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The Cascading Effects of Climate Change on Soil Organic Matter

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Environmental Science.
Soil provides many ecosystem services, perhaps the most vital of which is the global regulation of greenhouse gases, such as CO2. Land use changes and management practices have contributed to the excess levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, as well as diminished soil’s capacity to sequester it. Many of these effects relate directly to the quantity of organic matter in soil (OM), which is critical to many of soil’s functions, including the infiltration and retention of water. Much is yet unknown about the effects of temperature and moisture on the rate of OM decomposition, but it is established that they increase the rate in most agricultural contexts. It has also been predicted that temperature and precipitation will both increase in the coming decades as a result of climate change in many locations globally. It follows that if OM content decreases, this will also have an effect on the availability of water to plants, resulting in increased drought conditions. This research investigated the likelihood of this chain-reaction occurring in northern Ohio. The two specific objectives were: (1) to project future levels of OM at two corn-based agricultural sites under different tillage treatments and climate change scenarios, and (2) to establish whether there was a direct relationship between OM and available water capacity in the Major Land Use Areas each site represents. Results indicate that OM content could decrease by 2070 under some situations, and that a weak correlation does exist between OM content and available water capacity in this region.
Rattan Lal (Advisor)
Berry Lyons (Committee Member)
Alvaro Montenegro (Committee Member)
148 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Maas, E. D. (2017). The Cascading Effects of Climate Change on Soil Organic Matter [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492076671912468

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Maas, Ellen. The Cascading Effects of Climate Change on Soil Organic Matter. 2017. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492076671912468.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Maas, Ellen. "The Cascading Effects of Climate Change on Soil Organic Matter." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492076671912468

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)