Nitrogen addition increases the contents of glomalin-related soil protein and soil organic carbon but retains aggregate stability in a Pinus tabulaeformis forest

Background: Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) and soil organic carbon (SOC) contribute to the formation and stability of soil aggregates, but the mechanism by which global atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition changes soil aggregate stability when it alters the distribution of GRSP and SOC in different aggregate fractions remains unknown. Methods: We used a gradient N addition (0–9 g N–2 y–1) in Pinus tabulaeformis forest for 2 years in northeast China and then examined the changes in SOC contents, total GRSP (T-GRSP), and easily extractable GRSP (EE-GRSP) contents in three soil aggregate fractions (macro-aggregate: >250 μm, micro-aggregate: 250–53 μm, and clay–silt aggregate: <53 μm) and their relationship with aggregate stability. Results: (1) The soil was dominated by macro-aggregates. Short term N addition had no significant effect on mean weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD). (2) GRSP varied among aggregate fractions, and N addition had variable effects on the distribution of GRSP in aggregate fractions. The EE-GRSP content in the macro-aggregates increased initially and then decreased with increasing N addition levels, having a peak value of 0.480 mg/g at 6 g N–2 y–1. The micro-aggregates had the lowest EE-GRSP content (0.148 mg/g) at 6 g N–2 y–1. Furthermore, the T-GRSP content significantly increased in the aggregate fractions with the N addition levels. (3) The macro-aggregate had the highest SOC content, followed by the micro-aggregate and the clay–silt aggregate had the lowest SOC content. N addition significantly increased the SOC content in all the aggregate fractions. (4) GRSP and SOC contents were not significantly correlated with MWD. Conclusion: The distributions of GRSP and SOC varied with aggregate fractions. GRSP and SOC contents increased by N addition, but this increase did not enhance aggregate stability in short term, and the improvement of stability might depend on binding agents and incubation time.

Nitrogen addition increases the contents of glomalin-related soil protein and soil organic carbon but retains aggregate stability in a Pinus tabulaeformis forest

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.5039 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. e5039 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Lipeng Sun ◽

Hang Jing ◽

Guoliang Wang ◽

Guobin Liu

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Soil Aggregate ◽

Pinus Tabulaeformis ◽

N Addition ◽

Short Term ◽

Fine Material ◽

Aggregate Fractions ◽

Background Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) and soil organic carbon (SOC) contribute to the formation and stability of soil aggregates, but the mechanism by which global atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition changes soil aggregate stability by altering the distribution of GRSP and SOC in different aggregate fractions remains unknown. Methods We used a gradient N addition (0–9 g N m−2 y−1) in Pinus tabulaeformis forest for two years in northeast China and then examined the changes in SOC contents, total GRSP (T-GRSP), and easily extractable GRSP (EE-GRSP) contents in three soil aggregate fractions (macro-aggregate: >250 μm, micro-aggregate: 250–53 μm, and fine material: <53 μm) and their relationship with aggregate stability. Results (1) The soil was dominated by macro-aggregates. Short term N addition had no significant effect on mean weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD). (2) GRSP varied among aggregate fractions, and N addition had different effects on the distribution of GRSP in aggregate fractions. The EE-GRSP content in the macro-aggregates increased initially and then decreased with increasing N addition levels, having a peak value of 0.480 mg g−1 at 6 g N m−2 y−1. The micro-aggregates had the lowest EE-GRSP content (0.148 mg g−1) at 6 g N m−2 y−1. Furthermore, the T-GRSP content significantly increased in the aggregate fractions with the N addition levels. (3) The macro-aggregate had the highest SOC content, followed by the micro-aggregate and the fine material had the lowest SOC content. N addition significantly increased the SOC content in all the aggregate fractions. (4) GRSP and SOC contents were not significantly correlated with MWD. Conclusion Glomalin-related soil protein and SOC contents increased by N addition, but this increase did not enhance aggregate stability in short term, and the improvement of stability might depend on binding agents and incubation time.

Effects of organic mulching on soil aggregate stability and aggregate binding agents in an urban forest in Beijing, China

Journal of Forestry Research ◽

10.1007/s11676-021-01402-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Wei Zhou ◽

Xiangyang Sun ◽

Suyan Li ◽

Tiantian Du ◽

Yi Zheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Urban Forest ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Soil Aggregate ◽

Wood Chips ◽

Mean Weight Diameter ◽

AbstractUrban forest soil is often disturbed by rapid urbanization. Organic mulching is effective for improving soil quality and aggregate stability. This study evaluated how soil binding agents changed aggregate stability through organic mulching in urban forest soils. Three treatments were applied in Jiufeng National Forest Park, Beijing: (1) no organic mulch (control); (2) wood chips alone (5 cm thickness); and, (3) wood chips + wood compost (This mulch was divided into two layers, the upper layer of wood chips (2.5 cm), the lower layer wood compost (2.5 cm)). Soil samples were collected from the surface 10- cm soil layer and fraction into four aggregates. Glomalin-related soil protein and soil organic carbon were measured in bulk soil and the four aggregates. The results show that wood chips + wood compost increased the proportion of large and small macroaggregates, mean weight diameter and geometric mean diameter. The total and easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein were higher in the wood chips + wood compost. However, soil organic carbon was lower in the wood chips alone application compared to the controls and wood chips + wood compost. Easily extractable / total glomalin-related soil protein and glomalin-related soil protein / soil organic carbon ratios of wood chips alone and wood chips + wood compost had increased trend compared to the controls but did not reach significant levels (p > 0.05). Mean weight diameter and geometric mean diameter correlated positively with total and easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein but were not positively correlated with soil organic carbon, the ratios of easily extractable and total glomalin-related soil protein, and the ratios of glomalin-related soil protein and soil organic carbon. Redundancy analysis revealed that total glomalin-related soil protein was the most important driver for soil aggregate stability, especially the total glomalin-related soil protein of small macroaggregates. The results suggest that wood chips + wood compost enhanced soil aggregate stability through the increase of glomalin-related soil protein. Wood chips alone cannot enhance soil aggregate stability in urban forests in the short term.

Peer Review #2 of "Nitrogen addition increases the contents of glomalin-related soil protein and soil organic carbon but retains aggregate stability in a Pinus tabulaeformis forest (v0.1)"

10.7287/peerj.5039v0.1/reviews/2 ◽

2018 ◽

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Peer Review ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Nitrogen Addition ◽

Pinus Tabulaeformis ◽

Effects of atrazine application on soil aggregates, soil organic carbon and glomalin-related soil protein

Plant Soil and Environment ◽

10.17221/594/2020-pse ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 67 (No. 3) ◽

pp. 173-181

Author(s):

Yufei Liu ◽

Xiaoxu Fan ◽

Tong Zhang ◽

Xin Sui ◽

Fuqiang Song

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Mass Fraction ◽

Soil Aggregates ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Soil Aggregate ◽

Allowable Limit ◽

Limit Value ◽

Aggregate Composition ◽

Atrazine is still widely used in China. Atrazine residue (1.86–1 100 mg/kg) in the soil has exceeded the allowable limit (1.0 mg/kg), affecting soil structure and soil aggregate composition. To understand the long-term application of atrazine on soil aggregates and the binding agent, four treatments were established in cornfield planted since 1998, including without atrazine applied (AT0), atrazine applied (28% atrazine, 1 200–1 350 mL/ha/year) once a year from 2012 to 2018 (AT6, 167 mg/kg), from 2008 to 2018 (AT10, 127.64 mg/kg) as well as from 2002 to 2018 (AT16, 102 mg/kg) with three replications. Along with the increase of atrazine application time, the mass fraction of soil aggregates > 5 mm and 2–5 mm decreased significantly while the mass fraction of soil aggregates 0.5–2 mm and < 0.5 mm increased gradually, and the change of aggregate binding agents contents were the same as that of aggregates. The contents of soil organic carbon (SOC) and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) in the aggregates > 5 mm and 2–5 mm were significantly negatively correlated with the years of atrazine application. Our results show that although atrazine residue in the soil does not increase with the increased yearly application, its concentration is still markedly higher than the permitted limit value and seriously affected the content of SOC and GRSP of aggregates > 2 mm, which can lead to a decrease of soil aggregate stability and soil quality.

