Corn straw return can increase labile soil organic carbon fractions and improve water-stable aggregates in Haplic Cambisol

Corn straw return to the field is a vital agronomic practice for increasing soil organic carbon(SOC)and its labile fractions,as well as soil aggregates and organic carbon(OC)associated with water-stable aggregates(WSA).Moreover,the labile SOC fractions play an important role in OC turnover and sequestration.The aims of this study were to determine how different corn straw returning modes affect the contents of labile SOC fractions and OC associated with WSA.Corn straw was returned in the following depths:(1)on undisturbed soil surface(NTS),(2)in the 0–10 cm soil depth(MTS),(3)in the 0–20 cm soil depth(CTS),and(4)no corn straw applied(CK).After five years(2014–2018),soil was sampled in the 0–20 and 20–40 cm depths to measure the water-extractable organic C(WEOC),permanganate oxidizable C(KMnO4-C),light fraction organic C(LFOC),and WSA fractions.The results showed that compared with CK,corn straw amended soils(NTS,MTS and CTS)increased SOC content by 11.55%–16.58%,WEOC by 41.38%–51.42%,KMnO4-C and LFOC by 29.84%–34.09%and 56.68%–65.36%in the 0–40 cm soil depth.The LFOC and KMnO4-C were proved to be the most sensitive fractions to different corn straw returning modes.Compared with CK,soils amended with corn straw increased mean weight diameter by 24.24%–40.48%in the 0–20 cm soil depth.The NTS and MTS preserved more than 60.00%of OC in macro-aggregates compared with CK.No significant difference was found in corn yield across all corn straw returning modes throughout the study period,indicating that adoption of NTS and MTS would increase SOC content and improve soil structure,and would not decline crop production.

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.

Labile Organic Matter Content and Distribution as Affected by Six-year Soil Amendments to Eroded Chinese Mollisols

Labile organic carbon （LOC） is a fraction of soil organic carbon （SOC） with rapid turnover time and is affected by soil fertilization. This investigation characterized the SOC content, LOC content and LOC distribution in the treatment plots of surface soil erosion at five levels （0-, 5-, 10-, 20- and 30-cm erosion）. The soil had received contrasting fertilizer treatments （i.e., chemical fertilizer or chemical fertilizer ＋ manure） for 6 years. This study demonstrated that both SOC and various LOC fractions contents were higher in the plots with fertilizer ＋ manure than in those with fertilizer alone under the same erosion conditions. The SOC and LOC contents de- creased as the erosion depth increased. Light fraction organic carbon, particulate organic carbon, easily oxidizable organic carbon （KMnO4-oxydizable organic carbon）, and microbial biomass carbon were 27% 57%, 37%-7%, 20%-25%, and 29%-33% higher respectively in the fertilizer ＋ manure plots, than in the fertilizer alone plots. Positive correlations （p 〈 0.05） between SOC content and different fractions contents were observed in all plots except the correlation between total SOC content and water-soluble organic carbon content in the different fertilization treatments. Obviously, fertilizer ＋ manure treatments would be conducive to the accumulation of LOC and SOC in the Black soil of Northeast China.

Soil organic carbon pool along different altitudinal level in the Sygera Mountains, Tibetan Plateau

Labile organic carbon（LOC） is one of the most important indicators of soil organic matter quality and dynamics elevation and plays important function in the Tibetan Plateau climate. However, it is unknown what the sources and causes of LOC contamination are. In this study, soil organic carbon（SOC）, total nitrogen（TN）, microbial biomass carbon（MBC）, microbial biomass nitrogen（MBN） and LOC were analyzed based on different soil horizons and elevations using turnover time in an experimental site（3700 m to 4300 m area） in Sygera. SOC and LOC in higher-elevation vegetation types were higher than that of in lower-elevation vegetation types. Our results presented that the soil microbial biomass carbon（SMBC） and soil microbial biomass nitrogen（SMBN）were positively correlated with SOC. The content of easily oxidized carbon（EOC）, particulate organic carbon（POC） and light fraction organic carbon（LFOC） decreased with depth increasing and the content were the lowest in the 60 cm to 100 cm depth.The total SOC, ROC and POC contents decreased with increasing soil horizons. The SOC, TN, MBC and MBN contents increased with increasing altitude in the Sygera Mountains. The MBC and MBN contents weredifferent with the changes of SOC（p＆lt;0.05）,meanwhile, both LFOC and POC were related to total SOC（p＆lt;0.05）. The physical and chemical properties of soil, including temperature, humidity, and altitude,were involved in the regulation of SOC, TN, MBC,MBN and LFOC contents in the Sygera Mountains,Tibetan Plateau.

Effects of stand density on soil respiration and labile organic carbon in different aged Larix principis-rupprechtii plantations

Background:The carbon pools of forest soils play a vital role in global carbon sequestration and emissions.Forest management can regulate the sequestration and output of forest soil carbon pools to a certain extent;however,the kinetics of the effects of forest density on soil carbon pools require further investigation.Methods:We established sample plots with stand density gradients in three different aged Larix principis-rupprechtii plantations and quantified the soil respiration,soil organic carbon(SOC),soil dissolved organic carbon(DOC),microbial biomass carbon(MBC),light fraction organic carbon(LFOC),and readily oxidized carbon(ROC).Results and conclusions:During the growth and development of plantations,stand density is an essential factor that impacts soil respiration and its associated elements.Moderate density was observed to promote both the soil and heterotrophic respiration rates and the sequestration of MBC and LFOC,whereas it inhibited the sequestration of ROC.The soil,heterotrophic,and autotrophic respiration rates of older forest stands were relatively rapid,whereas the contents of SOC,MBC,LFOC,DOC,and ROC were higher and more sensitive to changes in stand density.The MBC,LFOC,and ROC in soil labile organic carbon were closely related to both the soil and heterotrophic respiration,but not the SOC.Among them,the LFOC and MBC played the roles of“warehouse”and“tool”and were significantly correlated with soil and heterotrophic respiration.The ROC,as a“raw material”,exhibited a significantly negative correlation with the soil and heterotrophic respiration.When the soil and heterotrophic respiration rates were rapid,the ROC content in the soil maintained the low level of a“dynamically stabilized”state.The stand density regulated heterotrophic respiration by affecting the soil labile organic carbon,which provided an essential path for the stand density to regulate soil respiration.