Effects of desert plant communities on soil enzyme activities and soil organic carbon in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain in Ningxia,China

It is of great significance to study the effects of desert plants on soil enzyme activities and soil organic carbon(SOC)for maintaining the stability of the desert ecosystem.In this study,we studied the responses of soil enzyme activities and SOC fractions(particulate organic carbon(POC)and mineral-associated organic carbon(MAOC))to five typical desert plant communities(Convolvulus tragacanthoides,Ephedra rhytidosperma,Stipa breviflora,Stipa tianschanica var.gobica,and Salsola laricifolia communities)in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,China.We recorded the plant community information mainly including the plant coverage and herb and shrub species,and obtained the aboveground biomass and plant species diversity through sample surveys in late July 2023.Soil samples were also collected at depths of 0–10 cm(topsoil)and 10–20 cm(subsoil)to determine the soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities.The results showed that the plant coverage and aboveground biomass of S.laricifolia community were significantly higher than those of C.tragacanthoides,S.breviflora,and S.tianschanica var.gobica communities(P<0.05).Soil enzyme activities varied among different plant communities.In the topsoil,the enzyme activities of alkaline phosphatase(ALP)andβ-1,4-glucosidas(βG)were significantly higher in E.rhytidosperma and S.tianschanica var.gobica communities than in other plant communities(P<0.05).The topsoil had higher POC and MAOC contents than the subsoil.Specifically,the content of POC in the topsoil was 18.17%–42.73%higher than that in the subsoil.The structural equation model(SEM)indicated that plant species diversity,soil pH,and soil water content(SWC)were the main factors influencing POC and MAOC.The soil pH inhibited the formation of POC and promoted the formation of MAOC.Conversely,SWC stimulated POC production and hindered MAOC formation.Our study aimed to gain insight into the effects of desert plant communities on soil enzyme activities and SOC fractions,as well as the drivers of SOC fractions in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain and other desert ecosystems.

Forest management causes soil carbon loss by reducing particulate organic carbon in Guangxi, Southern China

Background: The loss of soil organic carbon(SOC) following conversion of natural forests to managed plantations has been widely reported. However, how different SOC fractions and microbial necromass C(MNC) respond to forest management practices remains unclear.Methods: We sampled 0–10 cm mineral soil from three different management plantations and one protected forest in Guangxi, Southern China, to explore how forest management practices affect SOC through changing mineralassociated C(MAOC) and particulate organic C(POC), as well as fungal and bacterial necromass C.Results: Compared with the protected forest, SOC and POC in the abandoned, mixed and Eucalyptus plantations significantly decreased, but MAOC showed no significant change, indicating that the loss of SOC was mainly from decreased POC under forest management. Forest management also significantly reduced root biomass, soil extractable organic C, MNC, and total microbial biomass(measured by phospholipid fatty acid), but increased fungi-to-bacteria ratio(F:B) and soil peroxidase activity. Moreover, POC was positively correlated with root biomass, total microbial biomass and MNC, and negatively with F:B and peroxidase activity. These results suggested that root input and microbial properties together regulated soil POC dynamics during forest management.Conclusion: Overall, this study indicates that forest management intervention significantly decreases SOC by reducing POC in Guangxi, Southern China, and suggests that forest protection can help to sequester more soil C in forest ecosystems.

Changes in soil organic carbon pools following long-term fertilization under a rain-fed cropping system in the Loess Plateau,China

Understanding the mechanism of soil organic carbon(SOC)sequestration is of paramount importance in sustaining crop productivity and mitigating climate change.Long-term trials were employed to investigate the responses of total SOC and its pools,i.e.,mineral-associated OC(MOC),particulate OC(POC,containing Light-POC and Heavy-POC),to fertilization regimes at Yangling(25-year),Tianshui(35-year)and Pingliang(37-year)under a rain-fed cropping system in the Loess Plateau.The fertilization regimes in each trial included three treatments,i.e.,control(no nutrient input,CK),chemical fertilizers(CF),and organic manure plus chemical fertilizers(MCF).Relative to the CK,long-term fertilization appreciably increased SOC storage by 134,89 and 129 kg ha^(–1)yr^(–1)under CF,and 418,153 and 384 kg ha^(–1)yr^(–1)under MCF in plough layer soils(0–20 cm),respectively,at the Yangling,Tianshui and Pingliang sites.The MOC pools accounted for 72,67 and 64%of the total SOC at the above three sites with sequestration rates of 76,57 and 83 kg ha^(–1)yr^(–1)under CF and 238,118 and 156 kg ha^(–1)yr^(–1)under MCF,respectively.Moreover,the MOC pool displayed a saturation behavior under MCF conditions.The POC accordingly constituted 27,33 and 36%of SOC,of which Light-POC accounted for 11,17 and 22%and Heavy-POC for 17,16 and 15%of SOC,respectively.The sequestration rates of POC were 58,32 and 46 kg ha^(–1)yr^(–1)under CF,and 181,90 and 228 kg ha^(–1)yr^(–1)under MCF at the three respective sites,in which Light-POC explained 59,81 and 72%of POC under CF,and 60,40 and 69%of POC under MCF,with Heavy-POC accounting for the balance.Compared with CK,the application of CF alone did not affect the proportions of MOC or total POC to SOC,whereas MCF application markedly reduced the proportion of MOC and increased the POC ratio,mainly in the Light-POC pool.The distribution of SOC among different pools was closely related to the distribution and stability of aggregates.The present study confirmed that organic manure amendment not only sequestered more SOC but also significantly altered the composition of SOC,thus improving SOC quality,which is possibly related to the SOC saturation level.

