Soil organic carbon storage in moutain grasslands of the Lake Plateau at Mt. Durmitor in Montenegro

Researchers estimate that alpine grasslands on the Lake Plateau of Durmitor National Park, Montenegro, store approximately 560,414.86 tons of soil organic carbon (SOC) in the top 40 cm of leptosol soils, equivalent to an average density of 15.27 kg per square meter. This study highlights significant variability in SOC storage, driven by local-scale factors such as soil moisture, clay and silt content, and mean annual temperature. These variables collectively explain about 51% of the variation in SOC density across 28 soil profiles. The findings underscore the importance of microclimatic and edaphic conditions in determining carbon storage potential in high-altitude mountain ecosystems.

Kadovic, R., Belanovic, S., Obratov-Petkovic, D., Bjedov, I., Perovic, V., Andjelic, M., Knezevic, M., & Rankovic, N. (2012). Soil organic carbon storage in moutain grasslands of the Lake Plateau at Mt. Durmitor in Montenegro. Bulletin of the Faculty of Forestry, (106), 113–128. https://doi.org/10.2298/gsf1206113k