Date of Award

2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Oberle, Brad

Area of Concentration

Biology

Abstract

Carbon cycling in the Food Forest & Carbon Farm at New College of Florida and a nearby lawn was studied to assess sources and sinks of organic carbon and overall soil quality. Over three months of fieldwork the organic carbon, bulk density, microbial respiration and nutrient composition of the soils were measured. Nearly all measurements suggest that both areas have sequestered organic carbon in soil. The average Food Forest soil sample had a proportion of organic carbon five times greater than the Lawn. Microbes present in the Food Forest released organic carbon at a rate five times faster than the Lawn​. ​However, during the fall, respiration in the Food Forest used a smaller proportion of its yearly carbon budget than did respiration in the Lawn. The mean density of soil in the Food Forest was lower and provided more biologically favorable conditions than the Lawn, which had a density that was high enough to impede root growth, respiration, and water infiltration. The Food Forest soil had a much higher cation exchange capacity than the Lawn, and provided more accessible nutrients to the organisms that inhabit it. This permaculture project has succeeded in its goal of sequestering atmospheric carbon into the soil, and it does so at a rate ten times that of the lawn. Agroforestry systems based on permaculture principles show good promise for carbon sequestration and resilient food production systems in subtropical areas such as Sarasota. The Food Forest & Carbon Farm is a vibrant and diverse agroecosystem that provides an inspiring and interactable environment for students and community members. It is still a young forest, and with care and support it will strengthen social and environmental sustainability at New College of Florida for decades to come.

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