Soil organic carbon and soil aggregate stability associated with aggregate fractions in a chronosequence of citrus orchards plantations

Journal of Environmental Management ◽

10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112847 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 293 ◽

pp. 112847

Author(s):

Sheng Cao ◽

Yuzhou Zhou ◽

Yaoyu Zhou ◽

Xuan Zhou ◽

Weijun Zhou

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Soil Aggregate ◽

Aggregate Fractions ◽

Citrus Orchards

Peer Review #1 of "Nitrogen addition increases the contents of glomalin-related soil protein and soil organic carbon but retains aggregate stability in a Pinus tabulaeformis forest (v0.2)"

10.7287/peerj.5039v0.2/reviews/1 ◽

2018 ◽

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Peer Review ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Nitrogen Addition ◽

Pinus Tabulaeformis ◽

Peer Review #1 of "Nitrogen addition increases the contents of glomalin-related soil protein and soil organic carbon but retains aggregate stability in a Pinus tabulaeformis forest (v0.1)"

10.7287/peerj.5039v0.1/reviews/1 ◽

2018 ◽

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Peer Review ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Nitrogen Addition ◽

Pinus Tabulaeformis ◽

Spatial prediction of soil aggregate stability and soil organic carbon in aggregate fractions using machine learning algorithms and environmental variables

Geoderma Regional ◽

10.1016/j.geodrs.2021.e00440 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. e00440

Author(s):

Mojtaba Zeraatpisheh ◽

Shamsollah Ayoubi ◽

Zahra Mirbagheri ◽

Mohammad Reza Mosaddeghi ◽

Ming Xu

Keyword(s):

Machine Learning ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Environmental Variables ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Spatial Prediction ◽

Soil Aggregate ◽

Machine Learning Algorithms ◽

Aggregate Fractions

Dynamics of Soil Organic Carbon and Labile Carbon Fractions in Soil Aggregates Affected by Different Tillage Managements

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13031541 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 1541

Author(s):

Xiaolin Shen ◽

Lili Wang ◽

Qichen Yang ◽

Weiming Xiu ◽

Gang Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Aggregates ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Soil Aggregate ◽

No Tillage ◽

Labile Carbon ◽

Carbon Fractions ◽

Positive Effects

Our study aimed to provide a scientific basis for an appropriate tillage management of wheat-maize rotation system, which is beneficial to the sustainable development of agriculture in the fluvo-aquic soil areas in China. Four tillage treatments were investigated after maize harvest, including rotary tillage with straw returning (RT), deep ploughing with straw returning (DP), subsoiling with straw returning (SS), and no tillage with straw mulching (NT). We evaluated soil organic carbon (SOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and particulate organic carbon (POC) in bulk soil and soil aggregates with five particle sizes (>5 mm, 5–2 mm, 2–1 mm, 1–0.25 mm, and <0.25 mm) under different tillage managements. Results showed that compared with RT treatment, NT treatment not only increased soil aggregate stability, but also enhanced SOC, DOC, and POC contents, especially those in large size macroaggregates. DP treatment also showed positive effects on soil aggregate stability and labile carbon fractions (DOC and POXC). Consequently, we suggest that no tillage or deep ploughing, rather than rotary tillage, could be better tillage management considering carbon storage. Meanwhile, we implied that mass fractal dimension (Dm) and POXC could be effective indicators of soil quality, as affected by tillage managements.