Modeling Soil Organic Carbon Storage and Its Dynamics in Croplands of China

Soil organic carbon （SOC） is one of the centre issues related to not only soil fertility but also environmental safety. Assessing SOC dynamics in croplands has been a challenge in China for long due to the lack of appropriate methodologies and data sources. As an alternative approach for studying SOC dynamics, process-based models are adopted to meet the needs. In this paper, a process-based model, DeNitrification-DeComposition （DNDC）, was applied to quantify the SOC storage and the spatial distribution in croplands of China in 2003, with the support of a newly compiled county-level soil/ climate/land use database. The simulated results showed that the total SOC storage in the top layer （0-30 cm） of the 1.18 × 10^8 ha croplands of China is 4.7-5.2 Pg C in 2003 with an average value of 4.95 Pg C. The SOC storage in the northeastern provinces （1.3 Pg C） accounts for about 1/4 of the whole national totals due to their dominantly fertile soils with high organic matter content. SOC density ranges from 3.9 to 4.4 kg C m 2, with an average of 4.2 kg C m^-2, a level is much lower than the world average level. The model results also indicated that high rates of SOC losses occurred in the croplands with the most common cropping patterns in China as like single soybean 〉 maize 〉 paddy 〉 cotton 〉 winter wheat and corn rotation. The results reported in this paper showed that there was still a great potential for improving SOC status in most croplands of China by adopting proper farming practices and land-use pattern. Therefore, long-term policy to protect SOC is urgently needed.

Spatial Characteristics of Soil Organic Carbon Storage in China's Croplands

The soil organic carbon (SOC) pool is the largest component of terrestrial carbon pools. With the construction of a geographically referenced database taken from the second national general soil survey materials and based on 1546 typical cropland soil profiles, the paddy field and dryland SOC storage among six regions of China were systematically quantified to characterize the spatial pattern of cropland SOC storage in China and to examine the relationship between mean annual temperature, precipitation, soil texture features and SOC content. In all regions, paddy soils had higher SOC storage than dryland soils, and cropland SOC content was the highest in Southwest China. Climate controlled the spatial distribution of SOC in both paddy and dryland soils, with SOC storage increasing with increasing precipitation and decreasing with increasing temperature.

Change of Soil Organic Carbon after Cropland Afforestation in ′Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm Source Control′ Program Area in China

Land use change is one of the major factors that affect soil organic carbon(SOC) variation and global carbon balance. However, the effects of land use change on SOC are always variable. In this study, using a series of paired-field experiments, we estimated the effects of revegetation types and environmental conditions on SOC stock and vertical distribution after replacement of cropland with poplar(Populus tomentosa) and korshinsk peashrub(Caragana korshinskii) in three climate regions(Chifeng City, Fengning City and Datong City of the ′Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm Source Control′(BTSSC) program area. The results show that SOC sequestration rate ranges from 0.15 Mg/(ha·yr) to 3.76 Mg/(ha·yr) in the soil layer of 0–100 cm in early stage after cropland afforestation in the BTSSC program area. The SOC accumulation rates are the highest in Fengning for both the two vegetation types. Compared to C. korshinskii, P. tomentosa has greater effects on SOC accumulation in the three climate regions, but significantly greater effect only appears in Datong. The SOC density increases by 20%–111% and 15%–59% for P. tomentosa and 9%–63% and 0–73% for C. korshinskii in the 0–20 cm and 20–100 cm soil layers, respectively. Our results indicate that cropland afforestation not only affects SOC stock in the topsoil, but also has some effects on subsoil carbon. However, the effect of cropland afforestation on SOC accumulation varied with climate regions and revegetation types. Considering the large area of revegetation and relatively high SOC accumulation rate, SOC sequestration in the BTSSC program should contribute significantly to decrease the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere.

Global pattern and change of cropland soil organic carbon during 1901-2010: Roles of climate, atmospheric chemistry, land use and management

Soil organic carbon(SOC)in croplands is a key property of soil quality for ensuring food security and agricultural sustainability,and also plays a central role in the global carbon(C)budget.When managed sustainably,soils may play a critical role in mitigating climate change by sequestering C and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.However,the magnitude and spatio-temporal patterns of global cropland SOC are far from well constrained due to high land surface heterogeneity,complicated mechanisms,and multiple influencing factors.Here,we use a process-based agroecosystem model(DLEM-Ag)in combination with diverse spatially-explicit gridded environmental data to quantify the long-term trend of SOC storage in global cropland area during 1901-2010 and identify the relative impacts of climate change,elevated CO2,nitrogen deposition,land cover change,and land management practices such as nitrogen fertilizer use and irrigation.Model results show that the total SOC and SOC density in the 2000s increased by 125%and 48.8%,respectively,compared to the early 20th century.This SOC increase was primarily attributed to cropland expansion and nitrogen fertilizer use.Factorial analysis suggests that climate change reduced approximately 3.2%(or 2,166 Tg C)of the total SOC over the past 110 years.Our results indicate that croplands have a large potential to sequester C through implementing better land use management practices,which may partially offset SOC loss caused by climate change.

