Maize straw application as an interlayer improves organic carbon and total nitrogen concentrations in the soil profile: A four-year experiment in a saline soil

Soil salinization is a critical environmental issue restricting agricultural production.Deep return of straw to the soil as an interlayer (at 40 cm depth) has been a popular practice to alleviate salt stress.However,the legacy effects of straw added as an interlayer at different rates on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) in saline soils still remain inconclusive.Therefore,a four-year (2015–2018) field experiment was conducted with four levels (i.e.,0,6,12and 18 Mg ha~(–1)) of straw returned as an interlayer.Compared with no straw interlayer (CK),straw addition increased SOC concentration by 14–32 and 11–57%in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers,respectively.The increases in soil TN concentration (8–22 and 6–34%in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers,respectively) were lower than that for SOC concentration,which led to increased soil C:N ratio in the 20–60 cm soil depth.Increases in SOC and TN concentrations in the 20–60 cm soil layer with straw addition led to a decrease in stratification ratios (0–20 cm:20–60 cm),which promoted uniform distributions of SOC and TN in the soil profile.Increases in SOC and TN concentrations were associated with soil salinity and moisture regulation and improved sunflower yield.Generally,compared with other treatments,the application of 12 Mg ha~(–1) straw had higher SOC,TN and C:N ratio,and lower soil stratification ratio in the2015–2017 period.The results highlighted that legacy effects of straw application as an interlayer were maintained for at least four years,and demonstrated that deep soil straw application had a great potential for improving subsoil fertility in salt-affected soils.

Changes of soil organic carbon and nitrogen in forage grass fields,citrus orchard and coniferous forests

Dynamic quantitative assessment of soil organic C and N is an available approach to understand the exact impact of land management on soils fertility. In this study the biomass of plants and content of soil organic C and N were compared in four typical land use systems which were planted with Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge.), Citrus (Citrus reticulata Blanco.), and Masson pine (Pinus Massoniana Lamb.) during 10 years in south China. Although biomass of plants in these four land use systems was nearly at the same level in the former investigation, total biomass for Ryegrass (RG), Bahiagrass (BG) was 3.68 and 3.75 times higher than that for Citrus (CT), and 2.06 and 2.14 times higher than that for Masson pine (MP) over 10 years of cultivation, respectively. Especially, underground total biomass for both RG and BG was over 10 times larger than that for CT and MP, indicating that forage grasses was much more beneficial to increase organic C and N storage in soils than CT and MP. The change content of soil organic C and N mainly occurred within soil depth of the 0–40 cm. The increased content of soil organic carbon and nitrogen was for 1.5 t·hm?2 and 0.2 t·hm?2 in the soil with planting RG and BG, and was for 1.2 t·hm?2 and 0.02 t·hm?2 in the soil with planting CT. An average loss was for 0.4 t·hm?2 and 0.04 t·hm?2 in the soil with planting MP during 10-year period. Keywords Soil organic carbon - Soil organic nitrogen - Dynamic change - Land use - Quantitative assessment CLC number S153.61 Document code A Foundation item: This research was partly supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (30100144), and by Scientific Committee of Shenyang City (1011501900).Biography: WANG Xiao-ju (1967-), mail, Ph.D. Researcher in Center for Environmental Science in Saitama. Saitama Prefecture 347 0115, Japan.Responsible editor: Zhu Hong

Characteristics of Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen in Rubber Plantations Soil at Different Age Stages in the Western Region of Hainan Island

