Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier Masson
Résumé : Fire-free forest conversion with organic inputs as an alternative to slash-and-burn could improve agro-ecosystem sustainability. We assessed soil carbon mass changes in a sandy-clayey and well-drained soil in French Guiana after forest clearing by the chop-and-mulch method and crop establishment. At the experimental site of Combi, native forest was cut down in October 2008; woody biomass was chopped and incorporated into the top 20 cm of soil. After about one year of legume and grass cover, three forms of land management were compared: grassland (Urochloa ruziziensis), maize/soybean crop rotation with disk tillage and in direct seeding without tillage. There were four replicates. We measured 14.16 kg m(-2) of carbon in 2 mm-sieved soil down to 2 m depth for the initial forest. Forest clearing did not induce significant soil compaction; neither did any specific agricultural practice. In converted soils, C stocks were measured in the 0-30 cm layer after each crop for three years. Carbon mass changes for soil fractions <2 mm (soil C stock) and >2 mm (soil C pool) in the 0-5, 5-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm soil layers were assessed on an equivalent soil mass basis. One year and 1.5 years after deforestation, higher C stocks (+0.64 to 1.16 kg C m(-2) yr(-1)) and C pools (+0.52 to 0.90 kg C m(-2) yr(-1)) were measured in converted soils, compared to those of the forest into the top 30 cm of soil. However, the masses of carbon in these converted soils declined later. The highest rates of carbon decrease were measured between 1.5 and 2 years after forest conversion in the <2 mm soil fraction, from 0.46 kg Cm-2 yr(-1) (in grassland soils) to 0.71 kg C m(-2) yr(-1) (in cropland under no tillage). The carbon pool declined during the third year at rates of 0.41 kg C m(-2) yr(-1) (cropland under disk tillage) to 0.76 kg C m(-2) yr(-1) (grassland soils). Three years after forest conversion, C masses in the top 30 cm of soils for grassland showed similar values than for forest. In comparison, the carbon stock in cropped soils managed under no tillage in direct seeding (without mulch) was significantly 17% and 16% lower than in forest and grassland soils, respectively. None of the studied agricultural practices succeeded in accumulating carbon from the chopped forest biomass.
ISSN: 0167-8809

hal-01032438
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032438
DOI : 10.1016/j.agee.2013.11.009