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...

Land Use Effects on Soil Organic Carbon, Microbial Biomass and Microbial Activity in Changbai Mountains of Northeast China

Land use changes are known to alter soil organic carbon(SOC) and microbial properties, however, information about how conversion of natural forest to agricultural land use as well as plantations affects SOC and microbial properties in the Changbai Mountains of Northeast China is meager. Soil carbon content, microbial biomass carbon(MBC), basal respiration and soil carbon mineralization were studied in five selected types of land use: natural old-growth broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest(NF); spruce plantation(SP) established following clear-cutting of NF; cropland(CL); ginseng farmland(GF) previously under NF; and a five-year Mongolian oak young forest(YF) reforested on an abandoned GF, in the Changbai Mountains of Northeast China in 2011. Results showed that SOC content was significantly lower in SP, CL, GF, and YF than in NF. MBC ranged from 304.4 mg/kg in CL to 1350.3 mg/kg in NF, which was significantly higher in the soil of NF than any soil of the other four land use types. The SOC and MBC contents were higher in SP soil than in CL, GF, and YF soils, yielding a significant difference between SP and CL. The value of basal respiration was also higher in NF than in SP, CL, GF, and YF. Simultaneously, higher values of the metabolic quotient were detected in CL, GF, and YF soils, indicating low substrate utilization of the soil microbial community compared with that in NF and SP soil. The values of cumulative mineralized carbon and potentially mineralized carbon(C0) in NF were significantly higher than those in CL and GF, while no significant difference was observed between NF and SP. In addition, YF had higher values of C0 and C mineralization rate compared with GF. The results indicate that conversion from NF into agricultural land(CL and GF) uses and plantation may lead to a reduction in soil nutrients(SOC and MBC) and substrate utilization efficiency of the microbial community. By contrast, soils below SP were more conducive to the preservation of soil organic matter, which was reflected in the comparison of microbial indicators among CL, GF, and YF land uses. This study can provide data for evaluating soils nutrients under different land use types, and serve as references for the rational land use of natural forest in the study area.

The efficiency of long-term straw return to sequester organic carbon in Northeast China＇s cropland

Black soil is one of the most precious soil resources on earth because it has abundant carbon stocks and a relatively high production capacity. However, decreasing organic matter after land reclamation, and the effects of long-term inputs of organic carbon have made it less fertile black soil in Northeast China. Straw return could be an effective method for improving soil organic carbon（SOC） sequestration in black soils. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether straw return effectively increases SOC sequestration. Long-term field experiments were conducted at three sites in Northeast China with varying latitudes and SOC densities. Study plots were subjected to three treatments： no fertilization（CK）; inorganic fertilization（NPK）; and NPK plus straw return（NPKS）. The results showed that the SOC stocks resulting from NPKS treatment were 4.0 and 5.7% higher than those from NPK treatment at two sites, but straw return did not significantly affect the SOC stocks at the third site. Furthermore, at higher SOC densities, the NPKS treatment resulted in significantly higher soil carbon sequestration rates（CSR） than the NPK treatment. The equilibrium value of the CSR for the NPKS treatment equated to cultivation times of 17, 11, and 8 years at the different sites. Straw return did not significantly increase the SOC stocks in regions with low SOC densities, but did enhance the C pool in regions with high SOC densities. These results show that there is strong regional variation in the effects of straw return on the SOC stocks in black soil in Northeast China. Additional cultivations and fertilization practices should be used when straw return is considered as an approach for the long-term improvement of the soil organic carbon pool.

