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Budgets of soil erosion and deposition for sediments and sedimentary organic carbon across the conterminous United States

January 1, 2001

The fate of soil organic matter during erosion and sedimentation has been difficult to assess because of the large size and complex turnover characteristics of the soil carbon reservoir. It has been assumed that most of the carbon released during erosion is lost to oxidation. Budgets of bulk soil and soil organic carbon erosion and deposition suggest that the primary fates of eroded soil carbon across the conterminous United States are trapping in impoundments and other redeposition. The total amount of soil carbon eroded and redeposited across the United States is ???0.04 Gt yr-1. Applying this revision to the U. S. carbon budget by Houghton et al. [1999] raises their net sequestration estimate by 20-47 %. If comparable rates of erosion and redeposition occur globally, net carbon sequestration would be ???1 Gt yr-1.

Publication Year 2001
Title Budgets of soil erosion and deposition for sediments and sedimentary organic carbon across the conterminous United States
DOI 10.1029/2000GB001341
Authors S. V. Smith, W. H. Renwick, R. W. Buddemeier, C.J. Crossland
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Global Biogeochemical Cycles
Index ID 70023034
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse