Changes in carbon storage in temperate humic loamy soils after forest clearing and continuous corn cropping in France

Soil samples from forest and agricultural sites in three areas of southwest France were collected to determine the effect of forest conversion to continuous intensive corn cropping with no organic matter management on soil organic carbon (C) content. Soils were humic loamy soils and site characteristics that may affect soil C were as uniform as possible (slope, elevation, texture, soil type, vegetation). Three areas were selected, with adjacent sites of various ages of cultivation (3 to 35 yr), and paired control forest sites. The ploughed horizon (0-Dt cm) and the Dt-50 cm layer were collected at each agricultural site. In forest sites, each 10 cm layer was collected systematically down to 1 meter depth. Carbon concentrations were converted to total content to a given depth as the product of concentration, depth of sample and bulk density, and expressed in units of kg m^-2. For each site and each sampled layer, the mineral mass of soil was calculated, in order to base comparisons on the same soil mass rather than the same depth. The pattern of C accumulation in forest soils showed an exponential decrease with depth. Results suggested that soil organic carbon declined rapidly during the first years of cultivation, and at a slower rate thereafter. This pattern of decrease can be fitted by a bi-exponential model assuming that initial soil organic carbon can be separated into two parts, a very labile pool reduced during the first rapid decline and more refractory fractions oxidizing at a slower rate. Sampling to shallow depths (0-Dt cm) resulted in over-estimation of the rate of carbon release in proportion to the initial amount of C, and in under-estimation of the total loss of C with age. The results for the 0–50 cm horizon indicated that losses of total carbon average about 50% in these soils, ranging in initial carbon content from 19 to 32.5 kg m^-2. Carbon release to the atmosphere averaged 0.8 kg m^-2 yr^-1 to 50 cm depth during the first 10 years of cultivation. The results demonstrate that temperate soils may also be an important source of atmospheric carbon, when they are initially high in carbon content and then cultivated intensively with no organic matter management.     

Land use change and the global carbon cycle: the role of tropical soils

Millions of hectares of tropical forest are cleared annually for agriculture, pasture, shifting cultivation and timber. One result of these changes in land use is the release of CO₂ from the cleared vegetation and soils. Although there is uncertainty as to the size of this release, it appears to be a major source of atmospheric CO₂, second only to the release from the combustion of fossil fuels. This study estimates the release of CO₂ from tropical soils using a computer model that simulates land use change in the tropics and data on (1) the carbon content of forest soils before clearing; (2) the changes in the carbon content under the various types of land use; and (3) the area of forest converted to each use. It appears that the clearing and use of tropical soils affects their carbon content to a depth of about 40 cm. Soils of tropical closed forests contain approximately 6.7 kg C · m^-2; soils of tropical open forests contain approximately 5.2 kg C · m^-2 to this depth. The cultivation of tropical soils reduces their carbon content by 40% 5 yr after clearing; the use of these soils for pasture reduces it by about 20%. Logging in tropical forests appears to have little effect on soil carbon. The carbon content of soils used by shifting cultivators returns to the level found under primary forest about 35 yr after abandonment. The estimated net release of carbon from tropical soils due to land use change was 0.11–0.26 × 10¹⁵ g in 1980.     

Soil organic carbon budget and fertility variation of black soils in Northeast China

Black soils in Northeast China are characteristic of high soil organic carbon (SOC) density and were strongly influenced by human activities. Therefore, any change in SOC pool of these soils would not only impact the regional and global carbon cycle, but also affect the release and immobilization of nutrients. In this study, we reviewed the research progress on SOC storage, budget, variation, and fertility under different scenarios. The results showed that the organic carbon storage of black soils was 646.2 TgC and the most potential sequestration was 2887.8 g m⁻². According to the SOC budget, the net carbon emission of black soils was 1.3 TgC year⁻¹ under present soil management system. The simulation of CENTURY model showed that future climate change and elevated CO₂ concentration, especially the increase of precipitation, would increase SOC content. Furthermore, fertilization and cropping sequence obviously influenced SOC content, composition, and allocation among different soil particles. Long-term input of organic materials such as manure and straw renewed original SOC, improved soil structure and increased SOC accumulation. Besides, soil erosion preferred to transport soil particles with low density and fine size, decreased recalcitrant SOC fractions at erosion sites and increased activities of soil microorganism at deposition sites. After natural grasslands were converted into croplands, obvious variation of soil chemical nutrients, physical structure, and microbial activities had taken place in surface and subsurface soils, and represented a degrading trend to a certain degree. Our studies suggested that adopting optimal management such as conservation tillage in black soil region is an important approach to sequester atmospheric CO₂ and to slow greenhouse effects.     

