Organic carbon stock in Nature Reserve Torfeno Branishte

Diana Malinova, Kameliya Petrova, Pavel Pavlov

Abstract: Nature Reserve „Torfeno Branishte“ is unique for Vitosha Nature Park and the countryside landscape, combining at the same time natural, environmental and aesthetic functions. Histosols are considered as balanced with respect to emissions/absorption of organic carbon. Changes in the balance may be caused by climate change and other natural and/or anthropogenic factors. The quantification of these emissions is possible with the baseline information available for the orgаnic C stock in them, as well as multiannual data on temperatures and rainfall. The present study assesses the content of organic C and organic C stock in landscapes from the territory of the Reserve “Torfeno Branishte”, which is located close to the “Cherni Vrah” meteorological station. There is a strong variation in the organic C stock, depending on the soil bulk density and the slope of the terrain, as well as the mosaic distribution of the Umbrisols between the Histosols. The average stock of organic С in the Reserve is 102.88 t.ha-1 and in a 30 cm soil layer - a total of 80791.66 tons.
The area is characterized by the persistence of the rainfall and the increase of the absolute maximum of the temperatures in the last 20 years. The collected database allows for long-term observations and evaluation of the organic C stock changes in peat landscapes on the territory of the Reserve.

Keywords: climate change; histic; Histosols; monitoring

Date published: 2019-09-20