Articles | Volume 19, issue 16
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3825-2022
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3825-2022
Research article
 | 
23 Aug 2022
Research article |  | 23 Aug 2022

Stable isotope profiles of soil organic carbon in forested and grassland landscapes in the Lake Alaotra basin (Madagascar): insights in past vegetation changes

Vao Fenotiana Razanamahandry, Marjolein Dewaele, Gerard Govers, Liesa Brosens, Benjamin Campforts, Liesbet Jacobs, Tantely Razafimbelo, Tovonarivo Rafolisy, and Steven Bouillon

Related authors

Biogeochemical functioning of Lake Alaotra (Madagascar): a reset of aquatic carbon sources along the land–ocean aquatic continuum
Vao Fenotiana Razanamahandry, Alberto Vieira Borges, Liesa Brosens, Cedric Morana, Tantely Razafimbelo, Tovonarivo Rafolisy, Gerard Govers, and Steven Bouillon
Biogeosciences, 22, 2403–2424, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2403-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2403-2025, 2025
Short summary
Comparative analysis of the Copernicus, TanDEM-X, and UAV-SfM digital elevation models to estimate lavaka (gully) volumes and mobilization rates in the Lake Alaotra region (Madagascar)
Liesa Brosens, Benjamin Campforts, Gerard Govers, Emilien Aldana-Jague, Vao Fenotiana Razanamahandry, Tantely Razafimbelo, Tovonarivo Rafolisy, and Liesbet Jacobs
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 209–227, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-209-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-209-2022, 2022
Short summary

Related subject area

Biogeochemistry: Soils
Distinct changes in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling in the litter layer across two contrasting forest–tundra ecotones
Frank Hagedorn, Josephine Imboden, Pavel A. Moiseev, Decai Gao, Emmanuel Frossard, Patrick Schleppi, Daniel Christen, Konstantin Gavazov, and Jasmin Fetzer
Biogeosciences, 22, 2959–2977, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2959-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2959-2025, 2025
Short summary
Effects of basalt, concrete fines, and steel slag on maize growth and toxic trace element accumulation in an enhanced weathering experiment
Jet Rijnders, Arthur Vienne, and Sara Vicca
Biogeosciences, 22, 2803–2829, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2803-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2803-2025, 2025
Short summary
Depth effects of long-term organic residue application on soil organic carbon stocks in central Kenya
Claude Raoul Müller, Johan Six, Daniel Mugendi Njiru, Bernard Vanlauwe, and Marijn Van de Broek
Biogeosciences, 22, 2733–2747, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2733-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2733-2025, 2025
Short summary
Validating laboratory predictions of soil rewetting respiration pulses using field data
Xiankun Li, Marleen Pallandt, Dilip Naidu, Johannes Rousk, Gustaf Hugelius, and Stefano Manzoni
Biogeosciences, 22, 2691–2705, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2691-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2691-2025, 2025
Short summary
Modelling the effect of climate–substrate interactions on soil organic matter decomposition with the Jena Soil Model
Marleen Pallandt, Marion Schrumpf, Holger Lange, Markus Reichstein, Lin Yu, and Bernhard Ahrens
Biogeosciences, 22, 1907–1928, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1907-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1907-2025, 2025
Short summary

Cited articles

Abril, A., Barttfeld, P., and Bucher, E. H.: The effect of fire and overgrazing disturbes on soil carbon balance in the Dry Chaco forest, Forest Ecol. Manage., 206, 399–405, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2004.11.014, 2005. 
Andriamampianina, J.: Nature Reserves and Nature Conservation in Madagascar, in Key Environments: Madagascar, edited by: Jolly, A., Oberle, P., Albignac, R., 219–228, Elsevier, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-028002-8.50023-X, 1984. 
Andriamananjara, A., Hewson, J., Razakamanarivo, H., Andrisoa, R. H., Ranaivoson, N., Ramboatiana, N., Razafindrakoto, M., Ramifehiarivo, N., Razafimanantsoa, M.-P., Rabeharisoa, L., Ramananantoandro, T., Rasolohery, A., Rabetokotany, N., and Razafimbelo, T.: Land cover impacts on aboveground and soil carbon stocks in Malagasy rainforest, Agr. Ecosyst. Environ., 233, 1–15, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2016.08.030, 2016. 
Andriamananjara, A., Ranaivoson, N., Razafimbelo, T., Hewson, J., Ramifehiarivo, N., Rasolohery, A., Andrisoa, R. H., Razafindrakoto, M. A., Razafimanantsoa, M. P., Rabetokotany, N., and Razakamanarivo, R. H.: Towards a better understanding of soil organic carbon variation in Madagascar, Eur. J. Soil Sci., 68, 930–940, https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.12473, 2017. 
Aubréville, A. and Bossanyi, I.: Erosion under Forest Cover and Erosion in Deforested Areas in the Humid Tropical Zone, Bois Fôr. Trop., 323, 103–112, https://doi.org/10.19182/bft2015.323.a31259, 2015. 
Download
Short summary
In order to shed light on possible past vegetation shifts in the Central Highlands of Madagascar, we measured stable isotope ratios of organic carbon in soil profiles along both forested and grassland hillslope transects in the Lake Alaotra region. Our results show that the landscape of this region was more forested in the past: soils in the C4-dominated grasslands contained a substantial fraction of C3-derived carbon, increasing with depth.
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint