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Article

Spatial Heterogeneity in Carbon Pools of Young Betula sp. Stands on Former Arable Lands in the South of the Moscow Region

by
Gulfina G. Frolova
1,*,
Pavel V. Frolov
1,
Vladimir N. Shanin
1,2 and
Irina V. Priputina
1
1
Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya st., 2, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
2
Isaev Centre for Forest Ecology and Productivity of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya str. 84/32, 117997 Moscow, Russia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Plants 2025, 14(15), 2401; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152401 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 16 June 2025 / Revised: 21 July 2025 / Accepted: 1 August 2025 / Published: 3 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Plant–Soil Interactions)

Abstract

This study investigates the spatial heterogeneity of carbon pools in young Betula sp. stands on former arable lands in the southern Moscow region, Russia. The findings could be useful for the current estimates and predictions of the carbon balance in such forest ecosystems. The research focuses on understanding the interactions between plant cover and the environment, i.e., how environmental factors such as stand density, tree diameter and height, light conditions, and soil properties affect ecosystem carbon pools. We also studied how heterogeneity in edaphic conditions affects the formation of plant cover, particularly tree regeneration and the development of ground layer vegetation. Field measurements were conducted on a permanent 50 × 50 m sampling plot divided into 5 × 5 m subplots, in order to capture variability in vegetation and soil characteristics. Key findings reveal significant differences in carbon stocks across subplots with varying stand densities and light conditions. This highlights the role of the spatial heterogeneity of soil properties and vegetation cover in carbon sequestration. The study demonstrates the feasibility of indirect estimation of carbon stocks using stand parameters (density, height, and diameter), with results that closely match direct measurements. The total ecosystem carbon stock was estimated at 80.47 t ha−1, with the soil contribution exceeding that of living biomass and dead organic matter. This research emphasizes the importance of accounting for spatial heterogeneity in carbon assessments of post-agricultural ecosystems, providing a methodological framework for future studies.
Keywords: carbon pools; spatial heterogeneity; Betula sp. stands; post-agricultural ecosystems; carbon sequestration; stand density; soil carbon; biomass allocation carbon pools; spatial heterogeneity; Betula sp. stands; post-agricultural ecosystems; carbon sequestration; stand density; soil carbon; biomass allocation

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Frolova, G.G.; Frolov, P.V.; Shanin, V.N.; Priputina, I.V. Spatial Heterogeneity in Carbon Pools of Young Betula sp. Stands on Former Arable Lands in the South of the Moscow Region. Plants 2025, 14, 2401. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152401

AMA Style

Frolova GG, Frolov PV, Shanin VN, Priputina IV. Spatial Heterogeneity in Carbon Pools of Young Betula sp. Stands on Former Arable Lands in the South of the Moscow Region. Plants. 2025; 14(15):2401. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152401

Chicago/Turabian Style

Frolova, Gulfina G., Pavel V. Frolov, Vladimir N. Shanin, and Irina V. Priputina. 2025. "Spatial Heterogeneity in Carbon Pools of Young Betula sp. Stands on Former Arable Lands in the South of the Moscow Region" Plants 14, no. 15: 2401. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152401

APA Style

Frolova, G. G., Frolov, P. V., Shanin, V. N., & Priputina, I. V. (2025). Spatial Heterogeneity in Carbon Pools of Young Betula sp. Stands on Former Arable Lands in the South of the Moscow Region. Plants, 14(15), 2401. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152401

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