Distribution Characteristics of Soil Organic Matter and Total Nitrogen on the Yajiageng Vertical Belt,Gongga Mountain around the Dadu River Banks

Distribution characteristics of soil organic matter（SOM） and total nitrogen（TN） were studied in different plant communities of the Yajiageng vertical belt in Gongga Mountain around the Dadu River banks. The results show： （1） the contents of SOM and TN of the plant communities gradually decreased with the following order： subalpine coniferous forest （3 027 m）, subalpine meadow （3 873 m）, coniferous broadleaved mixed forest（2 737 m）, subalpine shrub（3 565 m） and treeline（3 564 m）. （2） With soil profile depth increasing, the contents of SOM and TN gradually decreased. For different vegetation types, the contents of SOM and TN in sub-alpine coniferous forest were higher than that of other vegetational types. （3）The ratio of the content of carbon to the content of total nitrogen （Cc/CTN）WaS 13.5-27.6, which was relatively lower than the appropriate Cc/CTN of 25-30, and indicated that the soil in favor of the organic matter decomposed and nutrients released. Cc/CTN in the soil had no correlation with sea level altitude. However, its distribution in the soil x, aried with different vegetation types. （4） Nitrogen in SOM existed mainly in the form of organic nitrogen, and Cc/CTN in the soil was not obvious correlated with SOM and TN.

Effects of continuous nitrogen addition on microbial properties and soil organic matter in a Larix gmelinii plantation in China

Continuous increases in anthropogenic nitrogen（N） deposition are likely to change soil microbial properties, and ultimately to affect soil carbon（C） storage.Temperate plantation forests play key roles in C sequestration, yet mechanisms underlying the influences of N deposition on soil organic matter accumulation are poorly understood. This study assessed the effect of N addition on soil microbial properties and soil organic matter distribution in a larch（Larix gmelinii） plantation. In a 9-year experiment in the plantation, N was applied at100 kg N ha-1 a-1 to study the effects on soil C and N mineralization, microbial biomass, enzyme activity, and C and N in soil organic matter density fractions, and organic matter chemistry. The results showed that N addition had no influence on C and N contents in whole soil. However,soil C in different fractions responded to N addition differently. Soil C in light fractions did not change with N addition, while soil C in heavy fractions increased significantly. These results suggested that more soil C in heavy fractions was stabilized in the N-treated soils. However,microbial biomass C and N and phenol oxidase activity decreased in the N-treated soils and thus soil C increased in heavy fractions. Although N addition reduced microbial biomass and phenol oxidase activity, it had little effect on soil C mineralization, hydrolytic enzyme activities, d13 C value in soil and C–H stretch, carboxylates and amides, and C–O stretch in soil organic matter chemistry measured by Fourier transform infrared spectra. We conclude that N addition（1） altered microbial biomass and activity without affecting soil C in light fractions and（2） resulted in an increase in soil C in heavy fractions and that this increase was controlled by phenol oxidase activity and soil N availability.

Characteristics of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen under various grassland types along a transect in a mountain-basin system in Xinjiang, China

Soil organic carbon （SOC） and soil total nitrogen （STN） in arid regions are important components of global C and the N cycles, and their response to climate change will have important implications for both ecosystem processes and global climate feedbacks. Grassland ecosystems of Funyun County in the southern foot of the Altay Mountains are characterized by complex topography, suggesting large variability in the spatial distribution of SOC and STN. However, there has been little investigation of SOC and STN on grasslands in arid regions with a mountain-basin structure. Therefore, we investigated the characteristics of SOC and STN in different grassland types in a mountain-basin system at the southern foot of the Altai Mountains, north of the Junggar Basin in China, and explored their potential influencing factors and relationships with meteorological factors and soil properties. We found that the concentrations and storages of SOC and STN varied significantly with grassland type, and showed a decreasing trend along a decreasing elevation gradient in alpine meadow, mountain meadow, temperate typical steppe, temperate steppe desert, and temperate steppe desert. In addition, the SOC and STN concentrations decreased with depth, except in the temperate desert steppe. According to Pearson＇s correlation values and redundancy analysis, the mean annual precipitation, soil moisture content and soil available N concentration were significantly positively correlated with the SOC and STN concentrations. In contrast, the mean annual temperature, pH, and soil bulk density were significantly and negatively correlated with the SOC and STN concentrations. The mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature were the primary factors related to the SOC and STN concentrations. The distributions of the SOC and STN concentrations were highly regulated by the elevation-induced differences in meteorological factors. Mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature together explained 97.85% and 98.38% of the overall variations in the SOC and STN concentrations, respectively, at soil depth of 0-40 cm, with precipitation making the greatest contribution. Our results provide a basis for estimating and predicting SOC and STN concentrations in grasslands in arid regions with a mountain-basin structure.

