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Li M, Bai L, Yang L, Wang Q, Zhu J. Amount, distribution and controls of the soil organic carbon storage loss in the degraded China's grasslands. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 944:173848. [PMID: 38871318 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
More than 80 % of China's grasslands are classified as degraded, and the loss of soil carbon storage due to degradation has a significant impact on China's terrestrial carbon sinks as well as carbon neutrality targets. The loss of soil carbon storage in degraded grasslands can serve as a benchmark for quantifying the carbon sequestration capacity of restored grasslands in the future. Here, above- and below-ground biomass, soil organic carbon (SOC) content at various depths (0-100 cm) and soil bulk density were collected from 226 degradation sequences around China. The above information was integrated and statistically analyzed to quantify the difference of SOC storage between the degraded and natural grassland at national scale. The result showed that grassland degradation led to a significant reduction in SOC storage across different depths. SOC (0-100 cm) of degraded grassland decreased by 39 % compared to that of natural grassland, ranging from 21 % in the lightly degraded sites to 59 % of the extremely degraded sites. 15 potential predictors were used to estimate the national amount of these differences of 0-20 cm depth SOC storage as 5.29 ± 1.59 Pg C. This considerable carbon storage gap implies the necessity of China's grassland restoration project in achieving carbon neutrality goals in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengfan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, 768 West Jiayuguan Road, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Limin Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, 768 West Jiayuguan Road, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Lei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, 768 West Jiayuguan Road, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, 768 West Jiayuguan Road, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Jianxiao Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, 768 West Jiayuguan Road, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730020, China.
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2
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Guo Y, Han J, Bao H, Wu Y, Shen L, Xu X, Chen Z, Smith P, Abdalla M. A systematic analysis and review of soil organic carbon stocks in urban greenspaces. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 948:174788. [PMID: 39019284 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Urban greenspaces typically refer to urban wetland, urban forest and urban turfgrass. They play a critical role in carbon sequestration by absorbing carbon from the atmosphere; however, their capacity to retain and store carbon in the form of soil organic carbon (SOC) varies significantly. This study provides a systematic analysis and review on the capacity of different urban greenspace types in retaining and storing SOC in 30 cm soil depth on a global scale. Data came from 78 publications on the subject of SOC stocks, covering different countries and climate zones. Overall, urban greenspace types exerted significant influences on the spatial pattern of SOC stocks, with the highest value of 18.86 ± 11.57 kg m-2 (mean ± standard deviation) in urban wetland, followed by urban forest (6.50 ± 3.65 kg m-2), while the lowest mean value of 4.24 ± 3.28 kg m-2 was recorded in urban turfgrass soil. Soil organic carbon stocks in each urban greenspace type were significantly affected by climate zones, management/environmental settings, and selected soil properties (i.e. soil bulk density, pH and clay content). Furthermore, our analysis showed a significantly negative correlation between SOC stocks and human footprint in urban wetland, but a significantly positive relationship in urban forest and urban turfgrass. A positive correlation between SOC stocks and human footprint indicates that increased human activity and development can enhance SOC stocks through effective management and green infrastructure. Conversely, a negative correlation suggests that improper management of human activities can degrade SOC stocks. This highlights the need for sustainable practices to maintain or enhance SOC accumulation in urban greenspaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Guo
- Research Institute for Urban Planning and Sustainability, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou 310015, China; School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jiatong Han
- College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Haijun Bao
- Research Institute for Urban Planning and Sustainability, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou 310015, China.
| | - Yuzhe Wu
- School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Liyin Shen
- Research Institute for Urban Planning and Sustainability, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou 310015, China
| | - Xiangrui Xu
- Research Institute for Urban Planning and Sustainability, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou 310015, China
| | - Ziwei Chen
- Research Institute for Urban Planning and Sustainability, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou 310015, China
| | - Pete Smith
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Mohamed Abdalla
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK
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Wang Q, Liu H, Liang B, Shi L, Wu L, Cao J. Will large-scale forestation lead to a soil water deficit crisis in China's drylands? Sci Bull (Beijing) 2024; 69:1506-1514. [PMID: 38503651 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Trading water for carbon has cautioned large-scale afforestation in global drylands. However, model simulations suggested that the consumption of soil water could be partially offset by increasing precipitation due to vegetation feedback. A systematic meta-analysis of long-term and large-scale field observations is urgently required to address the abovementioned limitations, and the implementation of large-scale afforestation since 1978 in northern China provides an ideal example. This study collected data comprising 1226 observations from 98 sites in northern China to assess the variation in soil water content (SWC) with stand age after afforestation and discuss the effects of tree species, precipitation and conversions of land use types on SWC. We found that the SWC has been decreased by coniferous forest and broadleaf forest at rates of 0.6 and 3.2 mm decade-1, respectively, since 1978. There is a significant declining trend of SWC with the stand age of plantations, and the optimum growth stage for plantation forest is 0-20 a in northern China. However, we found increases in SWC for the conversion from grassland to forest and in the low-precipitation region, both are corresponding to the increased SWC in coniferous forest. Our study implies that afforestation might lead to a soil water deficit crisis in northern China in the long term at the regional scale but depends on prior land use types, tree taxa and the mean annual precipitation regime, which sheds light on decision-making regarding ecological restoration policies and water resource management in drylands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuming Wang
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and PKU Saihanba Station, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Hongyan Liu
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and PKU Saihanba Station, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Boyi Liang
- College of Forestry, Precision Forestry Key Laboratory of Beijing, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Liang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Lu Wu
- China Meteorological Administration Training Center, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jing Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Regional Eco-process and Function Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
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Xiao C, Xiao D, Sun M, Wang K. Bacteria, Fungi, and Protists Exhibit Distinct Responses to Managed Vegetation Restoration in the Karst Region. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1074. [PMID: 38930456 PMCID: PMC11205577 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria, fungi, and protists occupy a pivotal position in maintaining soil ecology. Despite limited knowledge on their responses to managed vegetation restoration strategies in karst regions, we aimed to study the essential microbial communities involved in the process of vegetation restoration. We compared microbial characteristics in four land use types: planted forests (PF), forage grass (FG), a mixture of plantation forest and forage grass (FF), and cropland (CR) as a reference. Our findings revealed that the richness of bacteria and protists was higher in FF compared to PF, while fungal richness was lower in both PF and FF than in CR. Additionally, the bacterial Shannon index in FF was higher than that in CR and PF, while the fungal and protist Shannon indices were similar across all four land use types. Significant differences were observed in the compositions of bacterial, fungal, and protist communities between FF and the other three land use types, whereas bacterial, fungal, and protist communities were relatively similar in PF and FG. In FF, the relative abundance of bacterial taxa Acidobacteria, Firmicutes, and Gemmatimonadetes was significantly higher than in PF and CR. Fungal communities were dominated by Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, with the relative abundance of Ascomycota significantly higher in FF compared to other land use types. Regarding protistan taxa, the relative abundance of Chlorophyta was higher in FF compared to CR, PF, and FG, while the relative abundance of Apicomplexa was higher in CR compared to FF. Importantly, ammonium nitrogen, total phosphorus, and microbial biomass nitrogen were identified as key soil properties predicting changes in the diversity of bacteria, fungi, and protists. Our results suggest that the microbial community under FF exhibits greater sensitivity to vegetation restoration compared to PF and FG. This sensitivity may stem from differences in soil properties, the formation of biological crusts and root systems, and management activities, resulting in variations in bacterial, fungal, and protist diversity and taxa in PF. As a result, employing a combination restoration strategy involving plantation forest and forage grass proves to be an effective approach to enhance the microbial community and thereby improve ecosystem functionality in ecologically fragile areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Xiao
- College of Environment and Ecology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China;
- Huanjiang Agriculture Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang 547100, China
| | - Dan Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China;
- Huanjiang Agriculture Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang 547100, China
| | - Mingming Sun
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China;
- Huanjiang Agriculture Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang 547100, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Kelin Wang
- Huanjiang Agriculture Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang 547100, China
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Chen H, Cheng M, Wen Y, Xiang Y. Leaf carbon chemistry effectively manipulated soil microbial profiles and induced metabolic adjustments under different revegetation types in the loess Plateau, China. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 359:120880. [PMID: 38669879 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Microorganisms are essential components of underground life systems and drive elemental cycling between plants and soil. Yet, in the ecologically fragile Loess Plateau, scant attention has been paid to the response of microbial communities to organic carbon (C) chemistry of both leaves and soils under different revegetation conditions, as well as subsequent alternation in their C metabolic functions. Here, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum, amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS, and temporal incubation with Biolog-Eco 96 plates were combined to explore the vegetative heterogeneity of microbial community properties and metabolic functions, as well as their regulatory mechanisms in three typical revegetation types including Robinia pseudoacacia L. (RF), Caragana korshinskii KOM. (SL), and abandoned grassland (AG). We observed higher bacterial-to-fungal ratios (B: F = 270.18) and richer copiotrophic bacteria (Proteobacteria = 33.08%) in RF soil than those in AG soil, suggesting that microbes were dominated by r-strategists in soil under RF treatment, which is mainly related to long-term priming of highly bioavailable leaf C (higher proportion of aromatic and hydrophilic functional groups and lower hydrophobicity). Conversely, microbial taxa in AG soil, which was characterized by higher leaf organic C hydrophobicity (1.39), were dominated by relatively more abundant fungi (lower B: F ratio = 149.49) and oligotrophic bacteria (Actinobacteria = 29.30%). The co-occurrence network analysis showed that microbial interactive associations in RF and AG soil were more complex and connective than in SL soil. Furthermore, Biolog-Eco plate experiments revealed that microorganisms tended to utilize labile C compounds (carbohydrates and amino acids) in RF soil and resistant C compounds (polymers) in AG soil, which were consistent with the substrate adaptation strategies of predominant microbial trophic groups in different revegetation environments. Meanwhile, we observed greater microbial metabolic activity and diversity advantages in RF vegetation. Collectively, we suggest that besides the nutrient variables in the leaf-soil system, the long-term regulation of the microbial community by the C chemistry of the leaf sequentially alters the microbial metabolic profiles in a domino-like manner. RF afforestation is more conducive to restoring soil microbial fertility (including microbial abundance, diversity, interactive association, and metabolic capacity). Our study potentially paves the way for achieving well-managed soil health and accurate prediction of C pool dynamics in areas undergoing ecological restoration of the Loess Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoning Chen
- School of Environmental &Resource Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, China
| | - Man Cheng
- School of Environmental &Resource Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, China.
| | - Yongli Wen
- School of Environmental &Resource Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, China.
| | - Yun Xiang
- School of Environmental &Resource Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, China; College of Resources and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong, 030801, China
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Wang Z, Li W, Wang Y, Wang X, Ma T, Liu Y, Wei Y. Microbiological impact of long-term wine grape cultivation on soil organic carbon in desert ecosystems: a study on rhizosphere and bulk sandy soils. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1362149. [PMID: 38516660 PMCID: PMC10955057 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1362149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
The improvement of nutrients in soil is essential for using deserts and decertified ecosystems and promoting sustainable agriculture. Grapevines are suitable crops for desert soils as they can adapt to harsh environments and effectively impact soil nutrients; however, the mechanisms underlying this remain unclear. This study explored the impact of the different duration(3, 6, and 10 years) of grape cultivation on soil organic carbon, physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, microbial communities, and carbon cycle pathways in both rhizosphere and bulk soils. Partial least squares path modeling was used to further reveal how these factors contributed to soil nutrient improvement. Our findings indicate that after long-term grape cultivation six years, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, and enzyme activities has significantly increased in both rhizosphere and bulk soils but microbial diversity decreased in bulk soil. According to the microbial community assembly analysis, we found that stochastic processes, particularly homogenizing dispersal, were dominant in both soils. Bacteria are more sensitive to environmental changes than fungi. In the bulk soil, long-term grape cultivation leads to a reduction in ecological niches and an increase in salinity, resulting in a decrease in soil microbial diversity. Soil enzymes play an important role in increasing soil organic matter in bulk soil by decomposing plant litters, while fungi play an important role in increasing soil organic matter in the rhizosphere, possibly by decomposing fine roots and producing mycelia. Our findings enhance understanding of the mechanisms of soil organic carbon improvement under long-term grape cultivation and suggest that grapes are suitable crops for restoring desert ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiheng Wang
- College of Biological Science & Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Wenchao Li
- Administrative Committee of Wine Industry Zone of Ningxia Helan Mountains’ East Foothill, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- College of Enology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yuejuan Wang
- College of Biological Science & Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Xuefei Wang
- College of Biological Science & Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Tingting Ma
- College of Biological Science & Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Yanlin Liu
- College of Enology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yuqing Wei
- College of Biological Science & Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
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Yang M, Luo X, Cai Y, Mwangi BN, Khan MS, Haider FU, Huang W, Cheng X, Yang Z, Zhou H, Liu S, Zhang Q, Luo M, Ou J, Xiong S, Li Y. Effect of fire and post-fire management on soil microbial communities in a lower subtropical forest ecosystem after a mountain fire. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 351:119885. [PMID: 38147772 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Wildfires and post-fire management exert profound effects on soil properties and microbial communities in forest ecosystems. Understanding microbial community recovery from fire and what the best post-fire management should be is very important but needs to be sufficiently studied. In light of these gaps in our understanding, this study aimed to assess the short-term effects of wildfire and post-fire management on both bacteria and fungi community composition, diversity, structure, and co-occurrence networks, and to identify the principal determinants of soil processes influencing the restoration of these communities. Specifically, we investigated soil bacterial and fungal community composition, diversity, structure, and co-occurrence networks in lower subtropical forests during a short-term (<3 years) post-fire recovery period at four main sites in Guangdong Province, southern China. Our results revealed significant effects of wildfires on fungal community composition, diversity, and co-occurrence patterns. Network analysis indicated reduced bacterial network complexity and connectivity post-fire, while the same features were enhanced in fungal networks. However, post-fire management effects on microbial communities were negligible. Bacterial diversity correlated positively with soil microbial biomass nitrogen, soil organic carbon, and soil total nitrogen. Conversely, based on the best random forest model, fungal community dynamics were negatively linked to nitrate-nitrogen and soil water content. Spearman's correlation analysis suggested positive associations between bacterial networks and soil factors, whereas fungal networks exhibited predominantly negative associations. This study elucidates the pivotal role of post-fire management in shaping ecological outcomes. Additionally, it accentuates the discernible distinctions between bacterial and fungal responses to fire throughout a short-term recovery period. These findings contribute novel insights that bear significance in evaluating the efficacy of environmental management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengmeng Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, 51650, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Xuan Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, 51650, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China; Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, China.
| | - Ying Cai
- Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China.
| | - Brian N Mwangi
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, 51650, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China.
| | - Muhammad Sadiq Khan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, 51650, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China.
| | - Fasih Ullah Haider
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, 51650, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China.
| | - Wanxuan Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, 51650, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Xianli Cheng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, 51650, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China; Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China.
| | - Zefan Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, 51650, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Hongen Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, 51650, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China; South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510641, China.
| | - Shizhong Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, 51650, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China.
| | - Qianmei Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, 51650, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China.
| | - Mingdao Luo
- Forestry Science Research Institute of Gaoming District, Foshan, 528500, China.
| | - Jinwei Ou
- Forestry Science Research Institute of Gaoming District, Foshan, 528500, China.
| | - Shiyang Xiong
- Forestry Science Research Institute of Gaoming District, Foshan, 528500, China.
| | - Yuelin Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, 51650, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China.
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Zhu X, Si J, He X, Jia B, Zhou D, Wang C, Qin J, Liu Z. Effects of long-term afforestation on soil water and carbon in the Alxa Plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 14:1273108. [PMID: 38273949 PMCID: PMC10808672 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1273108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Plantations in dry and semi-arid areas significantly affect the soil's ability to store carbon and maintain a stable water balance. It is yet unclear, though, how planted trees in these regions might impact the soil's carbon and water levels. As a forest ages, it is unknown how soil water and soil carbon interact with one another. In order to conduct this study, four Saxaul plantations in the Alxa Plateau were chosen, with the neighboring mobile sandy (MS) ground serving as a control. The ages of the plantations ranged from 5 to 46 years. The major topics of the study included the relationship between soil water and soil carbon, changes in the 0-300 cm soil layer's soil water content (SWC), soil organic carbon (SOC), and soil inorganic carbon (SIC) following afforestation. The findings demonstrated that, in comparison to MS, afforestation considerably increased SOC and SIC stocks. In comparison to MS, the SIC grew by 4.02 kg m-2, 4.12 kg m-2, 5.12 kg m-2, and 6.52 kg m-2 throughout periods of 5 years, 11 years, 22 years, and 46 years, respectively. SOC increased relative to MS by 2.55 kg m-2, 2.91 kg m-2, 3.53 kg m-2, and 4.05 kg m-2. Afforestation, however, also contributed to a considerable decline in deep SWC and an increase in the soil water deficit (SWD). In comparison to MS, the mean SWC values were lower at 5 years, 11 years, 22 years, and 46 years, respectively, by 0.48%, 1.37%, 1.56%, and 4.00%. The increase in soil carbon pool caused by sand afforestation actually came at the expense of a reduction in soil water due to a large negative association between deep SWC, SOC, and SIC. To limit SWC losses and encourage sustainable forest land development, we advocate suitable harvest management practices on forest land.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinglin Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianhua Si
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaohui He
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Faculty of Resources and Environment, Baotou Teachers’ College, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, China
| | - Bing Jia
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Dongmeng Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chunlin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Qin
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zijin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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9
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Wu L, Ren C, Jiang H, Zhang W, Chen N, Zhao X, Wei G, Shu D. Land abandonment transforms soil microbiome stability and functional profiles in apple orchards of the Chinese Losses Plateau. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167556. [PMID: 37804979 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Land abandonment is considered an effective strategy for ecological restoration on a global scale. However, few studies have focused on how environmental heterogeneity associated with the age of land abandonment affects the assembly and potential functions of the soil microbial community. In the present study, we investigated the community assembly of soil bacteria and fungi as well as the stability of soil networks and their potential functions in the chronosequence of abandoned apple orchards. We elucidated that the Shannon diversity of bacteria and the richness of fungi increased as land abandonment progressed. In addition, land abandonment destabilized the microbial network stability but increased network complexity. Soil available nitrogen, total carbon, and moisture are the potentially important factors in shaping the soil microbial assembly. Importantly, we showed that the microbial community diversity and functional diversity presented a synchronization effect in response to the different stages of land abandonment. Furthermore, specific bacterial taxa related to carbon fixation, dissimilatory nitrate reduction, and organic phosphorus mineralization were significantly enriched during the early abandonment stage. Collectively, these results indicate that land abandonment significantly transformed soil microbiome assembly and functional adaptation during the restoration process. These findings provide valuable insights into the influence of ecological restoration on soil microbiome and ecosystem functions in arable areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Likun Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Chengyao Ren
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Hai Jiang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Wenyu Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Ni Chen
- The Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710000, China
| | - Xining Zhao
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Gehong Wei
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Duntao Shu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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10
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Merino A, Omil B, Piñeiro V, Barros N, Souza-Alonso P, Campo J. Soil C dynamics after deforestation and subsequent conversion of arable cropland to grassland in humid temperate areas. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 901:165793. [PMID: 37495129 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Land use and plant-soil management influence soil organic C stocks and soil properties. This study aimed to identify the main mechanisms by which these factors alter soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics and stocks. Changes in the organic C pools and biochemical quality in different OM compartments were assessed: a) after deforestation and intensive cultivation (SOM loss) and then, b) after the conversion of cropland to grassland (SOM replenishment) in a chronosequence of recovery (1-45 years). Topsoil samples were subjected to physical fractionation to assess the distribution of free particulate OM (POM) and mineral associated OM (MAOM). SOM quality was characterized by 13C NMR spectroscopy, thermal analysis (DSC/TG), and microbial activity was monitored by isothermal microcalorimetry. Deforestation and intensive cultivation led to the loss of 80 % of the C stored in the upper mineral soil (up to 30-35 cm). The POM was almost depleted, MAOM underwent significant losses (>40 %) and all OM compounds, including the aromatic C, were affected. The large and unexpected loss of MAOM can be attributed to the low specific surface soil area and also to the labile (biodegradable) nature of the OM in this fraction. After 45 years, conversion of cropland to grassland recovered 68 % of the C lost in the mineral soil (mainly as MAOM), at an annual rate of 1.25 Mg C ha-1. The present findings showed that the persistence of long-term OM depends on how strongly organic compounds are adsorbed onto mineral surfaces (i.e., the specific surface area) and the biochemical nature of OM compounds. Adequate plant-soil management favoured the replenishment of the MAOM under these experimental conditions, and this fraction was an active pool in terms of C storage and biochemical quality. This study served to test current theories about changes in soil C fractions due to land use changes and soil-plant management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustín Merino
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; Elemental Analysis RIAIDT, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; Institute of Ecology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico; Soil Science and Chemistry Department, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain
| | - Beatriz Omil
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; Elemental Analysis RIAIDT, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; Institute of Ecology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico; Soil Science and Chemistry Department, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain
| | - Verónica Piñeiro
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; Elemental Analysis RIAIDT, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; Institute of Ecology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Nieve Barros
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; Elemental Analysis RIAIDT, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; Institute of Ecology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Pablo Souza-Alonso
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; Elemental Analysis RIAIDT, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; Institute of Ecology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico; Soil Science and Chemistry Department, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain.
| | - Julio Campo
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; Elemental Analysis RIAIDT, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; Institute of Ecology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
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11
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Su Z, Zhong Y, Zhu X, Wu Y, Shen Z, Shangguan Z. Vegetation restoration altered the soil organic carbon composition and favoured its stability in a Robinia pseudoacacia plantation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 899:165665. [PMID: 37478936 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization is vital for the mitigation of global climate change and retention of soil carbon stocks. However, there are knowledge gaps on how SOC sources and stabilization respond to vegetation restoration. Therefore, we investigated lignin phenol and amino sugar biomarkers, SOC physical fractions and chemical structure in one farmland and four stands of a Robinia pseudoacacia plantation. We observed that the content of SOC increased with afforestation, but the different biomarkers had different contributions to SOC. Compared to farmland, the contribution of lignin phenols to SOC decreased in the plantations, whereas there was no difference among the four stand ages, likely resulting from the balance between increasing lignin derivation input and increasing lignin degradation. Conversely, vegetation restoration increased the content of microbial necromass carbon (MNC) and the contribution of MNC to SOC, mainly because microbial residue decomposition was inhibited by decreasing the activity of leucine aminopeptidase, while microbial necromass preservation was promoted by adjusting soil variables (soil water content, clay, pH and total nitrogen). In addition, vegetation restoration increased the particulate organic carbon (POC), mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) pools and the O-alkyl C intensify. Overall, vegetation restoration affected SOC composition by regulating lignin phenols and microbial necromass and also altered SOC stabilization by increasing the physically stable MAOC pool during late afforestation. The results of this study suggest that more attention should be given to SOC sequestration and stability during late vegetation restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoxia Su
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yangquanwei Zhong
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Xiaoyue Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | | | - Zhouping Shangguan
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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12
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Xu H, Yue C, Zhang Y, Liu D, Piao S. Forestation at the right time with the right species can generate persistent carbon benefits in China. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2304988120. [PMID: 37782782 PMCID: PMC10576152 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304988120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous evaluations on the biophysical potential of forest carbon sink have focused on forestation area distribution and the associated carbon stock for equilibrium-state forests after centuries-long growth. These approaches, however, have limited relevance for climate policies because they ignore the near-term and mid-term decadal carbon uptake dynamics and suitable forest species for forestation. This study developed a forestation roadmap to support China's "carbon neutrality" objective in 2060 by addressing three key questions of forestation: where, with what forest species, and when to afforest. The results yielded a high-confidence potential forestation map for China at a resolution of 1 km with the identified optimal native forest type or species. Our analysis revealed an additional 78 Mha suitable for forestation up to the 2060s, a 43% increase on the current forest area. Selecting forest species for maximal carbon stock in addition to maximizing local environmental suitability enabled almost a doubling in forest carbon sink potential. Progressive forestation of this area can fix a considerable amount of CO2 and compensate for the carbon sink decline in existing forests. Altogether, the entire forest ecosystem can support a persistent biophysical carbon sink potential of 0.4 Pg C y-1 by 2060 and 0.2 Pg C y-1 by 2100, offsetting 7 to 14% of the current national fossil CO2 emissions. Our research provides an example of building a forestation roadmap toward a sustained forest carbon sink, which creates a critical time window for the emission cuts required by the goal of carbon neutrality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Xu
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Sino-French Institute for Earth System Science, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing100871, China
| | - Chao Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Shaanxi712100, China
| | - Yao Zhang
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Sino-French Institute for Earth System Science, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing100871, China
| | - Dan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100085, China
| | - Shilong Piao
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Sino-French Institute for Earth System Science, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing100871, China
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100085, China
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13
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Huang J, Chen Q, Wang Q, Gao J, Yin Y, Guo H. Future carbon storages of ecosystem based on land use change and carbon sequestration practices in a large economic belt. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:90924-90935. [PMID: 37464211 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28555-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Assessments of ecosystem carbon storage are needed to form the scientific basis for carbon policies. Due to lack of data, there are few accurate, large-scale, and long-term predictions of ecosystem carbon storage. This study used the Distributed Land-Use Change Prediction (DLUCP) model with ten socioeconomic and two climate change scenarios for a total of 20 combinations that take into account population increase, technology innovation, climate change, and Grain for Green Project to make high-resolution predictions of land use change in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Low and high carbon sequestration practices were considered to predict future carbon densities. Land use change data, carbon densities data, and the InVEST model were used to predict changes in ecosystem carbon storage from now to 2070. The results show a slight increase (1.88-4.17%) in carbon storage in the study area only based on land use change. Grain for Green Project has the largest impact on carbon storage among population increase, technology innovation, climate scenarios, and Grain for Green Project, which increases carbon storage by 4.17%. After the implementation of carbon sequestration practices, there is an increase in carbon storages from 28.51 to 56.77% in the study area from now to 2070, and increasing carbon storages of forest in each stream and carbon storage of cropland in downstream are efficient ways to achieve carbon neutralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Qi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Qingrui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Jiameng Gao
- College of Information Sciences and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Ying Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Hongyan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
- Joint International Research Centre for Critical Zone Science by University of Leeds and Nanjing University, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
- Technology Innovation Center for Ecological Monitoring & Restoration Project on Land (arable), Ministry of Natural Resources, Geological Survey of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, 210018, China.
- Quanzhou Institute for Environment Protection Industry, Nanjing University, Quanzhou, 362000, China.
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14
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Zhan T, Zhao H, Zhang J, Cheng C, Zhang Z. Differential effects of grazing intensity on carbon sequestration in arid versus humid grasslands across China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 881:163221. [PMID: 37019229 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Livestock grazing, as a primary utilization practice for grasslands, plays a crucial role in carbon cycling process and its budget. Whether the impacts of different grazing intensities on carbon sequestration vary with precipitation over a broad geographic scales across China's grasslands remains unclear. In the context of striving for carbon neutrality, we carried out a meta-analysis based on 156 peer-reviewed journal articles to synthesize the general impacts of different grazing intensities on carbon sequestration with different precipitations. Our results showed that light, moderate, and heavy grazing dramatically reduced the soil organic carbon stocks by 3.43 %, 13.68 %, and 16.77 % in arid grasslands, respectively (P < 0.05), while light and moderate grazing did not alter soil organic carbon stocks in humid grasslands (P > 0.05). Moreover, the change rates of soil organic carbon stocks were all tightly positively associated with those of soil water content under different grazing intensities (P < 0.05). Further analysis revealed strong positive relationships between mean annual precipitation with the change rates of above- and belowground biomasses, soil microbial biomass carbon, and soil organic carbon stocks under moderate grazing intensity (P < 0.05). These findings imply that carbon sequestration is relatively less tolerant to grazing disturbance in arid grasslands than humid grasslands, which may be primary due to the grazing-intensified water limitation for plant growth and soil microbial activities under low precipitation. Our study is of implication to predict carbon budget of China's grasslands and help adopt sustainable management to strive for carbon neutrality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyu Zhan
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Grassland Resources and Ecology in the Yellow River Delta, College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, Shandong, China; State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Haotian Zhao
- Sichuan Engineering Technology Research Center of Geohazard Prevention, Chengdu 610081, China
| | - Jiaxi Zhang
- College of Tourism and Geographical Science, Leshan Normal University, Leshan 61400, China
| | - Chunyan Cheng
- College of Geography and Remote sensing Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
| | - Zhenchao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Grassland Resources and Ecology in the Yellow River Delta, College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, Shandong, China.
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Lei L, Li Y, Zhou Z, Li N, Zhao C, Li Q. Cropland abandonment alleviates soil carbon emissions in the North China Plain. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:679. [PMID: 37191764 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11324-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Land use change could profoundly influence the terrestrial ecosystem carbon (C) cycle. However, the effects of agricultural expansion and cropland abandonment on soil microbial respiration remain controversial, and the underlying mechanisms of the land use change effect are lacking. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive survey in four land use types (grassland, cropland, orchard, and old-field grassland) of North China Plain with eight replicates to explore the responses of soil microbial respiration to agricultural expansion and cropland abandonment. We collected surface soil (0-10 cm in depth) in each land use type to measure soil physicochemical property and microbial analysis. Our results showed that soil microbial respiration was significantly increased by 15.10 mg CO2 kg-1 day-1 and 20.06 mg CO2 kg-1 day-1 due to the conversion of grassland to cropland and orchard, respectively. It confirmed that agricultural expansion might exacerbate soil C emissions. On the contrary, the returning of cropland and orchard to old-field grassland significantly decreased soil microbial respiration by 16.51 mg CO2 kg-1 day-1 and 21.47 mg CO2 kg-1 day-1, respectively. Effects of land use change on soil microbial respiration were predominately determined by soil organic and inorganic nitrogen contents, implying that nitrogen fertilizer plays an essential role in soil C loss. These findings highlight that cropland abandonment can effectively mitigate soil CO2 emissions, which should be implemented in agricultural lands with low grain production and high C emissions. Our results improve mechanistic understanding on the response of soil C emission to land use changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingjie Lei
- Sino-French Institute for Earth System Science, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Landscape Engineering Office, College of Landscape Engineering, Suzhou Polytechnic Institute of Agriculture, Suzhou, 215008, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Natural Resource of Henan Province, Institute of Territorial Space Survey and Planning, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.