Mechanisms of C Sequestration in Soils of Latin America

Carbon (C) sequestration, defined as the process whereby atmospheric CO₂ is transferred into a long-lived C pool, is an important issue not only in the scientific community but also in the society at large because of its potential role in off-setting fossil fuel emissions. Through photosynthesis this C is stored in plants and through decomposition, trunks, branches, leaves and roots are incorporated in the soil via the action of different soil organisms, i.e., bacteria, fungi and invertebrates. This, together with the C exudates from roots that are utilized by microbial populations, constitutes the natural pathways of incorporating biomass-C into the soil. The amount of C stored in terrestrial ecosystems is the third largest among the global C pools. Soil organic carbon (SOC) up to 3 m is 2,344 Pg C (1 Petagram = 10¹⁵ g), and the SOC pool in tropical soils is approximately 30% of the global pool. Abiotic factors, which moderate C sequestration in soils are clay content, mineralogy, structural stability, landscape position, and soil moisture and temperature regimes. On the other hand, biotic factors involved in soil C sequestration are determined by the activities of soil organisms. However, models do not include the formation, stabilization and lifespan of the aggregates that have been biologically produced, including roots. This is not only due to the lack of studies on this subject, but also to overlooking the role of soil organisms in soil aggregation. Furthermore, there is a lack of comprehensive knowledge regarding the processes that control dissolved organic carbon (DOC) fluxes in soils and its role in the global budget of C sequestration. The boundaries of ecosystems are not considered in the studies of the subject, as it may be the case for terrestrial C sequestration, since the borders around the sites under study constitute pathways for the flow of C between sites and through the landscape. The concentrations of DOC in deep soil horizons and the contribution to DOC fluxes (exports) are relatively small, from 4 to 37 g DOC m^?2 yr^?1 retained in the mineral subsoil. In South America, although substantial research has been done under different ecosystems and land use systems in some countries, like Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, there is a need to conduct more studies with agreed standard methodologies in natural ecosystems and agricultural systems, and in other areas of Central America few studies have been undertaken to date. The principal objective of this review was to address the main mechanisms that determine SOC and SIC sequestration in soils of Latin America, and include: physical aggregate protection, SOC-clay interaction, DOC transport, bioturbation by soil organisms, and the formation of secondary carbonates. All of these mechanisms are generally explained by physical and chemical processes. In contrast, this review takes a soil ecological approach to describe the mechanisms listed above.     

Transformation of thicket to savanna reduces soil quality in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Xeric succulent thicket in the Eastern Cape, South Africa has been used for farming goats since the early 1900s. This habitat is characterised by a dense cover of the succulent bush Portulacaria afra and by a warm, semi-arid climate with evenly distributed annual rainfall of 250–400 mm. Heavy browsing by goats results in the loss of P. afra and transforms the thicket to an open savanna dominated by annual grasses. Eight fence-line comparisons between thicket and savanna were used to investigate differences in soil quality associated with the vegetation change. Composite soil samples were taken to a depth of 10 cm from 1 ha plots on either side of the fence-line. Associated with the change from thicket to savanna, a significant decrease (paired t-test, P < 0.05) was found in total C (respective means of 5.6 vs. 3.0%), total N (0.33 vs. 0.24%), labile C (2.8 vs. 1.5%), CO₂ flux (1.9 vs. 0.5 µmol m^–2 s^–1), soil respiration in the laboratory (144 vs. 79 ng C kg^–1 s^–1), (NH₄)OAc-extractable Mg (55 vs. 28 mmol_c kg^–1), and laboratory infiltration rate (51 vs. 19 mm h^–1). In the same direction there was a similarly significant increase in modulus of rupture (16 vs. 34 kPa), water-soluble Ca (2.3 vs. 3.4 mmol_c kg^–1) and pH (6.7 vs. 7.7). The soil C content of 5.6% in thicket is surprisingly high in this warm, semi-arid climate and suggests that the dense P. afra bush strongly regulates soil organic matter through microclimate, erosion control, litter quantity and perhaps chemistry. Savanna soils had a greater tendency to crust (as evident in a lower rate of laboratory infiltration and greater modulus of rupture) than thicket soils. This was attributed to their lower organic matter content, which probably reduced aggregate stability. Savannas are likely to be more prone to runoff and erosion not only because of sparser vegetation but also because of a decline in soil quality.     

