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.

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.

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

Changes of Organic Carbon in Soil under Different Land Use Patterns in Alpine Agricultural Region of Qinghai

Using organic carbon density grouping method,the change trends of soil total organic carbon(SOC),light fraction content and light fraction organic carbon under 4 land use patterns of returning cultivated land to forest(cropland,artificial forest,inter-cropping of forest and grassland and original sample plot)in alpine agricultural region of Qinghai were studied.The content of SOC was in order:intercropping of forest and grassland > original sample plot > artificial forest > cropland.There was signi...

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.

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.

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.

The impact of land use/cover change on storage and quality of soil organic carbon in mid-subtropical mountainous area of southern China

Land use/cover change （LUCC） is widely recognized as one of the most important driving forces of global carbon cycles. The influence of converting native forest into plantations, secondary forest, orchard and arable land on stores and quality of soil organic carbon （SOC） was investigated in mid-subtropical mountainous area of southern China. The results showed that LUCC had led to great decreases in SOC stocks and quality. Considerable SOC and light-fraction organic carbon （LFOC） had been stored in the native forest （142.2 t hm^-2 and 14.8 t hm^-2 respectively）. When the native forest was converted to plantations, secondary forest, orchard and arable land, the SOC stocks decreased by 25.6%, 28.7%, 38.0%, 31.8% and 51.2%, respectively. The LFOC stocks decreased by 52.2% to 57.2% when the native forest was converted to woodland plantations and secondary forest, and by 82.1% to 84.2% when converted to economic plantation, orchard and arable land. After the conversion, the ratios of LFOC to SOC （0-60 cm） decreased from 13.3% to about 3.0% to 10.7%. The SOC and LFOC stored at the upper 20 cm were more sensitive to LUCC when compared to the subsurface soil layer. Also, the decline in carbon storage induced by LUCC was greater than the global average level, it could be explained by the vulnerable natural environment and special human management practices. Thus, it is wise to enhance soil carbon sequestration, mitigate elevated atmospheric CO2 and develop ecological services by protecting vulnerable environment, restoring vegetation coverage, and afforesting in mountainous area in mid-subtropics.

Spatial-Temporal Changes of Soil Organic Carbon During Vegetation Recovery at Ziwuling, China

To probe the processes and mechanisms of soil organic carbon (SOC) changes during forest recovery, a 150-yearchronosequence study on SOC was conducted for various vegetation succession stages at the Ziwuling area, in the centralpart of the Loess Plateau, China. Results showed that during the 150 years of local vegetation rehabilitation SOC increasedsignificantly (P < 0.05) over time in the initial period of 55-59 years, but slightly decreased afterwards. Average SOCdensities for the 0-100 cm layer of farmland, grassland, shrubland and forest were 4.46, 5.05, 9.95, and 7.49 kg C m-3,respectively. The decrease in SOC from 60 to 150 years of abandonment implied that the soil carbon pool was a sink forCO2 before the shrubland stage and became a source in the later period. This change resulted from the spatially variedcomposition and structure of the vegetation. Vegetation recovery had a maximum effect on the surface (0-20 cm) SOCpool. It. was concluded that vegetation recovery on the Loess Plateau could result in significantly increased sequestrationof atmospheric CO2 in soil and vegetation, which was ecologically important for mitigating the increase of atmosphericconcentration of CO2 and for ameliorating the local eco-environment.

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...

Changes of Labile Organic Carbon Fractions in Soils Under Different Rotation Systems

