Year 2025, Volume 10, Issue 3
| Year : | 2025 |
| Volume : | 10 |
| Issue : | 3 |
| Authors : | Kristiyan PANAYOTOV, Matthew Tom HARRISON |
| Title : | SOIL ORGANIC CARBON VARIABILITY IN BULGARIAN SOILS |
| Abstract : | Comprehensive assessments of soil organic carbon (SOC) across Bulgarian arable lands are scarce. In this study, we quantify and map SOC variability in the country’s primary grain-producing regions using a stratified sampling approach and geospatial analysis. A total of 1,287 composite topsoil samples (0–30 cm) were collected during winter 2022–2023 from homogeneous management zones outlined with FAO-WRB soil classes and national survey layers. Samples were analyzed for organic carbon via dry combustion (ISO 10694). Spatial aggregation (feature binning) and mapping showed that SOC concentrations ranged from 0.8% to 4.4% (mean 1.9%, SD 0.44%). Distinct regional contrasts were also uncovered, where several southeastern municipalities exhibited low SOC (≤1.0–1.2%), while northwestern localities reached >4%. There were discernible SOC differences between soil types. For example, Luvisols tended to contain less SOC than Kastanozems and Vertisols, which could be expected based on textural and hydrological restrictions. The resulting maps highlight areas potentially vulnerable to degradation and offer baselines for targeted management improvement (e.g., residue retention, cover crops, reduced tillage) and policy design. Given the single-season snapshot and topsoil focus, we recommend a subsequent time series and inclusion of deeper layers and equivalent-soil-mass approaches for stock estimation. We provide one of the first high-resolution SOC datasets for Bulgarian arable regions and present actionable evidence to support climate-smart and resilient farming systems. |
| For citation : | Panayotov, K., Harrison, M. T. (2025). Soil organic carbon variability in Bulgarian soils. AGROFOR International Journal, Volume 10. Issue No. 3. pp. 69-76. DOI:10.7251/AGREN2503069P |
| Keywords : | soil organic carbon, geospatial analysis, grain-production, soil sampling. |
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ISSN 2490-3434 (Printed)
ISSN 2490-3442 (Online)
ISSN 2490-3442 (Online)
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