Organic carbon stratification and size distribution of three typical paddy soils from Taihu Lake region, China

Developing realistic soil carbon (C) sequestration strategies for China’s sustainable agriculture relies on accurate estimates of the amount, retention and turnover rates of C stored in paddy soils. Available C estimates to date are predominantly for the tilled and flood-irrigated surface topsoil (ca. 30 cm). Such estimates cannot be used to extrapolate to soil depths of 100 cm since soil organic carbon (SOC) generally shows a sharp decrease with depth. In this research, composite soil samples were collected at several depths to 100 cm from three representative paddy soils in the Taihu Lake region, China. Soil organic carbon distribution in the profiles and in aggregate-size fractions was determined. Results showed that while SOC decreased exponentially with depth to 100 cm, a substantial proportion of the total SOC (30%–40%) is stored below the 30 cm depth. In the carbon-enriched paddy topsoils, SOC was found to accumulate preferentially in the 2–0.25 and 0.25–0.02 mm aggregate size fractions. σ13C analysis of the coarse micro-aggregate fraction showed that the high degree of C stratification in the paddy topsoil was in agreement with the occurrence of lighter @1313C in the upper 30 cm depth. These results suggest that SOC stratification within profiles varies with di erent pedogenetical types of paddy soils with regards to clay and iron oxyhydrates distributions. Sand-sized fractions of aggregates in paddy soil systems may play a very important role in carbon sequestration and turnover, dissimilar to other studied agricultural systems.     

Stability of soil organic carbon changes in successive rotations of Chinese fir （Cunninghamia lanceolata （Lamb.） Hook） plantations

The importance of soil organic carbon (SOC) under forests in the global carbon cycle depends on the stability of the soil carbon and its availability to soil microbial biomass. We investigated the e ects of successive rotations of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook) plantations on the stability of SOC and its availability to microbes by adopting the two-step hydrolysis with H2SO4 and density fractionation. The results showed that successive rotations of Chinese fir decreased the quantity of total SOC, recalcitrant fraction, and carbohydrates in Labile Pool I (LP I), and microbial properties evidently, especially at 0–10 cm horizon. However, cellulose included in Labile Pool II (LP II) and the cellulose/total carbohydrates ratio increased in successive rotations of Chinese fir. The noncellulose of carbohydrates included in LP I maybe highly available to soil microbial biomass. Hence the availability of SOC to microbial biomass declined over the successive rotations. Although there was no significant change in recalcitrance of SOC over the successive rotations of Chinese fir, the percentage of heavy fraction to total SOC increased, suggesting that the degree of physical protection for SOC increased and SOC became more stable over the successive rotations. The degradation of SOC quality in successive rotation soils may be attributed to worse environmental conditions resulted from disturbance that related to “slash and burn” site preparation. Being highly correlated with soil microbial properties, the cellulose/total carbohydrates ratio as an e ective indicator of changes in availability of SOC to microbial biomass brought by management practices in forest soils.     

Assessment and mapping of environmental quality in agricultural soils of Zhejiang Province, China

Heavy metal concentrations in agricultural soils of Zhejiang Province were monitored to indicate the status of heavy metal contamination and assess environmental quality of agricultural soils. A total of 908 soil samples were collected from 38 counties in Zbejiang Province and eight heavy metal （Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn, Ni and As） concentrations had been evaluated in agricultural soil. It was found 775 samples were unpolluted and 133 samples were slightly polluted and more respectively, that is approximately 14.65% agricultural soil samples had the heavy metal concentration above the threshold level in this province by means of Nemerow＇s synthetical pollution index method according to the second grade of Standards for Soil Environmental Quality of China （GB15618- 1995）. Contamination of Cd was the highest, followed by Ni, As and Zn were lower correspondingly. Moreover, Inverse Distance Weighted （IDW） interpolation method was used to make an assessment map of soil environmental quality based on the Nemerow＇s pollution index and the soil environmental quality was categorized into five grades. Moreover, ten indices were calculated as input parameters for principal component analysis （PCA） and the principal components （PCs） were created to compare environmental quality of different soils and regions. The results revealed that environmental quality of tea soils was better than that of paddy soils, vegetable soils and fruit soils. This study indicated that GIS combined with multivariate statistical approaches proved to be effective and powerful tool in the mapping of soil contamination distribution and the assessment of soil environmental quality on provincial scale, which is beneficial to environmental protection and management decision-making by local government.     

Relationship between light and heavy fractions of organic matter for several agricultural soils in China

Although numerous studies about the nature and turnover of soil organic matter（SOM） in light and heavy fractions（ LFOM and HFQM, respectively） have been made, little information is available in relation to the relationship between LFQM and HFOM, and no attempts have been made to quantify a general relationship between LFQM and HFQM for agricultural soils under field condition. Qur hypothesis is there may be an inherent relationship between LFQM and HFQM for agricultural soils under certain unaltered management practices for a long period, to this end, we therefore studied typically soils taken from different parts in China by using a simple density fractionation procedure. The results indicated that LFQM was positively correlated with LFOM/HFOM ratio for three typical soils. This information will be of particular use not only in deepening our understanding of the dynamics of SQM fractions but also in evaluating the potential of agricultural soils to sequestrate C under different management practices in a long term.     

Spatial and temporal distribution of acetochlor in sediments and riparian soils of the Songhua River Basin in northeastern China

The Songhua River Basin is a burgeoning agricultural area in the modern times in China. Particularly in recent years, increasing chemical fertilizers and pesticides have been applied with the development of agricultural production. However, the situation of non-point source pollution (NSP) from agricultural production in this basin is still obscure. In order to solve the problem, the occurrence and distribution of acetochlor in sediments and riparian soils of the Songhua River Basin before rain season and after rain season were investigated. In addition, total organic carbon was analyzed. The result showed that the concentration of acetochlor ranged from 0.47 to 11.76 μg/kg in sediments and 0.03 to 709.37 μg/kg in riparian soils. During the high flow period in 2009, the mean concentration was 4.79 μg/kg in sediments and 0.75 μg/kg in riparian soils, respectively. Similarly, the mean concentration was 2.53 μg/kg in sediments and 61.36 μg/kg in riparian soils, during the average flow period in 2010. There was a significant correlation between the concentration of acetochlor and total organic carbon in surface sediments. Moreover, the distribution of acetochlor in sediments of the Songhua River was significantly correlated to land use and topography of the watershed. The investigated data suggested that the concentration of acetochlor in the Songnen Plain and the Sanjiang Plain was higher than that in the other areas of the basin, and riparian buffering zones in these areas had been destroyed by human activities. The optimal agricultural measures to alleviate the contamination of pesticides should be adopted, including controlling agricultural application of acetochlor and ecological restoration of riparian buffering strips.     

Subtropical urban turfs: Carbon and nitrogen pools and the role of enzyme activity

Urban grasslands not only provide a recreational venue for urban residents, but also sequester organic carbon in vegetation and soils through photosynthesis, and release carbon dioxide through respiration, which largely contribute to carbon storage and fluxes at regional and global scales. We investigated organic carbon and nitrogen pools in subtropical turfs and found that dissolved organic carbon(DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen(DON)were regulated by several factors including microbial activity which is indicated by soil enzymatic activity. We observed a vertical variation and different temporal patterns in both soil DOC, DON and enzyme activities, which decreased significantly with increasing soil depths. We further found that concentration of soil DON was linked with turf age. There were correlations between grass biomass and soil properties, and soil enzyme activities. In particular, soil bulk density was significantly correlated with soil moisture and soil organic carbon(SOC). In addition, DOC correlated significantly with DON. Significant negative correlations were also observed between soil total dissolved nitrogen(TDN) and grass biomass of Axonopus compressus and Zoysia matrella. Specifically, grass biomass was significantly correlated with the soil activity of urease and β-glucosidase. Soil NO3-N concentration also showed negative correlations with the activity of both β-glucosidase and protease but there were no significant correlations between cellulase and soil properties or grass biomass. Our study demonstrated a relationship between soil C and N dynamics and soil enzymes that could be modulated to enhance SOC pools through management and maintenance practices.     

Multi-factors influencing the spatial distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils surrounding drinking water protection zone

We selected the Guanting Reservoir in Beijing, China as a case where an industrial area locates on the upwind corner to study the influence of human activities and natural processes on the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils. Soil PAH concentrations in the study area follow a log-normal probability distribution function, suggesting that distribution of PAH in soils was affected by human activities. Distribution of PAHs in soils was significantly affected by the point source that high PAH concentrations were observed in near industrial area with an obvious declining trend from the northwest to the southeast which was the prevailing wind direction in this area. Away from the influence of point source, distribution of PAHs in soils was found to significantly correlate with total organic carbon content, while the influences of agricultural land uses and type of soil texture on the total soil PAHs contents and ring compositions were quite limited. The results can provide some evidences and data on the pollutant accumulation in drink water protection area influenced by natural processes and human activities.     

Release behavior of copper and zinc from sandy soils

The concentrations and chemical forms of copper(Cu) and zinc(Zn) in surface soils directly influence the movement of Cu and Zn. In this study, thirteen sandy soil samples with a wide range of total Cu and Zn concentrations were collected for evaluating the relationships between Cu and Zn release and extraction time, ratio of soil to water, pH and electro;yte types. The results indicated that Cu released in batch extraction that represents long-term leaching was mainly from exchangeable, and carbonate bound Cu fractions, and Zn released in the batch extraction was mainly from its carbonate bound fraction. However, the Cu and Zn leached from the soils using the column leaching that represents short-term leaching were mainly from their exchangeable fractions. Soil column leaching at different pH values indicated that the amounts of leached Zn and Cu were greatly affected by pH. The Cu and Zn release experiments with varying extraction times and ratio of soil to water suggest that long-term water-logging in the soils after rain may increase contact time of the soils with water and the release of Cu and Zn to water from the soils, and total amounts of Cu or Zn released from the soils increase, but the Cu or Zn concentration in the surface runoff decrease with increasing rainfall intensity. The increased Ca concentration in soil solution increased stability of organic matter-mineral complexes and might decrease the dissolution of organic matter, and thus decreased the release of Cu-binding component of organic matter. However, high concentration of Na in the soil solution increased the dispersion of the organic matter-mineral complexes and increased dissolution of organic matter and the release of Cu from the soils.     

Fate and transport of the β-adrenergic agonist ractopamine hydrochloride in soil–water systems

The feed additive ractopamine hydrochloride was fortified at four concentrations into batch vials containing soils that differed in both biological activity and organic matter(OM).Sampling of the liquid layer for 14 days demonstrated that ractopamine rapidly dissipated from the liquid layer. Less than 20% of the fortified dose remained in the liquid layer after 4 hr,and recoveries of dosed ractopamine ranged from 8 to 18% in the liquid layer at 336 hr. Sorption to soil was the major fate for ractopamine in soil:water systems, i.e., 42%–51% of the dose at14 days. The major portion of the sorbed fraction was comprised of non-extractables; a smaller fraction of the sorbed dose was extracted into water and acetone, portions which would be potentially mobile in the environment. Partitioning coefficients for all soils suggested strong sorption of ractopamine to soil which is governed by hydrophobic interactions and cation exchange complexes within the soil OM. Ractopamine degradation was observed, but to mostly non-polar compounds which had a higher potential than ractopamine to sorb to soil. The formation of volatiles was also suggested. Therefore, despite rapid and extensive soil sorption,these studies indicated a portion of ractopamine, present in manures used to fertilize soils,may be mobile in the environment via water-borne events.     

Relationships between humic substance-bound mercury contents and soil properties in subtropical zone

The bioavailability of humic substance-bound mercury （HS-Hg） has been established, while the distribution of HS-Hg in soils in relation to soil properties remains obscure. Path analysis and principal component analysis were employed in present study to investigate how soil factors influence the contents of HS-Hg in soils. Results showed that HS-Hg ranged from 0.0192 to 0.2051 mg/kg in soils. The two fractions existed in soils as humic acid-bound mercury （HA-Hg） 〉 fulvic acid-bound mercury （FA-Hg） and the ratio of HA-Hg/FA-Hg was 1.61 on the average. Soil organic carbon （OC） and HS favorably determined soil HS-Hg and the two fractions. The mercury source forming HS-Hg derived from soil total mercury and HS-Hg. FA-Hg and HA-Hg served as mercury source for each other. In acidic soils, FA-Hg and HA-Hg consistently rose with the increase of OC, and generally HA-Hg increased more dramatically. Soils with lower pH and lighter texture contained more HS-Hg, particularly fraction of FA-Hg. Among all influencing factors, organic material source showed the strongest effect, followed by other soil properties and soil mercury source.     

安徽省升金湖湿地土壤有机碳储存及分布

文章研究了安徽省升金湖湿地土壤有机碳储存和分布特征及其与土壤氮素的关系。结果表明,供试湿地土壤全土1m深有机碳密度达10.82±1.90kg.m-2,表层土壤(0—30cm)有机碳密度为5.19±0.68kg.m-2,高于报道的人工湿地——水稻土的碳密度;有机碳(SOC)含量分布随土壤深度(H)的递降符合幂函数方程,湿地土壤有机碳的表层积累强度和积累深度高于稻田;湿地土壤氮素是土壤固碳的有利因子,其氮素对土壤有机碳积累的效应高于水稻土;因湖泊沉积受河流动力学、土壤水分和植物生长条件的影响,湿地土壤有机碳含量存在显著的水平空间变异性。看来,长江中下游淡水湿地在陆地生态系统碳氮储存上具有重要意义。     

Carbon Management in Agricultural Soils

World soils have been a major source of enrichment of atmospheric concentration of CO₂ ever since the dawn of settled agriculture, about 10,000 years ago. Historic emission of soil C is estimated at 78 ± 12 Pg out of the total terrestrial emission of 136 ± 55 Pg, and post-industrial fossil fuel emission of 270 ± 30 Pg. Most soils in agricultural ecosystems have lost 50 to 75% of their antecedent soil C pool, with the magnitude of loss ranging from 30 to 60 Mg C/ha. The depletion of soil organic carbon (SOC) pool is exacerbated by soil drainage, plowing, removal of crop residue, biomass burning, subsistence or low-input agriculture, and soil degradation by erosion and other processes. The magnitude of soil C depletion is high in coarse-textured soils (e.g., sandy texture, excessive internal drainage, low activity clays and poor aggregation), prone to soil erosion and other degradative processes. Thus, most agricultural soils contain soil C pool below their ecological potential. Adoption of recommend management practices (e.g., no-till farming with crop residue mulch, incorporation of forages in the rotation cycle, maintaining a positive nutrient balance, use of manure and other biosolids), conversion of agriculturally marginal soils to a perennial land use, and restoration of degraded soils and wetlands can enhance the SOC pool. Cultivation of peatlands and harvesting of peatland moss must be strongly discouraged, and restoration of degraded soils and ecosystems encouraged especially in developing countries. The rate of SOC sequestration is 300 to 500 Kg C/ha/yr under intensive agricultural practices, and 0.8 to 1.0 Mg/ha/yr through restoration of wetlands. In soils with severe depletion of SOC pool, the rate of SOC sequestration with adoption of restorative measures which add a considerable amount of biomass to the soil, and irrigated farming may be 1.0 to 1.5 Mg/ha/yr. Principal mechanisms of soil C sequestration include aggregation, high humification rate of biosolids applied to soil, deep transfer into the sub-soil horizons, formation of secondary carbonates and leaching of bicarbonates into the ground water. The rate of formation of secondary carbonates may be 10 to 15 Kg/ha/yr, and the rate of leaching of bicarbonates with good quality irrigation water may be 0.25 to 1.0 Mg C/ha/yr. The global potential of soil C sequestration is 0.6 to 1.2 Pg C/yr which can off-set about 15% of the fossil fuel emissions.     

Modelled soil organic carbon stocks and changes in the Indo-Gangetic Plains,India from 1980 to 2030

The Global Environment Facility co-financed Soil Organic Carbon (GEFSOC) Project developed a comprehensive modelling system for predicting soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and changes over time. This research is an effort to predict SOC stocks and changes for the Indian, Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), an area with a predominantly rice (Oryza sativa)–wheat (Triticum aestivum) cropping system, using the GEFSOC Modelling System and to compare output with stocks generated using mapping approaches based on soil survey data. The GEFSOC Modelling System predicts an estimated SOC stock for the IGP, India of 1.27, 1.32 and 1.27 Pg for 1990, 2000 and 2030, respectively, in the top 20 cm of soil. The SOC stock using a mapping approach based on soil survey data was 0.66 and 0.88 Pg for 1980 and 2000, respectively. The SOC stock estimated using the GEFSOC Modelling System is higher than the stock estimated using the mapping approach. This is due to the fact that while the GEFSOC System accounts for variation in crop input data (crop management), the soil mapping approach only considers regional variation in soil texture and wetness. The trend of overall change in the modelled SOC stock estimates shows that the IGP, India may have reached an equilibrium following 30–40 years of the Green Revolution. This can be seen in the SOC stock change rates. Various different estimation methods show SOC stocks of 0.57–1.44 Pg C for the study area. The trend of overall change in C stock assessed from the soil survey data indicates that the soils of the IGP, India may store a projected 1.1 Pg of C in 2030.     

1954-2010年西南高山地区土壤碳储量时空动态及对气候变化的响应

西南高山地区生态系统类型丰富、地形复杂, 是响应全球气候变化的重点区域,对全球气候变化具有重要的指示作用。研究应用生态系统模型CEVSA(Carbon Exchange betweenVegetation, Soil, and the Atmosphere)估算了1954-2010 年西南高山地区土壤有机碳(Soil Organic Carbon, SOC)的时空变化,分析了其对气候变化的响应。结果表明:①西南高山地区1954-2010 年平均土壤有机碳密度为14.16 kg C·m^-2,在空间分布上,SOC密度自东南向西北递增,与温度显著负相关(r=-0.447,P<0.01),而与降水量相关性不显著;②西南高山地区1954-2010 年SOC 总量变动范围为6.95~7.64 Pg C,增加趋势显著(P<0.05),平均每年增加0.013 Pg C,土壤有机碳密度平均增加26.94 g C·m^-2;③常绿针叶林、常绿阔叶林和草地SOC密度增加趋势均显著,除常绿阔叶林SOC密度与温度相关性不显著外,其他两种植被类型SOC都与年平均温度显著正相关(草地:r=0.527, P<0.01; 常绿针叶林:r=0.501, P<0.01),且3 种植被类型SOC与年降水量均相关性不显著;④由于作为土壤有机碳输入的凋落物产生量对温度不如异养呼吸敏感,所以未来升温条件下,土壤有机碳储量的增速减缓或者呈下降趋势。     

土壤碳储存功能价值评估方法探讨——以三江平原湿地土壤为例

天然湿地土壤具有碳储存的功能,能够减缓全球气候变化。以三江平原湿地土壤为例,提出储碳功能价值评估方法的分类体系,介绍了不同方法的基本原理、适用条件和局限性,并根据理论上的合理性、方法上的简便可行性、现实的不确定性以及对于当地的适用性等原则对各种方法进行评价和排序,试图从多种货币化方法的评价结果中找到一个比较合理的单位储碳价值量取值范围,用来估算湿地土壤的储碳价值。评价对单位储碳功能的价值估算取5～25US＄/t碳,三江平原湿地土壤储碳总价值为31.0×108～155.2×108US＄,农业开发造成的湿地储碳功能的经济损失为10.8×108～53.8×108US＄,平均每年每hm₂的碳损失约为4.3～21.5US＄。     

长期施肥对棕壤有机碳储量及固碳速率的影响

利用棕壤肥料长期定位试验,研究了不同施肥条件下棕壤有机碳在0~60 cm土层的含量和储量特征以及土壤固碳速率.试验共设6个处理,即氮磷肥有机肥配施(M_2NP)、氮肥有机肥配施(M_2N)、单施有机肥(M_2)、单施氮肥(N)、氮磷肥配施(NP)和不施肥处理(CK).结果表明:经过31年长期不同施肥,各处理土壤有机碳(SOC)含量和储量的剖面分布均呈现随土层深度增加而显著降低的规律.本试验条件下M_2NP、M_2N、M_2、NP、N、CK处理的耕层有机碳富集系数分别为0.465、0.455、0.407、0.48_2、0.393、0.471,表明耕层土壤对有机碳的保持强度最强.在0~60 cm土层土壤有机碳储量表现为M_2NP、M_2NM_2、NPNCK,有机肥和化肥配施能够显著提高土壤有机碳含量和储量.与试验前相比,CK处理各土层土壤有机碳含量和储量均显著降低.各处理碳库管理指数(CPMI)表现为M_2NPM_2NM_2NNPCK.分析不同施肥处理土壤固碳速率可知,与试验前相比,CK处理表现为碳的净释放,固碳速率达-401.4 kg·hm~(-_2)·a~(-1);固碳速率最高的为M_2NP,M_2N,分别达到489kg·hm~(-_2)·a~(-1)、440._2 kg·hm~(-_2)·a~(-1).综合结果表明,化肥、有机肥配施所产生交互效应更有利于棕壤有机碳储量的增加及固碳速率的提高.     

