Litter type and soil minerals control temperate forest soil carbon response to climate change

Temperate forest soil organic carbon (C) represents a significant pool of terrestrial C that may be released to the atmosphere as CO₂ with predicted changes in climate. To address potential feedbacks between climate change and terrestrial C turnover, we quantified forest soil C response to litter type and temperature change as a function of soil parent material. We collected soils from three conifer forests dominated by ponderosa pine (PP; Pinus ponderosa Laws.); white fir [WF; Abies concolor (Gord. and Glend.) Lindl.]; and red fir (RF; Abies magnifica A. Murr.) from each of three parent materials, granite (GR), basalt (BS), and andesite (AN) in the Sierra Nevada of California. Field soils were incubated at their mean annual soil temperature (MAST), with addition of native ¹³C‐labeled litter to characterize soil C mineralization under native climate conditions. Further, we incubated WF soils at PP MAST with ¹³C‐labeled PP litter, and RF soils at WF MAST with ¹³C‐labeled WF litter to simulate a migration of MAST and litter type, and associated change in litter quality, up‐elevation in response to predicted climate warming. Results indicated that total CO₂ and percent of CO₂ derived from soil C varied significantly by parent material, following the pattern of GR>BS>AN. Regression analyses indicated interactive control of C mineralization by litter type and soil minerals. Soils with high short‐range‐order (SRO) mineral content exhibited little response to varying litter type, whereas PP litter enriched in acid‐soluble components promoted a substantial increase of extant soil C mineralization in soils of low SRO mineral content. Climate change conditions increased soil C mineralization greater than 200% in WF forest soils. In contrast, little to no change in soil C mineralization was noted for the RF forest soils, suggesting an ecosystem‐specific climate change response. The climate change response varied by parent material, where AN soils exhibited minimal change and GR and BS soils mineralized substantially greater soil C. This study corroborates the varied response in soil C mineralization by parent material and highlights how the soil mineral assemblage and litter type may interact to control conifer forest soil C response to climate change.     

东北东部森林生态系统土壤碳贮量和碳通量

土壤碳是高纬度地区森林生态系统最大的碳库,是森林生态系统碳循环的极其重要组分。研究了东北东部典型的6种次生林生态系统(天然蒙古栎林、杨桦林、杂木林、硬阔叶林、红松人工林和落叶松人工林)的土壤碳动态,包括(1)量化土壤有机碳(SOC)含量、碳密度及周转时间,(2)比较不同森林生态系统的土壤表面CO2通量(RS)年通量差异,(3)建立RS年通量及其分量与SOC的量化关系。研究结果表明:阔叶天然次生林和针叶人工林的SOC含量变化范围分别为52.63~66.29 g.kg-1和42.15~49.15 g.kg-1;平均SOC密度分别为15.57和17.16 kg.m-2;平均SOC周转时间分别为32a和48a。各个生态系统的RS依次为杂木林951 gC.m-2.a-1、硬阔叶林892 gC.m-2.-a 1、杨桦林812 gC.m-2.-a 1、蒙古栎林678gC.m-2.-a 1、红松林596 gC.m-2.-a 1和落叶松林451 gC.m-2.a-1。RS年通量及其分量(土壤异养呼吸和自养呼吸)与SOC含量呈显著的正相关,但其相关程度因土层不同而异(R2=0.747~0.933)。同一生态系统中,SOC含量随土深增加而降低,而SOC密度和SOC周转时间随深度增加而增大。采用统一规范的研究方法,获取大量有代表性的森林生态系统土壤碳贮量和RS的实测数据,是减少区域尺度碳平衡研究中不确定性的不可缺少的研究内容。     

Carbon monoxide uptake kinetics in unamended and long-term nitrogen-amended temperate forest soils

