Soil aggregation and aggregate-associated organic carbon under typical natural halophyte communities in arid saline areas of Northwest China

Information on the effects of halophyte communities on soil organic carbon(SOC)is useful for sequestrating C in arid regions.In this study,we identified four typical natural halophyte communities in the Manasi River Basin in Xinjiang Province,Northeast China,namely,Karelinia caspia(Pall.)Less.,Bassia dasyphylla(Fisch.et C.A.Mey.)Kuntze,Haloxylon ammodendron(C.A.Mey.)Bunge,and Tamarix ramosissima Lour.We compared soil aggregation and aggregated-associated SOC under these communities.The aggregate fraction of 0.053–0.25 mm accounted for 47%–75%of the total soil mass,significantly more than the>0.25 and<0.053 mm fractions,under all the halophyte communities.Significant differences in soil aggregate size distribution were observed among the plant communities,with the H.ammodendron and B.dasyphylla communities showing the highest proportions of>0.25 mm aggregates(13.3%–43.8%)and T.ramosissima community having more<0.053 mm aggregates(14.1%–27.2%).Aggregate-associated SOC concentrations were generally the highest in the>0.25 mm fraction,followed by the<0.053 mm fraction,and were the lowest in the 0.053–0.25 mm fraction;however,because of their large mass,0.25–0.053 mm aggregates contributed significantly more to the total SOC.Total SOC concentrations(0–60 cm depth)decreased in the order of H.ammodendron(5.7 g kg^-1)>T.ramosissima(4.9 g kg^-1)>K.caspia(4.2 g kg^-1)>B.dasyphylla(3.4 g kg^-1).The H.ammodendron community had the highest total SOC and aggregate-associated SOC,which was primarily because aggregate-associated SOC content at the 0–10 and 10–20 cm depths under this community were higher than those under other plant communities.The H.ammodendron community could be beneficial for increasing SOC in saline soils in the arid region.

Impact on Soil Organic C and Total Soil N from Cool- and Warm-Season Legumes Used in a Green Manure-Forage Cropping System

Annual forage legumes are important components of livestock production systems in East Texas and the southeastern US. Forage legumes contribute nitrogen (N) to cropping systems through biological N fixation, and their seasonal biomass production can be managed to complement forage grasses. Our research objectives were to evaluate both warm- and cool-season annual forage legumes as green manure for biomass, N content, ability to enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil N, and impact on post season forage grass crops. Nine warm-season forage legumes (WSL) were spring planted and incorporated as green manure in the fall. Forage rye (Secale cereale L.) was planted following the incorporation of WSL treatments. Eight cool-season forage legumes (CSL) were fall planted in previously fallow plots and incorporated as green manure in late spring. Sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor x Sorghum bicolor var. sudanense) was planted over all treatments in early summer after forage rye harvest and incorporation of CSL treatments. Sorghum-sudangrass was harvested in June, August and September, and treatments were evaluated for dry matter and N concentration. Soil cores were taken from each plot, split into depths of 0 to 15, 15 to 30 and 30 to 60 cm, and soil C and N were measured using combustion analysis. Nylon mesh bags containing plant samples were buried at 15 cm and used to evaluate decomposition rate of above ground legume biomass, including change in C and N concentrations. Mungbean (Vigna radiata L. [Wilczek]) had the highest shoot biomass yield (6.24 t DM ha-1) and contributed the most total N (167 kg∙ha-1) and total C (3043 kg∙ha-1) of the WSL tested. Decomposition rate of WSL biomass was rapid in the first 10 weeks and very slow afterward. Winter pea (Pisum sativum L. spp. sativum), arrow leaf clover (Trifolium vesiculosum Savi.), and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) were the most productive CSL in this trial. Austrian winter pea produced 8.41 t DM ha-1 with a total N yield of 319 kg N ha-1 and total C production of 3835 kg C ha-1. The WSL treatments had only small effects on rye forage yield and N concentration, possibly due to mineralization of N from a large SOC pool already in place. The CSL treatments also had only minimal effects on sorghum-sudangrass forage production. Winter pea, arrow leaf and crimson clover were productive cool season legumes and could be useful as green manure crops. Mungbean and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) were highly productive warm season legumes but may include more production risk in green manure systems due to soil moisture competition.

Decomposition of Different Organic Materials and Variation of Active Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Contents in Tobacco-planted Soil

The oilseed cake, vetch, rapeseed straw, wheat straw and corn straw were buried in tobacco-planted soil. The decomposition rates, the variation of active organic C and N contents in the residues and the relationship between active organic C and N contents and decomposition rate were investigated. The results showed the decomposition rates of different organic materials were all high in the early period and then low in the late period. Among the organic materials, the decomposition rates ranked as oilseed cake 〉 vetch 〉 wheat straw and rapeseed straw 〉 corn straw. The decomposition rate was positively related to total N content （P〈0.01）, but was negatively related to the active organic C/N ratio （P〈0.01）. However, there was no significant relationship between decomposition ratio and active organic C content. With the proceeding of decomposition, the active organic C content and the total N content in rapeseed straw, vetch, wheat straw and corn straw all trended to increase, but the active organic C/N ratio trended to decrease. However, the variation of active organic C content, total N content and active organic C/N ratio in oilseed cake was on the contrary.

Effect of N and P addition on soil organic C potential mineralization in forest soils in South China

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition is at a high level in some forests of South China. The effects of addition of exogenous N and P on soil organic carbon mineralization were studied to address: (1) if the atmospheric N deposition promotes soil C storage through decreasing mineralization; (2) if the soil available P is a limitation to organic carbon mineralization. Soils (0–10 cm) was sampled from monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest (MEBF), coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest (CBMF), and Pinus massoniana...

Organic Geochemistry of the Early Jurassic Oil Shale from the Shuanghu Area in Northern Tibet and the Early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event

This paper presents new geological and geochemical data from the Shuanghu area in northern Tibet, which recorded the Early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event. The stratigraphic succession in the Shuanghu area consists mostly of grey to dark-colored alternating oil shales, marls and mudstones. Ammonite beds are found at the top of the Shuanghu oil shale section, which are principally of early Toarcian age, roughly within the Harplocearas falciferrum Zone. Therefore, the oil shale strata at Shuanghu can be correlated with early Toarcian black shales distributing extensively in the European epicontinental seas that contain the records of an Oceanic Anoxic Event. Sedimentary organic matter of laminated shale anomalously rich in organic carbon across the Shuanghu area is characterized by high organic carbon contents, ranging from 1.8% to 26.1%. The carbon isotope curve displays the δ 13C values of the kerogen (δ 13Ckerogen) fluctuating from –26.22 to –23.53‰ PDB with a positive excursion close to 2.17‰, which, albeit significantly smaller, may also have been associated with other Early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs) in Europe. The organic atomic C/N ratios range between 6 and 43, and the curve of C/N ratios is consistent with that of the δ 13Ckerogen values. The biological assemblage, characterized by scarcity of benthic organisms and bloom of calcareous nannofossils (coccoliths), reveals high biological productivity in the surface water and an unfavorable environment for the benthic fauna in the bottom water during the Oceanic Anoxic Event. On the basis of organic geochemistry and characteristics of the biological assemblage, this study suggests that the carbon-isotope excursion is caused by the changes of sea level and productivity, and that the black shale deposition, especially oil shales, is related to the bloom and high productivity of coccoliths.

Land-use induced changes in topsoil organic carbon stock of paddy fields using MODIS and TM/ETM analysis:A case study of Wujiang County,China

Topsoil soil organic carbon (SOC) that plays an important role in mitigating atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO_2) buildup is greatly affected by human activities.To evaluate the influence of land-use changes on SOC stocks in paddy soils,a new algorithm was developed by integrating MODIS (moderate resolution imaging spectral-radiometer) and TM/ETM data for timely monitoring the land-use change in Wujiang County.Thereafter,the land-use class-maps derived from MODIS and TM/ETM analyses were further used to estima...

Soil Aggregate Stability and Aggregate-Associated Carbon Under Different Tillage Systems in the North China Plain

The inlfuences of tillage systems on soil carbon （C） stocks have been studied extensively, but the distribution of soil C within aggregate fractions is not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine the inlfuences of various tillage systems on soil aggregation and aggregate-associated C under wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） and corn （Zea mays L.） double cropping systems in the North China Plain. The experiment was established in 2001, including four treatments：moldboard plow （MP） with residue （MP＋R） and without residue （MP-R）, rotary tillage with residue （RT）, and no-till with residue （NT）. In 2007 soil samples were collected from the 0-5, 5-10, and 10-20 cm depths, and were separated into four aggregate-size classes （〉2 000, 250-2 000, 53-250, and〈53 μm） by wet-sieving method. Aggregate-associated C was determined, and the relationships between total soil C concentration and aggregation-size fractions were examined. The results showed that NT and RT treatments signiifcantly increased the proportion of macroaggregate fractions （〉2 000 and 250-2 000 μm） compared with the MP-R and MP＋R treatments. Averaged across all depths, mean weight diameters of aggregates （MWD） in NT and RT were 47 and 20% higher than that in MP＋R. The concentration of bulk soil organic C was positively correlated with MWD （r=0.98; P=0.024） and macroaggregate fraction （r=0.96; P=0.036） in the 0-5 cm depth. In the 0-20 cm depth, comparing with MP＋R, total C occluded in the〉2 000 μm fraction was increased by 9 and 6%under NT and RT, respectively. We conclude that adoption of conservation tillage system, especially no-till, can increase soil macro-aggregation and total C accumulation in macroaggregates, which may improve soil C sequestration in the intensive agricultural region of the North China Plain.

Microbial Biomass Carbon and Total Organic Carbon of Soils as Affected by Rubber Cultivation

Soil samples were collected from different rubber fields in twenty-five plotsselected randomly in the Experimental Farm of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agriculture Scienceslocated in Hainan, China, to analyse the ecological effect of rubber cultivation. The results showedthat in the tropical rubber farm, soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and total organic C (TOC) wererelatively low in the content but highly correlated with each other. After rubber tapping, soil MBCof mature rubber fields decreased significantly, by 55.5 percent. compared with immature rubberfields. Soil TOC also decreased but the difference was not significant. Ratios of MBC to TOCdecreased significantly. The decreasing trend of MBC stopped at about ten years of rubbercultivation. After this period, soil MBC increased relatively while soil TOC still kept indecreasing. Soil MBC changes could be measured to predict the tendency of soil organic matterchanges due to management practices in a tropical rubber farm several years before the changes insoil TOC become detectable.

Profile Distribution and Storage of Soil Organic Carbon in an Aquic BrownSoil as Affected by Land Use

Many attempts have been made to estimate the soil organic carbon (SOC) storage under different land uses, especiallyfrom the conversion of forest land or grassland into cultivated field, but limited reports were found on the estimation ofthis storage after cultivated field converted into woodland or grassland, especially in small scales. This study is aimed toinvestigate the dynamics of SOC concentration, its storage and carbon /nitrogen (C/N) ratio in an aquic brown soil at theShenyang Experimental Station of Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences under four land use patterns over 14 years. Thefour land use patterns were paddy field (PF), maize field (MF), fallow field (FF) and woodland (WL). In each pedon at 0-150cm depth, soil samples were collected from ten layers. The results showed that the profile distribution of SOC was differentunder different land uses, indicating the effect of land use on SOC. Soil organic carbon was significantly related with soiltotal N, and the correlation was slightly closer in nature ecosystems (with R2=0.990 and P<0.001 in both WL and FF, n=30)than in agroecosystems (with R2=0.976 and P<0.001 in PF, and R2=0.980 and P<0.001 in MF, n=30). The C/N ratio in theprofiles decreased generally with depth under the four land use patterns, and was comparatively higher in WL and lowerin PF. The C/N ratio of the FF was closer to that in the same soil depths of MF than to that of PF. Within 100 cm depth, theannual sequestration of SOC was 4.25, 2.87, and 4.48 t ha-1 more in WL than in PF, MF and FF, the annual SOC increasingrate being 6.15, 3.26, and 5.09 % higher, respectively. As a result, the SOC storage was significantly greater in WL than inany of the other three land use patterns, P=0.001, 0.008, and 0.008 as compared with PF, MF, and FF, respectively, whilethere was no significant difference among the other three land uses. It is suggested that woodland has the potential tomake a significant contribution to C storage and environmental quality.

Changes in Organic Carbon and Nutrient Contents of Highly Productive Paddy Soils in Yujiang County of Jiangxi Province,China and Their Environmental Application

Paddy field is an important land use in subtropical China. Development of high soil fertility and productivity is the management goal of paddy field, Fertilization and management practices have not only influenced the status of organic matter and nutrients in the soil but also affected the environmental quality. This article investigates the contents of organic carbon and the nutrients, and the change over the last 20 years in highly productive paddy soils and their environmental application. Field soils were sampled and the analytical results were compared with the corresponding values in the Second Soil Survey in Yujiang County of Jiangxi Province, China. The results showed that surface soils at a depth of 0-10 cm in highly productive paddy fields in Yujiang County of Jiangxi Province had contents of organic carbon （20.2 ±3.88） g kg^-1, total nitrogen （2.09±0.55） g kg^-1, and available phosphorus （42.7 ±32.7） mg kg^-1, respectively, which were all at very rich levels. Over the last 20 years, the organic carbon pool of the highly productive paddy soils reached a steady state. Total N and available P significantly increased, whereas available K changed a little. The amount and percentage of P immobilization in the surface soil （0-10 cm） of highly productive paddy fields were （142.7 ~ 41.1） mg kg-~ and （36.2~ 10.4）% of added P, and CEC （7.93 ~ 1.32） cmol kg-~. These two parameters were not higher than the mean values of paddy soils and upland red soils in the areas. Results also showed that fertilizer P in highly productive paddy soils had a high mobility and was prone to move toward a water body, which is the main source of nutrients causing eutrophication. Because of a weak K-fixing capacity, the available K content was not high in highly productive paddy soils. This suggests that attention should be paid to the K balance and the increase of soil K pool.

Characteristics of Soil Organic Carbon, Total Nitrogen, and C/N Ratio in Chinese Apple Orchards

Soil organic carbon and nitrogen are used as indexes of soil quality assessment and sustainable land use management. At the same time, soil C/N ratio is a sensitive indicator of soil quality and for assessing the carbon and nitrogen nutrition balance of soils. We studied the characteristics of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen by investigating a large number of apple orchards in major apple production areas in China. High apple orchard soil organic carbon content was observed in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Xinjiang, and Yunnan, whereas low content was found in the provinces of Shandong, Henan, Hebei, and Shaanxi, with the values ranging between 6.44 and 7.76 g·kg-1. Similar to soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen content also exhibited obvious differences in the 12 major apple producing provinces. Shandong apple orchard soil had the highest total nitrogen content (1.26 g·kg-1), followed by Beijing (1.23 g·kg-1). No significant difference was noted between these two regions, but their total nitrogen content was significantly higher than the other nine provinces, excluding Yunnan. The soil total nitrogen content for Xinjiang, Heilongjiang, Hebei, Henan, and Gansu was between 0.87 and 1.03 g·kg-1, which was significantly lower than that in Shandong and Beijing, but significantly higher than that in Liaoning, Shanxi, and Shaanxi. Six provinces exhibited apple orchard soil C/N ratio higher than 10, including Heilongjiang (15.42), Xinjiang (13.38), Ningxia (14.45), Liaoning (12.24), Yunnan (11.03), and Gansu (10.63). The soil C/N ratio was below 10 in the remaining six provinces, in which the highest was found in Shaanxi (9.47), followed by Beijing (8.98), Henan (7.99), and Shanxi (7.62), and the lowest was found in Hebei (6.80) and Shandong (6.05). Therefore, the improvement of soil organic carbon should be given more attention to increase the steady growth of soil C/N ratio.

Adsorption of Cu(Ⅱ) on humic acids derived from different organic materials

The adsorption of Cu（Ⅱ） from aqueous solution onto humic acid （HA） which was isolated from cattle manure （CHA）, peat （PHA）, and leaf litter （LHA） as a function of contact time, pH, ion strength, and initial concentration was studied using the batch method. X-ray absorption spectroscopy （XAS） was used to examine the coordination environment of the Cu（ll） adsorbed by HA at a molecular level. Moreover, the chemical compositions of the isolated HA were characterized by elemental analysis and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy （NMR）. The kinetic data showed that the adsorption equilibrium can be achieved within 8 h. The adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order equation. The adsorption isotherms could be well fitted by the Langmuir model, and the maximum adsorption capacities of Cu（ll） on CHA, PHA, and LHA were 229.4,210.4, and 197.7 mg g-1, respectively. The adsorption of Cu（Ⅱ） on HA increased with the increase in pH from 2 to 7, and maintained a high level at pH〉7. The adsorption of Cu（Ⅱ） was also strongly influenced by the low ionic strength of 0.01 to 0.2 mol L-1 NaNO3, but was weakly influenced by high ionic strength of 0.4 to 1 mol L-1 NaNO3. The Cu（Ⅱ） adsorption on HA may be mainly attributed to ion exchange and surface complexation. XAS results revealed that the binding site and oxidation state of Cu adsorbed on HA surface did not change at the initial Cu（Ⅱ） concentrations of 15 to 40 mg L 1. For all the Cu（Ⅱ） adsorption samples, each Cu atom was surrounded by 40/N atoms at a bond distance of 1.95 A in the first coordination shell. The presence of the higher Cu coordination shells proved that Cu（Ⅱ） was adsorbed via an inner-sphere covalent bond onto the HA surface. Among the three HA samples, the adsorption capacity and affinity of CHA for Cu（Ⅱ） was the greatest, followed by that of PHA and LHA. All the three HA samples exhibited similar types of elemental and functional groups, but different contents of elemental and functional groups. CHA contained larger proportions of methoxyl C, phenolic C and carbonyl C, and smaller proportions of alkyl C and carbohydrate C than PHA and LHA. The structural differences of the three HA samples are responsible for their distinct adsorption capacity and affinity toward Cu（Ⅱ）. These results are important to achieve better understanding of the behavior of Cu（Ⅱ） in soil and water bodies in the presence of organic materials.

Effects of a decade of organic fertilizer substitution on vegetable yield and soil phosphorus pools, phosphatase activities, and the microbial community in a greenhouse vegetable production system

Partial substitution of chemical fertilizers by organic amendments is adopted widely for promoting the availability of soil phosphorus(P)in agricultural production.However,few studies have comprehensively evaluated the effects of longterm organic substitution on soil P availability and microbial activity in greenhouse vegetable fields.A 10-year(2009–2019)field experiment was carried out to investigate the impacts of organic fertilizer substitution on soil P pools,phosphatase activities and the microbial community,and identify factors that regulate these soil P transformation characteristics.Four treatments included 100%chemical N fertilizer(4 CN),50%substitution of chemical N by manure(2 CN+2 MN),straw(2 CN+2 SN),and combined manure with straw(2 CN+1 MN+1 SN).Compared with the 4 CN treatment,organic substitution treatments increased celery and tomato yields by 6.9-13.8%and 8.6-18.1%,respectively,with the highest yields being in the 2 CN+1 MN+1 SN treatment.After 10 years of fertilization,organic substitution treatments reduced total P and inorganic P accumulation,increased the concentrations of available P,organic P,and microbial biomass P,and promoted phosphatase activities(alkaline and acid phosphomonoesterase,phosphodiesterase,and phytase)and microbial growth in comparison with the 4 CN treatment.Further,organic substitution treatments significantly increased soil C/P,and the partial least squares path model(PLS-PM)revealed that the soil C/P ratio directly and significantly affected phosphatase activities and the microbial biomass and positively influenced soil P pools and vegetable yield.Partial least squares(PLS)regression demonstrated that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi positively affected phosphatase activities.Our results suggest that organic fertilizer substitution can promote soil P transformation and availability.Combining manure with straw was more effective than applying these materials separately for developing sustainable P management practices.

Composition and mineralization of soil organic carbon pools in four single-tree species forest soils

Forest soil carbon （C） is an important compo- nent of the global C cycle. However, the mechanism by which tree species influence soil organic C （SOC） pool composition and mineralization is poorly understood. To understand the effect of tree species on soil C cycling, we assessed total, labile, and recalcitrant SOC pools, SOC chemical composition by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and SOC mineralization in four monoculture plantations. Labile and recalcitrant SOC pools in surface （0-10 cm） and deep （40-60 cm） soils in the four forests contained similar content. In contrast, these SOC pools exhibited differences in the subsurface soil （from 10 to 20 cm and from 20 to 40 cm）. The alkyl C and O-alkyl C intensities of SOC were higher in Schima superba and Michelia macclurei forests than in Cunninghamia lanceolata and Pinus massoniana forests. In surface soil, S. superba and M. macclurei forests exhibited higher SOC mineralization rates than did P. massoniana and C.lanceolata forests. The slope of the straight line between C60 and labile SOC was steeper than that between C60 and total SOC. Our results suggest that roots affected the composition of SOC pools. Labile SOC pools also affected SOC mineralization to a greater extent than total SOC pools.