^137Cs tracing dynamics of soil erosion,organic carbon,and total nitrogen in terraced fields and forestland in the Middle Mountains of Nepal

The Middle Mountains is one of the regions of Nepal most vulnerable to water erosion, where fragile geology, steep topography, anomalous climatic conditions, and intensive human activity have resulted in serious soil erosion and enhanced land degradation. Based on the 137 Cs tracing method, spatial variations in soil erosion, organic carbon, and total nitrogen(TN) in terraced fields lacking field banks and forestland were determined. Soil samples were collected at approximately 5 m and 20 m intervals along terraced field series and forestland transects respectively. Mean 137 Cs inventories of the four soil cores from the reference site was estimated at 574.33 ± 126.22 Bq m-2(1 Bq(i.e., one Becquerel) is equal to 1 disintegration per second(1 dps)). For each terrace, the 137 Cs inventory generally increased fromupper to lower slope positions, accompanied by a decrease in the soil erosion rate. Along the entire terraced toposequence, 137 Cs data showed that abrupt changes in soil erosion rates could occur between the lower part of the upper terrace and the upper part of the immediate terrace within a small distance. This result indicated that tillage erosion is also a dominant erosion type in the sloping farmland of this area. At the same time, we observed a fluctuant decrease in soil erosion rates for the whole terraced toposequence as well as a net deposition at the toe terrace. Although steep terraces(lacking banks and hedgerows) to some extent could act to limit soil sediment accumulation in catchments, soil erosion in the terraced field was determined to be serious. For forestland, with the exception of serious soil erosion that had taken place at the top of slopes due to concentrated flows from a country road situated above the forestland site, spatialvariation in soil erosion was similar to the "standard" water erosion model. Soil organic carbon(SOC) and TN inventories showed similar spatial patterns to the 137 Cs inventory for both toposequences investigated. However, due to the different dominant erosion processes between the two, we found similar patterns between the <0.002 mm soil particle size fraction(clay sized) and 137 Cs inventories in terraced fields, while different patterns could be found between 137 Cs inventories and the <0.002 mm soil particle size fraction in the forestland site. Such results confirm that 137 Cs can successfully trace soil erosion, SOC and soil nitrogen dynamics in steep terraced fields and forestland in the Middle Mountains of Nepal.

Characteristics of Soil Organic Carbon, Total Nitrogen, and C/N Ratio in Chinese Apple Orchards

Soil organic carbon and nitrogen are used as indexes of soil quality assessment and sustainable land use management. At the same time, soil C/N ratio is a sensitive indicator of soil quality and for assessing the carbon and nitrogen nutrition balance of soils. We studied the characteristics of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen by investigating a large number of apple orchards in major apple production areas in China. High apple orchard soil organic carbon content was observed in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Xinjiang, and Yunnan, whereas low content was found in the provinces of Shandong, Henan, Hebei, and Shaanxi, with the values ranging between 6.44 and 7.76 g·kg-1. Similar to soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen content also exhibited obvious differences in the 12 major apple producing provinces. Shandong apple orchard soil had the highest total nitrogen content (1.26 g·kg-1), followed by Beijing (1.23 g·kg-1). No significant difference was noted between these two regions, but their total nitrogen content was significantly higher than the other nine provinces, excluding Yunnan. The soil total nitrogen content for Xinjiang, Heilongjiang, Hebei, Henan, and Gansu was between 0.87 and 1.03 g·kg-1, which was significantly lower than that in Shandong and Beijing, but significantly higher than that in Liaoning, Shanxi, and Shaanxi. Six provinces exhibited apple orchard soil C/N ratio higher than 10, including Heilongjiang (15.42), Xinjiang (13.38), Ningxia (14.45), Liaoning (12.24), Yunnan (11.03), and Gansu (10.63). The soil C/N ratio was below 10 in the remaining six provinces, in which the highest was found in Shaanxi (9.47), followed by Beijing (8.98), Henan (7.99), and Shanxi (7.62), and the lowest was found in Hebei (6.80) and Shandong (6.05). Therefore, the improvement of soil organic carbon should be given more attention to increase the steady growth of soil C/N ratio.

