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Citation

Azevedo O, Vanguelova E, Ashwood F, Fuentes‐Montemayor E, Wilson C, van der Linde S & Park KJ (2026) Long‐Term Effects of Woodland Creation on Soil Carbon Stocks and Aggregate Distribution in Central Scotland. Soil Use and Management, 42 (1), Art. No.: e70162. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.70162

Abstract
The importance of increasing woodland cover in mitigating climate change is widely recognised, yet quantification of the long-term impact of maturing woodlands on soil structure and carbon stocks remains limited. This study evaluates soil structure and carbon content across a chronosequence of UK woodlands established over the last 160?years and old-growth woodland (250+ years old) compared to pasture sites. Soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks were significantly higher in woodland soils than in pastures, with mature and ancient woodlands containing up to 88%–111% more SOC ─ primarily due to the development of an organic layer that contributed up to 42% of total carbon stocks. In contrast, differences in carbon within mineral soil layers (0–15?cm, 15–30?cm) were minimal, indicating that afforestation-driven carbon gains are largely restricted to surface horizons. Woodland age had a large effect on carbon concentrations within water-stable aggregates (η2?=?0.58, p??2000?μm) exhibiting the greatest increases (Cohen's d?=?1.28). Mid-aged woodlands (31–80?years) displayed particularly even carbon distribution across aggregate size classes, while older stands showed accumulation in finer fractions (?0.05, η2?

Keywords
afforestation; chronosequence; forest succession; land use change; mean weight diameter; soil aggregation; soil organic carbon

Journal
Soil Use and Management: Volume 42, Issue 1

• Azevedo Et Al. 2026 - Long Term Effects Of Woodland Creation On Soil Carbon Stocks And Aggregate Distribution