Effects of Land Cover on Soil Organic Carbon Stock in a Karst Landscape with Discontinuous Soil Distribution

Land cover type is critical for soil organic carbon(SOC) stocks in territorial ecosystems. However, impacts of land cover on SOC stocks in a karst landscape are not fully understood due to discontinuous soil distribution. In this study, considering soil distribution, SOC content and density were investigated along positive successional stages(cropland, plantation, grassland, scrubland, secondary forest, and primary forest) to determine the effects of land cover type on SOC stocks in a subtropical karst area. The proportion of continuous soil on the ground surface under different land cover types ranged between 0.0% and 79.8%. As land cover types changed across the positive successional stages, SOC content in both the 0–20 cm and 20–50 cm soil layers increased significantly. SOC density(SOCD) within 0–100 cm soil depth ranged from 1.45 to 8.72 kg m-2, and increased from secondary forest to primary forest, plantation, grassland, scrubland, and cropland, due to discontinuous soil distribution. Discontinuous soil distribution had a negative effect on SOC stocks, highlighting the necessity for accurate determination of soil distribution in karst areas. Generally, ecological restoration had positive impacts on SOC accumulation in karst areas, but this is a slow process. In the short term, the conversion of croplandto grassland was found to be the most efficient way for SOC sequestration.

Storage and Density of Soil Organic Carbon in Urban Topsoil of Hilly Cities:A Case Study of Chongqing Municipality of China

Rapid urbanization results in the conversion of natural soil to urban soil,and consequently,the storage and density of the soil carbon pools change.Taking Chongqing Municipality of China as a study case,this investigation attempts to better understand soil carbon pools in hilly cities.First,the vegetated areas in the study area were derived from QuickBird images.Then,topsoil data from 220 soil samples(0-20 cm) in the vegetated areas were collected and their soil organic carbon(SOC) densities were analyzed.Using the Kriging interpolation method,the spatial pattern of SOC was estimated.The results show that the SOC density exhibited high spatial variability in the urban topsoil of Chongqing.First,the SOC density in topsoil decreased according to slope in the order 2°-6° < 25°-90° < 0°-2° < 6°-15° < 15°-25°.Second,the newly developed areas during 2001-2010 had a lower SOC density than the areas built before 1988.Third,urban parks and gardens had a higher SOC density in topsoil,residential green land followed,and scattered street green land ranked last.For hilly cities,the variability of terrain affects the distribution of SOC.The Kriging results indicate that Kriging method combining slope with SOC density produced a high level of accuracy.The Kriging results show that the SOC density to the north of the Jialing River was higher than the south.The vegetated areas were estimated to amount to 73.5 km2 across the study area with an SOC storage of 0.192 Tg and an average density of 2.61 kg/m2.

Changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen after 26 years of farmland management on the Loess Plateau of China

Soil carbon（C） and nitrogen（N） play a crucial role in determining the soil and environmental quality. In this study, we investigated the effects of 26 years（from 1984 to 2010） of farmland management on soil organic carbon（SOC） and soil N in abandoned, wheat（Triticum aestivum L.） non-fertilized, wheat fertilized（mineral fertilizer and organic manure） and alfalfa（Medicago Sativa L.） non-fertilized treatments in a semi-arid region of the Loess Plateau, China. Our results showed that SOC and soil total N contents in the 0–20 cm soil layer increased by 4.29（24.4%） and 1.39 Mg/hm2（100%）, respectively, after the conversion of farmland to alfalfa land. Compared to the wheat non-fertilized treatment, SOC and soil total N contents in the 0–20 cm soil layer increased by 4.64（26.4%） and 1.18 Mg/hm2（85.5%）, respectively, in the wheat fertilized treatment. In addition, we found that the extents of changes in SOC, soil total N and mineral N depended on soil depth were greater in the upper soil layer（0–30 cm） than in the deeper soil layer（30–100 cm） in the alfalfa land or fertilizer-applied wheat land. Fertilizer applied to winter wheat could increase the accumulation rates of SOC and soil total N. SOC concentration had a significant positive correlation with soil total N concentration. Therefore, this study suggested that farmland management, e.g. the conversion of farmland to alfalfa forage land and fertilizer application, could promote the sequestrations of C and N in soils in semi-arid regions.

