Organic fertilizer enhances soil aggregate stability by altering greenhouse soil content of iron oxide and organic carbon

Both soil organic carbon (SOC) and iron (Fe) oxide content, among other factors, drive the formation and stability of soil aggregates.However, the mechanism of these drivers in greenhouse soil fertilized with organic fertilizer is not well understood.In a 3-year field experiment, we aimed to investigate the factors which drive the stability of soil aggregates in greenhouse soil.To explore the impact of organic fertilizer on soil aggregates, we established four treatments:no fertilization (CK);inorganic fertilizer (CF);organic fertilizer (OF);and combined application of inorganic and organic fertilizers(COF).The application of organic fertilizer significantly enhanced the stability of aggregates, that is it enhanced the mean weight diameter, geometric mean diameter and aggregate content (%) of>0.25 mm aggregate fractions.OF and COF treatments increased the concentration of SOC, especially the aliphatic-C, aromatic-C and polysaccharide-C components of SOC, particularly in>0.25 mm aggregates.Organic fertilizer application significantly increased the content of free Fe(Fed), reactive Fe (Feo), and non-crystalline Fe in both bulk soil and aggregates.Furthermore, non-crystalline Fe showed a positive correlation with SOC content in both bulk soil and aggregates.Both non-crystalline Fe and SOC were significantly positively correlated with>2 mm mean weight diameter.Overall, we believe that the increase of SOC, aromatic-C, and non-crystal ine Fe concentrations in soil after the application of organic fertilizer is the reason for improving soil aggregate stability.

Spatial Patterns and Controlling Factors of Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen in the Three River Headwaters Region,China

The alpine ecosystem has great potential for carbon sequestration.Soil organic carbon(SOC)and total nitrogen(TN)are highly sensitive to climate change,and their dynamics are crucial to revealing the effect of climate change on the structure,function,and services of the ecosystem.However,the spatial distribution and controlling factors of SOC and TN across various soil layers and vegetation types within this unique ecosystem remain inadequately understood.In this study,256 soil samples in 89 sites were collected from the Three River Headwaters Region(TRHR)in China to investigate SOC and TN and to explore the primary factors affecting their distribution,including soil,vegetation,climate,and geography factors.The results show that SOC and TN contents in 0-20,20-40,40-60,and 60-80 cm soil layers are 24.40,18.03,14.04,12.40 g/kg and 2.46,1.90,1.51,1.17 g/kg,respectively;with higher concentrations observed in the southeastern region compared to the northwest of the TRHR.One-way analysis of variance reveals that SOC and TN levels are elevated in the alpine meadow and the alpine shrub relative to the alpine steppe in the 0-60 cm soil layers.The structural equation model explores that soil water content is the main controlling factor affecting the variation of SOC and TN.Moreover,the geography,climate,and vegetation factors notably indirectly affect SOC and TN through soil factors.Therefore,it can effectively improve soil water and nutrient conditions through vegetation restoration,soil improvement,and grazing management,and the change of SOC and TN can be fully understood by establishing monitoring networks to better protect soil carbon and nitrogen.

A review of physicochemical properties of dissolved organic carbon and its impact over mountain glaciers

Investigating the characteristics and transformation of water-soluble carbonaceous matter in the cryosphere regions is important for understanding biogeochemical process in the earth system.Water-soluble carbonaceous matter is a heterogeneous mixture of organic compounds that is soluble in aquatic environments.Despite its importance,we still lack systematic understanding for dissolved organic carbon(DOC)in several aspects including exact chemical composition and physical interactions with microorganisms,glacier meltwater.This review presents the chemical composition and physical properties of glacier DOC deposited through anthropogenic emission,terrestrial,and biogenic sources.We present the molecular composition of DOC and its effect over snow albedo and associated radiative forcings.Results indicate that DOC in snow/ice is made up of aromatic protein-like species,fulvic acid-like materials,and humic acid-like materials.Light-absorbing impurities in surface snow and glacier ice cause considerable albedo reduction and the associated radiative forcing is definitely positive.Water-soluble carbonaceous matter dominated the carbon transport in the high-altitude glacial area.Owing to prevailing global warming and projected increase in carbon emission,the glacial DOC is expected to release,which will have strong underlying impacts on cryosphere ecosystem.The results of this work have profound implications for better understanding the carbon cycle in high altitude cryosphere regions.A new compilation of globally distributed work is required,including large-scale measurements of glacial DOC over high-altitude cryosphere regions,to overcome and address the scientific challenges to constrain climate impacts of light-absorbing impurities related processes in Earth system and climate models.

