Sheep manure application increases soil exchangeable base cations in a semi-arid steppe of Inner Mongolia

The long-term productivity of a soil is greatly influenced by cation exchange capacity（CEC）.Moreover,interactions between dominant base cations and other nutrients are important for the health and stability of grassland ecosystems.Soil exchangeable base cations and cation ratios were examined in a 11-year experiment with sheep manure application rates 0–1,500 g/（m2？a） in a semi-arid steppe in Inner Mongolia of China,aiming to clarify the relationships of base cations with soil p H,buffer capacity and fertility.Results showed that CEC and contents of exchangeable calcium（Ca2＋）,magnesium（Mg2＋）,potassium（K＋） and sodium（Na＋） were significantly increased,and Ca2＋ saturation tended to decrease,while K＋ saturation tended to increase with the increases of sheep manure application rates.The Ca2＋/Mg2＋ and Ca2＋/K＋ ratios decreased,while Mg2＋,K＋ and Na＋ saturations increased with increasing manure application rates.Both base cations and CEC were significantly and positively correlated with soil organic carbon（SOC） and soil p H.The increases of SOC and soil p H would be the dominant factors that contribute to the increase of cations in soil.On a comparison with the initial soil p H before the experiment,we deduced that sheep manure application could partly buffer soil p H decrease potentially induced by atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur.Our results indicate that sheep manure application is beneficial to the maintenance of base cations and the buffering of soil acidification,and therefore can improve soil fertility in the semi-arid steppes of northeastern China.

Effect of six years of nitrogen additions on soil chemistry in a subtropical Pleioblastus amarus forest, Southwest China

Soil chemistry influences plant health and carbon storage in forest ecosystems. Increasing nitrogen(N) deposition has potential effect on soil chemistry. We studied N deposition effects on soil chemistry in subtropical Pleioblastus amarus bamboo forest ecosystems. An experiment with four N treatment levels(0, 50, 150,and300 kg N ha-1a-1,applied monthly, expressed as CK,LN,MN, HN,respectively) in three replicates. After6 years of N additions, soil base cations, acid-forming cations, exchangeable acidity(EA), organic carbon fractions and nitrogen components were measured in all four seasons. The mean soil pH values in CK,LN,MN and HN were 4.71, 4.62, 4.71, and 4.40, respectively, with a significant difference between CK and HN. Nitrogen additions significantly increased soil exchangeable Al3+,EA, and Al/Ca,and exchangeable Al3+ in HN increased by 70%compared to CK. Soil base cations(Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, and Na+) did not respond to N additions. Nitrogen treatments significantly increased soil NO3--N but had little effect on soil total nitrogen, particulate organic nitrogen, or NH4~+-N. Nitrogen additions did not affect soil total organic carbon, extractable dissolved organic carbon,incorporated organic carbon, or particulate organic carbon.This study suggests that increasing N deposition could increase soil NO3--N, reduce soil pH, and increase mobilization of Al3+. These changes induced by N deposition can impede root grow and function, further may influence soil carbon storage and nutrient cycles in the future.

Coastal afforestation effects on soil properties at Hatiya in Bangladesh

An exploratory study was conducted in the coastal plantation （12- and 17-year-old Sonneratia apetala） of Char Alim and Char Piya and on their adjacent barren lands at Char Rehania and Char Nurul Islam in Hatiya of Noakhali district, in Bangladesh to determine afforestation effects on soil properties. At soil depths of 0-10, 10-30 and 30-40 cm across three different land strips viz. inland, middle and sea side in 12- and 17-year-old keora （Sonneratia apetala） plantations, soil moisture, particle density, organic matter and C, total N, pH, available P, K, Na, Ca and Mg were significantly （p≤0.05, p≤0.01, p≤0.001） higher, and soil salinity significantly （p〈0.001） lower than that in their adjacent barren lands. Soil moisture, particle density, organic matter and C, total N, pH, soil salinity, available P, K, Na, Ca and Mg of surface soil in Char Alim plantation at inland were 31.09%, 2.24 g.cm^-3, 2.41%, 4.14%, 0.58%, 7.07, 0.09 dS＇cm^-1, 28.06 mg.L^-1, 0.50 mg-L^- 1 11.5 mg-L^-1, 3.30 mg·L^-1 and 2.7 mmol.kg^-1, respectively. Their corresponding values for the same depth and land position at adjacent Char Rehania barren land were 16.69%, 1.25g.cm^-3, 0.43%, 0.74%, 0.25%, 6.57, 0.13 dS.cm^-1, 13.07mg-L^-1, 0.30 mg.L^-1, 1.4 mg.L^-1, 0.30 mmol·kg^-1 and 0.50 mg.L^-1, respectively. Soil moisture, particle density, organic matter and C, total N, pH, available P, K and Ca decreased, and soil salinity, available Na and Mg increased from inland towards sea side in the plantations. Although soil texture did not differ in most soil depths between plantation and adjacent barren land, proportion of sand particle was significantly （p≤0.01） lower and silt particle significantly （p〈0.001） in the plantations higher than that in their adjacent barren lands. In the study, evaluation of all the parameters was also done for the other pair of lands.

Effects of simulated acid rain on cation releasing in soils of South China

This paper deals with the release of base cations and Al^3+ at the treatment with simulated acid rain (SAR) in main soil types collected from South China. Results showed that the amounts of base cations increased obviously when the pH value of simulated acid rain was lower than 30 or 35. Compared with the leaching of K^+ and Na^+, the leaching of Ca^2+ and Mg^2+ was affected by the pH value of SAR. Only when the amounts of base cations leached from soils exceeded the cation exchange capacity, the pH value of leaching solutions decreased sharply and the amounts of released Al^3+ increased. The H^+ buffering mechanisms, which were affected not only by the pH values of SAR, but also by the types and solid components of soils, were proposed for the main soils studied.

Exchange of Proton and Major Elements in Two-Layer Canopies Under Acid Rain in a Subtropical Evergreen Forest in Central-South China

Canopy exchanges of H^＋ and N （NH4^＋-N, NO3^--N） and other major ions were evaluated and quantified In twolayer canopies based on throughfall measurements in Shaoshan Forest during the period 2000-2002, central-south China, The collected annual rainfall, throughfall, and sub-throughfall were 1 401, 1 191, and 1 084 mm/year, respectively. Fifteen percent and 8% of rainfall （or 9% of throughfall） were intercepted by the top canopy and sub-canopy layers, respectively, The foliar leaching of base cations from the top canopy was significantly higher than that from the sub-canopy, and the latter accounted for 25% of the former. The uptake of H^＋ and NH4^＋ was significantly higher in the top canopy than in the sub-canopy, indicating that the canopy buffering capacity in the top canopy was stronger than the sub-canopy; Mg^2＋ can be absorbed from water flux on the sub-canopy foliar surfaces to compensate for the Mg deficit in the forest soil during the growing season,