Soil Organic Carbon Density in Hebei Province, China: Estimates and Uncertainty

In order to improve the precision of soil organic carbon (SOC) estimates, the sources of uncertainty in soil organic carbon density (SOCD) estimates and SOC stocks were examined using 363 soil profiles in Hebei Province, China, with three methods: the soil profile statistics (SPS), GIS-based soil type (GST), and kriging interpolation (KI). The GST method, utilizing both pedological professional knowledge and GIS technology, was considered the most accurate method of the three estimations, with SOCD estimates for SPS 10% lower and KI 10% higher. The SOCD range for GST was 84% wider than KI as KI smoothing effect narrowed the SOCD range. Nevertheless, the coefficient of variation for SOCD with KI (41.7%) was less than GST and SPS. Comparing SOCD’s lower estimates for SPS versus GST, the major sources of uncertainty were the conflicting area of proportional relations. Meanwhile, the fewer number of soil profiles and the necessity of using the smoothing effect with KI were its sources of uncertainty. Moreover, for local detailed variations of SOCD, GST was more advantageous in reflecting the distribution pattern than KI.

Effects of degradation succession of alpine wetland on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen in the Yellow River source zone,west China

Wetland is an important carbon pool,and the degradation of wetlands causes the loss of organic carbon and total nitrogen.This study aims to explore how wetland degradation succession affects soil organic carbon(SOC)and total nitrogen(TN)contents in alpine wetland.A field survey of 180 soilsampling profiles was conducted in an alpine wetland that has been classified into three degradation succession stages.The SOC and TN contents of soil layers from 0 to 200 cm depth were studied,including their distribution characteristics and the relationship between microtopography.The results showed that SOC and TN of different degradation succession gradients followed the ranked order of Non Degradation(ND)>Light Degradation(LD)>Heavy Degradation(HD).SWC was positively correlated with SOC and TN(p<0.05).As the degree of degradation succession worsened,SOC and TN became more sensitive to the SWC.Microtopography was closely related to the degree of wetland degradation succession,SWC,SOC and TN,especially in the topsoil(0-30 cm).This result showed that SWC was an important indicator of SOC/TN in alpine wetland.It is highly recommended to strengthen water injection into the wetland as a means of effective restoration to reverse alpine meadow back to marsh alpine wetland.

The Effects of Land Use and Landscape Position on Labile Organic Carbon and Carbon Management Index in Red Soil Hilly Region,Southern China

Labile organic carbon(LOC) and carbon management index(CMI), which are sensitive factors to the changes of environment, can improve evaluating the effect of land management practices changes on soil quality. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of land use types and landscape positions on soil quality as a function of LOC and CMI. A field study in a small watershed in the red soil hilly region of southern China was conducted, and soil samples were collected from four typical lands(pine forest(PF) on slope land, barren hill(BH) on slope land, citrus orchard(CO) on terrace land and Cinnarnornum Camphora(CC) on terrace land) at a sampling depth of 20 cm. Soil nutrients, soil organic carbon(SOC), LOC and CMI were measured. Results showed that the LOC and CMI correlated to not only soil carbon but also soil nutrients, and the values of LOC and CMI in different land use types followed the order CC > PF > CO > BH at the upperslope, while CO > CC > BH > PF at mid-slope and down-slope. With respect to slope positions, the values of LOC and CMI in all the lands were followed the order: upper-slope > down-slope > midslope. As whole, the mean values of LOC and CMI in different lands followed the order CC > CO > PF > BH. High CMI and LOC content were found in the terrace lands with broadleaf vegetations. These results indicated that the terracing and appropriate vegetations can increase the carbon input and lability and decrease soil erosion. However, the carbon pools and CMI in these lands were significantly lower than that in reference site. This suggested that it may require a long time for the soil to return to a highquality. Consequently, it is an efficient way to adopt the measures of terracing and appropriate vegetations planting in improving the content of LOC and CMI and controlling water and soil loss in fragile ecosystems.

Zonal Differences in Correlation Patterns Between Soil Organic Carbon and Climate Factors at Multi-extent

Studying the relationship between climate factors and soil organic carbon(SOC) is vitally important. However, how SOC responses to climate(temperature and precipitation) at cohesive extents is poorly studied. Two transects of approximately the same length(transect P and transect T) were selected to examine the variation of SOC content in relation to mean annual temperature(MAT) and mean annual precipitation(MAP). The coefficients of partial correlation between SOC density and MAT(Rt) and MAP(Rp) were determined to quantify the relationships between SOC density and the two climate factors. The results indicated that for transect T, Rt was statistically significant once the extent level was greater than or equal to two fundamental extent units, while for transect P, Rp showed statistical significance only at extent levels which were greater than two fundamental extent units. At the same extent levels but in different transects, Rts exhibited no zonal difference, but Rps did once the extent level was greater than two fundamental extent units. Therefore, to study the relationship between SOC density and different climate factors, different minimum extent levels should be examined. The results of this paper could deepen the understanding of the impacts that SOC pool has on terrestrial ecosystem and global carbon cycling.