The effect of nitrogen (N) additions on the dynamics of carbon monoxide consumption in temperate forest soils is poorly understood. We measured soil CO profiles, potential rates of CO consumption and uptake kinetics in temperate hardwood and pine control plots and plots amended with 50 and 150 kg N ha-1 year-1 for more than 15 years. Soil profiles of CO concentrations were above atmospheric levels in the high-N plots of both stands, suggesting that in these forest soils the balance between consumption and production may be shifted so that either production is increased or consumption decreased. Highest rates of CO consumption were measured in the organic horizon and decreased with soil depth. In the N-amended plots, CO consumption increased in all but one soil depth of the hardwood stand, but decreased in all soil depths of the pine stand. CO enzyme affinities increased with soil depth in the control plots. However, enzyme affinities in the most active soil depths (organic and 0-5 cm mineral) decreased in response to low levels of N in both stands. In the high-N plots, affinities dramatically-increased in the hardwood stand, but decreased in the organic horizon and increased slightly in the 0-5 cm mineral soil in the pine stand. These findings indicate that long-term N addition either by fertilization or deposition may alter the size, composition and/or physiology of the community of CO consumers so that their ability to act as a sink for atmospheric CO has changed. This change could have a substantial effect on the lifetime of greenhouse gases such as CH4 and therefore the future of Earth's climate.     

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.     

Drivers of postfire soil organic carbon accumulation in the boreal forest

The accumulation of soil carbon (C) is regulated by a complex interplay between abiotic and biotic factors. Our study aimed to identify the main drivers of soil C accumulation in the boreal forest of eastern North America. Ecosystem C pools were measured in 72 sites of fire origin that burned 2–314 years ago over a vast region with a range of ? mean annual temperature of 3°C and one of ? 500 mm total precipitation. We used a set of multivariate a priori causal hypotheses to test the influence of time since fire (TSF), climate, soil physico‐chemistry and bryophyte dominance on forest soil organic C accumulation. Integrating the direct and indirect effects among abiotic and biotic variables explained as much as 50% of the full model variability. The main direct drivers of soil C stocks were: TSF >bryophyte dominance of the FH layer and metal oxide content >pH of the mineral soil. Only climate parameters related to water availability contributed significantly to explaining soil C stock variation. Importantly, climate was found to affect FH layer and mineral soil C stocks indirectly through its effects on bryophyte dominance and organo‐metal complexation, respectively. Soil texture had no influence on soil C stocks. Soil C stocks increased both in the FH layer and mineral soil with TSF and this effect was linked to a decrease in pH with TSF in mineral soil. TSF thus appears to be an important factor of soil development and of C sequestration in mineral soil through its influence on soil chemistry. Overall, this work highlights that integrating the complex interplay between the main drivers of soil C stocks into mechanistic models of C dynamics could improve our ability to assess C stocks and better anticipate the response of the boreal forest to global change.     

中国东北地区阔叶红松林与兴安落叶松林的碳通量特征及其影响因子比较

北半球中高纬度的森林生态系统在全球碳循环过程中扮演着非常重要的角色。基于中国东北地区阔叶红松林与兴安落叶松林2007年和2008年2a生长季的涡度相关通量资料及气象观测资料,比较分析了两类生态系统的碳通量特征及其环境控制因子。结果表明:研究期间,阔叶红松林与兴安落叶松林都表现为碳吸收,强度分别为199gCm-2(阔叶红松林2a生长季平均值)与49gCm-2(兴安落叶松林2008年生长季);阔叶红松林碳吸收强度在生长季的大部分时段都大于兴安落叶松林。半小时尺度上,两类生态系统的呼吸作用均与10cm土壤温度呈显著的指数相关,兴安落叶松林生态系统呼吸的温度敏感性(Q10=3.44)显著大于阔叶红松林(Q10=1.90);日尺度上,阔叶红松林与兴安落叶松林碳释放/吸收的转变临界温度为10℃左右。研究期间,兴安落叶松林生态系统的水分利用效率高于阔叶红松林生态系统。     

Mineral soil carbon pool responses to forest clearing in Northeastern hardwood forests