Natural forests exhibit higher organic carbon concentrations and recalcitrant carbon proportions in soil than plantations:a global data synthesis

Different chemical compositions of soil organic carbon(SOC)affect its persistence and whether it signifi-cantly differs between natural forests and plantations remains unclear.By synthesizing 234 observations of SOC chemical compositions,we evaluated global patterns of concentra-tion,individual chemical composition(alkyl C,O-alkyl C,aromatic C,and carbonyl C),and their distribution even-ness.Our results indicate a notably higher SOC,a markedly larger proportion of recalcitrant alkyl C,and lower easily decomposed carbonyl C proportion in natural forests.How-ever,SOC chemical compositions were appreciably more evenly distributed in plantations.Based on the assumed con-ceptual index of SOC chemical composition evenness,we deduced that,compared to natural forests,plantations may have higher possible resistance to SOC decomposition under disturbances.In tropical regions,SOC levels,recalcitrant SOC chemical composition,and their distributed evenness were significantly higher in natural forests,indicating that SOC has higher chemical stability and possible resistance to decomposition.Climate factors had minor effects on alkyl C in forests globally,while they notably affected SOC chemi-cal composition in tropical forests.This could contribute to the differences in chemical compositions and their distrib-uted evenness between plantations and natural stands.

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(0–10cm)and subsoil(20–40cm)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.

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.

Straw mulching alters the composition and loss of dissolved organic matter in farmland surface runoff by inhibiting the fragmentation of soil small macroaggregates

Straw mulching is a widespread practice for reducing the soil carbon loss caused by erosion.However,the effects of straw mulching on dissolved organic matter(DOM)runoff loss from black soil are not well studied.How straw mulching affects the composition and loss of runoff DOM by changing soil aggregates remains largely unclear.Here,a straw mulching treatment was compared to a no mulching treatment(as a control)on sloping farmland with black soil erosion in Northeast China.We divided the soil into large macroaggregates(>2 mm),small macroaggregates(0.25-2 mm),and microaggregates(<0.25 mm).After five rain events,the effects of straw mulching on the concentration(characterized by dissolved organic carbon(DoC)and composition(analyzed by fluorescence spectroscopy)of runoff and soil aggregate DOM were studied.The results showed that straw mulching reduced the runoff amount by 54.7%.Therefore,although straw mulching increased the average DOc concentration in runoff,it reduced the total runoff DOM loss by 48.3%.The composition of runoff DOM is similar to that of soil,as both contain humic-like acid and protein-like components.With straw mulching treatment,the protein-like components in small macroaggregates accumulated and the protein-like components in runoff declined with rain events.Fluorescence spectroscopy technology may help in understanding the hydrological paths of rain events by capturing the dynamic changes of runoff and soil DOM characteristics.A variation partitioning analysis(VPA)indicated that the DOM concentration and composition of microaggregates explained 68.2%of the change in runoff DOM from no mulching plots,while the change in runoff DOM from straw mulching plots was dominated by small macroaggregates at a rate of 55.1%.Taken together,our results demonstrated that straw mulching reduces the fragmentation of small macroaggregates and the loss of microaggregates,thus effecting DOM compositions in soil and reducing the DOM loss in runoff.These results provide a theoretical basis for reducing carbon loss in sloping farmland.