Reduced turnover rate of topsoil organic carbon in old-growth forests:a case study in subtropical China

Background:Old-growth forests are irreplaceable with respect to climate change mitigation and have considerable carbon(C)sink potential in soils.However,the relationship between the soil organic carbon(SOC)turnover rate and forest development is poorly understood,which hinders our ability to assess the C sequestration capacity of soil in old-growth forests.Methods:In this study,we evaluated the SOC turnover rate by calculating the isotopic enrichment factor β(defined as the slope of the regression between ^(13)C natural abundance and log-transformed C concentrations)along 0-30 cm soil profiles in three successional forests in subtropical China.A lower β(steeper slope)is associated with a higher turnover rate.The three forests were a 60-year-old P.massoniana forest(PF),a 100-year-old coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest(MF),and a 400-year-old monsoon evergreen broadleaved forest(BF).We also analyzed the soil physicochemical properties in these forests to examine the dynamics of SOC turnover during forest succession and the main regulators.Results:The β value for the upper 30-cm soils in the BF was significantly(p<0.05)higher than that in the PF,in addition to the SOC stock,although there were nonsignificant differences between the BF and MF.The β value was significantly(p<0.05)positively correlated with the soil recalcitrance index,total nitrogen,and available nitrogen contents but was significantly(p<0.01)negatively correlated with soil pH.Conclusions:Our results demonstrate that SOC has lower turnover rates in old-growth forests,accompanied by higher soil chemical recalcitrance,nitrogen status,and lower soil pH.This finding helps to elucidate the mechanism underlying C sequestration in old-growth forest soils,and emphasizes the important value of old-growth forests among global C sinks.

Crop yields and soil organic carbon dynamics in a long-term fertilization experiment in an extremely arid region of northern Xinjiang, China

A long-term fertilization experiment was set up in northern Xinjiang, China to evaluate the dynamics of crop production and soil organic carbon （SOC） from 1990 to 2012 with seven fertilization treatments. The seven treatments included an unfertilized control （CK） and six different combinations of phosphorus （P）, potassium （K）, nitrogen （N）, straw （S） and animal manure （M）. The balanced fertilization treatments had significantly （P〈0.05） higher average yields than the unbalanced ones. The treatment with 2/3 N from potassium sulfate （NPK） and 1/3 N from farmyard manure （NPKM） had a higher average yield than the other treatments. The average yields （over the 23 years） in the treatments of NPK, and urea, calcium superphosphate （NP） did not differ significantly （P〉0.05） but were higher than that in the treatment with urea and potassium sulfate （NK; P〈0.05）. The results also show that the highest increases in SOC （P〈0.05） occurred in NPKM with a potential increase of 1.2 t C/（hm2.a）. The increase in SOC was only 0.31, 0.30 and 0.12 t C/（hm2.a） for NPKS （9/10 N from NPK and 1/10 N from straw）, NPK and NP, respectively; and the SOC in the NP, NK and CK treatments were approaching equilibrium and so did not rise or fall significantly over the 23-year experiment. A complete NPK plus manure fertilization program is recommended for this extremely arid region to maximize both yields and carbon sequestration.

Fractionation of soil organic carbon in a calcareous soil after longterm tillage and straw residue management

No-tillage(NT)and straw return(S)collectively affect soil organic carbon(SOC).However,changes in the organic carbon pool have been under-investigated.Here,we assessed the quantity and quality of SOC after 11 years of tillage and straw return on the North China Plain.Concentrations of SOC and its labile fractions(particulate organic carbon(POC),potassium permanganate-oxidizable organic carbon(POXC),microbial biomass carbon(MBC),and dissolved organic carbon(DOC)),components of DOC by fluorescence spectroscopy combined with parallel factor analysis(PARAFAC),and the chemical composition of SOC by 13C NMR(nuclear magnetic resonance)spectroscopy were explored.Treatments comprised conventional tillage(CT)and NT under straw removal(S0),return of wheat straw only(S1),or return of both wheat straw and maize residue(S2).Straw return significantly increased the concentrations and stocks of SOC at 0–20 cm depth,but NT stratified them with enrichment at 0–10 cm and a decrease at 10–20 cm compared to CT,especially under S2.Labile C fractions showed similar patterns of variation to that of SOC,with POC and POXC more sensitive to straw return and the former more sensitive to tillage.Six fluorescence components of DOC were identified,mainly comprising humic-like substances with smaller amounts of fulvic acid-like substances and tryptophan.Straw return significantly decreased the fluorescence index(FI)and autochthonous index(BIX)and increased the humification index(HIX).No-tillage generally increased HIX in topsoil but decreased it and increased the FI and BIX below the topsoil.Relative abudance order of the chemical composition of SOC was:O-alkyl C>alkylC>aromatic-C>carbonyl-C.Overall,NT under S2 effectively increased SOC and its labile C forms and DOC humification in topsoil and microbially-derived DOC below the topsoil.Return of both wheat and maize straw was a decisive factor in promoting SOC in the plow layer.The stratification of SOC under NT may confer a long-term influence on carbon sequestration.

