Articles | Volume 13, issue 17
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4975-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4975-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Long-term nutrient fertilization and the carbon balance of permanent grassland: any evidence for sustainable intensification?
Dario A. Fornara
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Newforge Lane, Belfast, BT9 5PX, UK
Elizabeth-Anne Wasson
Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Newforge Lane, Belfast, BT9 5PX, UK
Peter Christie
Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing
210008, China
Catherine J. Watson
Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Newforge Lane, Belfast, BT9 5PX, UK
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Cited
43 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Effect of Grasslands Fertilisation on Soil Organic Matter Quality and Nutrients Status J. Plisková et al. https://doi.org/10.2478/agri-2023-0011
- Simulation and validation of long-term changes in soil organic carbon under permanent grassland using the DNDC model M. Khalil et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2019.114014
- Ruminant livestock farmers and industry are leading innovation to deliver human nutrition and improved environmental outcomes through sector lifecycle collaboration: a review of case studies E. Maree et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/af/vfae050
- Assessment of nitrous oxide emission factors for arable and grassland ecosystems M. O’Neill et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/1943815X.2020.1825227
- Tree cover influences the soil C balance in Mediterranean cork oak-based silvopastoral systems A. Pulina et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2021.105234
- Responses of carbon cycling and soil organic carbon content to nitrogen addition in grasslands globally H. Liu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2023.109164
- Improving estimates of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and their long-term temporal changes in agricultural soils in Ireland M. Khalil & B. Osborne https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2018.02.038
- Influence of slurry acidification with H2SO4 on soil pH, N, P, S, and C dynamics: Incubation experiment Y. Zireeni et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2023.100447
- Grassland contribution to soil organic carbon stock under climate change scenarios in Basque Country (Spain) Á. Doblas-Rodrigo et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-022-01877-4
- Bioaccumulation and potential ecotoxicological effects of trace metals along a management intensity gradient in volcanic pasturelands C. Parelho et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128601
- Hydrochar as a One Health solution to mitigate antibiotic resistance genes from slurry in grassland soils I. Ikoyi et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1800404
- Guiding phosphorus stewardship for multiple ecosystem services G. Macdonald et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/ehs2.1251
- The role of mycorrhiza in food security and the challenge of climate change I. Ortas https://doi.org/10.52804/ijaas2022.311
- Use of CLEANED to Assess the Productive, Environmental, and Economic Impact of Dairy Farms in the Peruvian Amazon L. Oré et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14223224
- Grassland soil organic carbon stocks along management intensity and warming gradients C. Poeplau https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.12537
- Greenhouse-gas budgets for irrigated dairy pasture and a winter-forage kale crop J. Laubach & J. Hunt https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2017.04.013
- Sustainable intensification to coordinate agricultural efficiency and environmental protection: a systematic review based on metrological visualization X. Lyu et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/1747423X.2021.1922524
- Improving phosphorus sustainability in intensively managed grasslands: The potential role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi D. Fornara et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135744
- Differential Response of Surface and Deep Soil C, N, and Microbial Processes to Long-Term Pasture Management in a Sub-Tropical Rangeland P. Subedi et al. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4129731
- No saturation of soil carbon under long-term extreme manure additions H. Heinemann et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-024-07146-z
- The effects of irrigation on carbon balance in an irrigated grazed pasture system in New Zealand D. Giltrap et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2020.102851
- Effects of grassland management on plant C:N:P stoichiometry: implications for soil element cycling and storage J. Heyburn et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1963
- Composition and carbon utilization of soil microbial communities subjected to long-term nitrogen fertilization in a temperate grassland in northern China Y. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.11.009
- Effects of nutrient fertilization and soil tillage on soil CO2 emissions in a long-term grassland experiment J. Holland et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2024.106232
- Enhancing soil carbon in solar farms through active land management: a systematic review of the available evidence F. Carvalho et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-664X/ad8ce4
- Long-term nitrogen and phosphorus amendments reshape arbuscular mycorrhizal regulation of hyphosphere microbial communities and functions in grassland soils D. LI et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedsph.2026.05.014
- Evidence of low response of soil carbon stocks to grassland intensification D. Fornara et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2019.106705
- Manure application in managed grasslands can contribute to soil organic carbon sequestration: evidence from field experiments across Japan S. Matsuura et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-021-01795-x
