Projects / Programmes
Afforestation of karstic grasslands and the changes of their carbon sink capacity
Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
4.03.00 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Plant production |
|
Code |
Science |
Field |
B310 |
Biomedical sciences |
Physiology of vascular plants |
kroženje ogljika, ekosistemi, travišča, zaraščanje, ponori za ogljik, CO2
Researchers (14)
no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
1. |
02085 |
PhD Franc Batič |
Plant production |
Researcher |
2008 - 2009 |
817 |
2. |
15493 |
PhD Matjaž Čater |
Forestry, wood and paper technology |
Researcher |
2008 - 2011 |
299 |
3. |
24416 |
PhD Klemen Eler |
Biology |
Researcher |
2008 - 2011 |
306 |
4. |
29164 |
PhD Mitja Ferlan |
Forestry, wood and paper technology |
Junior researcher |
2008 - 2011 |
222 |
5. |
21242 |
PhD Tine Grebenc |
Plant production |
Researcher |
2008 - 2011 |
485 |
6. |
21543 |
PhD Tjaša Kanduč |
Geology |
Researcher |
2008 - 2011 |
488 |
7. |
17789 |
Gabrijel Leskovec |
|
Technical associate |
2008 - 2011 |
5 |
8. |
11595 |
PhD Tomislav Levanič |
Forestry, wood and paper technology |
Researcher |
2008 - 2011 |
614 |
9. |
21581 |
PhD Irena Maček |
Biology |
Researcher |
2008 - 2009 |
136 |
10. |
11279 |
PhD Nives Ogrinc |
Control and care of the environment |
Researcher |
2008 - 2011 |
1,136 |
11. |
10264 |
PhD Primož Simončič |
Forestry, wood and paper technology |
Researcher |
2008 - 2011 |
702 |
12. |
22592 |
PhD Urša Vilhar |
Forestry, wood and paper technology |
Researcher |
2008 - 2011 |
419 |
13. |
14011 |
PhD Dominik Vodnik |
Biology |
Head |
2008 - 2011 |
415 |
14. |
21137 |
Daniel Žlindra |
Forestry, wood and paper technology |
Technical associate |
2008 - 2011 |
170 |
Organisations (3)
Abstract
The invasion of woody vegetation into grasslands is generally thought to lead to an increase in the amount of carbon stored in those ecosystems, which is primarily due to increase in above ground biomass. However, it is still quite unknown how much does the invasion of woody species influence the storage of carbon to the soil organic matter and how recalcitrant that pool of organic C is.
In the frame of the project the net ecosystem carbon exchange and the most crucial components of the carbon cycling of the abandoned grassland in Slovenian karst region will be assessed. In this region the process of transition of grasslands to forests has been very intensive since the beginning of the 20th century.
The main objectives of the research is to assess the carbon balance for different stages of grassland-forest succession (chronosequence; pasture, abandonded pasture, pasture with invasion of woody species, forest) and to evaluate the potential of the abandoned grasslands to mitigate the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere.
Significance for science
The effects of woody plants encoachemnt into grasslands or the effects of afforestation have been addressed in several studies but the altered rates of C net-ecosystem exchange (NEE), have only rarely been investigated by direct paired eddy flux measurements. In our project we used this approach to study the effects of natural succession on carbon balance of karstic pastures. Karstic ecosystems are characterized by some properties which could limit the use of micrometeorological methods (relief with depressions and sinkholes, wind conditions). We reported on the difficulties related to the use of Eddy covariance techniqe in Ferlan et al. (2011), commenting the results of quality- and uncertanty analyses, portions of discarded data and also the necessity to use Burba correction in data processing. With this respect our project not only brings a primarily information on C fluxes for the studied ecosystems but also contributes to methodology of NEE measurements.
Since karstic ecosystems are underinvestigated in terms of carbon balance the results of the project represent an important new information for scientific community. Globaly, a large portion of arid ecosystems is characterized by carbonate rocks, the mother material in Karst systems. Carbonate rocks outcrop on ca. 12% of the water-free Earth surface and therefore karstic ecosystems may play an important direct role in the global carbon cycle. However, a thorough, integrative research of carbon cycling in this systems has intensified only recently (Kowalski et al. 2008; Inglima et al., 2009; Serrano-Ortiz et al., 2009; Serrano-Ortiz et al., 2010). The results of our project, i. e. unexpectedly high CO2 emissions and disagreement of ecosystem respiration with soil respiration, support the presumption that Rs of karstic ecosystem is contributed not only by CO2 biogenessis, but also by other sources (soil CO2 of inorganic origin and CO2 from caves).
Ferlan et al. 2011. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 140: 199-207.
Inglima et al. 2009. Global Change Biology, 15: 1289–1301.
Kowalski et al. 2008. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 148: 1045-1054.
Serrano-Ortiz et al. 2009. Journal of Geophysical Research, 114, G04015.
Serrano-Ortiz et al. 2010. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 150: 321–329.
Significance for the country
The project on cyrbon cycling in karstic ecosystems represents the only direct measurements of NEE and other parameters of the ecosystem's C balance by micrometeorological methods (Eddy covariance) in Slovenia. The information on carbon balance in abandoned karst grasslands will contribute to the general knowledge on possible responses of ecosystems to global climate change. On the basis of this research it will be possible to prepare a strategy of future management of these ecosystems taking into account also the potential of forested grasslands in mitigating effects of climate change. The results will be important nationally (support for environmental policymakers).
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2008,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2008,
2009,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si