title: Soil carbon stocks and changes in the Republic of Ireland.
abstract: The soil carbon (C) stock of the Republic of Ireland is estimated to have been 2048 Mt in 1990 and 2021 Mt in 2000. Peat holds around 53% of the soil C stock, but on 17% of the land area. The C density of soils (tCha(-1)) is mapped at 2 km x 2 km resolution. The greatest soil C densities occur where deep raised bogs are the dominant soil; in these grid squares C density can reach 3000 tCha(-1). Most of the loss of soil C between 1990 and 2000-up to 23 MtC (1% of 1990 soil C stock)-was through industrial peat extraction. The average annual change in soil C stocks from 1990 to 2000 due to land use change was estimated at around 0.02% of the 1990 stock. Considering uncertainties in the data used to calculate soil C stocks and changes, the small average annual 'loss' could be regarded as 'no change'.
authors.affiliation: School of Geography, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland, UK. r.tomlinson@qub.ac.uk
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Tomlinson
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005843:Geography; D007494:Ireland; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D002244:Carbon