Soil labile (biologically active) organic carbon fractions under different crop rotation systems in Jiangsu Province, China, were investigated after 10 years of rotation. The rotation systems, including green manurerice-rice (GmRR), wheat-rice-rice (WRR), wheat-rice (WR) and wheat/corn intercrop-rice (WCR) rotations,were established on paddy soils using a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in the soils under different systems were greater in the GmRR and WRR than in the WR and WCR rotation systems because the soils under triple cropping often received more crop residues than the soils under double cropping. Both the WSOC and the microbial biomass carbon (MBC) contents in the soils of the GmRR rotation system were significantly greater than those in the other crop rotation systems, which was due to the return of green manure to the fields of the GmRR rotation system. The results of a 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR) analysis indicated that the structural characteristics of soil WSOC were similar under the four crop rotation systems with carbohydrates and long-chain aliphatics being the major components. Correlation analysis showed that the content of the WSOC was positively correlated with that of the MBC (P ＜0.01),and all had significantly positive correlations with TOC and TN. The coefficients of variation (CVs) for WSOC and WSOC/TOC were greater than the other indices (e.g, MBC, TOC and TN), suggesting that WSOC in the soils was more sensitive to these rotation systems. The results above indicated that the soil amended with green manure could not only increase the usable C source for soil microorganisms, but could also enhance soil organic matter content; hence, rotation with green manure would be a good strategy for sustainable agriculture.

Soil Organic Carbon and Labile Carbon Along a Precipitation Gradient and Their Responses to Some Environmental Changes

Based on data from a field survey in 2001 along the Northeast China transect (NECT), a precipitation gradient,and a short-term simulation experiment under ambient CO2 of 350 μmol mol-1 and doubled CO2 of 700 μmol mol-1with different soil moisture contents of 30%-45%, 45%-60%, and 60%-80% soil water holding capacity, the distributionof soil organic carbon and labile carbon along the NECT, their relationships with precipitation and their responses toCO2 enrichment and soil moisture changes were analyzed. The results indicated that the soil labile carbon along thegradient was significantly related to soil organic carbon (r = 0.993, P < 0.001). The soil labile carbon decreased morerapidly with depth than organic carbon. The soil organic and labile carbon along the gradient decreased with decrease inlongitude in both the topsoils and subsoils, and the coefficient of variation for the labile carbon was greater than that forthe organic carbon. Both the soil organic carbon and labile carbon had significant linear relationships with precipitation,with the correlation coefficient of soil organic carbon being lower (0.677 at P < 0.001) than that of soil labile carbon(0.712 at P < 0.001). In the simulation experiment with doubled and ambient CO2 and different moisture contents, thecoefficient of variation for soil organic carbon was only 1.3%, while for soil labile carbon it was 29.7%. With doubled CO2concentration (700 μmol mol-1), soil labile carbon decreased significantly at 45% to 60% of soil moisture content. Theseindicated that soil labile carbon was relatively more sensitive to environmental changes than soil organic carbon.

Stability of soil organic carbon changes in successive rotations of Chinese fir(Cunninghamia lanceolata(Lamb.) Hook) plantations

The importance of soil organic carbon （SOC） under forests in the global carbon cycle depends on the stability of the soil carbon and its availability to soil microbial biomass. We investigated the effects of successive rotations of Chinese fir （Cunninghamia lanceolata （Lamb.） Hook） plantations on the stability of SOC and its availability to microbes by adopting the two-step hydrolysis with H2SO4 and density fractionation. The results showed that successive rotations of Chinese fir decreased the quantity of total SOC, recalcitrant fraction, and carbohydrates in Labile Pool I （LPI）, and microbial properties evidently, especially at 0-10 cm horizon. However, cellulose included in Labile Pool Ⅱ （LP Ⅱ） and the cellulose/total carbohydrates ratio increased in successive rotations of Chinese fir. The noncellulose of carbohydrates included in LPI maybe highly available to soil microbial biomass. Hence the availability of SOC to microbial biomass declined over the successive rotations. Although there was no significant change in recalcitrance of SOC over the successive rotations of Chinese fir, the percentage of heavy fraction to total SOC increased, suggesting that the degree of physical protection for SOC increased and SOC became more stable over the successive rotations. The degradation of SOC quality in successive rotation soils may be attributed to worse environmental conditions resulted from disturbance that related to ＂slash and burn＂ site preparation. Being highly correlated with soil microbial properties, the cellulose/total carbohydrates ratio as an effective indicator of changes in availability of SOC to microbial biomass brought by management practices in forest soils.