Carbon stocks in Swiss agricultural soils predicted by land-use,soil characteristics,and altitude

Effects of agricultural land-use and land-use change on soil organic carbon (SOC) pools play an important role in the mitigation of the global greenhouse effect. To estimate these effects, baseline SOC data for individual regions or countries are needed. The aim of this study was to quantify current SOC stocks in Swiss agricultural soils, to identify meaningful predictors for SOC, and to estimate historical SOC losses. SOC stocks in mineral soils were estimated from combined georeferenced data for land-use, topography, and profile data (n=544) from soil surveys. Mean SOC density in the layer 0–20 cm ranged between 40.6±8.9 t ha⁻¹ (±95% confidence interval (CI)) for arable land and 50.7±12.2 t ha⁻¹ for favourable permanent grassland, and in the layer 0–100 cm from 62.9±15.2 t ha⁻¹ for unfavourable grassland to 117.4±29.8 t ha⁻¹ for temporary grasslands (leys). SOC stocks in organic soils were quantified separately for intact and cultivated peatlands using data from peatland inventories and current SOC densities calculated from average peat decay rates. Organic soils account for less than 3% of the total area but store about 28% (47.2±7.3 Mt) of the total SOC stock of 170±17 Mt. Land-use type, clay content, and altitude (serving as a climate proxy for grassland soils at higher altitudes) were identified as main SOC predictors in mineral soils. Clay content explained up to 44% of the variability in SOC concentrations in the fine earth of arable soils, but was not significantly related to SOC in grassland soils at higher altitudes. SOC concentration under permanent grassland increases linearly with altitude, but because soil depth and stone content limit carbon storage in alpine grassland soils, no relationship was found between altitude and SOC stock. A preliminary estimate suggested that about 16% of the national SOC stock has been lost historically due to peatland cultivation, urbanisation, and deforestation. It seems unlikely that future changes in agricultural practices could compensate for this historical SOC loss in Swiss agricultural soils.     

南长山岛不同土地利用方式下的土壤有机碳密度

土壤有机碳库是陆地生态系统中重要的碳库之一,以往对海岛生态系统土壤有机碳储量估算及其影响因素的研究较少.因此,本研究在南长山岛实测了不同土地利用方式下表层土壤的有机碳密度,比较了相互之间的差别,分析了与土壤理化性质的相关性.结果表明,南长山岛不同土地利用方式土壤有机碳密度差异显著(p0.01),表现为:针阔混交林刺槐黑松侧柏农田水库沿岸草地果园;森林土壤有机碳密度高于其他类型土壤.森林土壤有机碳密度与坡度(r=-0.459,p=0.085)、海拔相关性不显著.在土壤理化性质中,土壤全氮(r=0.763,p0.01)、有机质(r=0.833,p0.01)含量与森林土壤有机碳密度呈显著正相关.     

三江平原湿地不同土地利用方式下土壤有机碳储量研究

选取东北三江平原沼泽湿地5种土地利用方式,共16个土壤剖面,对土壤有机碳储量分布特征进行了研究.结果表明,不同土地利用方式下,土壤剖面有机碳含量与有机碳密度均呈自上而下降低的趋势,且随着深度的增加,垂直差异变小.开垦降低了土壤有机碳含量和有机碳密度,并改变了其在表层的分布结构特征.初步估算5种土地利用方式下土壤有机碳储量分别为:沼泽湿地1.58×104t/km2、退耕还湿地1.23×104t/km2、林地1.01×104t/km2、水田0.85×104t/km2、旱田0.99×104t/km2.开垦降低了湿地土壤有机碳储量,且对耕地的影响大于林地,而退耕还湿有利于土壤有机碳的固定及储量的增加.