RICH-SOIL: Radiocarbon Inventory of Swiss Soils

RICH-Soil is part of the SNF-Sinergia project RICH, assessing the first national scale radiocarbon (14C) inventory, encompassing the atmosphere, the terrestrial biosphere and soils, as well as the aquatic continuum (rivers and lakes). Radiocarbon informs about the age, turnover rates, and the sources of carbon in C pools and fluxes. The overall aim of RICH is to use radiocarbon measured in the major carbon pools and fluxes to examine carbon exchange among the various reservoirs and cycling rates on regional and national scales. RICH-SOIL determines radiocarbon signatures in soil carbon pools and fluxes of Switzerland, taking advantage of archived samples, national soil inventory, and in C fluxes (soil CO2 efflux, DOC and DIC leaching) at sites of the LWF (Long-term-Monitoring of Forests) program. These data are used or modelling soil C dynamics and then linked with environmental parameters (climate, vegetation, soil properties) to identify controlling parameters.