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.

Measurement and analysis of soil nitrogen and organic matter content using near-infrared spectroscopy techniques

Near infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy is as a rapid, convenient and simple nondestructive technique useful for quantifying several soil properties. This method was used to estimate nitrogen (N) and organic matter (OM) content in a soil of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou County. A total of 125 soil samples were taken from the field. Ninety-five samples spectra were used during the calibration and cross validation stage. Thirty samples spectra were used to predict N and OM concentration. NIR spectra of these samples were correlated using partial least square regression. The regression coefficients between measured and predicted values of N and OM was 0.92 and 0.93, and SEP (standard error of prediction) were 3.28 and 0.06, respectively, which showed that NIR method had potential to accurately predict these constituents in this soil. The results showed that NIR spec- troscopy could be a good tool for precision farming application.

Effects of Long-Term Fertilization on Distribution of Organic Matters and Nitrogen in Cinnamon Soil Macro-Aggregates

Soil samples collected from a 25-year long-term fertilizer experiment carried out on the Earth-cumulic-Orthic Anthrosols in semi-humid farmland ecological system, were used to study the distribution of soil organic matters, total nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and ammoniate nitrogen in different grades of soil macro-aggregates in order to study the effects of long-term application of organic manures in combination with chemical fertilizers. It is showed that the percentage of mass of the soil macro-aggregates with long-term application of fertilizers with sizes of 5-2 mm is increased compared with that of the samples with no fertilizer. It is easier to form lager size soil macro-aggregates by the long-term application of organic manures in combination with chemical fertilizers. The contents of organic matters, total nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen are all higher after treatments with different combinations of fertilizers, while there is a little effect on the contents of ammoniate nitrogen. The contents of organic matters, total nitrogen in the grades of soil macro-aggregates from the plough layers of the treated farmland exhibited significant difference. Moreover, the contents of organic matters and total nitrogen in the soil macro-aggregates with the size of 1-0.25 mm is the highest in all treated soil samples. The contents of nitrate nitrogen in soil macro-aggregates increased with the increasing of soil macro-aggregate size except those applied with chemical fertilizer and lower amount of corn stover. The results of correlation analysis revealed that there exists a significantly positive correlation between the percentage of mass of soil macro-aggregates with the size of 5-2 mm and the contents of organic matters, total nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen in the soil samples. However, the correlation between the percentage of mass of soil macro-aggregates with the size of 1-0.25 rnm and the contents of total nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen is significantly negative.The study showed that the highest contributing rates of macro-aggregates fractions to soil fertility is from the soil macro-aggregates fraction with the size of 1-0.25 mm in most of the cases.

Characteristics of soil organic carbon andtotal nitrogen storages for differentland-use types in Central Yunnan Plateau

