Читать книгу Applied Soil Chemistry - Группа авторов - Страница 25

Water movements through soils and water retention by soils have complex interactions with soil carbon levels. Whereas, decomposition rate of organic matter in soils tends to be reduced by waterlogging, the introduction of artificial drainage, for example, draining peat bogs and fens, often rapidly degrades their carbon contents and microbial activity. Such actions led to the thickness of peat in eastern England reducing by some 4 m due to shrinkage due to water reduction in the peat and by reduced carbon content with more CO₂ lost to the atmosphere [35]. Remedial actions involving artificially increasing water table levels is able can arrest or slow down carbon losses from artificially drained soils [36]. On the other hand, for the most part, projects to artificially irrigate land have positive outcomes for soil carbon contents. They achieve this by raising crop yields and increasing organic matter from crop residues and/or organic supplements making its way into the soil [28, 37].