Harvesting forests introduces substantial changes to the ecosystem, including physical and chemical alterations to the soil. In the Northeastern United States, soils account for at least 50% of total ecosystem C storage, with mineral soils comprising the majority of that storage. However, mineral soils are sometimes omitted from whole‐system C accounting models due to variability, lack of data, and sample collection challenges. This study aimed to provide a better understanding of how forest harvest affects mineral soil C pools over the century following disturbance. We hypothesized that mineral soil C pools would be lower in forests that had been harvested in the last one hundred years vs. forests that were >100 years old. We collected mineral soil cores (to 60 cm depth) from 20 forest stands across the Northeastern United States, representing seven geographic areas and a range of times since last harvest. We compared recently harvested forests to >100‐year‐old forests and used an information theoretic approach to model C pool dynamics over time after disturbance. We found no significant differences between soil C pools in >100‐year‐old and harvested forests. However, we found a significant negative relationship between time since forest harvest and the size of mineral soil C pools, which suggested a gradual decline in C pools across the region after harvesting. We found a positive trend between C : N ratio and % SOM in harvested forests, but in >100‐year‐old forests a weak negative trend was found. Our study suggests that forest harvest does cause biogeochemical changes in mineral soil, but that a small change in a C pool may be difficult to detect when comparing large, variable C pools. Our results are consistent with previous studies that found that soil C pools have a gradual and slow response to disturbance, which may last for several decades following harvest.     

Soil carbon cycling in a temperate forest: radiocarbon-based estimates of residence times, sequestration rates and partitioning of fluxes

Temperate forests of North America are thought to besignificant sinks of atmospheric CO₂. Wedeveloped a below-ground carbon (C) budget forwell-drained soils in Harvard Forest Massachusetts, anecosystem that is storing C. Measurements of carbonand radiocarbon (¹⁴C) inventory were used todetermine the turnover time and maximum rate ofCO₂ production from heterotrophic respiration ofthree fractions of soil organic matter (SOM):recognizable litter fragments (L), humified lowdensity material (H), and high density ormineral-associated organic matter (M). Turnover timesin all fractions increased with soil depth and were2–5 years for recognizable leaf litter, 5–10 years forroot litter, 40–100+ years for low density humifiedmaterial and >100 years for carbon associated withminerals. These turnover times represent the timecarbon resides in the plant + soil system, and mayunderestimate actual decomposition rates if carbonresides for several years in living root, plant orwoody material.Soil respiration was partitioned into two componentsusing ¹⁴C: recent photosynthate which ismetabolized by roots and microorganisms within a yearof initial fixation (Recent-C), and C that is respiredduring microbial decomposition of SOM that resides inthe soil for several years or longer (Reservoir-C).For the whole soil, we calculate that decomposition ofReservoir-C contributes approximately 41% of thetotal annual soil respiration. Of this 41%,recognizable leaf or root detritus accounts for 80%of the flux, and 20% is from the more humifiedfractions that dominate the soil carbon stocks.Measurements of CO₂ and ¹⁴CO₂ in thesoil atmosphere and in total soil respiration werecombined with surface CO₂ fluxes and a soil gasdiffusion model to determine the flux and isotopicsignature of C produced as a function of soil depth. 63% of soil respiration takes place in the top 15 cmof the soil (O + A + Ap horizons). The average residencetime of Reservoir-C in the plant + soil system is8±1 years and the average age of carbon in totalsoil respiration (Recent-C + Reservoir-C) is 4±1years.The O and A horizons have accumulated 4.4 kgC m^–2above the plow layer since abandonment by settlers inthe late-1800's. C pools contributing the most to soilrespiration have short enough turnover times that theyare likely in steady state. However, most C is storedas humified organic matter within both the O and Ahorizons and has turnover times from 40 to 100+ yearsrespectively. These reservoirs continue to accumulatecarbon at a combined rate of 10–30 gC m^{minus 2}yr^–1. This rate of accumulation is only 5–15% of the total ecosystem C sink measured in this stand using eddy covariance methods.     

Global climate change and soil carbon stocks; predictions from two contrasting models for the turnover of organic carbon in soil

Enhanced release of CO₂ to the atmosphere from soil organic carbon as a result of increased temperatures may lead to a positive feedback between climate change and the carbon cycle, resulting in much higher CO₂ levels and accelerated global warming. However, the magnitude of this effect is uncertain and critically dependent on how the decomposition of soil organic C (heterotrophic respiration) responds to changes in climate. Previous studies with the Hadley Centre's coupled climate–carbon cycle general circulation model (GCM) (HadCM3LC) used a simple, single‐pool soil carbon model to simulate the response. Here we present results from numerical simulations that use the more sophisticated ‘RothC’ multipool soil carbon model, driven with the same climate data. The results show strong similarities in the behaviour of the two models, although RothC tends to simulate slightly smaller changes in global soil carbon stocks for the same forcing. RothC simulates global soil carbon stocks decreasing by 54 Gt C by 2100 in a climate change simulation compared with an 80 Gt C decrease in HadCM3LC. The multipool carbon dynamics of RothC cause it to exhibit a slower magnitude of transient response to both increased organic carbon inputs and changes in climate. We conclude that the projection of a positive feedback between climate and carbon cycle is robust, but the magnitude of the feedback is dependent on the structure of the soil carbon model.     

Carbon sequestration rates in organic layers of boreal and temperate forest soils — Sweden as a case study

Aim The aim of this work was to estimate C sequestration rates in the organic matter layer in Swedish forests. Location The region encompassed the forested area (23 × 10⁶ ha) of Sweden ranging from about 55° N to 69° N. Methods We used the concept of limit values to estimate recalcitrant litter remains, and combined it with amount of litter fall. Four groups of tree species were identified (pine, spruce, birch and ‘other deciduous species’). Annual actual evapotranspiration (AET) was estimated for 5 × 5 km grids covering Sweden. For each grid, data of forested area and main species composition were available. The annual input of foliar litter into each grid was calculated using empirical relationships between AET and foliar litter fall in the four groups. Litter input was combined with average limit values for decomposition for the four groups of litter, based on empirical data. Finally, C sequestration rate was calculated using a constant factor of the C concentration in the litter decomposed to the limit value, thus forming soil organic matter (SOM). Results We obtained a value of 4.8 × 10⁶ metric tons of C annually sequestered in SOM in soils of mature forests in Sweden, with an average of 180 kg ha^?1 and a range from 40 to 410 kg ha^?1. Norway spruce forests accumulated annually an average of 200 kg C ha^?1. The pine and birch groups had an average of 150 kg ha^?1 and for the group of other deciduous trees, which is limited to south Sweden, the C sequestration was around 400 kg ha^?1. Conclusions There is a clear C sequestration gradient over Sweden with the highest C sequestration in the south‐west, mainly corresponding to the gradient in litter fall. The limit‐value method appears useful for scaling up to a regional level to describe the C sequestration in SOM. A development of the limit value approach in combination with process‐orientated dynamic models may have a predictive value.     

Formation and mineralization of organic sulfur in forest soils

The incorporation of sulfur from inorganic sulfate into organic matter was examined using³⁵S for O1, O2 and A-horizon samples from two hardwood forests located at the Coweeta hydrologic laboratory, near Franklin, NC. This temperature-dependent transformation was stimulated by increased availability of sulfate or energy and the process was inhibited by sodium azide, erythromycin and candicidin. These data suggest that bacteria and fungi mediate sulfur incorporation via the formation of the covalent linkages. The latter possibility was confirmed by characterization of the organic sulfur fraction after isolation and partial purification from O2 layer material. Evidence is presented which indicates that the sulfur of this fraction is subject to mineralization after depolymerization of the carbon matrix and methods are given for the direct and indirect assessment of potential turnover rates. The availability of sulfate from mineralization appears to depend upon the rate of incorporation of sulfur into organic matter. Thus, substantially higher levels of extractable sulfate were detected when turnover of the isolated organosulfur fraction was assayed for in the presence of azide, an inhibitor of sulfate incoporation. However, the reverse was true when turnover was monitored in the presence of glucose and succinate which stimulate sulfate incorporation.Contribution from a symposium on the role of sulfur in ecosystem processes held August 10, 1983, at the annual meeting of the A.I.B.S., Grand Forks, ND; Myron Mitchell, convenor.     

气候和林分类型对土壤团聚体有机碳的影响

该研究选择我国分布于亚热带、暖温带和寒温带的三个样点8种林分(包括阔叶林、混交林和针叶林)下表层0~20 cm的土壤为研究对象,利用干筛法进行大团聚体和微团聚体分级,测定了各团聚体组分的有机碳量和有机碳百分比,并分析他们与气候、植被和土壤环境变量之间的关系。结果表明:土壤大团聚体和微团聚体有机碳量都受到气候的显著影响,表现为土壤大团聚体和微团聚体有机碳量随年均温的增高而降低,经分析这与低温抑制土壤微生物分解活动有关。土壤团聚体有机碳百分比受到林分类型的影响显著,表现为阔叶林土壤团聚体有机碳百分比高于针叶林,这与林分凋落物的质量有关。此外,土壤pH值和土壤质地也影响土壤团聚体有机碳百分比。这表明气温上升和人为干扰导致的林分类型改变都可能引起土壤团聚体有机碳的下降,加剧气候变化。该研究结果有助于了解土壤团聚体有机碳的变异规律,为预测全球变化下土壤有机碳响应提供数据支持。     

Temporal dynamics of soil organic carbon after land‐use change in the temperate zone – carbon response functions as a model approach

Land‐use change (LUC) is a major driving factor for the balance of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and the global carbon cycle. The temporal dynamic of SOC after LUC is especially important in temperate systems with a long reaction time. On the basis of 95 compiled studies covering 322 sites in the temperate zone, carbon response functions (CRFs) were derived to model the temporal dynamic of SOC after five different LUC types (mean soil depth of 30±6 cm). Grassland establishment caused a long lasting carbon sink with a relative stock change of 128±23% and afforestation on former cropland a sink of 116±54%, 100 years after LUC (mean±95% confidence interval). No new equilibrium was reached within 120 years. In contrast, there was no SOC sink following afforestation of grasslands and 75% of all observations showed SOC losses, even after 100 years. Only in the forest floor, there was carbon accumulation of 0.38±0.04 Mg ha^?1 yr^?1 in afforestations adding up to 38±4 Mg ha^?1 labile carbon after 100 years. Carbon loss after deforestation (?32±20%) and grassland conversion to cropland (?36±5%), was rapid with a new SOC equilibrium being reached after 23 and 17 years, respectively. The change rate of SOC increased with temperature and precipitation but decreased with soil depth and clay content. Subsoil SOC changes followed the trend of the topsoil SOC changes but were smaller (25±5% of the total SOC changes) and with a high uncertainty due to a limited number of datasets. As a simple and robust model approach, the developed CRFs provide an easily applicable tool to estimate SOC stock changes after LUC to improve greenhouse gas reporting in the framework of UNFCCC.     

Temperature responses of carbon mineralization in conifer forest soils from different regional climates incubated under standard laboratory conditions

¹⁴C‐labelled straw was mixed with soils collected from seven coniferous forests located on a climatic gradient in Western Europe ranging from boreal to Mediterranean conditions. The soils were incubated in the laboratory at 4°, 10°, 16°, 23° and 30 °C with constant moisture over 550 days. The temperature coefficient (Q₁₀) for straw carbon mineralization decreased with increasing incubation temperatures. This was a characteristic of all the soils with a difference of two Q₁₀ units between the 4–10° and the 23? 30 °C temperature ranges. It was also found that the magnitude of the temperature response function was related to the period of soil incubation. Initial temperature responses of microbial communities were different to those shown after a long period of laboratory incubation and may have reflected shifts in microbial species composition in response to changes in the temperature regime. The rapid exhaustion of the labile fractions of the decomposing material at higher temperatures could also lead to underestimation of the temperature sensitivity of soils unless estimated for carbon pools of similar qualities. Finally, the thermal optima for the organic soil horizons (Of and Oh) were lower than 30 °C even after 550 days of incubation. It was concluded that these responses could not be attributed to microbial physiological adaptations, but rather to the rates at which recalcitrant microbial secondary products were formed at higher temperatures. The implication of these variable temperature responses of soil materials is discussed in relation to modelling potential effects of global warming.     

Variation of carbon and nitrogen stoichiometry along a chronosequence of natural temperate forest in northeastern China

Aims Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stoichiometry contributes to understanding elemental compositions and coupled biogeochemical cycles in ecosystems. However, we know little about the temporal patterns of C:N stoichiometry during forest development. The goal of this study is to explore the temporal patterns of intraspecific and ecosystem components' variations in C:N stoichiometry and the scaling relationships between C and N at different successional stages.Methods Along forest development in a natural temperate forest, northeastern China, four age gradients were categorized into ca. 10-, 30-, 70- and 200-year old, respectively, and three 20 m × 20 m plots were set up for each age class. Leaves, branches, fine roots and fresh litter of seven dominant species as well as mineral soil at depth of 0–10 cm were sampled. A Universal CHN Elemental Analyzer was used to determine the C and N concentrations in all samples.Important findings Intraspecific leaf C, N and C:N ratios remained stable along forest development regardless of tree species; while C, N concentrations and C:N ratios changed significantly either in branches or in fine roots, and they varied with tree species except Populus davidiana (P < 0.05). For ecosystem components, we discovered that leaf C:N ratios remained stable when stand age was below ca. 70 years and dominant tree species were light-demanding pioneers such as Betula platyphylla and Populus davidiana, while increased significantly at the age of ca. 200 years with Pinus koraiensis as the dominant species. C:N ratios in branches and fresh litter did not changed significantly along forest development stages. C concentrations scaled isometrically with respect to N concentrations in mineral soil but not in other ecosystem components. Our results indicate that, leaf has a higher intraspecific C:N stoichiometric stability compared to branch and fine root, whereas for ecosystem components, shifts in species composition mainly affect C:N ratios in leaves rather than other components. This study also demonstrated that C and N remain coupled in mineral soils but not in plant organs or fresh litter during forest development.     

The effects of alterations in temperature and flow regime on organic carbon dynamics in Mediterranean river networks

It is only recently that freshwaters have been identified as important quantitative components of the carbon (C) cycle at global and regional scales. To date there are no studies that quantitatively predict the effects of alterations in temperature and flow regimes, individually, or in concert, on organic C dynamics in streams. To address this need, we applied a mechanistic model to simulate organic C dynamics in Mediterranean river networks under 27 different scenarios of altered temperature and flow regimes. We predict that the organic C dynamics in freshwaters in the Mediterranean, as well as in other semiarid regions, will be highly sensitive to global climate change owing to major increases in the degree of intermittency as well as in flood frequency and magnitude. Results indicate that flow regime alterations increase C export rates, whereas temperature alterations increase instream metabolism of organic C. However, flow regime alterations exhibit a much greater influence on C dynamics than do changes in the temperature regime. Reservoirs partly counteract the effects of flow extremes on C export rates, and their role in the C dynamics increases with increasing flow variability. The present study is one of the first studies to quantify the complex interactions between the flow and the temperature regime on C dynamics, emphasizing the key role of extreme events such as dry periods and floods, compared with overall trend effects. This information is pivotal in understanding the impact of future climate change on global C dynamics.     