Two-factor analysis of variance and redundancy analysis were used to analyze the characte-ristics of soil organic carbon total nitrogen storage in garden land,forestland,grassland,farmland,and bare land in the Dachunhe watershed of Jinning District,Kunming City,Yunnan Province,China.The effects of the soil organic carbon,total nitrogen stratification ratio,soil physical and chemical factors on the storage characteristics of organic carbon and total nitrogen of different land-use types were analyzed.The results show that the rates of carbon and nitrogen stratification in soil from 0-20 cm and 40-60 cm of the same land-use types differed are statistically significant(P<0.05).The organic carbon and total nitrogen stratification ratio SR1 of garden land soil are 38.5%and 25.3%,respectively,which are higher than SR^(2).The soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stratification ratio SR^(2) of different land-use types are greater than SR1.There are statistically significant differences in the SR^(2) soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stratification ratios(P<0.05).Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen storage of diffe-rent land-use types gradually decrease with increasing soil depth,with the maximum soil organic carbon and total nitrogen storage in the 0-20 cm soil layer.Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen sto-rage at the same soil depth are significantly different(P<0.05).Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen storage in the garden land are greater than those in the other land-use types.Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen storage in 0-20 cm garden land are 4.96 and 3.19 times than those in bare land,respectively;soil organic carbon and total nitrogen storage are explained by 93.66%and 1.53%in redundancy analysis RDA1 and RDA2,respectively.All physicochemical factors except Available Phosphorus and pH are statistically significance with carbon and nitrogen storage(P<0.05).Soil cationic exchange capacity,Available Phosphorus,C/N ratio,and Moisture Content are positively correlated with organic carbon and total nitrogen storage.In contrast,soil Bulk Density is negatively correlated with organic carbon storage and total nitrogen storage.Available Phosphorus,C/N ratio,and Moisture Content are the main factors promoting soil organic carbon and total nitrogen accumulation.

Assessment of soil quality using soil organic carbon and total nitrogen and microbial properties in tropical agroecosystems

Assessment of soil quality is an invaluable tool in determining the sustainability and environmental impact of agricultural ecosystems. The study was conducted to assess the quality of the soils under arable cultivation, locally irri-gated and non-irrigated, forestry plantations of teak (Tectona grandis Lin.) and gmelina (Gme- lina arborea Roxb.), and cashew (Anacardium occidentale Lin.) plantation agro ecosystems using soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total ni-trogen (STN) and soil microbial biomass C (SMBC) and N (SMBN) at Minna in the southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria. Soil samples were collected from soil depths of 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm in all the agro ecosystems and analyzed for physical, chemical and biological properties. All the agro ecosystems had similar loamy soil texture at both depths. The soils have high fer-tility status in terms of available phosphorus and exchangeable calcium, magnesium and po- tassium. The irrigated arable land had significantly (P 6.6 suggesting fungal domination in all the agroecosystems. The forestry plantation soils had higher SMBC and SMBN as a per-centage of SOC and STN respectively than the cultivated arable land soils. Burning for clearing vegetation and poor stocking of forestry planta-tions may impair the quality of the soil. The study suggests that the locally irrigated agro- ecosystem soil seems to be of better quality than the other agroecosystem soils.

Effects of Long-Term Winter Planted Green Manure on Distribution and Storage of Organic Carbon and Nitrogen in Water-Stable Aggregates of Reddish Paddy Soil Under a Double-Rice Cropping System

In agricultural systems, maintenance of soil organic matter has long been recognized as a strategy to reduce soil degradation. Manure amendments and green manures are management practices that can increase some nutrient contents and improve soil aggregation. We investigated the effects of 28 yr of winter planted green manure on soil aggregate-size distribution and aggregateassociated carbon（C） and nitrogen（N）. The study was a randomized completed block design with three replicates. The treatments included rice-rice-fallow, rice-rice-rape, rice-rice-Chinese milk vetch and rice-rice-ryegrass. The experiment was established in 1982 on a silty light clayey paddy soil derived from Quaternary red clay（classified as Fe-Accumuli-Stagnic Anthrosols） with continuous early and late rice. In 2009, soil samples were collected（0-15 cm depth） from the field treatment plots and separated into water-stable aggregates of different sizes（i.e., 〉5, 2-5, 1-2, 0.5-1, 0.25-0.5 and 〈0.25 mm） by wet sieving. The long-term winter planted green manure significantly increased total C and N, and the formation of the 2-5-mm water-stable aggregate fraction. Compared with rice-rice-rape, rice-rice-Chinese milk vetch and rice-rice-ryegrass, the rice-rice-fallow significantly reduced 2-5-mm water-stable aggregates, with a significant redistribution of aggregates into micro-aggregates. Long-term winter planted green manure obviously improved C/N ratio and macro-aggregate-associated C and N. The highest contribution to soil fertility was from macro-aggregates of 2-5 mm in most cases.