Résumé : Les stocks des éléments dans les sols, et en particulier ceux du carbone, sont en constante évolution sous l’effet de facteurs naturels (climat, végétation, teneurs en argiles, etc.) et anthropiques (usages des sols, etc.). Notre objectif est donc, (i) de mieux comprendre les relations entre type de sol, système de culture et quantité de carbone stockée, (ii) d’étudier les conséquences des changements d’usage et de gestion des terres sur les formes de matière organique dans les sols et (iii) de préciser le rôle de la matière organique sur les propriétés physiques des sols.Des situations agro-pédologiques représentatives des trois grands modèles minéralogiques des sols tropicaux (Sols à allophanes (argiles non cristallisées), Sols à argiles 1/1 et Sols à argiles 2/1) et présentant des systèmes culturaux de différents niveaux d’intensification (monocultures intensives destinées à l’exportation, systèmes paysans faiblement intensifiés, etc.) ont ainsi été sélectionnées sur les sols de Martinique. Par ailleurs, afin de limiter les effets des usages antérieurs des parcelles, nous avons généralement choisi des situations culturales âgées au minimum de 3 ans.L’analyse des stocks de carbone des différentes parcelles fait apparaître des comportements différents : dans les sols à allophanes, il y a un effet de la minéralogie sur la stabilisation des matières organiques ; dans les sols à argiles cristallisées, il existe une corrélation entre la teneur en carbone (ou le stock organique) et la texture (ou teneur en éléments fins), aussi bien pour les situations non cultivées que pour les situations sous cultures. L’amplitude des variations (diminution) des stocks en carbone observées sous l’effet de différents modes de gestion des sols, dépend elle aussi de la texture : dans les sols sableux, la potentialité de séquestration du carbone est faible ou nulle, en revanche, les potentialités de stockage du carbone sont plus fortes dans les sols argileux.L’estimation des stocks totaux de carbone à l’échelle de la Martinique, pour un mètre de profondeur et pour une situation moyenne entre les cartes d’usage des terres de 1969/1970 et 1979/1980, s’élèvent à 11,859 Mt de C calculés pour 95,8% de la surface.La distribution de la matière organique du sol varie avec la texture du sol : dans les sols sableux, à faibles teneurs en matière organique, les matières organiques sont principalement associées aux fractions sableuses ; dans les sols argileux, plus riches en matières organiques, 50 à 60 % de la matière organique sont associées à la fraction argileuse. De même, la dynamique de la matière organique dépend également de la texture du sol : dans les sols sableux, les variations des stocks organiques sont essentiellement dues à la perte ou à l’accumulation en carbone de la fraction sableuse ; dans les sols argileux, la fraction argileuse participe de manière prépondérante aux variations des stocks organiques de ces sols lors de leur mise en culture ou en prairie ; les sols sablo-argileux ont un comportement intermédiaire entre ces deux pôles.La stabilité structurale varie avec la minéralogie. Les andosols (ou ALL) présentent un haut degré d’agrégation et de stabilité, du à la présence d’allophanes et à leur association particulière avec les composés organiques. Dans les sols à argiles cristallisées, la stabilité de l’agrégation est plus élevée dans les sols à argiles 1/1 (ou LAC) ; les valeurs les plus faibles sont généralement observées dans les parcelles sur sols à argiles 2/1 (ou HAC). En outre, la mise en culture se traduit généralement par une diminution de la stabilité de l’agrégation.L’intensification des cultures (labours fréquents, faibles restitutions de matière organique au sol, etc.) accentue la perte de la stabilité de l’agrégation provoquée par la mise en culture, en particulier dans les parcelles sur sols à argiles 2/1 (ou HAC).
Soils elements stocks, and particularly those of carbon, are in constant evolution under natural factors effect (climate, vegetation, clays content, etc) and anthropic factors effect (soils uses, etc). Our objective is thus, (i) to better understand the relations between soil, farming system and stored carbon quantity, (ii) to study the consequences of soils uses changes and of soils managements changes on organic matter shapes in soil and (iii) to specify organic matter role on soil properties physics.Representative agri-pedological situations of the three great mineralogical models of tropical soils (allophonic soils (not crystallized clays), 1:1 clay soils and 2:1 clay soils) and presenting agricultural systems of various levels of intensification (intensive monocultures intended for export, slightly intensified farming systems, etc) were thus selected in the soils of Martinique. In addition, to limit the effects of their former uses, we generally chose to the minimum 3 years old farming situations.The analysis of the various lands carbon stocks reveals different behaviors: in allophonic soils, a correlation exists between carbon content (or organic stock) and texture (or fine elements content), as well for not cultivated as for cultivated situations. Variations ranges (reduction) of carbon stocks observed under various management soils systems effect, also depends on texture: in sandy soils, carbon sequestration potentiality is low or null, on the other hand, carbon storage potentialities are higher in clay soils.The estimation of total carbon stocks on the scale of Martinique, for one meter of depth and for and average situation between the use soils charts of 1969/70 and 1979/80, rises to 11,859 Mt of C calculated for 95,8% of the surface.Soil organic matter distribution varies with soil texture: in sandy soils, with low contents of organic matter, organics matters are mainly associated with the sandy fractions; in clay soils, richer in organic matters, 50 to 60% of the organic matters are associated with the argillaceous fraction. In the same way, the organic matter dynamics also depends on soil texture: in sandy soils, organic stocks variations are primarily due to carbon loss or accumulation of the sandy fraction; in clay soils, the argillaceous fraction takes part in a dominating way in organic stocks variations of these soils at the time of their setting in culture or meadow; the sand-clay soils have an intermediate behavior between these two poles.Structural stability varies with mineralogy. Andosols (or ALL) present a high degree of aggregation and stability, due to the presence of allophones and their particular association with the organics compounds. In crystallized clay soils, aggregation stability is higher in 1:1 clay soils (or LAC); the lowest values are generally observed in the lands on 2:1 clay soils (or HAC). Moreover, culture setting generally results in aggregation stability reduction.Cultures intensification (frequent ploughings, low organic matter restitutions to the soil, etc) accentuates aggregation stability loss caused by culture setting, particularly in lands on 2:1 clay soils (or HAC).

