In this work, we evaluated the effects of cultivation practices and sites (representing four
locations in Crete, Greece) on soil organic carbon sequestration in established citrus orchards, olive
groves, and uncultivated fields (used as a control). Soil pH, soil texture, soil organic matter (SOM),
Permanganate Oxidizable Carbon (POXC), Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), Carbon and Nitrogen
ratio (C:N), as well as soil CO2 respiration rates, and specific enzymes’ activity (i.e., N-Acetyl
Glutamate (NAG), Beta Glucosidase (BG), Dehydrogenase) were determined in the upper soil layer
(0–20 cm). It was shown that citrus and olive orchards under the South Mediterranean conditions
could substantially increase C storage in the soil. However, soils planted with orange trees showed
lower capacity than olive trees, which was related to litter chemistry (i.e., leaf C:N ratio). Sites
had no significant impact on SOM. In our study, SOM had a positive relationship with TKN (and
less with POXC) and the C:N ratio of the tree crop species litter. Our findings have implications
for designing soil conservation practices in Mediterranean conditions and developing initiatives
describing achievable targets of SOM restoration depending on soil properties and cropping systems.
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