Losses of Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen and Their Mechanisms in the Desertification Process of Sandy Farmlands inHorqin Sandy Land

Soil organic carbon(SOC)and total nitrogen(N)concentrations from bulk soils and soil particle size fractions in the different extent of desertified farmlands(potential, light, medium, severe, and most severe desertified farmlands)were examined to quantitatively elucidate losses of carbon and nitrogen and its mechanisms in the desertification process. Particle size fractions(2 -0.1 mm, 0.1 - 0.05 mm, <0.05 mm)were obtained by granulometric wet sieving from 30 sandy soils(0 - 15cm depth)of different desertified extent. It was shown that soil physical stability index(St)in most severe desertified farmlands was 5 -7% and St in other farmlands was less than 5 %, which contributed to very low soil organic matter content. This was the intrinsic cause that sandy farmlands in Horqin sandy land was subject to risk of desertification. Desertification resulted in considerable losses of SOC and N. Regression analysis indicated that SOC and N content reduced 0.169 g kg-1 and 0.0215 g kg-1 respectively with one percent loss of soil silt and clay content. Losses of SOC and N were mostly the removal of fine particle size fractions(silt and clay, and a less extent very fine sand)from the farmlands by wind erosion, which were rich in organic matter and nutrients, as well as the depletion of organic C and N associated with coarse particles(>0. 05 mm)in desertification process. The concentrations of C and N associated with sand(2 - 0.1 mm and 0.1 - 0.05 mm)significantly decreased with increase of desertified extent. Silt and clay associated C and N concentrations, however, were less changed, and in contrast, were higher in soils under most severe desertified extent than in soils under potential and severe desertified extent. The percentage of distribution in sand(>0.05 mm)associated C and N significantly increased with increase of desertified extent, suggesting that stability of SOC decreased in the desertification process.

Contents of soil organic carbon and nitrogen in water-stable aggregates in abandoned agricultural lands in an arid ecosystem of Northwest China

Soil organic matter content in water-stable aggregates（WSA） in the arid ecosystems（abandoned agricultural lands especially） of China is poorly understood. In this study, we examined the WSA sizes and stability, and soil organic carbon（OC） and nitrogen（N） contents in agricultural lands with abandonment ages of 0, 3, 12, 20, 30 and 40 years, respectively, in the Minqin Oasis of Northwest China. The total soil OC and N contents at depths of 0–20, 20–40 and 40–60 cm in abandoned agricultural lands were compared to those in cultivated land（the control）. Agricultural land abandonment significantly（P0.25 mm） as the age of agricultural land abandonment increased. The effect of abandonment ages of agricultural lands on MWD was determined by the changes of OC and N accumulation in WSA sizes ＆gt;2 mm. The total OC and N contents presented a stratification phenomenon across soil depths in this arid ecosystem. That is, both of them decreased significantly at depths of 0–20 and 40–60 cm while increased at the depth of 20–40 cm. The WSA sizes ＆lt;0.053 mm had the highest soil OC and N contents（accounting for 51.41%–55.59% and 42.61%–48.94% of their total, respectively）. Soil OC and N contents in microaggregates（sizes 0.053–0.25 mm） were the dominant factors that influenced the variations of total OC and N contents in abandoned agricultural lands. The results of this study suggested that agricultural land abandonment may result in the recovery of WSA stability and the shifting of soil organic matter from the silt＋clay（＆lt;0.053 mm） and microaggregate fractions to the macroaggregate fractions. However, agricultural land abandonment did not increase total soil OC and N contents in the short-term.