Climate and Soil Geochemistry Influence the Soil Organic Carbon Content in Drylands of the Songliao Plain,Northeast China

The understanding of the spatial distribution of soil organic carbon(SOC)and its influencing factors is crucial for comprehending the global carbon cycle.However,the impact of soil geochemical and climatic conditions on SOC remains limited,particularly in dryland farming areas.In this study,we aimed to enhance the understanding of the factors influencing the distribution of SOC in the drylands of the Songliao Plain,Northeast China.A dataset comprising 35,188 measured soil samples was used to map the SOC distribution in the region.Multiple linear regression(MLR)and random forest models(RFM)were employed to assess the importance of driving indicators for SOC.We also carried out partial correlation and path analyses to further investigate the relationship between climate and geochemistry.The SOC content in dryland soils of the Songliao Plain ranged from 0.05%to 11.63%,with a mean value of 1.47%±0.90%.There was a notable increasing trend in SOC content from the southwest to the northeast regions.The results of MLR and RFM revealed that temperature was the most critical factor,demonstrating a significant negative correlation with SOC content.Additionally,iron oxide was the most important soil geochemical indicator affecting SOC variability.Our research further suggested that climate may exert an indirect influence on SOC concentrations through its effect on geochemical properties of soil.These insights highlight the importance of considering both the direct and indirect impact of climate in predicting the SOC under future climate change.

The changes in soil organic carbon stock and quality across a subalpine forest successional series

Soil organic carbon(SOC)affects the function of terrestrial ecosystem and plays a vital role in global carbon cycle.Yet,large uncertainty still existed regarding the changes in SOC stock and quality with forest succession.Here,the stock and quality of SOC at 1-m soil profile were investigated across a subalpine forest series,including shrub,deciduous broad-leaved forest,broadleaf-conifer mixed forest,middle-age coniferous forest and mature coniferous forest,which located at southeast of Tibetan Plateau.The results showed that SOC stock ranged from 9.8 to29.9 kg·m^(-2),and exhibited a hump-shaped response pattern across the forest successional series.The highest and lowest SOC stock was observed in the mixed forest and shrub forest,respectively.The SOC stock had no significant relationships with soil temperature and litter stock,but was positively correlated with wood debris stock.Meanwhile,the average percentages of polysaccharides,lignins,aromatics and aliphatics based on FTIR spectroscopy were 79.89%,0.94%,18.87%and 0.29%,respectively.Furthermore,the percentage of polysaccharides exhibited an increasing pattern across the forest successional series except for the sudden decreasing in the mixed forest,while the proportions of lignins,aromatics and aliphatics exhibited a decreasing pattern across the forest successional series except for the sudden increasing in the mixed forest.Consequently,the humification indices(HIs)were highest in the mixed forest compared to the other four successional stages,which means that the SOC quality in mixed forest was worse than other successional stages.In addition,the SOC stock,recalcitrant fractions and HIs decreased with increasing soil depth,while the polysaccharides exhibited an increasing pattern.These findings demonstrate that the mixed forest had higher SOC stock and worse SOC quality than other successional stages.The high proportion of SOC stock(66%at depth of 20-100 cm)and better SOC quality(lower HIs)indicate that deep soil have tremendous potential to store SOC and needs more attention under global chan ge.

Can soil organic carbon sequestration and the carbon management index be improved by changing the film mulching methods in the semiarid region?

Plastic film mulching has been widely used to increase maize yield in the semiarid area of China.However, whether long-term plastic film mulching is conducive to agricultural sustainability in this region remains controversial.A field experiment was initiated in 2013 with five different film mulching methods:(i) control method, flat planting without mulching (CK),(ii) flat planting with half film mulching (P),(iii) film mulching on ridges and planting in narrow furrows(S),(iv) full film mulching on double ridges (D), and (v) film mulching on ridges and planting in wide furrows (R).The effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) content, storage, and fractions, and on the carbon management index (CMI)were evaluated after nine consecutive years of plastic film mulching.The results showed that long-term plastic film mulching generally maintained the initial SOC level.Compared with no mulching, plastic film mulching increased the average crop yield, biomass yield, and root biomass by 48.38, 35.06, and 37.32%, respectively, which led to the improvement of SOC sequestration.Specifically, plastic film mulching significantly improved CMI, and increased the SOC content by 13.59%, SOC storage by 7.47%and easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC) by 13.78%on average,but it reduced the other labile fractions.SOC sequestration and CMI were improved by refining the plastic film mulching methods.The S treatment had the best effect among the four mulching methods, so it can be used as a reasonable film mulching method for sustainable agricultural development in the semiarid area.