南亚热带森林植被恢复演替序列的土壤有机碳氮矿化

采用室内培养的方法,分析了南亚热带鼎湖山森林植被恢复演替序列不同阶段代表性森林—马尾松林、针阔叶混交林和季风常绿阔叶林土壤(0~10cm)CO2、CH4排放/吸收和有机氮矿化的差异.结果表明:3种森林土壤培养52周的CO2-C累积排放量分别为(30.66±3.36)、(58.17±7.25)和(59.31±13.58)mg·kg-1,而其中的65.12%、64.41%和64.12%均在前9周被排放;马尾松林土壤的CO2-C累积排放量一直显著小于针阔叶混交林和季风常绿阔叶林;用相符的二库动力学模型模拟的活性库和惰性库的碳矿化速率均呈递减趋势;土壤培养52周吸收CH4的累积量、培养20周有机氮净矿化量和净硝化量均为马尾松林<针阔叶混交林<季风常绿阔叶林(P<0.05),净矿化的有效氮以硝态氮为主.说明森林植被类型的变化改变了土壤有机碳的分解速率,这是其影响土壤有机碳含量的一种内在方式.     

No detectable upper limit of mineral-associated organic carbon in temperate agricultural soils

Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is a promising climate change mitigation option. In this context, the formation of the relatively long-lived mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) is key. To date, soils are considered to be limited in their ability to accumulate MAOC, mainly by the amount of clay and silt particles present. Using the comprehensive German Agricultural Soil Inventory, we selected 189 samples with a wide range of SOC (5–118 g kg⁻¹) and clay contents (30–770 g kg⁻¹) to test whether there is a detectable upper limit of MAOC content. We found that the proportion of MAOC was surprisingly stable for soils under cropland and grassland use across the whole range of bulk SOC contents. Soil texture influenced the slope of the relationship between bulk SOC and MAOC, but no upper limit was observed in any texture class. Also, C content in the fine fraction (g C kg⁻¹ fraction) was negatively correlated to fine fraction content (g kg⁻¹ bulk soil). Both findings challenge the notion that MAOC accumulation is limited by soil fine fraction content per se.     

Soil organic carbon dynamics in cleared temperate forest spodosols converted to maize cropping

In southwest France, sandy spodosols have developed from Quaternary sandy eolian deposits. On these soils, numerous forest lands have been converted to continuous intensive maize cropping. A chronosequence study is realized by comparing organic C pools and ¹³C natural abundance of one forested and 6 agricultural sites, whose ages of cultivation range from 4 to 32 yr. ¹³C ratio is found to increase with time of cultivation. After 3 decades of intensive maize cropping, about half of the initial organic C content in the forest topsoil layer has disappeared. The fraction of C derived from maize crop increases during the first decades of cultivation, but its level is significantly lower than those observed in other soils, which indicates a high mineralization rate of organic C. In this context, soil characteristics associated to intensive agricultural practices lead to a rapid and large loss of C, whereas inputs from maize seem to have only a very small long-term contribution.     

Modelling organic carbon turnover in cleared temperate forest soils converted to maize cropping by using 13C natural abundance measurements

In southwest France, thick humic acid loamy soils have developed from Quaternary silty alluvial deposits. On these soils, most forest lands have been converted to continuous intensive maize cropping and the loss of C upon conversion to intensive agriculture has been shown to be significant. The objective of this study was to determine if a study of natural ¹³C abundance in soil organic C makes possible an improved modelling of organic carbon turnover in the cultivated horizons of soils in this landscape in southwest France. A chronosequence study is realized by comparing C pools and C-13 natural abundance of three forest sites and 14 adjacent agricultural sites, whose ages of cultivation ranged from 3 to 32 yr. ¹³C ratio is found to increase with time of cultivation. The fraction of C coming from the maize crop increases during the first decades of cultivation, and reaches a plateau thereafter. This equilibrium level is reached after a few decades of cultivation. The decrease of the initial C pool is fitted by a simple model assuming that about half of this pool is mineralized during the first yr of cultivation whereas the other half decreases at a slower rate. Therefore, a general bi-compartmental model is proposed for describing the soil organic carbon dynamics in these soils after forest clearing and intensive maize cropping.