The Enhancement of Soil Fertility,Dry Matter Transport and Accumulation,Nitrogen Uptake and Yield in Rice via Green Manuring

Readily available chemical fertilizers have resulted in a decline in the use of organic manure(e.g.,green manures),a traditionally sustainable source of nutrients.Based on this,we applied urea at the rate of 270 kg ha−1 with and without green manure in order to assess nitrogen(N)productivity in a double rice cropping system in 2017.In particular,treatment combinations were as follows:winter fallow rice-rice(WF-R-R),milk vetch rice-rice(MV-R-R),oil-seed rape rice-rice(R-R-R)and potato crop rice-rice(P-R-R).Results revealed that green manure significantly(p≤0.05)improved the soil chemical properties and net soil organic carbon content increased by an average 117.47%,total nitrogen(N)by 28.41%,available N by 26.64%,total phosphorus(P)by 37.77%,available P by 20.48%and available potassium(K)by 33.10%than WF-R-R,however pH was reduced by 3.30%across the seasons.Similarly,net dry matter accumulation rate enhanced in green manure applied treatments and ranked in order:P-R-R>R-R-R>MV-R-R>WF-R-R.Furthermore,the total leaf dry matter transport(t ha−1)for the P-R-R in both seasons was significantly higher by an average 11.2%,7.2%and 36%than MV-R-R,R-R-R,and WF-R-R,respectively.In addition,net total nitrogen accumulation(kg ha−1)was found higher in green manure applied plots compared to the control.Yield and yield attributed traits were observed maximum in green manure applied plots,with treatments ranking as follows:P-R-R>R-R-R>MV-R-R>WF-R-R.Thus,results obtained highlight ability of green manure to sustainably improve soil quality and rice yield.

Changes in soil organic carbon,nitrogen and sulphur along a slope gradient in apple orchard soils of Kashmir Himalaya

Accumulation and losses of soil organic carbon(SOC),total nitrogen(TN)and sulphur(S)influence food security and global warming.Therefore,their spatial distribution and variability at regional scale,and their relation to topographical variables are of great interest.In this study,the variability of SOC,TN and S content was evaluated in apple orchard soils of Kashmir region,at three depths(D1:0-10,D2:10-20,and D3:20-30 cm)on slope gradient i.e.:flat,medium,and high.With an increase in slope,a significant decrease of SOC and TN was observed,with concentration of SOC and TN recorded highest(14.3±2.06 g kg-1&0.97±0.35 g kg-1)in flat slope orchards and lowest(9.6±2.07 g kg-1&0.84±0.41 g kg-1)in high slope orchards.On stock basis,the values recorded for flat,medium,and high slope orchards,for SOC and TN were 54.62±4.24 Mg ha-1&0.38±0.06 Mg ha-1,44.13±5.11 Mg ha-1&0.32±0.09 Mg ha-1,and 38.73±5.94 Mg ha-1&0.28±0.10,respectively.The differences for S concentration and stocks were modest,with flat(0.21±0.15 mg kg-1&0.09±0.0.003 Mg ha-1)>high(0.16±0.07 mg kg-1&0.06±0.007 Mg ha-1)>medium(0.12±0.04 mg kg-1&0.075±0.009 Mg ha-1).Across slopes,SOC,TN and S decreased with increasing soil depth,suggesting clear downward trend.Overall,SOC and TN increased with the increase of altitude,precipitation and clay content while its relationship with soil acidity and soil bulk density was negative.The findings may provide scientific basis to structure agricultural development plans or prioritize regions for soil conservation efforts.

Relations between the Underground Biomass and Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen of the Alpine Meadow at the Eastern Margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

This article, by combining field investigation with laboratorial analysis, studies diverse alpine meadow at the Eastern Margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau for the underground biomass dynamics, vertical distribution of the content of soil carbon and nitrogen, the connection between the biomass and the content of carbon and nitrogen. The studies show that underground biomass in the herb layer of upland meadow is more than that in the terrace meadow, while underground biomass in the upland shrubland is the most. The vertical distribution of underground biomass of each type is obvious as in shape of＂T＂. As to the distribution of the content of soil organic carbon in the three sample grounds, it showed that the deeper the soil the less the content of soil organic carbon. In May, unlike at terrace meadow, the underground biomass and the content of soil organic carbon in positive proportion, such revelation at upland meadow and upland shrubland is not apparent. In July, at upland meadow and terrace meadow the underground biomass and the content of soil total nitrogen in positive proportion, such revelation at upland shrubland is not apparent either.