Organic Matter Enrichment and Aggregate Stabilization in a Severely Degraded Ultisol After Reforestation

Three types of soils： an eroded barren soil under continuous fallow, an eroded soil transplanted with Lespedeza shrubs （Lespedeza bieolor）, and an eroded soil transplanted with camphor tree （Cinnaraomum camphora） were investigated to quantify organic matter pools and aggregates in reforested soils using physical fractionation techniques and to determine aggregate stability in relation to the enrichment of soil organic carbon （SOC）. Soil organic matter （SOM） was physically fractionalized into free particulate organic matter （fPOM）, occluded particulate organic matter （oPOM）, and mineralassociated organic matter （mOM）. The SOM was concentrated on the surface soil （0 5 cm）, with an average C sequestration rate of 20-25 g C m^-2 year^-1 over 14 years. As compared to the eroded barren land, organic C content of fPOM, oPOM, and mOM fractions of the soil under Lespedeza and under camphor tree increased 12-15, 45-54, and 3.1-3.5 times, respectively. A linear relationship was found between aggregate stability and organic C （r^2 = 0.45, P 〈 0.01）, oPOM （r^2 = 0.34, P 〈 0.05）, and roOM （r^2 = 0.46, P 〈 0.01） of aggregates. The enrichment of organic C improved aggregate stability of the soil under Lespedeza but not that under camphor tree. However, further research is needed on the physical and biological processes involved in the interaction of soil aggregation and SOC sequestration in ecosystem.

C3N4 modified with single layer ZIF67 nanoparticles for efficient photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants under visible light

Uniformly distributed single layer of ZIF67-derived C3N4(ZIF67-C3N4)was synthesized and applied to the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue(MB)under visible light.Results indicated that the obtained ZIF67-C3N4 has a maximum specific surface area of 541.392 m^2/g,which is much larger than that of raw C3N4 of 97.291 m^2/g.The investigation of C3N4 amount involved in ZIF67-C3N4 on the photoactivity revealed that 2.57 g ZIF67 with 0.3 g C3N4,which named ZIF67-C3N4(0.3)exhibited superior photocatalytic activities.More than 90%of MB at 10 mg/L was degraded within 70 min with the addition of 0.01 g ZIF67-C3N4(0.3),while this time required for raw C3N4 was over 140 min.The effects of pH of solution,initial concentration of MB and dosage of C3N4 in ZIF67-C3N4 composites on the photocatalytic efficiency for MB degradation were also evaluated.Quenching experiments indicated that the photo-induced holes(h^+)and superoxide radicals(O2-·)were mainly responsible for MB degradation.It is anticipated that the insertion of ZIF67 nanoparticles not only increases the adsorption capacity of C3N4 but also promotes the generation and migration of the photo-induced active species.

Source and composition of sedimentary organic matter in the head of Three Gorges Reservoir: a multiproxy approach using δ^(13)C,lignin phenols, and lipid biomarker analyses

A multiproxy approach including bulk organic carbon, δ^(13) C, lignin phenols, and lipid biomarker analyses were applied to characterize the source and composition of sedimentary organic matter in the head part of Three Gorges Reservoir. OM consisted of both natural(autochthonous and allochthonous) and anthropogenic inputs.The natural OM included input from vascular plants,especially non-woody angiosperms. The allochthonous input included plankton and microbial production, likely due to localized eutrophication. Anthropogenic inputs likely derived from petroleum input and/or urban activities.Other anthropogenic inputs were untreated sewage waste.These influences were concluded to be regionally specific point sources of pollution based on relative distributions and on the fact that molecular characteristics of sedimentary OM were not distributed smoothly along a gradient.