Organic carbon, nitrogen accumulation, and soil aggregate dynamics as affected by vegetation restoration patterns in the Loess Plateau of China

CATENA ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 196 ◽  
pp. 104867
Author(s):  
Zekun Zhong ◽  
Shaojun Wu ◽  
Xuqiao Lu ◽  
Zhaoxuan Ren ◽  
Qimeng Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Soil Aggregate ◽  
Vegetation Restoration ◽  
Nitrogen Accumulation ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Aggregate Dynamics

scholarly journals Effects of Vegetation Restoration on the Distribution of Nutrients, Glomalin-Related Soil Protein, and Enzyme Activity in Soil Aggregates on the Loess Plateau, China

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leilei Qiao ◽  
Yuanze Li ◽  
Yahui Song ◽  
Jiaying Zhai ◽  
Yang Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Soil Enzymes ◽  
Ecological Stoichiometry ◽  
Soil Aggregates ◽  
Soil Aggregate ◽  
Vegetation Restoration ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Nutrient Metabolism ◽  
Soil Protein

Research Highlights: Soil enzymes have a significant impact on the production of glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), directly and indirectly affecting the nutrient metabolism balance, but there is little available information on ecological stoichiometry in soil aggregates. Background and Objectives: Vegetation restoration changes community structure and species composition in ecosystems, thus changing the physicochemical properties of soil. Soil aggregate is the most basic physical structure of the soil. Therefore, in order to understand dynamic changes in soil aggregate nutrients as vegetation restoration progresses, we set out to investigate the nutrient distribution and utilization in aggregates, and how enzymes respond to the nutrient changes in achieving a nutritional balance along successive stages of vegetation restoration. Materials and Methods: We collected and analyzed soil from plots representing six different stages of a vegetation restoration chronosequence (0, 30, 60, 100, 130, and 160 years) after farmland abandonment on the Loess Plateau, China. We investigated soil nutrient stoichiometry, GRSP, and enzyme stoichiometry in the different successional stages. Results: The results revealed that soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, enzyme activity, and GRSP increased with vegetation recovery age, but not total phosphorus, and not all enzymes reached their maximum in the climax forest community. The easily extractable GRSP/total GRSP ratio was the largest at the shrub community stage, indicating that glomalin degradation was the lowest at this stage. Ecological stoichiometry revealed N-limitation decreased and P-limitation increased with increasing vegetation restoration age. Soil enzymes had a significant impact on the GRSP production, directly and indirectly affecting nutrient metabolism balance. Conclusions: Further study of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to identify changes in their category and composition is needed for a better understanding of how soil enzymes affect their release of GRSP, in order to maintain a nutrient balance along successive stages of vegetation restoration.

scholarly journals Vegetation Restoration Alleviated the Soil Surface Organic Carbon Redistribution in the Hillslope Scale on the Loess Plateau, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yipeng Liang ◽  
Xiang Li ◽  
Tonggang Zha ◽  
Xiaoxia Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Vegetation Restoration ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Loess Slope ◽  
Carbon Redistribution

The redistribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) in response to soil erosion along the loess slope, China, plays an important role in understanding the mechanisms that underlie SOC’s spatial distribution and turnover. Consequently, SOC redistribution is key to understanding the global carbon cycle. Vegetation restoration has been identified as an effective method to alleviate soil erosion on the Loess Plateau; however, little research has addressed vegetation restoration’s effect on the SOC redistribution processes, particularly SOC’s spatial distribution and stability. This study quantified the SOC stock and pool distribution on slopes along geomorphic gradients in naturally regenerating forests (NF) and an artificial black locust plantation (BP) and used a corn field as a control (CK). The following results were obtained: 1) vegetation restoration, particularly NF, slowed the migration of SOC and reduced the heterogeneity of its distribution effectively. The topsoil SOC ratios of the sedimentary area to the stable area were 109%, 143%, and 210% for NF, BP, and CK, respectively; 2) during migration, vegetation restoration decreased the loss of labile organic carbon by alleviating the loss of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and easily oxidized organic carbon (EOC). The DOC/SOC in the BP and NF increased significantly and was 13.14 and 17.57 times higher, respectively, than that in the CK (p < 0.05), while the EOC/SOC in the BP and NF was slightly higher than that in the CK. A relevant schematic diagram of SOC cycle patterns and redistribution along the loess slope was drawn under vegetation restoration. The results suggest that vegetation restoration in the loess slope, NF in particular, is an effective means to alleviate the redistribution and spatial heterogeneity of SOC and reduce soil erosion.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document