N-fixing tree species promote the chemical stability of soil organic carbon in subtropical plantations through increasing the relative contribution of plant-derived lipids

Biodiversity experiments have shown that soil organic carbon(SOC)is not only a function of plant diversity,but is also closely related to the nitrogen(N)-fixing plants.However,the effect of N-fixing trees on SOC chemical stability is still little known,especially with the compounding effects of tree species diversity.An experimental field manipulation was established in subtropical plantations of southern China to explore the impacts of tree species richness(i.e.,one,two,four and six tree species)and with/without N-fixing trees on SOC chemical stability,as indicated by the ratio of easily oxidized organic carbon to SOC(EOC/SOC).Plant-derived C components in terms of hydrolysable plant lipids and lignin phenols were isolated from soils for evaluating their relative contributions to SOC chemical stability.The results showed that N-fixing tree species rather than tree species richness had a significant effect on EOC/SOC.Hydrolysable plant lipids and lignin phenols were negatively correlated with EOC/SOC,while hydrolysable plant lipids contributed more to EOC/SOC than lignin phenols,especially in the occurrence of N-fixing trees.The presence of N-fixing tree species led to an increase in soil N availability and a decrease in fungal abundance,promoting the selective retention of certain key components of hydrolysable plant lipids,thus enhancing SOC chemical stability.These findings underpin the crucial role of N-fixing trees in shaping SOC chemical stability,and therefore,preferential selection of N-fixing tree species in mixed plantations is an appropriate silvicultural strategy to improve SOC chemical stability in subtropical plantations.

Persistence of fertilization effects on soil organic carbon in degraded alpine wetlands in the Yellow River source region

In the restoration of degraded wetlands,fertilization can improve the vegetation-soil-microorganisms complex,thereby affecting the organic carbon content.However,it is currently unclear whether these effects are sustainable.This study employed Biolog-Eco surveys to investigate the changes in vegetation characteristics,soil physicochemical properties,and soil microbial functional diversity in degraded alpine wetlands of the source region of the Yellow River at 3 and 15 months after the application of nitrogen,phosphorus,and organic mixed fertilizer.The following results were obtained:The addition of nitrogen fertilizer and organic compost significantly affects the soil organic carbon content in degraded wetlands.Three months after fertilization,nitrogen addition increases soil organic carbon in both lightly and severely degraded wetlands,whereas after 15 months,organic compost enhanced the soil organic carbon level in severely degraded wetlands.Structural equation modeling indicates that fertilization decreases the soil pH and directly or indirectly influences the soil organic carbon levels through variations in the soil water content and the aboveground biomass of vegetation.Three months after fertilization,nitrogen fertilizer showed a direct positive effect on soil organic carbon.However,organic mixed fertilizer indirectly reduced soil organic carbon by increasing biomass and decreasing soil moisture.After 15 months,none of the fertilizers significantly affected the soil organic carbon level.In summary,it can be inferred that the addition of nitrogen fertilizer lacks sustainability in positively influencing the organic carbon content.

Fertilization and Soil Ploughing Practices under Changing Physical Environment Lead to Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics under Conservation Agriculture in Rice-Wheat Cropping System: A Scoping Review

Ploughing and fertilization practices in rice-wheat system have deteriorated the soil carbon (C) pools. Conservation agriculture (CA) based management approaches have proven to enhance C sequestration and reverse the loss of soil-organic-carbon (SOC), which further enhances soil fertility. Different fractions of SOC pools react to the alterations in management practices and indicate changes in SOC dynamics as compared to total C in the soil. Higher SOC levels in soil have been observed in case of reduced/no-till (NT) practices than conventional tillage (CT). However, between CT and zero tillage/NT, total SOC stocks diminished with an increase in soil depth, which demonstrated that the benefits of SOC are more pronounced in the topsoil under NT. Soil aggregation provides physical protection to C associated with different-sized particles, thus, the improvement in soil aggregation through CA is an effective way to mitigate soil C loss. Along with less soil disturbance, residual management, suitable crop rotation, rational application of manures and fertilizers, and integrated nutrient management have been found to be effective in not only improving soil C stock but also enhancing the soil health and productivity. Thus, CA can be considered as a potential method in the build-up of SOC of soil in rice-wheat system.