Long-term impacts of land-use change on dynamics of tropical soil carbon and nitrogen pools

Land-use changes, especially the conversion of native forest vegetation to cropland and plantations in tropical region, can alter soil C and N pools and N availability for plant uptake. Deforestation, followed by shifting cultivation and establishment of rubber tree plantation, is a common land-use change in Xishuangbanna, southwest China. However the influence of this kind of land-use change on soil C and N dynamics in this region remains poorly understood. This study was conducted to assess the effects of land-use change on soil C and N pools. Soil samples were collected on five adjacent plots, which belong to three land-use types including secondary forest-an acuminate banana(Musa itinerans) secondary forest and a male bamboo(Dendrocalamus membranaceae) secondary forest, shifting cultivation, and rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis (H.B.K.) Muell. Arg.) plantation(one plot is 3-year-old, and another is 7-year-old). We measured soil bulk density (BD), pH value, moisture content and concentrations of soil organic carbon(SOC), total soil nitrogen(TSN), and inorganic N(NO - 3-N and NH + 4-N ) at 0—3, 3—20, 20—40 and 40—60 cm depths, and calculated C and N pools in 0—20, 20—40, 40—60, and 0—60 cm soil layers. Compared with the adjacent secondary forests, shifting cultivation and establishment of rubber tree plantations resulted in significant decline in concentrations and stocks of SOC and TSN in 0—20 and 0—60 cm soil layers, and increase in pH and bulk density at 0—3, 3—20, and 20—40 cm depths. Soil moisture content decreased only in 0—20 cm surface soils in shifting cultivation and plantations. The dynamics of mineral N was much more complex, which had different trends among depths and ecosystems. Compared with the secondary forests, SOC stocks in 0—20 cm surface soils in shifting cultivation and rubber tree plantations(3-year-old plantation and 7-year-old plantation) decreased by 34.0%, 33%, and 23%; and TSN stocks decreased by 32 2%, 20.4%, and 20.4%, respectively, whereas the decreases of SOC and TSN stocks in 0—60 cm soil layers were much less. The results indicated that C and N losses were mainly occurred in 0—20 cm surface soil, followed by 20—40 cm layer.

Effects of different tillage and straw retention practices on soil aggregates and carbon and nitrogen sequestration in soils of the northwestern China

Soil tillage and straw retention in dryland areas may affect the soil aggregates and the distribution of total organic carbon. The aims of this study were to establish how different tillage and straw retention practices affect the soil aggregates and soil organic carbon(SOC) and total nitrogen(TN) contents in the aggregate fractions based on a long-term(approximately 15 years) field experiment in the semi-arid western Loess Plateau, northwestern China. The experiment included four soil treatments, i.e., conventional tillage with straw removed(T), conventional tillage with straw incorporated(TS), no tillage with straw removed(NT) and no tillage with straw retention(NTS), which were arranged in a complete randomized block design. The wet-sieving method was used to separate four size fractions of aggregates, namely, large macroaggregates(LA, >2000 μm), small macroaggregates(SA, 250–2000 μm), microaggregates(MA, 53–250 μm), and silt and clay(SC, <53 μm). Compared to the conventional tillage practices(including T and TS treatments), the percentages of the macroaggregate fractions(LA and SA) under the conservation tillage practices(including NT and NTS treatments) were increased by 41.2%–56.6%, with the NTS treatment having the greatest effect. For soil layers of 0–5, 5–10 and 10–30 cm, values of the mean weight diameter(MWD) under the TS and NTS treatments were 10.68%, 13.83% and 17.65%, respectively. They were 18.45%, 19.15% and 14.12% higher than those under the T treatment, respectively. The maximum contents of the aggregate-associated SOC and TN were detected in the SA fraction, with the greatest effect being observed for the NTS treatment. The SOC and TN contents were significantly higher under the NTS and TS treatments than under the T treatment. Also, the increases in SOC and TN levels were much higher in the straw-retention plots than in the straw-removed plots. The macroaggregates(including LA and SA fractions) were the major pools for SOC and TN, regardless of tillage practices, storing 3.25–6.81 g C/kg soil and 0.34–0.62 g N/kg soil. Based on the above results, we recommend the NTS treatment as the best option to boost soil aggregates and to reinforce carbon and nitrogen sequestration in soils in the semi-arid western Loess Plateau of northwestern China.

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.