子午岭植被演替过程中土壤剖面有机质与持水性能变化

研究表明,自然植被正向演替对土壤剖面有机质积累有显著促进作用,表现为：由弃耕地、草地、灌木、乔灌群聚到乔木的植被演替过程中,0-25cm土层有机质含量逐步增加,且演替初期的增加速度较快,而后增加速度相对变缓。植被演替过程中土壤有机质含量变化的主要原因在于植物凋落物归还量的变化。在同一时间测定的土壤剖面水分含量以及0-5cm土层田间持水量、容重、总孔度等与土壤持水性能相关的指标都与有机质含量呈极显著或显著相关,表明随剖面有机质的积累,土壤持水性能得到改善。     

石灰土演替过程中颗粒态有机质和矿物结合态有机质的微生物群落特征

碳酸盐岩经风化作用并在地形、植被、气候、时间及生物等因素的影响下逐渐演替出黑色石灰土、棕色石灰土、黄色石灰土和红色石灰土。【目的】研究不同演替阶段石灰土颗粒态有机质(particulate organic matter, POM)和矿物结合态有机质(mineral-associated organic matter, MAOM)的微生物群落特征,为岩溶土壤有机质稳定机制研究提供理论依据。【方法】以广西弄岗国家级自然保护区的黑色石灰土、棕色石灰土、黄色石灰土和红色石灰土为研究对象,运用湿筛法将土壤有机质(soil organic matter, SOM)分为POM和MAOM,分析其理化性质以及微生物群落特征。【结果】石灰土演替过程中POM和MAOM的有机碳、总氮、交换性钙含量均呈下降趋势,且MAOM的C/N均大于POM,POM的C/P均大于MAOM。细菌α多样性在黑色石灰土POM和MAOM中最高,且四类石灰土MAOM的真菌多样性比POM要高。Acidobacteria、Proteobacteria、Ascomycota均为石灰土演替过程中POM和MAOM的优势菌门。总磷是影响石灰土演替过...     

Water availability controls microbial temperature responses in frozen soil CO2 production

Soil processes in high-latitude regions during winter are important contributors to global carbon circulation, but our understanding of the mechanisms controlling these processes is poor and observed temperature response coefficients of CO₂ production in frozen soils deviate markedly from thermodynamically predicted responses (sometimes by several orders of magnitude). We investigated the temperature response of CO₂ production in 23 unfrozen and frozen surface soil samples from various types of boreal forests and peatland ecosystems and also measured changes in water content in them after freezing. We demonstrate that deviations in temperature responses at subzero temperatures primarily emanates from water deficiency caused by freezing of the soil water, and that the amount of unfrozen water is mainly determined by the quality of the soil organic matter, which is linked to the vegetation cover. Factoring out the contribution of water limitation to the CO₂ temperature responses yields response coefficients that agree well with expectations based on thermodynamic theory concerning biochemical temperature responses. This partitioning between a pure temperature response and the effect of water availability on the response of soil CO₂ production at low temperatures is crucial for a thorough understanding of low-temperature soil processes and for accurate predictions of C-balances in northern terrestrial ecosystems.     

贵州山区土壤中微生物担是能源物质碳流动的源与汇

在传统的农业生态系统的研究中 ,主要精力放在营养物 (如Ｎ)上 ,认为它们是限制生产力的因素 ;而往往忽略了土壤中碳的重要性 ,认为收获不受Ｃ限制的影响。然而 ,碳循环中的有机碳的分解作用部分控制着出现在地表下和显露在地表上的农业过程[4]。土壤中所储存的有机质 ,其数量既反映土壤从植物残留物的输入所获得的有机质与微生物群落的能量和营养需求之间的平衡 ,又反映植物对营养物的需求与有机质分解作用之间的平衡。因此 ,土壤中碳的平衡能反映出有机质中能量物质的储存[5]。大部分由光合作用形成的碳 ,是通过地表下的生态系统来流动的[…     