Saline-alkali land reclamation boosts topsoil carbon storage by preferentially accumulating plant-derived carbon

Saline–alkali land is an important cultivated land reserve resource for tackling global climate change and ensuring food security, partly because it can store large amounts of carbon(C). However, it is unclear how saline–alkali land reclamation(converting saline–alkali land into cultivated land) affects soil C storage.We collected 189 adjacent pairs of salt-affected and cultivated soil samples(0–30 cm deep) from the Songnen Plain, eastern coastal area, Hetao Plain, and northwestern arid area in China. Various soil properties, the soil inorganic C(SIC), organic C(SOC), particulate organic C(POC), and mineral-associated organic C(MAOC) densities, and plant-and microbial-derived C accumulation were determined.Saline–alkali land reclamation inconsistently affected the SIC density but significantly(P < 0.001)increased the SOC density. The SOC, POC, and MAOC densities were predicted well by the integrative soil amelioration index. Saline–alkali land reclamation significantly increased plant-derived C accumulation and the plant-derived C to microbial-derived C ratios in all saline–alkali areas, and less microbial transformation of plant-derived C(i.e., less lignin degradation or oxidation) occurred in cultivated soils than salt-affected soils. The results indicated that saline–alkali land reclamation leads to plant-derived C becoming the dominant contributor of SOC storage. POC storage and MAOC storage were strongly linked to plant-and microbial-derived C accumulation, respectively, caused by saline–alkali land reclamation.Our findings suggest that saline–alkali land reclamation increases C storage in topsoil by preferentially promoting plant-derived C accumulation.

Organic-inorganic fertilization promotes paddy soil macroaggregate organic carbon accumulation associated with key bacterial populations in subtropical China

Macroaggregate organic carbon(Macro-OC)accumulation in paddy soils is of great significance in promoting multiple agroecosystem services.However,the effects of different fertilization practices on Macro-OC accumulation in paddy soils at the regional scale have not been comprehensively investigated.Here,we conducted long-term fertilization field experiments at four sites,Taoyuan,Wangcheng,Jinxian,and Suzhou,in the subtropical area of China to reveal the effects of inorganic and organic-inorganic(OIF)fertilization on Macro-OC accumulation and its relationships with important microbial traits(the abundance ratio of GH48:cbhI genes and the richness of keystone bacterial taxa)in paddy soils.The results showed that long-term fertilization(particularly OIF)significantly increased the content of Macro-OC,which mainly consisted of particulate organic carbon(C).Organic-inorganic fertilization decreased the percentage of O-alkyl C but increased the percentages of alkyl,aromatic,and phenolic C.Organic-inorganic fertilization promoted the abundance of the bacterial cellulose-degrading gene GH48 retrieved from macroaggregates.The orders Anaerolineales,Bacillales,and Clostridiales were identified as keystone bacterial taxa in macroaggregates and were significantly correlated with the physical fraction and chemical structure of Macro-OC.Structural equation modeling revealed that fertilization-induced changes in soil pH and C:N ratio affected the richness of Anaerolineales,Bacillales,and Clostridiales,which was strongly associated with the increase of percentages of aromatic and phenolic C and further facilitated Macro-OC accumulation.Together,these results suggested that OIF promoted Macro-OC accumulation associated with key bacterial populations in paddy soils.The results provide an important basis for boosting soil C accrual in the subtropical rice-growing areas.