National Soil Organic Carbon Stocks Inventories under Different Mangrove Forest Types in Gabon

Gabonese’s estuary is an important coastal mangrove setting and soil plays a key role in mangrove carbon storage in mangrove forests. However, the spatial variation in soil organic carbon (SOC) storage remain unclear. To address this gap, determining the SOC spatial variation in Gabonese’s estuarine is essential for better understanding the global carbon cycle. The present study compared soil organic carbon between northern and southern sites in different mangrove forest, Rhizophora racemosa and Avicennia germinans. The results showed that the mean SOC stocks at 1 m depth were 256.28 ± 127.29 MgC ha−1. Among the different regions, SOC in northern zone was significantly (p p < 0.001). The deeper layers contained higher SOC stocks (254.62 ± 128.09 MgC ha−1) than upper layers (55.42 ± 25.37 MgC ha−1). The study highlights that low deforestation rate have led to less CO2 (705.3 Mg CO2e ha−1 - 922.62 Mg CO2e ha−1) emissions than most sediment carbon-rich mangroves in the world. These results highlight the influence of soil texture and mangrove forest types on the mangrove SOC stocks. The first national comparison of soil organic carbon stocks between mangroves and upland tropical forests indicated SOC stocks were two times more in mangroves soils (51.21 ± 45.00 MgC ha−1) than primary (20.33 ± 12.7 MgC ha−1), savanna and cropland (21.71 ± 15.10 MgC ha−1). We find that mangroves in this study emit lower dioxide-carbon equivalent emissions. This study highlights the importance of national inventories of soil organic carbon and can be used as a baseline on the role of mangroves in carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation but the variation in SOC stocks indicates the need for further national data.

Distribution characteristics of dissolved organic carbon in annular wetland soil-water solutions through soil profiles in the Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

Overwhelming evidence reveals that concentrations of dissolved organic carbon （DOC） have increased in streams which brings negative environmental impacts. DOC in stream flow is mainly originated from soil-water solutions of watershed. Wetlands prove to be the most sensitive areas as an important DOC reserve between terrestrial and fluvial biogeosystems. This reported study was focused on the distribution characteristics and the controlling factors of DOC in soil-water solutions of annular wetland, i.e., a dishing wetland and a forest wetland together, in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. The results indicate that DOC concentrations in soilwater solutions decreased and then increased with increasing soil depth in the annular wetland. In the upper soil layers of 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm, DOC concentrations in soil-water solutions linearly increased from edge to center of the annular wetland （R^2 = 0.3122 and R^2 = 0.443）. The distribution variations were intimately linked to DOC production and utilization and DOC transport processes in annular wetland soil-water solutions. The concentrations of total organic carbon （TOC）, total carbon （TC） and Fe（II）, DOC mobility and continuous vertical and lateral flow affectext the distribution variations of DOC in soil-water solutions. The correlation coefficients between DOC concentrations and TOC, TC and Fe（II） were 0.974, 0.813 and 0.753 respectively. These distribution characteristics suggested a systematic response of the distribution variations of DOC in annular wetland soil-water solutions to the geometry of closed depressions on a scale of small catchments. However, the DOC in soil pore water of the annular wetland may be the potential source of DOC to stream flow on watershed scale. These observations also implied the fragmentation of wetland landscape could bring the spatial-temporal variations of DOC distribution and exports, which would bring negative environmental impacts in watersheds of the Sanjiang Plain.

Effects of Fertilization Types and Cultivation Years on Dissolved Organic Carbon(DOC) in Paddy Soil under Water-logging Condition

In this study, the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of dis- solved organic carbon （DOC） in water-logged paddy soil in Yanbian were investigat- ed under conditions of different fertilization types （single application of chemical fer- tilizer, mixed application and chemical and organic fertilizers and single application of organic fertilizer） and cultivation years （80 years and 120 years）. The results showed that the spatial and temporal distribution of DOC in water-logged paddy soil changed significantly with time going by. The single application of chemical fertilizer or mixed application of chemical and organic fertilizers contributed to the release of DOC in top paddy soil under water-logging condition; the single application of organ- ic fertilizer promoted the accumulation of DOC in bottom paddy soil, resulting in great heterogeneity of DOC in the vertical space, but the single application of chem- ical fertilizer weakened the vertical spatial heterogeneity of soil DOC; the DOC con- tent in the 80-year-old water-logged paddy soil was higher and more stable than that in the 120-year-old soil.

