Soil carbon and nitrogen recovery on semiarid Conservation Reserve Program lands

摘要: Abstract Cropping practices in the Great Plains of U.S. have led to large losses soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N). Land converted perennial vegetation through Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has potential recover these sequester anthropogenic carbon. We studied 18 years SOC N recovery CRP fields seeded with native non-native grasses driest portion Plains. under surface increased by as much 200 g C m−2 14 g N m−2 9 years. However, low plant basal cover limited at field scale 2 g C m−2 y−1 0.02 g N m−2 y−1. After recovery, had 60% total 67% undisturbed shortgrass steppe, recovered less. Belowground inputs reached 70–85% 50% within Our results suggest for offset C emissions semiarid regions current management practices, but this could be enhanced lengthening contracts or promoting establishment high cover.