http://www.theses.fr/2012AGUY0513/document

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : The allocation and cycling of carbon (C) within forests is an important component of the biospheric C cycle, but is particularly understudied within tropical forests. We synthesise reported and unpublished results from three lowland rainforest sites in Amazonia (in the regions of Manaus, Tapajos and Caxiuana), all major sites of the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Programme (LBA). We attempt a comprehensive synthesis of the C stocks, nutrient status and, particularly, the allocation and internal C dynamics of all three sites. The calculated net primary productivities (NPP) are 10.1 +/- 1.4 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) (Manaus), 14.4 +/- 1.3 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) (Tapajos) and 10.0 +/- 1.2 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) (Caxiuana). All errors bars report standard errors. Soil and leaf nutrient analyses indicate that Tapajos has significantly more plant-available phosphorus and calcium. Autotrophic respiration at all three sites (14.9-21.4 Mg C ha yr(-1)) is more challenging to measure, with the largest component and greatest source of uncertainty being leaf dark respiration. Comparison of measured soil respiration with that predicted from C cycling measurements provides an independent constraint. It shows general good agreement at all three sites, with perhaps some evidence for measured soil respiration being less than expected. Twenty to thirty percent of fixed C is allocated belowground. Comparison of gross primary productivity (GPP), derived from ecosystem flux measurements with that derived from component studies (NPP plus autotrophic respiration) provides an additional crosscheck. The two approaches are in good agreement, giving increased confidence in both approaches to estimating GPP. The ecosystem carbon-use efficiency (CUEs), the ratio of NPP to GPP, is similar at Manaus (0.34 +/- 0.10) and Caxiuana (0.32 +/- 0.07), but may be higher at Tapajos (0.49 +/- 0.16), although the difference is not significant. Old growth or infertile tropical forests may have low CUE compared with recently disturbed and/or fertile forests.
ISSN: 1354-1013

hal-01032150
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032150
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01780.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : More than 15% of Amazon forest has been converted to pastures these last decades. Some authors argued the world’s permanent pastures (30 % of total land) could potentially offset up to 4% of the global GHG emissions, having a carbon (C) storage potential equal to 0.5 Mg C.ha-1.yr-1(Schulze et al 2009). Accordingly, pastures are good candidates to increase soil uptake C in soil while ensuring a basic food production. Here we would like to assess the effects of tropical forest conversion to cattle pasture in the French Amazonia (French Guiana), by following the long-term dynamics of soil C stocks of permanent tropical pastures (Brachiaria humidicola) after deforestation from 1970. A soil inventory campaign was performed to analyse soil C and N stocks (to 1 m depth) along a pasture chronosequence of 6 months to 36 years old pastures and 4 native forest sites (total 24 sites). The annual C sequestration potential demonstrated by the chronosequence, was compared with eddy covariance flux measurements on 2 pastures and one native forest. Our study shows that old (≥ 24 years) tropical pastures resettle the recurrent C storage observed in native forest. These pastures stored between 1.8 ± 0.5 and 5.3 ± 2.1 tC ha-1 yr-1 compared with 2.6 ± 0.5 tC ha-1 yr-1 for the nearby native forest. Our finding show that old tropical pastures accumulate carbon in soil organic matter, particularly in the deep soil layers (0.2-1 m) and without loss of soil fertility. It suggests that such pastures can be exploited by farmers in the long term with appropriate practices (no fire and no overgrazing, but a mixture of grasses and legumes and a grazing rotation plan). Clearly, efforts to curb deforestation are a priority in order to preserve forest biodiversity and C stocks. But it seems now that, in a climate-smart agriculture way, the current challenge is to manage these deforested areas to maintain the productivity of agricultural ecosystems and in the same time their capacity to mitigate GES.
Building tomorrow’s research agenda and bridging the science-policy gap
Montpellier, France

hal-01204231
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01204231
PRODINRA : 324147