Evaluation of Soil Organic Carbon and Soil Moisture Content from Agricultural Fields in Mississippi

Independent observation of the effects of agricultural management practices on soil organic carbon (SOC) with soil moisture content (SMC) is essential to quantify their potential relationships for sustainable ecosystems. Soil water retention studies and soil carbon stocks have been mapped in some areas worldwide. However, few studies have been conducted in the southeastern US, particularly in Mississippi. The objectives of this research study were to collect soil samples from fields chosen to be representative of the watersheds they are contained within, analyze the soil samples for carbon content and soil moisture content, and evaluate the relationship between SOC and different parameters (land use, vertical distribution, temporal distribution, and soil moisture content). Field sites were chosen based on their compositional similarity shared with the watershed as a whole in the Town Creek watershed (TCW) and Upper Pearl River watershed (UPRW) in Mississippi. Monthly soil samples from different depths (6 inch, 12 inch, and 24 inch) were collected from crop, pasture, and forest field areas. Soil samples were analyzed using bench analysis, elemental analysis, and statistical analysis. This study was able to demonstrate the SOC distribution in the soil layers across all three land uses studied. It was also shown that there does seem to be an interactive effect of parameters such as land use type, vertical distribution, and time on carbon accretion within the soil. Results of this study also determined that the near surface (6-in) layer was found to contain significantly more carbon than either the 12 inch or 24 inch layers (p 0.01) across all field types. There was found to be a high degree of variability within the soil moisture data and correlation between SOC and SMC. It was found that carbon amount is not influenced by SMC but SMC could be influenced by SOC.

Spatial Variability of Soil Organic Carbon in Different Hillslope Positions in Toshan Area, Golestan Province, Iran: Geostatistical Approaches

Accessibility to organic carbon(OC) budget is required for sustainable agricultural development and ecosystem preservation and restoration. Using geostatistical models to describe and demonstrate the spatial variability of soil organic carbon(SOC) will lead to a greater understanding of this dynamics. The aim of this paper is to present the relationships between the spatial variability of SOC and the topographic features by using geostatistical methods on a loess mountain-slope in Toshan region, Golestan Province, northern Iran. Hence, 234 soil samples were collected in a regular grid that covered different parts of the slope. The results showed that such factors as silt, clay, saturated moisture content, mean weighted diameter(MWD) and bulk density were all correlated to the OC content in different slope positions, and the spatial variability of SOC more to slope positions and elevations. The coefficient of variation(CV) indicated that the variability of SOC was moderate in different slope positions and for the mountain-slope as a whole. However, the higher variability of SOC(CV = 45.6%) was shown in the back-slope positions. Also, the ordinary cokriging method for clay as covariant gave better results in evaluating SOC for the whole slope with the RMSE value 0.2552 in comparison with the kriging and the inverse distance weighted(IDW) methods. The interpolation map of OC for the slope under investigation showed lowering SOC concentrations versus increasing elevation and slope gradient. The spatial correlation ratio was different between various slope positions and related to the topographic texture.

Factors Acquisition and Content Estimation of Farmland Soil Organic Carbon Based upon Internet of Things

Aiming at the shortage of sufficient continuous parameters for using models to estimate farmland soil organic carbon(SOC) content, an acquisition method of factors influencing farmland SOC and an estimation method of farmland SOC content with Internet of Things(IOT) are proposed in this paper. The IOT sensing device and transmission network were established in a wheat demonstration base in Yanzhou Distict of Jining City, Shandong Province, China to acquire data in real time. Using real-time data and statistics data, the dynamic changes of SOC content between October 2012 and June 2015 was simulated in the experimental area with SOC dynamic simulation model. In order to verify the estimation results, potassium dichromate external heating method was applied for measuring the SOC content. The results show that: 1) The estimated value matches the measured value in the lab very well. So the method is feasible in this paper. 2) There is a clear dynamic variation in the SOC content at 0.2 m soil depth in different growing periods of wheat. The content reached the highest level during the sowing period, and is lowest in the flowering period. 3) The SOC content at 0.2 m soil depth varies in accordance with the amount of returned straw. The larger the amount of returned straw is, the higher the SOC content.

