A study of soil organic carbon distribution and storage in the Northeast Plain of China

Employing the Unit Soil Carbon Amount （USCA） approach, soil carbon storage was calcu- lated across the Northeast Plain of China based on the Multi-purpose Regional Geochemical Survey conducted in 2004-2006 （MRGS）. The results indicated that the soil organic carbon （SOC） storage in topsoil （0-0.2 m）, subsoil （0-1 m） and deep soil （0-1.8 m） was 768.1 Mt, 2978.4 Mt and 3729.2 Mt with densities of 3327.8 t/km^2, 12,904.7 t/km^2 and 16,157.5 t/km^2, respectively. These values were consistent with national averages, whereas the soil carbon densities showed a clear increasing trend from the southern area of the Northeast Plain （Liaoning）, to the middle （Jilin） and the northern Plain （Heilongjiang） -- particularly in terms of topsoil carbon density, which increased from 2284.2, to 3436.7 and 3861.5 t/kin2, respectively. In comparison to carbon data obtained from the Second National Soil Survey in 1984--1986 （SNSS）, the topsoil SOC storage values from the MRGS were found to have decreased by 320.59 Mt （29.4%）, with an average annual decline of 16.0 Mt （1.73%） over the 20 years. In the southern, middle and northern areas of the plain, soil carbon densities decreased by 1060.6 t/km^2, 1646.4 t/kin2 and 1300.2 t/km^2, respectively, with an average value of 1389.0 t/km^2 for the whole plain. These findings indicate that the decrease in soil carbon density varied according to the different ecosystems and land-use types. Therefore, ratios of soil carbon density were calculated in order to study the carbon dynamic balance between ecosystems, and to further explore distribution characteristics, as well as the sequestration potential of SOC.

Substituting nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer with optimal amount of crop straw improves rice grain yield,nutrient use efficiency and soil carbon sequestration

Crop straw return after harvest is considered an important way to achieve both agronomic and environmental benefits.However,the appropriate amount of straw to substitute for fertilizer remains unclear.A field experiment was performed from 2016 to 2018 to explore the effect of different amounts of straw to substitute for fertilizer on soil properties,soil organic carbon(SOC)storage,grain yield,yield components,nitrogen(N)use efficiency,phosphorus(P)use efficiency,N surplus,and P surplus after rice harvesting.Relative to mineral fertilization alone,straw substitution at 5 t ha^(-1)improved the number of spikelets per panicle,effective panicle,seed setting rate,1000-grain weight,and grain yield,and also increased the aboveground N and P uptake in rice.Straw substitution exceeding 2.5 t ha^(-1)increased the soil available N,P,and K concentrations as compared with mineral fertilization,and different amounts of straw substitution improved SOC storage compared with mineral fertilization.Furthermore,straw substitution at 5 t ha^(-1)decreased the N surplus and P surplus by up to 68.3 and 28.9%,respectively,compared to mineral fertilization.Rice aboveground N and P uptake and soil properties together contributed 19.3%to the variation in rice grain yield and yield components.Straw substitution at 5 t ha^(-1),an optimal fertilization regime,improved soil properties,SOC storage,grain yield,yield components,N use efficiency(NUE),and P use efficiency(PUE)while simultaneously decreasing the risk of environmental contamination.