Effect of Different Irrigation Methods on Dissolved Organic Carbon and Microbial Biomass Carbon in the Greenhouse Soil

The objective of this study was to investigate the contents and distribution of dissolved organic carbon （DOC） and microbial biomass carbon （MBC） at 0-100 cm soil depth under three irrigation treatments, viz., subsurface, drip and furrow irrigation in the greenhouse soil. The soil samples were collected at different depths （0-100 cm）, and the contents of soil total organic carbon （TOC）, DOC and MBC were analysed. The experiment was conducted for 10 yr, during which period the application of fertilizers and crop management practices were kept identical. The results showed that the contents of TOC, DOC and MBC were significantly affected by different irrigation regimes, decreased with the increase of soil depth. TOC at 0-10 and 80-100 cm soil depths followed the order of furrow irrigation 〉 subsurface irrigation 〉 drip irrigation, whereas at the depth of 10-80 cm followed the order of subsurface irrigation 〉 furrow irrigation 〉 drip irrigation. DOC and MBC contents at 0-100 cm soil depths followed the order of furrow irrigation 〉 drip irrigation 〉 subsurface irrigation, and drip irrigation 〉 furrow irrigation 〉 subsurface irrigation, respectively. The ratios of DOC and MBC to TOC accounted for 4.98-12.87% and 1.48-2.82%, respectively, which were the highest in the drip irrigation treatment, followed were in the furrow irrigation treatment, and the lowest in subsurface irrigation treatment. There were significant positive correlations among the contents of DOC, MBC and TOC in all irrigation treatments. The furrow irrigation facilitated the accumulation of TOC and DOC, while drip irrigation increased the MBC. The content of TOC and the ratios of DOC to TOC were the lowest in subsurface irrigation treatment.

Spatial Variation of Dissolved Organic Carbon in Soils of Riparian Wetlands and Responses to Hydro-geomorphologic Changes in Sanjiang Plain, China

Spatial variation of dissolved organic carbon(DOC) in soils of riparian wetlands and responses to hydro-geomorphologic changes in the Sanjiang Plain were analyzed through in situ collecting soil samples in the Naoli River and the Bielahong River. The results showed that the average contents of DOC for soil layer of 0–100 cm were 730.6 mg/kg, 250.9 mg/kg, 423.0 mg/kg and 333.1 mg/kg respectively from riverbed to river terrace along the transverse directions of the Naoli watershed. The content of the soil DOC was the highest in the riverbed, lower in the high floodplain and much lower in the river terrace, and it was the lowest in the low floodplain. The difference in the content and vertical distribution of DOC between the riverbed and the three riparian wetlands was significant, while it was not significant among the low floodplain, the high floodplain and the river terrace. The variability of soil DOC was related to the hydrological connectivity between different landscape position of the riparian wetlands and the adjacent stream. Extremely significant correlations were observed between DOC and total organic carbon(TOC), total iron(TFe), ferrous iron(Fe(II)) whose correlation coefficients were 0.819, –0.544 and –0.709 in riparian wetlands of the Naoli River. With the increase of wetland destruction, soil p H increased and soil DOC content changed. The correlation coefficients between soil DOC and TOC, TFe, Fe(II) also changed into 0.759, –0.686 and –0.575 respectively in the Bielahong River. Under the impact of drainage ditches, the correlations between soil DOC and TFe, Fe(II) were not obvious, while the soil p H was weakly alkaline and was negatively correlated with soil DOC in the previous high floodplain. It indicates that riparian hydro-geomorphology is the main factor that could well explain this spatial variability of soil DOC, and the agricultural environmental hydraulic works like ditching also must be considered.