[Objective]The aim was to study on the characteristics of soil organic carbon and nitrogen in rubber （Hevea brasiliensis Muell-Arg） plantations at different age stages in the western region of Hainan Island,so as to evaluate the ecological benefits of rubber plantations and provide basic data for studying the effect of tropical land utilization/cover change on the global carbon and nitrogen cycle. [Method]The situs was in Danzhou city,western region of Hainan Island,and the samples were four kinds of rubber plantations soil at different ages and one kind of control check （pepper,Piper nigrum L.） soil. In this research,four quadrats were set up in each sample,and the size of each was 20 cm×20 cm. Four specimens were gathered from four layers of 0-15,15-30,30-45,45-60,and the average of them was the last analysis result of each sample. Soil density was measured by cutting ring method,soil containing and hygroscopic water was detected by oven drying method,soil organic carbon （SOC） was measured by low temperature heated outside potassium dichromate oxidation-colorimetry method,and soil total nitrogen （STN） was detected by semimicro Kjeldahl method. [Result]SOC contents of different layers in rubber plantations soil at different age stages （including the CK pepper soil,the same as below） varied little,and the content of SOC in surface layer （0-15 cm） was higher,while the underlayer （45-60 cm） was lower than the average value; there was significant difference in SOC content among different kinds of soil,and the content was of 6.03-7.78 g/kg,tapping young trees （7 years） CK pepper mature age trees （30 years） prophase of young trees （2 years） tapping trees （16 years）; there was no significant difference in SOC storage among different kinds of soil,and the storage was of 61.33-74.29 t/hm2,mature age trees （30 years） tapping young trees （7 years） prophase of young trees （2 years） CK pepper tapping trees （16 years）; there was significant difference in STN content among rubber plantations soil at different age stages,the content was of 410.86-664.14 mg/kg2,CK pepper tapping young trees （7 years） prophase of young trees （2 years） mature age trees （30 years） tapping trees （16 years）,and STN content of tapping trees （16 years） soil was extremely lowest; there was significant difference in C/N ratio among different kinds of soil,the ratio was of 10.94-14.47,and the ratio of tapping trees （16 years） mature age trees （30 years） tapping young trees （7 years） CK pepper prophase of young trees （2 years）. [Conclusion]There wasn＇t unhealthy effect of rubber trees planted in tropical area on the content and storage of SOC,the content of STN and the ratio of C/N. there was no significant difference between rubber plantations and CK pepper soil,and the effects of rubber plantation on soil carbon-nitrogen was similar to that of other tropical crops （such as pepper）.

Analysis on Variation of Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen Content and Carbon Storage in the Oasis Cotton Field of Manas River Valley

Objective] The research aimed to study soil organic carbon and total ni-trogen distribution in oasis cotton farmland. [Method] With the oasis cotton field of Manas River Val ey in Tianshan Mountains as the research area and abandoned farmland as a control, the distribution characteristics of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen content in the cotton field of Manas River Val ey in the last 23 years were investigated by using geographic methods. [Result] Presenting vertical distribution, cotton soil organic carbon and total nitrogen content in Manas River Val ey de-creased with the increase of soil depth, and those in 0-30 cm soil layer was sig-nificantly higher than those in soil layer of below 30 cm, while organic carbon stor-age showed the trend of increase. Also in vertical distribution, soil organic carbon and total nitrogen decreased significantly with the increase of soil depth, and soil organic carbon content in abandoned farmland decreased month by month. Howev-er, cotton soil organic carbon storage firstly decreased and then increased in the oasis cotton field that in the early growth of cotton, soil organic carbon in the layers of 0-30 and 30-100 cm decreased to the lowest in the bloom stage, and then or-ganic carbon increased with the reproductive growth of cotton into the later stages. However, due to no input of plant litter in the abandoned farmland, the soil organic carbon storage decreased month by month. There were significantly differences be-tween oasis cotton field and abandoned farmland in organic carbon contents. [Con-clusion] The soil organic carbon content and total nitrogen content in oasis cotton field were significantly higher than those in the abandoned farmland. The soil organ-ic carbon storage increased in the layer of 0-30 cm, while there was no significant change of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen content in the layer of 30-100 cm, which was consistent with the previous study on the distribution characteristics of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen content profile.

Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in precipitation, throughfall and stemflow from Schima superba and Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations in subtropical China

Despite growing attention to the role of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in forest nutrient cycling, their monthly concentration dynamics in forest ecosystems, especially in subtropical forests only were little known. The goal of this study is to measure the concentrations and monthly dynamics of DOC and DON in precipitation, throughfall and stemflow for two planta- tions of Schima superba (SS) and Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata, CF) in Jianou, Fujian, China. Samples of precipitation, throughfall and stemflow were collected on a rain event base from January 2002 to December 2002. Upon collection, all water samples were analyzed for DOC, NO3 -N, NH4 -N and total dissolved N (TDN). DON was calculated by subtracting NO3 -N and NH4 -N from TDN. The results - + - + showed that the precipitation had a mean DOC concentration of 1.7 mg·L-1 and DON concentration of 0.13 mg·L-1. The mean DOC and DON concentrations in throughfall were 11.2 and 0.24 mg·L-1 in the SS and 10.3 and 0.19 mg·L-1 in the CF respectively. Stemflow DOC and DON concentrations in the CF (19.1 and 0.66 mg·L-1 respectively) were significantly higher than those in the SS (17.6 and 0.48 mg·L-1 respectively). No clear monthly variation in precipitation DOC concentration was found in our study, while DON concentration in precipita- tion tended to be higher in summer or autumn. The monthly variations of DON concentrations were very similar in throughfall and stemflow at both forests, showing an increase at the beginning of the rainy season in March. In contrast, monthly changes of the DOC concentrations in throughfall of the SS and CF were different to those in stemflow. Throughfall DOC concentrations were higher from February to April, while relatively higher DOC concentrations in stemflow were found during September-November period.

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.

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.

Effects of Fertilization Types and Cultivation Years on Dissolved Organic Carbon(DOC) in Paddy Soil under Water-logging Condition

In this study, the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of dis- solved organic carbon （DOC） in water-logged paddy soil in Yanbian were investigat- ed under conditions of different fertilization types （single application of chemical fer- tilizer, mixed application and chemical and organic fertilizers and single application of organic fertilizer） and cultivation years （80 years and 120 years）. The results showed that the spatial and temporal distribution of DOC in water-logged paddy soil changed significantly with time going by. The single application of chemical fertilizer or mixed application of chemical and organic fertilizers contributed to the release of DOC in top paddy soil under water-logging condition; the single application of organ- ic fertilizer promoted the accumulation of DOC in bottom paddy soil, resulting in great heterogeneity of DOC in the vertical space, but the single application of chem- ical fertilizer weakened the vertical spatial heterogeneity of soil DOC; the DOC con- tent in the 80-year-old water-logged paddy soil was higher and more stable than that in the 120-year-old soil.

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.

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.

Dynamics of organic carbon and nitrogen in deep soil profile and crop yields under long-term fertilization in wheat-maize cropping system

Soil organic carbon(SOC)and nitrogen(N)are two of the most important indicators for agricultural productivity.The primary objective of this study was to investigate the changes in SOC and N in the deep soil profile(up to 100 cm)and their relationships with crop productivity under the influence of long-term(since 1990)fertilization in the wheat-maize cropping system.Treatments included CK(control),NP(inorganic N and phosphorus(P)fertilizers),NPK(inorganic N,P and potassium fertilizers),NPKM(NPK plus manure),and M(manure).Crop yield and the properties of topsoil were measured yearly from 2001 to 2009.C and N contents were measured at five different depths in 2001 and 2009.The results showed that wheat and maize yields decreased between 2001 and 2009 under the inorganic fertilizer(NP and NPK)treatments.The average yield between 2001 and 2009 under the NP,NPK,NPKM,and M treatments(compared with the CK treatment)increased by 38,115,383,and 381%,respectively,for wheat and 348,891,2738,and 1845%,respectively,for maize.Different long-term fertilization treatments significantly changed coarse free particulate(cf POC),fine free particulate(ff POC),intramicroaggregate particulate(i POC),and mineral-associated(m SOC)organic carbon fractions.In the experimental years of 2001 and 2009,soil fractions occurred in the following order for all treatments:m SOC>cf POC>i POC>ff POC.All fractions were higher under the manure application treatments than under the inorganic fertilization treatments.Compared to the inorganic fertilization treatments,manure input enhanced the stocks of SOC and total N in the surface layer(0–20 cm)but decreased SOC and N in the deep soil layer(80–100 cm).This reveals the efficiency of manure in increasing yield productivity and decreasing risk of vertical loss of nutrients,especially N,compared to inorganic fertilization treatments.The findings provide opportunities for understanding deep soil C and N dynamics,which could help mitigate climate change impact on agricultural production and maintain soil health.