Retention of harvest residues promotes the accumulation of topsoil organic carbon by increasing particulate organic carbon in a Chinese fir plantation

Background As commonly used harvest residue management practices in subtropical plantations,stem only harvesting(SOH)and whole tree harvesting(WTH)are expected to affect soil organic carbon(SOC)content.However,knowledge on how SOC and its fractions(POC:particulate organic carbon;MAOC:mineral-associated organic carbon)respond to different harvest residue managements is limited.Methods In this study,a randomized block experiment containing SOH and WTH was conducted in a Chinese fir(Cunninghamia lanceolata)plantation.The effect of harvest residue management on SOC and its fractions in topsoil(0–10​cm)and subsoil(20–40​cm)was determined.Plant inputs(harvest residue retaining mass and fine root biomass)and microbial and mineral properties were also measured.Results The responses of SOC and its fractions to different harvest residue managements varied with soil depth.Specifically,SOH enhanced the content of SOC and POC in topsoil with increases of 15.9%and 29.8%,respectively,compared with WTH.However,SOH had no significant effects on MAOC in topsoil and SOC and its fractions in subsoil.These results indicated that the increase in POC induced by the retention of harvest residue was the primary contributor to SOC accumulation,especially in topsoil.The harvest residue managements affected SOC and its fractions through different pathways in topsoil and subsoil.The plant inputs(the increase in fine root biomass induced by SOH)exerted a principal role in the SOC accumulation in topsoil,whereas mineral and microbial properties played a more important role in regulating SOC dynamics than plants inputs in subsoil.Conclusion The retention of harvest residues can promote SOC accumulation by increasing POC,and is thus suggested as an effective technology to enhance the soil carbon sink for mitigating climate change in plantation management.

Changes in Soil Organic Carbon After Five Years of Biowaste Compost Application in a Mediterranean Vegetable Cropping System

Biowaste compost can influence soil organic matter accumulation directly or indirectly. A 5-year experiment was conducted to assess the influence of biowaste compost on the process of soil aggregation and soil organic carbon （SOC） accumulation in a Mediterranean vegetable cropping system. The study involved four treatments： biowaste compost （COM）, mineral NPK fertilizers （MIN）, biowaste compost with half-dose N fertilizer （COMN）, and unfertilized control （CK）. The SOC stocks were increased in COM, COMN, and MIN by 20.2, 14.9, and 2.4 Mg ha-1 over CK, respectively. The SOC concentration was significantly related to mean weight diameter of aggregates （MWD） （P 〈 0.05, R^2 = 0.798 4） when CK was excluded from regression analysis. Compared to CK, COM and COMN increased the SOC amount in macroaggregates （〉 250 μm） by 2.7 and 0.6 g kg-1 soil, respectively, while MIN showed a loss of 0.4 g kg-1 soil. The SOC amount in free microaggregates （53-250 ttm） increased by 0.9, 1.6, and 1.0 g kg-1 soil for COM, COMN, and MIN, respectively, while those in the free silt plus clay aggregates （~ 53 ~m） did not vary significantly. However, when separating SOC in particle-size fractions, we found that more stable organic carbon associated with mineral fraction 〈 53 μm （MOM-C） increased significantly by 3.4, 2.2, and 0.7 g kg-1 soil for COM, COMN, and MIN, respectively, over CK, while SOC amount in fine particulate organic matter （POM） fraction （53-250 μm） increased only by 0.3 g kg-1 soil for both COM and COMN, with no difference in coarse POM 〉 250 μm. Therefore, we consider that biowaste compost could be effective in improving soil structure and long-term C sequestration as more stable MOM-C.

Effects of tillage on soil nitrogen and its components from rice-wheat fields in subtropical regions of China

It is of great significance to explore the effects of different tillage practices on total nitrogen and its components in rice-wheat rotation farmland.The experiment was carried out in Jiangyan County,Jiangsu Province of China,and a total of four treatments were set up:minimum tillage(MT),rotary tillage(RT),conventional tillage(CT),and conventional tillage without straw retention(CT0).The total nitrogen(TN),light fraction nitrogen(LFN),heavy fraction nitrogen(HFN),particulate nitrogen(PN),and mineral-associated nitrogen(MN)in 0-20 cm soil were determined.The results show that MT increased TN concentration by2.26%-27.57%compared with the other treatments in 0-5 cm soil,but it lost this advantage in 5-10 cm and 10-20 cm soil.MT altered the concentration of LFN by 6.03%-95.86%,of HFN by 1.68%-20.75%,of PN by 12.58%-96.83%,and of MN by−1.73%-9.83%as compared to RT,CT,and CT0 in 0-5 cm soil,respectively.With the deepened of soil depth,the concentration of TN,LFN,HFN,PN,and MN decreased quickly in MT,which was lower than that in RT and CT at 10-20 cm soil depth.Straw return increased the concentration of TN and its components in 0-20 cm soil.The concentration of TN was extremely significantly positively correlated with that of LFN,HFN,PN,and MN(p<0.01).The variation of TN was significantly positively correlated with that of LFN,HFN,PN,and MN(p<0.01),and LFN showed the highest sensitivity to tillage practice.In general,minimum tillage combined with straw retention increased the concentration of soil TN and its components in topsoil.LFN was the best indicator to indicate the change in soil total nitrogen affected by tillage practice.