- Soil legacy effects of climatic stress, management and plant functional composition on microbial communities influence the response of Lolium perenne to a new drought event N. Legay et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3403-x
- No-till permanent meadow promotes soil carbon sequestration and nitrogen use efficiency at the expense of productivity F. Castelli et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-017-0462-6
- Global warming potential of a Mediterranean irrigated forage system: Implications for designing the fertilization strategy A. Pulina et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2018.05.002
- Transforming soil phosphorus fertility management strategies to support the delivery of multiple ecosystem services from agricultural systems K. Macintosh et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.272
- Restoring nutrient circularity in a nutrient-saturated area in Germany requires systemic change B. van der Wiel et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-021-10172-3
- The impact of environmental policy on soil quality: Organic carbon and phosphorus levels in croplands and grasslands of the European Natura 2000 network A. Hagyó & G. Tóth https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.06.003
- Why does mineral fertilization increase soil carbon stocks in temperate grasslands? C. Poeplau et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2018.06.003
- How does grassland management affect physical and biochemical properties of temperate grassland soils? A review study S. Mayel et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.12512
- Long-term biomass removal in grasslands reduces plant and soil phosphorus, increases carbon:phosphorus stoichiometry, but does not lead to microbial phosphorus limitation A. Simpson et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.110017
- Carbon dioxide fluxes and carbon balance of an agricultural grassland in southern Finland L. Heimsch et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3467-2021
- Effects of Management and Climatic Variability on Indicator Species and Biomass Production in Carpathian Mountain Grasslands I. Ghețe et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15020269
- Effects of nutrient fertilization on root decomposition and carbon accumulation in intensively managed grassland soils D. Fornara et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3103
- Long‐term belowground effects of grassland management: the key role of liming J. Heyburn et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1585
- An unconventional approach to evaluating the environmental role of a productive system: An environmental assessment of beef farms in North-West Italy D. Biagini & M. Betta https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176100
- The Effects of Manure Application and Herbivore Excreta on Plant and Soil Properties of Temperate Grasslands—A Review A. Brummerloh & K. Kuka https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13123010
43 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Effect of Grasslands Fertilisation on Soil Organic Matter Quality and Nutrients Status J. Plisková et al. https://doi.org/10.2478/agri-2023-0011
- Simulation and validation of long-term changes in soil organic carbon under permanent grassland using the DNDC model M. Khalil et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2019.114014
- Ruminant livestock farmers and industry are leading innovation to deliver human nutrition and improved environmental outcomes through sector lifecycle collaboration: a review of case studies E. Maree et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/af/vfae050
- Assessment of nitrous oxide emission factors for arable and grassland ecosystems M. O’Neill et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/1943815X.2020.1825227
- Tree cover influences the soil C balance in Mediterranean cork oak-based silvopastoral systems A. Pulina et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2021.105234
- Responses of carbon cycling and soil organic carbon content to nitrogen addition in grasslands globally H. Liu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2023.109164
- Improving estimates of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and their long-term temporal changes in agricultural soils in Ireland M. Khalil & B. Osborne https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2018.02.038
- Influence of slurry acidification with H2SO4 on soil pH, N, P, S, and C dynamics: Incubation experiment Y. Zireeni et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2023.100447
- Grassland contribution to soil organic carbon stock under climate change scenarios in Basque Country (Spain) Á. Doblas-Rodrigo et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-022-01877-4
- Bioaccumulation and potential ecotoxicological effects of trace metals along a management intensity gradient in volcanic pasturelands C. Parelho et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128601
- Hydrochar as a One Health solution to mitigate antibiotic resistance genes from slurry in grassland soils I. Ikoyi et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1800404
- Guiding phosphorus stewardship for multiple ecosystem services G. Macdonald et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/ehs2.1251
- The role of mycorrhiza in food security and the challenge of climate change I. Ortas https://doi.org/10.52804/ijaas2022.311
- Use of CLEANED to Assess the Productive, Environmental, and Economic Impact of Dairy Farms in the Peruvian Amazon L. Oré et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14223224
- Grassland soil organic carbon stocks along management intensity and warming gradients C. Poeplau https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.12537
- Greenhouse-gas budgets for irrigated dairy pasture and a winter-forage kale crop J. Laubach & J. Hunt https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2017.04.013
