Impacts on soil nitrogen availability of converting managed pine plantation into switchgrass monoculture for bioenergy

Julian F Cacho; Mohamed A Youssef; Wei Shi; George M Chescheir; R Wayne Skaggs; Shiying Tian; Zakiya H Leggett; Eric B Sucre; Jami E Nettles; Consuelo Arellano

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.133

Impacts on soil nitrogen availability of converting managed pine plantation into switchgrass monoculture for bioenergy

Sci Total Environ. 2019 Mar 1:654:1326-1336. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.133. Epub 2018 Nov 10.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, NCSU, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. Electronic address: jfcacho@ncsu.edu.
² Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, NCSU, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
³ Department of Soil Science, NCSU, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
⁴ Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, NCSU, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
⁵ Weyerhaeuser Company, Vanceboro, NC 28586, USA.
⁶ Weyerhaeuser Company, Columbus, MS 39704, USA.
⁷ Department of Statistics, NCSU, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.

PMID: 30841405
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.133

Abstract

Biofuels derived from lignocellulosic materials is one of the options in addressing issues on climate change and energy independence. One of the most promising bioenergy crops is switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), particularly in North America. Future advancement in large-scale conversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks and relatively more competitive price for biomass and other economic advantages could lead to landowners opting to venture on switchgrass monoculture (SWITCH) in lieu of loblolly pine monoculture (PINE). Therefore, we investigated the conversion of previously managed loblolly pine stand into SWITCH in eastern North Carolina, U.S.A. on soil N availability. Treatments included PINE, SWTICH, and mature loblolly pine stand (REF). Each treatment was replicated three times on 0.8 ha plots drained by open ditches dug 1.0-1.2 m deep and spaced at 100 m. Rates of net N mineralization (N_m) and nitrification (N_n) at the top 20 cm were measured using sequential in-situ techniques in 2011 and 2012 (the 3rd and 4th years of establishment, respectively) along with a one-time laboratory incubation. On average, PINE, SWITCH, and REF can have field net N_m rates up to 0.40, 0.34 and 0.44 mg N·kg soil^-1·d^-1, respectively, and net N_n rates up to 0.14, 0.08 and 0.10 mg N·kg soil^-1·d^-1, respectively. Annually, net N_m rates ranged from 136.98 to 167.21, 62.00 to 142.61, and 63.57 to 127.95 kg N·ha^-1, and net N_n rates were 56.31-62.98, 16.45-30.45, 31.99-32.94 kg N·ha^-1 in PINE, SWITCH, and REF, respectively. Treatment effect was not significant on field N_m rate (p = 0.091). However, SWITCH significantly reduced nitrate-N production (p < 0.01). Overall, results indicated that establishment of SWITCH on poorly drained lands previously under PINE is less likely to significantly impact total soil N availability and potentially has minimum N leaching losses since soil mineral N under this system will be dominated by ammonium-N.

Keywords: Biofuel; Biomass; Managed forests; Soil N cycling; Soil N dynamics; Switchgrass.

MeSH terms

Agriculture*
Crops, Agricultural
Environmental Monitoring*
Nitrogen / analysis*
North America
Panicum / growth & development*
Pinus / growth & development*
Pinus taeda
Soil / chemistry

Substances

Soil
Nitrogen