华北高产农田生态系统中蚯蚓种群次生演替规律

通过对山东省桓台县不同土壤肥力的农田生态系统中蚯蚓种群的调查发现 ,该地区农田生态系统中有 7种蚯蚓 ,高肥力土壤中蚯蚓相对较丰富 ,种群密度可达 83.83条 / m2 ,梯形流蚓为优势种 ;低肥力土壤中蚯蚓种群密度 4 0 .18条 / m2 ,优势种是天锡杜拉蚓。梯形流蚓和湖北远盲蚓在高肥力土壤中的种群密度要明显高于低肥力土壤 ;而其他几种蚯蚓种群数量变化不大 ,随着土壤肥力的演变 ,低肥力土壤中天锡杜拉蚓的优势地位随着土壤肥力的提高逐渐被梯形流蚓所代替。合理的投入特别是农田有机物投入可以加速农田生态系统中生态演替 ;试验中不同处理间蚯蚓的种群生物量有以下趋势 :化肥投入 <化肥与麦秸还田 <化肥与玉米麦秸全还田 <化肥与玉米麦秸全还田以及有机肥的施用。无论在高肥力还是低肥力的土壤上都表现出相同的规律 ,但蚯蚓种群组成并没有明显差异     

Is soil carbon disappearing? The dynamics of soil organic carbon in Java

Research in the soil of the tropics mostly has demonstrated the decline of soil organic carbon (SOC) after conversion of primary forest to plantation and cultivated lands. This paper illustrates the dynamics of SOC on the island of Java, Indonesia, from 1930 to 2010. We used 2002 soil profile observations containing organic carbon (C) analysis in the topsoil, which were collected by the Indonesian Center for Agricultural Land Resources Research & Development from 1923 to 2007. Results show the obvious decline of SOC values from around 2% in 1930–1940 to 0.8% in 1960–1970. However, there has been an increase of SOC content since 1970, with a median level of 1.1% in the year 2000. Our analysis suggests that the human influence and agricultural practices on SOC in Java have been a stronger influence than the environmental factors. SOC for the top 10 cm has shown a net accumulation rate of 0.2–0.3 Mg C ha^?1 yr^?1 during the period 1990–2000. These findings give rise to optimism for increased soil C sequestration in the tropics.     

集约和粗放经营下毛竹林土壤活性有机碳的变化

以集约和粗放经营的毛竹(Phyllostachys heterocycla ‘Pubescens’)林为研究对象, 探讨了春季毛竹林集约经营后土壤有机碳的变化。结果表明: (1)集约经营后毛竹林0-10和10-20 cm土层土壤总有机碳含量分别下降了7.01%和18.90%, 易氧化碳含量分别下降了31.22%和46.03%, 0-20 cm土层轻组有机质含量下降了19.87%。(2)两种毛竹林的土壤有机碳含量在剖面上整体上均随土层深度的增加而呈下降趋势, 但下降幅度不同。粗放经营的毛竹林土壤易氧化碳的剖面特征与总有机碳相似, 而集约经营的毛竹林存在明显差异。轻组有机质具有表聚性, 主要分布在土壤表层(0-20 cm)。(3)土壤总有机碳、易氧化碳、轻组有机质与土壤养分之间的相关性均达到极显著水平(p < 0.01), 总有机碳与速效磷显著相关(p < 0.05)。(4)集约经营后, 毛竹林0-10 cm土层土壤易氧化碳的碳素有效率和土壤碳库活度分别下降了26.01%和50.52%, 差异显著(p < 0.05); 10-20 cm土层分别下降了35.51%和54.41%。因此, 施加适当配比的有机肥和无机肥, 有利于土壤中各种有机碳的积累, 也可改善土壤的生物化学活性。     

城市土壤碳循环与碳固持研究综述

城市化过程带来的土地利用变化和环境污染是全球变化的重要方面,城市为人们了解人类与自然复合生态系统对全球变化的影响及其对全球变化的响应过程提供一个独特的\"天然实验室\"。陆地生态系统碳循环是全球变化研究的热点领域之一,然而,人们对城市在全球碳循环中的作用和影响知之甚少,城市土壤碳循环研究处于起步阶段。介绍了城市土壤的主要特性和碳循环特征,指出强烈的人为作用是其最突出的特点;综述了城市土壤碳库、碳通量和碳固持研究方面取得的进展;探讨了城市化过程中土地利用变化、土壤中生物及土壤管护措施、城市小气候、大气污染沉降和土壤污染等对土壤碳循环的影响;提出未来城市碳循环研究需要开展长期系统监测、深化城市土壤碳循环机制研究、创新研究范式和研究方法、并将研究成果与城市景观规划与设计相结合,提升城市土壤碳管理能力。