- Sustainable intensification to coordinate agricultural efficiency and environmental protection: a systematic review based on metrological visualization X. Lyu et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/1747423X.2021.1922524
- Improving phosphorus sustainability in intensively managed grasslands: The potential role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi D. Fornara et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135744
- Differential Response of Surface and Deep Soil C, N, and Microbial Processes to Long-Term Pasture Management in a Sub-Tropical Rangeland P. Subedi et al. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4129731
- No saturation of soil carbon under long-term extreme manure additions H. Heinemann et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-024-07146-z
- The effects of irrigation on carbon balance in an irrigated grazed pasture system in New Zealand D. Giltrap et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2020.102851
- Effects of grassland management on plant C:N:P stoichiometry: implications for soil element cycling and storage J. Heyburn et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1963
- Composition and carbon utilization of soil microbial communities subjected to long-term nitrogen fertilization in a temperate grassland in northern China Y. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.11.009
- Effects of nutrient fertilization and soil tillage on soil CO2 emissions in a long-term grassland experiment J. Holland et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2024.106232
- Enhancing soil carbon in solar farms through active land management: a systematic review of the available evidence F. Carvalho et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-664X/ad8ce4
- Long-term nitrogen and phosphorus amendments reshape arbuscular mycorrhizal regulation of hyphosphere microbial communities and functions in grassland soils D. LI et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedsph.2026.05.014
- Evidence of low response of soil carbon stocks to grassland intensification D. Fornara et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2019.106705
- Manure application in managed grasslands can contribute to soil organic carbon sequestration: evidence from field experiments across Japan S. Matsuura et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-021-01795-x
- Soil legacy effects of climatic stress, management and plant functional composition on microbial communities influence the response of Lolium perenne to a new drought event N. Legay et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3403-x
- No-till permanent meadow promotes soil carbon sequestration and nitrogen use efficiency at the expense of productivity F. Castelli et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-017-0462-6
- Global warming potential of a Mediterranean irrigated forage system: Implications for designing the fertilization strategy A. Pulina et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2018.05.002
- Transforming soil phosphorus fertility management strategies to support the delivery of multiple ecosystem services from agricultural systems K. Macintosh et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.272
- Restoring nutrient circularity in a nutrient-saturated area in Germany requires systemic change B. van der Wiel et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-021-10172-3
- The impact of environmental policy on soil quality: Organic carbon and phosphorus levels in croplands and grasslands of the European Natura 2000 network A. Hagyó & G. Tóth https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.06.003
- Why does mineral fertilization increase soil carbon stocks in temperate grasslands? C. Poeplau et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2018.06.003
- How does grassland management affect physical and biochemical properties of temperate grassland soils? A review study S. Mayel et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.12512
- Long-term biomass removal in grasslands reduces plant and soil phosphorus, increases carbon:phosphorus stoichiometry, but does not lead to microbial phosphorus limitation A. Simpson et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.110017
- Carbon dioxide fluxes and carbon balance of an agricultural grassland in southern Finland L. Heimsch et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3467-2021
- Effects of Management and Climatic Variability on Indicator Species and Biomass Production in Carpathian Mountain Grasslands I. Ghețe et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15020269
- Effects of nutrient fertilization on root decomposition and carbon accumulation in intensively managed grassland soils D. Fornara et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3103
- Long‐term belowground effects of grassland management: the key role of liming J. Heyburn et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1585
- An unconventional approach to evaluating the environmental role of a productive system: An environmental assessment of beef farms in North-West Italy D. Biagini & M. Betta https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176100
- The Effects of Manure Application and Herbivore Excreta on Plant and Soil Properties of Temperate Grasslands—A Review A. Brummerloh & K. Kuka https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13123010
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Latest update: 07 Jun 2026
Short summary
This study demonstrates that intensively managed agricultural grasslands can sequester significant amounts of carbon in soils, especially under long-term applications of cattle slurries. There is also evidence that soil carbon sequestration can contribute to offset between 9 % and 25 % of total greenhouse gas emissions associated with the management of permanent grassland. However, to make livestock-based grassland systems more sustainable, further carbon-gain efficiencies are required.
This study demonstrates that intensively managed agricultural grasslands can sequester...
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