The Effect of Vegetation Restoration in Soil Organic Carbon Storage

This review paper has been made to assess the past studies reviewed regarding vegetation restoration and its impact on soil organic carbon content. A Vegetation Restoration is an influential technique that can be used to respond to these effects. As a response to the global biodiversity crisis, more restoration actions have been taken. The European Union Council’s results on kinds of diversity after 2010 highlight words like stopping biodiversity loss and the breakdown of ecological systems in the European Union. The United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity’s growth strategy for 2022, which includes restoring at least 15% of degraded ecosystems, has made this possible. Soil types are among the most vulnerable resources on the planet due to factors such as climate change, land degradation, and the reduction of biodiversity. Organic Carbon, the top meter of soil, could potentially store three times as much carbon as is found in the air and almost twice as much as in plants. For the systematic literature review, past papers on vegetation restoration have been extracted from the latest papers of 2013 and onwards to 2022. The summary of results included key findings of the papers, the interpretation of papers reviewed, and the relevant references. Thirty papers were reviewed and selected from authentic databases and assessed that vegetation restoration significantly affects soil organic carbon (SOC). The findings also exhibit that the primary sources of prediction for SOC dynamics include changes in soil properties, quality, the number of carbon inputs, and the composition of the C pool. Vegetation restoration also plays an important role in improving the services of ecosystems such as controlling the erosion of soil and increasing the carbon sequestration. Moreover, some papers concluded that vegetation restoration positively influences on the SOC. Moreover, to increase the generalizability of the study, implications and future research indications have also been included in the end.

Study the Changes in Soil Organic Carbon of Rice-Maize Cropping System in the Top Layer of Alluvisol Soil in Dan Phuong: A Study of C-13 Stable Isotope Composition (<i>&delta;</i>¹³C)

In this study, the experiments on field were conducted to examine the change in the content of soil organic carbon (SOC), its C-13 stable isotope composition (δ 13C) and some main physical, chemical parameters (soil moisture, pH, soil density, content of humic, fulvic, total N, total P, total K) in alluvial soil of Dan Phuong region—Vietnam at a depth of 0 - 30 cm when we changed the regime from 2 maize -1 rice crop to 2 rice - 1 maize crop per 1 year. In addition to analyzing the main parameters in soil, C content and its δ 13C value in parts of rice and maize (root, stem and leaf) were also analyzed to assess the contribution of plant residues on soil organic carbon content after harvest. The experiment was carried out in 2016-2017 on the field with the traditional farming method of local farmers along with the tropical monsoon weather conditions of the North-Vietnam. The results showed that SOC had positive correlation with total N, total P parameters and negative correlation with δ 13C values of soil samples at two layers (0 - 15 cm and 15 - 30 cm). The average of total dry biomass (stem, stump + roots and leaf parts) per 1 rice and 1 maize crop was 10.64 Mg/ha and 9.09 Mg/ha, respectively. The average of δ 13C value of rice (C3 plant) was -29.78‰ and its value of maize (C4 plant) was -12.61‰. The new plant (rice) contributes to the total soil organic carbon content from 11.31% to 44.14% at the 0 - 15 cm layer and from 6.55% to 11.31% at the 15 - 30 cm layer in one-year experiment period.

Effects of Grazing Exclusion on Plant Productivity and Soil Carbon, Nitrogen Storage in Alpine Meadows in Northern Tibet, China

Grazing exclusion is widely adopted in restoring degraded alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. However, its effectiveness remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of grazing exclusion on plant productivity, species diversity and soil organic carbon(SOC) and soil total nitrogen(STN) storage along a transect spanning from east to west of alpine meadows in northern Tibet, China. After six years of grazing exclusion, plant cover, aboveground biomass(AGB), belowground biomass(BGB), SOC and STN were increased, but species diversity indices declined. The enhancement of AGB and SOC caused by grazing exclusion was correlated positively with mean annual precipitation(MAP). Grazing exclusion led to remarkable biomass increase of sedge species, especially Kobresia pygmaea, whereas decrease of biomass in forbs and no obvious change in grass, leguminous and noxious species. Root biomass was concentrated in the near surface layer(10 cm) after grazing exclusion. The effects of grazing exclusion on SOC storage were confined to shallow soil layer in sites with lower MAP. It is indicated that grazing exclusion is an effective measure to increase forage production and enhance soil carbon sequestration in the studied region. The effect is more efficient in sites with higher precipitation. However, the results revealed a tradeoff between vegetation restoration and ecological biodiversity. Therefore, carbon pools recover more quickly than plant biodiversity in the alpine meadows. We suggest that grazing exclusion should be combined with other measures to reconcile grassland restoration and biodiversity conservation.