Switchgrass Influences on Soil Biogeochemical Processes in the Dryland Region of the Pacific Northwest

Abstract

Switchgrass and other perennial grasses have been promoted as biomass crops for production of renewable fuels. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of biomass removal on soil biogeochemical processes. A 3-year field study consisting of three levels of net primary productivity (NPP; low, medium, and high growing season precipitation) and two biomass crops (winter wheat and switchgrass) was conducted near Pendleton, Oregon. Switchgrass increased soil carbon (C)–nitrogen (N) ratio, but the effect varied with net primary productivity (NPP) and soil depth. In situ soil respiration (carbon dioxide; CO₂) rate from switchgrass increased with NPP level but switchgrass had greater cumulative flux than wheat in medium and low NPP. Nitrogen mineralization and microbial biomass carbon were significantly greater under switchgrass than under wheat at high and medium NPP. Introduction of switchgrass initiates major changes in soil nutrient dynamics through organic-matter input.

Keywords:

• δ¹³C
• microbial biomass carbon
• nitrogen mineralization
• soil CO₂
• switchgrass

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Joe St. Claire, Ellie Murray, Wayne Polumsky, Bob Correa, Daryl Haasch, and Patrick Scharf for their support of laboratory analyses and field operations. This research was supported in part by a grant from the CSREES NRI Competitive Grants Program 2007-35107-18279, Project Proposal 2007-03159.