Surface soil carbon storage in urban green spaces in three major South Korean cities

Quantifying and managing carbon (C) storage in urban green space (UGS) soils is associatedwith the ecosystem services necessary for human well-being and the national C inventory report ofthe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Here, the soil C stocks at 30-cm depths indifferent types of UGS's (roadside, park, school forest, and riverside) were studied in three majorSouth Korean cities that have experienced recent, rapid development. The total C of 666 soil sampleswas analyzed, and these results were combined with the available UGS inventory data. Overall,the mean soil bulk density, C concentration, and C density at 30-cm depths were 1.22 g·cm^-3,7.31 g·C· kg^-1, and 2.13 kg·C·m^-2, respectively. The UGS soil C stock (Gg· C) at 30-cm depths was105.6 for Seoul, 43.6 for Daegu, and 26.4 for Daejeon. The lower C storage of Korean UGS soilsthan those of other countries is due to the low soil C concentration and the smaller land area underUGS. Strategic management practices that augment the organic matter supply in soil are expected toenhance C storage in South Korean UGS soils.