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : Tropical forests contain an important proportion of the carbon stored in terrestrial vegetation, but estimated aboveground biomass (AGB) in tropical forests varies two-fold, with little consensus on the relative importance of climate, soil and forest structure in explaining spatial patterns. Here, we present analyses from a plot network designed to examine differences among contrasting forest habitats (terra firme, seasonally flooded, and white-sand forests) that span the gradient of climate and soil conditions of the Amazon basin. We installed 0.5-ha plots in 74 sites representing the three lowland forest habitats in both Loreto, Peru and French Guiana, and we integrated data describing climate, soil physical and chemical characteristics and stand variables, including local measures of wood specific gravity (WSG). We use a hierarchical model to separate the contributions of stand variables from climate and soil variables in explaining spatial variation in AGB. AGB differed among both habitats and regions, varying from 78 Mg ha−1 in white-sand forest in Peru to 605 Mg ha−1 in terra firme clay forest of French Guiana. Stand variables including tree size and basal area, and to a lesser extent WSG, were strong predictors of spatial variation in AGB. In contrast, soil and climate variables explained little overall variation in AGB, though they did co-vary to a limited extent with stand parameters that explained AGB. Our results suggest that positive feedbacks in forest structure and turnover control AGB in Amazonian forests, with richer soils (Peruvian terra firme and all seasonally flooded habitats) supporting smaller trees with lower wood density and moderate soils (French Guianan terra firme) supporting many larger trees with high wood density. The weak direct relationships we observed between soil and climate variables and AGB suggest that the most appropriate approaches to landscape scale modeling of AGB in the Amazon would be based on remote sensing methods to map stand structure.
ISSN: 1354-1013

hal-01374829
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01374829
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02432.x
PRODINRA : 183370

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé :  
The lack of information on the ways seasonal drought modifies the CO2 exchange between Neotropical rainforest ecosystems and the atmosphere and the resulting carbon balance hinders our ability to precisely predict how these ecosystems will respond as global environmental changes force them to face increasingly contrasting conditions in the future. To address this issue, seasonal variations in daily net ecosystem productivity (NEPd) and two main components of this productivity, daily total ecosystem respiration (REd) and daily gross ecosystem productivity (GEPd), were estimated over 2 years at a flux tower site in French Guiana, South America (511605400N, 5215404400W). We compared seasonal variations between wet and dry periods and between dry periods of contrasting levels of intensity (i.e. mild vs. severe) during equivalent 93-day periods. During the wet periods, the ecosystem was almost in balance with the atmosphere (storage of 9.0 gCm_2). Seasonal dry periods, regardless of their severity, are associated with higher incident radiation and lower REd combined with reduced soil respiration associated with low soil water availability. During the mild dry period, as is normally the case in this region, the amount of carbon stored in the ecosystem was 32.7 gCm_2. Severe drought conditions resulted in even lower REd, whereas the photosynthetic activity was only moderately reduced and no change in canopy structure was observed. Thus, the severe dry period was characterized by greater carbon storage (64.6 gCm_2), emphasizing that environmental conditions, such as during a severe drought, modify the CO2 exchange between Neotropical rainforest ecosystems and the atmosphere and potentially the resulting carbon balance.
ISSN: 1354-1013

hal-01032067
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032067
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01610.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : International audience
ISSN: 1354-1013

hal-01107919
https://hal-agroparistech.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01107919
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02432.x

