbon (24 +/- 6 kg/m(2)) was observed in Phaeozems but Albic Podzols contained the lowest stock of SOC (6.2 +/- 0.7 kg/m(2)). It was found that belonging to a certain soil group had a statistically significant effect on carbon stocks in all analyzed layers. Most of the SOC is concentrated in the 0-50 cm layer, which contains the bulk of plant roots. The type of dominant tree species is not a statistically significant factor in determining SOC. The values we have calculated can be considered as the basis for creating a database for subsequent estimates of SOC in the forests of the Krasnoyarsk Region.