title: Climate and soil properties limit the positive effects of land use reversion on carbon storage in Eastern Australia.
abstract: Australia's "Direct Action" climate change policy relies on purchasing greenhouse gas abatement from projects undertaking approved abatement activities. Management of soil organic carbon (SOC) in agricultural soils is an approved activity, based on the expectation that land use change can deliver significant changes in SOC. However, there are concerns that climate, topography and soil texture will limit changes in SOC stocks. This work analyses data from 1482 sites surveyed across the major agricultural regions of Eastern Australia to determine the relative importance of land use vs. other drivers of SOC. Variation in land use explained only 1.4% of the total variation in SOC, with aridity and soil texture the main regulators of SOC stock under different land uses. Results suggest the greatest potential for increasing SOC stocks in Eastern Australian agricultural regions lies in converting from cropping to pasture on heavy textured soils in the humid regions.
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England (UNE), Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
authors.forename: S M F
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Rabbi
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England (UNE), Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tighe
authors.affiliation: Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delgado-Baquerizo
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England (UNE), Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.|NSW Department of Primary Industries/ UNE, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cowie
authors.affiliation: Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, 915 Mt Napier Rd, Hamilton, Vic 3300, Australia.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation, Dutton Park, Qld 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: Ram
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dalal
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation, Dutton Park, Qld 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Page
authors.affiliation: Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, 1301 Hazeldean Rd, Ellinbank, Vic 3821, Australia.
authors.forename: Doug
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England (UNE), Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.|NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, PO Box U221, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: NSW Department of Primary Industries, Tamworth, NSW 2340, Australia.
authors.forename: Graeme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schwenke
authors.affiliation: NSW Department of Primary Industries, Tamworth, NSW 2340, Australia.
authors.forename: Malem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mcleod
authors.affiliation: NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange Agricultural Institute, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia.
authors.forename: Warwick
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Badgery
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts, Toowoomba Qld 4350, Australia.
authors.forename: Yash P
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.affiliation: Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, University of Queensland, Kingaroy, Qld 4610, Australia.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, 110 Natimuk Road, Horsham, Vic 3400, Australia.
authors.forename: Garry
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: O'Leary
authors.affiliation: NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, PMB, Wagga Wagga 2650, Australia.
authors.forename: De Li
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Land and Water/Sustainable Agriculture Flagship, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia.
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baldock