| | - Zhenxing Zhou
- School of Biological and Food Engineering, Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, 455000, Henan, China
| | - Na Li
- College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, 100083, China
- Chinese Academy of Natural Resources Economics, Beijing, 101149, China
| | - Cancan Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, Henan, China
| | - Qiang Li
- College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, Henan, China
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Han R, Zhang Q, Xu Z. Responses of soil organic carbon cycle to land degradation by isotopically tracing in a typical karst area, southwest China. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15249. [PMID: 37214105 PMCID: PMC10194080 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) under land degradation threatens crop production and reduces soil fertility and stability, which is more reflected in eco-sensitive environments. However, fewer studies simultaneously compared SOC variations and δ13CSOC compositions under diverse land uses, especially in karst areas. Methods Soil profiles from two agricultural lands and a secondary forest land were selected to analyze SOC contents and their stable isotope composition (δ13CSOC) in a typical karst area located in southwest China to understand the response of the SOC cycle to land degradation. Moreover, the relationships between SOC contents and mean weight diameter (MWD) and soil erodibility (K) factor were comprehensively analyzed for assessing the response of SOC to soil degradation risk. Results The mean SOC content was found to be the lowest in abandoned cropland (6.91 g/kg), followed by secondary forest land (9.31 g/kg) and grazing shrubland (34.80 g/kg), respectively. Meanwhile, the δ13CSOC values exhibited the following trend: secondary forest land (mean: -23.79‰) ≈abandoned cropland (mean: -23.76‰) >shrubland (mean: -25.33‰). The isotopic tracing results suggested that plant litter was the main contributor to SOC in the secondary forest land. Whereas abundant nitrogen from goat feces enhanced plant productivity and resulted in additional accumulation of SOC in the grazing shrubland. Conversely, long-term cultivation led to the depletion of SOC sequestration by the loss of calcium. In surface soils, the fractionation of δ13CSOC were considerably affected by the decomposition of SOC by soil microorganisms and covered vegetation rather than agricultural influences. Conclusions The findings indicate that the cycling of SOC and soil stability in the calcareous soil of southwest China are largely regulated by different land uses and the presence of vegetation cover. The depletion of SOC and soil physical degradation pose significant challenges for abandoned cropland, particularly in the karst area, where land degradation is inevitable. Nevertheless, moderate grazing enhances SOC levels, which is beneficial to the land fertility maintenance in the karst region. Therefore, more emphasis should be placed on the cultivation methods and management strategies for abandoned cropland in the karst area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiyin Han
- Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijng, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhifang Xu
- Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijng, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, China
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Li Q, Shi J, Li G, Hu J, Ma R. Extracellular enzyme stoichiometry and microbial resource limitation following various grassland reestablishment in abandoned cropland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 870:161746. [PMID: 36693570 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Grassland restoration in abandoned cropland had great impact on soil enzyme stoichiometry and microbial resource limitation, hence altering carbon (C) sequestration progress in soil depending on soil depth and grassland restoration strategy. It is crucial to understand the microbial resource limitation under various restoration strategies, which could have key implication for optimizing management to improve C sequestration in abandoned cropland. The objective of this study was to examine the changes and key regulators of soil enzyme stoichiometry and microbial resource limitation in different soil depths under different management strategies to restore grassland, namely a) cropland as continuous cropping (CR); b) naturally restored grassland (NR); c) grass-based grassland (GG); d) legume-based grassland (LG); e) grass-legume mixed grassland (MG); and f) grass-based grassland with N fertilization (GF). Results showed that converting cropland into grassland increased absolute soil enzyme activities potential for microbial C, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) acquisition by 5-110 %, 25-132 % and 17-215 %, respectively depending on soil depth and grassland restoration strategy. These enzyme activities increased more in surface soil than subsoil with the conversion of cropland into grassland, especially under LG and GF. The strategies to restore grassland, especially LG and GF, significantly decreased enzymatic C:P and N:P ratios. Microbial C limitation was reduced associated with re-establishment of grassland, exacerbating the P limitation depending on grassland restoration strategies, especially under LG and GF. The shift of relative microbial resource limitation from C to P reduced the microbial C use efficiency, reducing the ecosystem C sequestration potential during the restoration of grassland. It appears that increased biomass input and soil C:P ratio are the key drivers to shift microbial resource limitation from C to P during the restoration of grassland. Thus, a moderate harvest of above-ground biomass with a supplement of P may be necessary for improving the C sequestration potential during the restoration of grasslands, especially in the grass-legume mix or grass-based grassland with N fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Li
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Grassland Farming, Changchun 130102, China; Key Laboratory of Mollisols Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China.
| | - Jibo Shi
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Grassland Farming, Changchun 130102, China
| | - Guangdi Li
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia
| | - Juan Hu
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Grassland Farming, Changchun 130102, China; Key Laboratory of Mollisols Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China.
| | - Ruonan Ma
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Yang F, Zhong Y, Han G, Li X, Luo L, Cai X, Long X, Li T, Huang L. Effect of different vegetation restoration on soil organic carbon dynamics and fractions in the Rainy Zone of Western China. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 331:117296. [PMID: 36642043 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Vegetation restoration on purple soil (Eutric Leptic Regosols) slopes aiming at reducing soil erosion in the Rainy Zone of Western China has significantly altered soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and distribution. A better understanding of the effects of different vegetation restoration types on SOC dynamics and fractions is critical in devising better policy to protect or enhance SOC stocks to improve soil quality and ecosystem function. In the present study, total, labile, and non-labile organic carbon (TOC, LC, and NLC), and carbon management index (CMI) of Cryptomeria fortunei (CF), mixed C. fortunei and Betula luminifera (MF), Neosinocalamus affinis (NA), and Camellia sinensis (CS) were compared with those of Zea mays field (ZM) on purple soil slopes in the Rainy Zone of Western China in order to develop more effective ways to implement vegetation restoration in the future. Different vegetation restoration types (CF, MF, NA and CS) increased TOC stock by 47.79%-118.31% and NLC stock by 56.61%-129.52% in the 0-50 cm soil layer compared with that of ZM. The direction and magnitude of changes in LC stock and CMI, however, depended strongly on the vegetation restoration type. Compared with ZM, CF had the largest increase of LC stock and CMI, whereas NA had the largest decrease of LC stock and CMI in the 0-50 cm soil layer. The LC:TOC ratio in four reforested species all declined significantly compared with that of ZM (p < 0.01), indicating decreased SOC activity after afforestation. The vegetation type and soil depth together explained more than 90% of the changes of TOC and its fractions in the plantations on purple soil slopes. Our study demonstrates that transforming the ZM into the CS is optimal to achieve the sustainable development goal, whereas transforming the ZM into the NA reduces the SOC activity and availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- Laboratory of Simulation on Soil Process, College of Geography and Resources Science, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang 641100, China
| | - Yujian Zhong
- Laboratory of Simulation on Soil Process, College of Geography and Resources Science, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang 641100, China
| | - Guangzhong Han
- Laboratory of Simulation on Soil Process, College of Geography and Resources Science, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang 641100, China
| | - Xiuzhi Li
- Laboratory of Simulation on Soil Process, College of Geography and Resources Science, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang 641100, China
| | - Li Luo
- Laboratory of Simulation on Soil Process, College of Geography and Resources Science, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang 641100, China
| | - Xiaomin Cai
- Laboratory of Simulation on Soil Process, College of Geography and Resources Science, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang 641100, China
| | - Xinyu Long
- Laboratory of Simulation on Soil Process, College of Geography and Resources Science, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang 641100, China
| | - Tangli Li
- Laboratory of Simulation on Soil Process, College of Geography and Resources Science, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang 641100, China
| | - Laiming Huang
- Yellow River Delta Modern Agricultural Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, China.
