Protected meadows more diverse meadows store more carbon in soil than neighboring commercially used meadows.

In this study, we have explored effect of long-term nature protection on soil carbon storage in meadows. We have selected 30 pairs of meadows, each pair consisted from nature reserve, and neighboring commercially used meadow. In both Meadows we sample soil to 30 cm depth, and established song carbon stock. At the same time, we started plant diversity and community composition in both meadows. 

Comparing carbon stock cross all pairs of meadows, natural reserve store significantly more carbon, which account for about 20 to 30% increase compare to commercially managed meadows. In general carbon stock decrease which increasing depth, but this increase was similar in both commercial as well as protected meadows. The highest carbon stock was found in dry meadows, which were followed by wet meadows, while mesic meadow stores less C and also difference between commercial and protected meadows was less pronounced. There was no difference in aboveground plant biomass between protected and cultural meadows.  Protected meadows we are significantly more diverse than their commercially used counterpart, however there were no direct correlation between plan diversity and carbon stock. Based on that we assume that we assume that beside plant diversity also continuity of undisturbed soils in protected meadows, play role in  soil carbon storage.