Wednesday, November 7, 2007
324-5
Carbon Sequestration by Invasive Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris Arundinacea) in a Wetland Complex.
Jonathan Bills, Pierre-Andre Jacinthe, and Lenore Tedesco. 723 W. Michigan St., Indiana U./Purdue U Indianapolis, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Department of Earth Sciences, Indianapolis, IN 46202
Since the onset of the industrial revolution, the atmospheric CO2 concentration has nearly doubled. Terrestrial carbon sequestration is one of several proposed approaches to reduce the rate of CO2 accumulation in the atmosphere. Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) is an herbaceous grass that invades riparian fringes and wetlands throughout the United States and Canada . It grows prolifically and quickly forms monotypic stands, decreasing ecosystem diversity which, in turn, could affect soil carbon dynamics. We measured aboveground biomass and soil organic carbon at a wetland complex in central Indiana invaded by P. arundinacea. It was expected that reed canary grass would generate greater quantities of aboveground biomass and would thus result in higher soil carbon content. However, preliminary data suggest otherwise. Soil organic carbon content in the surface soil layers ranged between 7.7 and 16.7 g C kg-1 soil with no specific trend with regard to vegetation composition. High amounts of aboveground biomass did not always correlate with high soil carbon content. These preliminary data will be discussed in conjunction with root biomass data, plant biochemical composition, and hydrological conditions at the wetland complex.