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Chen W, Yu T, Zhao C, Li B, Qin Y, Li H, Tang H, Liu J, Zhang X. Development and Determinants of Topsoil Bacterial and Fungal Communities of Afforestation by Aerial Sowing in Tengger Desert, China. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9040399. [PMID: 37108854 PMCID: PMC10144444 DOI: 10.3390/jof9040399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
It was previously reported that afforestation in the desert can help improve soil texture, carbon accumulation, and nutrient status. However, the effects of afforestation on soil microbial composition, diversity, and microbial interactions with soil physicochemical properties have been rarely evaluated quantitatively. Using the method of space-for-time substitutions, we assessed the development and determinants of topsoil bacterial and fungal communities over nearly 40 years of successive afforestation by aerial sowing in Tengger Desert, China. The results showed that afforestation by aerial sowing comprised a considerable proportion of Chloroflexi and Acidobacteria in the bacterial community in addition to the ubiquitous phyla found in desert but had fewer effects on the dominant phyla of the fungal community. At the phylum level, the bacterial community was clearly clustered into two groups. However, it was difficult to differentiate the constituents of the fungal community based on principal coordinate analysis. The richness of the bacterial and fungal communities was significantly higher after five years than at zero years and three years. Additionally, the bacterial community varied parabolically and reached its largest size at twenty years, while the fungal community increased exponentially. Soil physicochemical properties were found to have divergent effects on the abundance and diversity of bacterial and fungal communities, among which salt- and carbon-associated properties (e.g., electrical conductivity, calcium, magnesium, total carbon, and organic carbon) were closely related with the abundance of bacterial-dominant phyla and the diversity of bacteria and fungi, but nutrient-associated properties (e.g., total phosphorus and available phosphorus) were not. The results indicate that afforestation through the salt secretions of plants leaves and carbon inputs from litter promote the development of topsoil bacterial and fungal communities in the desert.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Alxa Desert Eco-Hydrology Experimental Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tengfei Yu
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Alxa Desert Eco-Hydrology Experimental Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Chenguang Zhao
- Alxa Institute of Forestry and Grassland, Alxa 750306, China
| | - Baofeng Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Alxa Desert Eco-Hydrology Experimental Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yanyan Qin
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Huiying Li
- Alxa Institute of Forestry and Grassland, Alxa 750306, China
| | - Haojie Tang
- Alxa Forestry and Grassland Projection Station, Alxa 750306, China
| | - Junliang Liu
- Alxa Forestry and Grassland Projection Station, Alxa 750306, China
| | - Xiaoyou Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
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Wang Q, Le Noë J, Li Q, Lan T, Gao X, Deng O, Li Y. Incorporating agricultural practices in digital mapping improves prediction of cropland soil organic carbon content: The case of the Tuojiang River Basin. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 330:117203. [PMID: 36603267 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.117203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Accurate mapping of soil organic carbon (SOC) in cropland is essential for improving soil management in agriculture and assessing the potential of different strategies aiming at climate change mitigation. Cropland management practices have large impacts on agricultural soils, but have rarely been considered in previous SOC mapping work. In this study, cropland management practices including carbon input (CI), length of cultivation (LC), and irrigation (Irri) were incorporated as agricultural management covariates and integrated with natural variables to predict the spatial distribution of SOC using the Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model. Additionally, we evaluated the performance of incorporating agricultural management practice variables in the prediction of cropland topsoil SOC. A case study was carried out in a traditional agricultural area in the Tuojiang River Basin, China. We found that CI was the most important environmental covariate for predicting cropland SOC. Adding cropland management practices to natural variables improved prediction accuracy, with the coefficient of determination (R2), the root mean squared error (RMSE) and Lin's Concordance Correlation Coefficient (LCCC) improving by 16.67%, 17.75% and 5.62%, respectively. Our results highlight the effectiveness of incorporating agricultural management practice information into SOC prediction models. We conclude that the construction of spatio-temporal database of agricultural management practices derived from inventories is a research priority to improve the reliability of SOC model prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wang
- College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China; Laboratoire de Géologie, École normale supérieure, Université PSL, IPSL, Paris, France
| | - Julia Le Noë
- Laboratoire de Géologie, École normale supérieure, Université PSL, IPSL, Paris, France
| | - Qiquan Li
- College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China; Key Laboratory of Investigation and Monitoring, Protection and Utilization for Cultivated Land Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Ting Lan
- College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China; Key Laboratory of Investigation and Monitoring, Protection and Utilization for Cultivated Land Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Xuesong Gao
- College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China; Key Laboratory of Investigation and Monitoring, Protection and Utilization for Cultivated Land Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources, Chengdu 611130, China.
| | - Ouping Deng
- College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China; Key Laboratory of Investigation and Monitoring, Protection and Utilization for Cultivated Land Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yang Li
- College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China; Key Laboratory of Investigation and Monitoring, Protection and Utilization for Cultivated Land Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources, Chengdu 611130, China
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21
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Wang H, Liu Y, Wang Y, Yao Y, Wang C. Land cover change in global drylands: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 863:160943. [PMID: 36526201 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
As a sensitive region, identifying land cover change in drylands is critical to understanding global environmental change. However, the current findings related to land cover change in drylands are not uniform due to differences in data and methods among studies. We compared and judged the spatial and temporal characteristics, driving forces, and ecological effects by identifying the main findings of land cover change in drylands at global and regional scales (especially in China) to strengthen the overall understanding of land cover change in drylands. Four main points were obtained. First, while most studies found that drylands were experiencing vegetation greening, some evidence showed decreases in vegetation and large increases in bare land due to inconsistencies in the datasets and the study phases. Second, the dominant factors affecting land cover change in drylands are precipitation, agricultural activities, and urban expansion. Third, the impact of land cover change on the water cycle, especially the impact of afforestation on water resources in drylands, is of great concern. Finally, drylands experience severe land degradation and require dataset matching (classification standards, resolution, etc.) to quantify the impact of human activities on land cover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Wang
- School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China; State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yanxu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Yijia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ying Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Chenxu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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22
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Zhang L, Lin X, Xiao Y, Lin Z. Spatial and structural characteristics of the ecological network of carbon metabolism of cultivated land based on land use and cover change: a case study of Nanchang, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:30514-30529. [PMID: 36434452 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24307-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This paper explored the ecological network of CMCL (carbon metabolism of cultivated land) of Nanchang City from 2000 to 2020 to promote the low-carbon land management and China's dual carbon goals. We found that vertical and horizontal net carbon flow of cultivated land was negative during 2000-2020, and harmful carbon flow was mainly generated by the conversion of cultivated land to transportation and industrial land. Cultivated land contributed the most of the total carbon throughflow, accounting for 56.16%. Furthermore, exploitation and control relationships made maximal contribution to ecological relationships (45.83%), followed by competition relationships and mutualism relationships. In addition, ecological utility index showed the ecological network of CMCL is unhealthy. We suggest that it is necessary to achieve healthy and orderly operation of the ecological network of CMCL to reduce carbon emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Zhang
- School of Public Administration, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Xuehan Lin
- School of Public Administration, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China.