Résumé : L'importance des forêts tropicales dans le cycle du carbone à l'échelle planétaire est majeure, tant en terme de stock qu’en terme de flux de CO2. Plusieurs études mettent en évidence des changements au sein des forêts tropicales au cours des 20 dernières années, notamment des changements de la dynamique forestière et une augmentation de la biomasse aérienne. Les déterminants de ces variations sont aujourd’hui discutés et nous proposons ici d’apporter une contribution à ce débat. Les données utilisées dans ce travail proviennent du dispositif de suivi forestier à long terme de Paracou, Guyane Française, mis en place en 1984 et qui recouvre plus de 120 ha de forêt tropicale humide. Les données météorologiques proviennent de la tour à flux du dispositif, Guyaflux. Les mesures de diamètre proviennent de la base Guyafor pour les données annuelles et bisannuelles, et des mesures de 260 arbres à proximité de la tour à flux pour les mesures diamétriques intra-annuelles.Cette thèse se divise en deux grandes parties. La première concerne l’analyse de la biomasse du dispositif de suivi forestier de Paracou en Guyane et l’implication des changements de structure de cette forêt sur le bilan de carbone. Cette partie est constituée de deux points. (i) Quelles échelles temporelles et spatiales sont pertinentes pour analyser les composantes de structure (biomasse, aire basale et nombre de tiges) et de dynamique (croissance, recrutement et mortalité) des forêts tropicales afin de minimiser les effets d’échantillonnage ? Nous avons établi une méthodologie permettant de relier les intervalles de temps et la surface de mesure aux coefficients de variation de chacune des variables de structure et de dynamique de la forêt. (ii) Quels processus démographiques sont prépondérants dans l’explication des variations de biomasse et comment se redistribue la biomasse accumulée dans le système ? L’augmentation de la biomasse observée sur le dispositif de Paracou serait liée à la rareté des évènements de mortalité des gros arbres qui portent une part très importante de la biomasse.La deuxième partie de la thèse concerne l’analyse de l’effet du climat à moyen terme, inter et intra-annuel, et les effets directs du climat dans les changements de dynamique de la forêt. Cette partie se divise en 3 points. (i) Comment quantifier le stress hydrique en forêt tropicale humide ? Nous avons réalisé un modèle journalier de réserve en eau du sol pour les arbres en forêt tropicale. (ii) Quelles variables sont explicatives de la croissance des arbres en forêt guyanaise ? Nous avons montré que l’eau dans le sol est le facteur le plus explicatif du déterminisme climatique parmi un panel de variables climatiques. (iii) Quels traits fonctionnels sont prédicteurs de la réponse des arbres aux variations climatique ? Nous avons déterminé que des traits spécifiques, densité du bois et la hauteur maximale, ainsi que le diamètre de l'arbre au moment de la mesure, modulent la croissance des arbres en réponse au climat.
At a global scale tropical forest play a major role in term of carbon stock as well as in term of CO2 fluxes. Several studies have highlighted changes in tropical forest functioning during the last 20 years including a faster turnover and an increase of above ground biomass. The drivers of these changes are discussed and throughout this thesis we propose to contribute to this debate. We use the data from the Paracou experimental site in French Guiana established in 1984 on 120 hectares of moist tropical forest. Meteorological data come from the flux tower of the site, Guyaflux. We use annual and bisannual diameter measurements from the Guyafor database, and intra-annual diameter increments from the measurements of 260 trees near the flux tower.This thesis has two main parts. In the first part we present the biomass analysis of the Paracou permanent plots and the impact of structural changes in this forest on the carbon budget. The first part is constituted by two points. (i) Which temporal and spatial scale used to analyze the structure (biomass, basal area and stem density) and dynamics (tree growth, recruitment and mortality)components of tropical forest in order to minimized sample bias ? We establish a simple method to rely measurement interval between census and surface of measurement to the coefficient of variation of forests structure and dynamic components (ii) Which demographic process are involved in the explanation of biomass variation and how the biomass is distributed in the system ? The observed increase of biomass at Paracou could be link to the rarity of big trees mortality events. These big trees represent the larger part of the biomass. In the second part, we present the analysis of intra and inter-annual climate variation effects on forest dynamic changes. This part is divided in two points. (i) How to model drought stress in moist tropical forest ? We built a daily water balance model for tropical trees. (ii) Which climate variables explain the tree growth in guianian forests? We shown that soil water availability is the determinant factor of tree growth among a panel of climate variables. (iii) Which functional traits are involved in the tropical tree growth responses to climate? In this analysis, we determined that wood specific gravity, maximum tree height and tree diameter modulate the tree growth response to climate variations.

http://www.theses.fr/2011AGUY0481/document