Title data
Zech, Michael ; Hörold, Claudia ; Leiber, Katharina ; Kühnel, Anna ; Hemp, Andreas ; Zech, Wolfgang:
Buried black soils on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro as a regional carbon storage hotspot.
In: Catena.
Vol. 112
(2014)
.
- pp. 125-130.
ISSN 0341-8162
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2013.05.015
Abstract in another language
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2013.05.015Mt. Kilimanjaro attracts much scientific and public attention due to its dramatically shrinking ice caps, still known as “the white top” of Africa. In this mountain system forming a type of island within the surrounding savannah, a new phenomenon has recently been discovered. On the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Late Quaternary paleosol sequences, composed of dark or black buried soils, are widespread in the montane rainforest zone (1800–3000 m a.s.l.). In this study we investigated in detail the soil organic carbon (SOC) content and SOC stocks in soil profiles (mostly Andosols) along two altitudinal transects, situated on both the humid southern slopes and on the drier northern slopes of the mountain.In the montane forest zone, up to 3 m thick paleosol sequences are frequently found. SOC content is remarkably high, reaching values of up to more than 10%. This testifies to good preservation of soil organic matter (SOM) which may be due to such factors as rapid burial by dust, low temperatures alongside more resistant litter during glacial periods, formation of stable organo-mineral complexes and high black carbon (BC) content. The buried black soils are estimated to contain ~ 82 kg m− 2 mean SOC stocks in the montane rainforest. As compared to the SOC storage in the surrounding savannah soils of the Maasai Steppe, the buried black soils constitute a distinctive regional carbon storage hotspot.
Further data
Item Type: | Article in a journal |
---|---|
Refereed: | Yes |
Additional notes: | BAYCEER116493 |
Institutions of the University: | Faculties Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Biology > Chair Plant Physiology Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Earth Sciences Research Institutions Research Institutions > Research Centres Research Institutions > Research Centres > Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research- BayCEER Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Biology |
Result of work at the UBT: | Yes |
DDC Subjects: | 500 Science |
Date Deposited: | 29 Jun 2015 06:09 |
Last Modified: | 19 Oct 2022 12:47 |
URI: | https://eref.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/15459 |