Influence of waterlogging on carbon stock variability at hillslope scale in a beech forest (Fougères forest, west France).

The Kyoto protocol directs the signatory countries including France to establish an inventory of carbon stocks in forest. Precise estimates of carbon stocks are hampered by local spatial variability, in particular in wetland areas. The aims of this work are: (i) to estimate the spatial variability of carbon stocks on two hill slopes presenting respectively a transition between a well-drained zone and a wetland area over a short-distance, and a very progressive transition (ii) to correlate this variability with soil waterlogging and topographic variations and (iii) to evaluate carbon stock prediction by modeling waterlogging intensity as soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks increase significantly with waterlogging.