Distribution characteristics of dissolved organic carbon in annular wetland soil-water solutions through soil profiles in the Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

Overwhelming evidence reveals that concentrations of dissolved organic carbon （DOC） have increased in streams which brings negative environmental impacts. DOC in stream flow is mainly originated from soil-water solutions of watershed. Wetlands prove to be the most sensitive areas as an important DOC reserve between terrestrial and fluvial biogeosystems. This reported study was focused on the distribution characteristics and the controlling factors of DOC in soil-water solutions of annular wetland, i.e., a dishing wetland and a forest wetland together, in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. The results indicate that DOC concentrations in soilwater solutions decreased and then increased with increasing soil depth in the annular wetland. In the upper soil layers of 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm, DOC concentrations in soil-water solutions linearly increased from edge to center of the annular wetland （R^2 = 0.3122 and R^2 = 0.443）. The distribution variations were intimately linked to DOC production and utilization and DOC transport processes in annular wetland soil-water solutions. The concentrations of total organic carbon （TOC）, total carbon （TC） and Fe（II）, DOC mobility and continuous vertical and lateral flow affectext the distribution variations of DOC in soil-water solutions. The correlation coefficients between DOC concentrations and TOC, TC and Fe（II） were 0.974, 0.813 and 0.753 respectively. These distribution characteristics suggested a systematic response of the distribution variations of DOC in annular wetland soil-water solutions to the geometry of closed depressions on a scale of small catchments. However, the DOC in soil pore water of the annular wetland may be the potential source of DOC to stream flow on watershed scale. These observations also implied the fragmentation of wetland landscape could bring the spatial-temporal variations of DOC distribution and exports, which would bring negative environmental impacts in watersheds of the Sanjiang Plain.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Effect of Different Fertilization Patterns on Carbon and Nitrogen Components of Tobacco Topsoil

In order to explore the fertilizing ways and dynamic changes of soil carbon and nitrogen in the main producing areas of tobacco in Guizhou,research was conducted to study the variations of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen,total organic carbon and nitrogen and their ratio of tobacco-topsoil in organic fertilization pattern and conventional cultivation pattern （No fertilizer as control） by pot experiment.The results were as follows：（1） The effects of different fertilization patterns on soil dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen and total organic carbon and nitrogen were significantly different.The content of DOC,DON,TOC and TON in tobaccotopsoil was decreased with the advancing of growth period in conventional fertilization pattern.In the conventional fertilization pattern,the accumulation of DOC and TOC was increased first and then decreased,and the accumulation of DON and TON was decreased first and then increased.（2） The TOC content at the different growing stage and DOC content at the middle and later stage of tobacco were significantly improved in organic fertilization patterns.The accumulation of DON and TON in the conventional fertilization pattern was significantly higher than those in the organic fertilizer pattern and control at the rosette stage and vigorous stage.In the harvest period,the content of DOC,DON,TOC and TON of tobacco-topsoil in the conventional fertilization and organic fertilization pattern was significantly higher than those in the control.（3）The DOC/DON ratio and the TOC/TiON ratio was increased gradually with the advancing of growth period in conventional fertilization pattern,but they were increased first and then decreased in the organic fertilization pattern and CK.The DOC/DON and TOC/TON ratio of tobacco-topsoil in different fertilization patterns was showed as Y J＞ CK＞ CG at the different growing stage.The experiment results revealed that：The organic fertilization pattern may improve significantly the accumulation of DOC,DON,TOC and TON of tobacco-topsoil at the middle and later stage and the DOC/DON and TOC/TON ratio at the different growth stage.It contributed to the continuous and balanced supply of nutrients at the middle and later stage of tobacco and the soil fertility.