Influence of Mediterranean shrublands management on soil carbon sequestration

This study evaluates how different management systems influence soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in a Mediterranean ecosystem of the Iberian Peninsula. SOC was quantified in 108 samples from wooded shrubland (WS) and shrubland without trees (S), featuring species such as <i>Quercus rotundifolia</i>, <i>Phillyrea angustifolia</i>, <i>Retama sphaerocarpa</i>, and <i>Cistus ladanifer</i>. SOC levels were significantly highest in WS (67.9 g/kg) than in S (37.4 g/kg), likely due to tree-shrub interactions that promote favorable carbon-storing microhabitats. Generalized additive mixed models identified normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) as key SOC predictors (<i>p</i> = 0.015 and <i>p</i> < 0.001, respectively), with SOC increasing by 36.7% across the NDVI gradient and 178.4% across the CEC range. These results showed a positive correlation with vegetation biomass and soil fertility. Sustainable practices such as reforestation and organic amendments could boost sequestration and help mitigate climate change. Maintaining mixed tree-shrub cover is therefore vital for enhancing SOC in Mediterranean landscapes.