Changes of soil organic carbon and nitrogen in forage grass fields,citrus orchard and coniferous forests

Dynamic quantitative assessment of soil organic C and N is an available approach to understand the exact impact of land management on soils fertility. In this study the biomass of plants and content of soil organic C and N were compared in four typical land use systems which were planted with Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge.), Citrus (Citrus reticulata Blanco.), and Masson pine (Pinus Massoniana Lamb.) during 10 years in south China. Although biomass of plants in these four land use systems was nearly at the same level in the former investigation, total biomass for Ryegrass (RG), Bahiagrass (BG) was 3.68 and 3.75 times higher than that for Citrus (CT), and 2.06 and 2.14 times higher than that for Masson pine (MP) over 10 years of cultivation, respectively. Especially, underground total biomass for both RG and BG was over 10 times larger than that for CT and MP, indicating that forage grasses was much more beneficial to increase organic C and N storage in soils than CT and MP. The change content of soil organic C and N mainly occurred within soil depth of the 0–40 cm. The increased content of soil organic carbon and nitrogen was for 1.5 t·hm?2 and 0.2 t·hm?2 in the soil with planting RG and BG, and was for 1.2 t·hm?2 and 0.02 t·hm?2 in the soil with planting CT. An average loss was for 0.4 t·hm?2 and 0.04 t·hm?2 in the soil with planting MP during 10-year period. Keywords Soil organic carbon - Soil organic nitrogen - Dynamic change - Land use - Quantitative assessment CLC number S153.61 Document code A Foundation item: This research was partly supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (30100144), and by Scientific Committee of Shenyang City (1011501900).Biography: WANG Xiao-ju (1967-), mail, Ph.D. Researcher in Center for Environmental Science in Saitama. Saitama Prefecture 347 0115, Japan.Responsible editor: Zhu Hong

Characteristics of Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen in Rubber Plantations Soil at Different Age Stages in the Western Region of Hainan Island

[Objective]The aim was to study on the characteristics of soil organic carbon and nitrogen in rubber （Hevea brasiliensis Muell-Arg） plantations at different age stages in the western region of Hainan Island,so as to evaluate the ecological benefits of rubber plantations and provide basic data for studying the effect of tropical land utilization/cover change on the global carbon and nitrogen cycle. [Method]The situs was in Danzhou city,western region of Hainan Island,and the samples were four kinds of rubber plantations soil at different ages and one kind of control check （pepper,Piper nigrum L.） soil. In this research,four quadrats were set up in each sample,and the size of each was 20 cm×20 cm. Four specimens were gathered from four layers of 0-15,15-30,30-45,45-60,and the average of them was the last analysis result of each sample. Soil density was measured by cutting ring method,soil containing and hygroscopic water was detected by oven drying method,soil organic carbon （SOC） was measured by low temperature heated outside potassium dichromate oxidation-colorimetry method,and soil total nitrogen （STN） was detected by semimicro Kjeldahl method. [Result]SOC contents of different layers in rubber plantations soil at different age stages （including the CK pepper soil,the same as below） varied little,and the content of SOC in surface layer （0-15 cm） was higher,while the underlayer （45-60 cm） was lower than the average value; there was significant difference in SOC content among different kinds of soil,and the content was of 6.03-7.78 g/kg,tapping young trees （7 years） CK pepper mature age trees （30 years） prophase of young trees （2 years） tapping trees （16 years）; there was no significant difference in SOC storage among different kinds of soil,and the storage was of 61.33-74.29 t/hm2,mature age trees （30 years） tapping young trees （7 years） prophase of young trees （2 years） CK pepper tapping trees （16 years）; there was significant difference in STN content among rubber plantations soil at different age stages,the content was of 410.86-664.14 mg/kg2,CK pepper tapping young trees （7 years） prophase of young trees （2 years） mature age trees （30 years） tapping trees （16 years）,and STN content of tapping trees （16 years） soil was extremely lowest; there was significant difference in C/N ratio among different kinds of soil,the ratio was of 10.94-14.47,and the ratio of tapping trees （16 years） mature age trees （30 years） tapping young trees （7 years） CK pepper prophase of young trees （2 years）. [Conclusion]There wasn＇t unhealthy effect of rubber trees planted in tropical area on the content and storage of SOC,the content of STN and the ratio of C/N. there was no significant difference between rubber plantations and CK pepper soil,and the effects of rubber plantation on soil carbon-nitrogen was similar to that of other tropical crops （such as pepper）.