| | - Yao Xiao
- School of Public Administration, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Zhiyue Lin
- School of Electromechanical Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
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23
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Quantifying the impact of the Grain-for-Green Program on ecosystem service scarcity value in Qinghai, China. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2927. [PMID: 36806216 PMCID: PMC9941119 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29937-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Studying the impact of large-scale ecological projects, such as the Grain-for-Green Program (GGP), on ecosystem services (ES) is currently a frontier and hot topic of ecological research. The GGP can directly change land use and land cover, thus affecting ES. By comparing the changes of ecosystem service value (ESV) and ecosystem service scarcity value (ESSV) in Qinghai before and after the implementation of the GGP, this paper clarified the impact of the GGP on Qinghai from the angles of ecology and economics. This paper quantified and evaluated the land use dynamics, ESV, and ESSV in Qinghai from 1995 to 2020. The results showed that in the past 25 years, the total annual Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) of Qinghai showed a trend of sustained growth. From 1995 to 2020, the ESV increased by 6.80%. After considering supply and demand, the ESSV showed a continuous upward trend, increasing by 719.38%. After implementation of the GGP, the increase of NDVI inhibited the increase of the ESSV. These findings from evaluation of the effect of the GGP implementation provide a theoretical basis for future policy implementation and, in particular, a reference for the evaluation of the ESV and the ESSV in Qinghai.
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24
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Zhang Z, Hua T, Zhao Y, Li Y, Wang Y, Wang F, Sun J, Sun J. Divergent effects of moderate grazing duration on carbon sequestration between temperate and alpine grasslands in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:159621. [PMID: 36280069 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Moderate grazing has been widely proven to improve ecosystem functioning and have profound effects on the carbon cycling and storage in grassland ecosystems, which highly depend on grazing duration and grassland type. However, the effects of moderate grazing durations on carbon sequestration with different grassland types over broad geographic scales across China remain underexplored in the context of striving for carbon neutrality. Here, we explored the probably different responses of carbon sequestration to moderate grazing duration for temperate and alpine grasslands based on 129 published literatures regarding the China's grasslands. The results showed the soil organic carbon stocks were significantly increased during short-term (<5 years) grazing duration, while significantly decreased during medium- (5-10 years) and long-term (≥ 10 years) grazing durations in temperate grasslands. However, the soil organic carbon stocks were significantly decreased during short-term grazing duration, while showed no significant changes during medium- and long-term grazing durations in alpine grasslands. The changes in soil organic stock were significantly positively correlated with the changes in belowground biomass, root:shoot, and microbial biomass carbon (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the temperate grasslands change from carbon sink to carbon source with moderate grazing duration increasing, while the alpine grasslands present an opposite change pattern from carbon source to carbon sink, regulated by grazing-altered carbon input and microbial activities. Our study might have significant implications for future sustainable management practices for carbon sequestration of China's grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenchao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Grassland Resources and Ecology in the Yellow River Delta, College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, Shandong, China
| | - Ting Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yanhua Zhao
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Grassland Resources and Ecology in the Yellow River Delta, College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, Shandong, China
| | - Yanpeng Li
- School of Mapping and Geographic Information, Jiangxi College of Applied Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Yi Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Institute of Agricultural Information and Economics, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No.23788, Industrial North Road, Jinan 250010, Shandong, China
| | - Juan Sun
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Grassland Resources and Ecology in the Yellow River Delta, College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, Shandong, China.
| | - Jian Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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25
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Jiang W, Li Z, Xie H, Ouyang K, Yuan H, Duan L. Land use change impacts on red slate soil aggregates and associated organic carbon in diverse soil layers in subtropical China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 856:159194. [PMID: 36195149 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The conversion of natural forests to other land use types generally has a significant influence on soil aggregation and associated soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration, depending on soil depth. However, the dynamics underlying soil aggregate distribution and aggregate-associated SOC concentration after such conversion remain inadequately understood, especially in the red slate soil region of subtropical China, where the stability of soil aggregates is the primary deterrent to soil erosion. This study investigated the effects of land use changes on soil aggregates and aggregate-associated organic carbon content in diverse soil layers in the aforementioned region. Soil samples were collected from seven typical land use types (natural forest, artificial forest, terraced citrus orchard, downhill citrus orchard, kiwifruit orchard, cornfield, and paddy field). Sampling was conducted at a depth of 0 to 100 cm and at 20 cm increments to determine aggregate distribution and aggregate-associated SOC content. Results showed that land use change and soil depth significantly affected aggregate stability and associated SOC concentration. Upon the conversion of natural forests to orchards and croplands, both macroaggregate (>0.25 mm) and SOC concentrations decreased, thereby weakening soil resistance to erosion caused by flowing water. However, the conversion of natural forests to artificial forests did not decrease aggregate stability or aggregate-associated SOC concentration, suggesting that artificial forests are alternative tree species for soil erosion control, aggregate stability enhancement, and SOC fixation. A general linear model indicated that land use changes accounted for 55 % and 56 % of the total variations in SOC concentration in >5 mm and 2.5 mm aggregates, respectively, implying that such changes more significantly affected large-grain aggregates. This study deepens the understanding of SOC accumulation mechanisms and provides valuable information on improving soil quality and physical structure in the red slate soil region of subtropical China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wansong Jiang
- College of Resources & Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Zhenwei Li
- Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystem, Key Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China.
| | - Hongxia Xie
- College of Resources & Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Kai Ouyang
- College of Resources & Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Hong Yuan
- College of Resources & Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Liangxia Duan
- College of Resources & Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
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Li Y, Zhang J, Zhu H, Zhou Z, Jiang S, He S, Zhang Y, Huang Y, Li M, Xing G, Li G. Soil Erosion Characteristics and Scenario Analysis in the Yellow River Basin Based on PLUS and RUSLE Models. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1222. [PMID: 36673979 PMCID: PMC9858744 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20021222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Soil erosion is an important global environmental issue that severely affects regional ecological environment and socio-economic development. The Yellow River (YR) is China's second largest river and the fifth largest one worldwide. Its watershed is key to China's economic growth and environmental security. In this study, six impact factors, including rainfall erosivity (R), soil erosivity (K), slope length (L), slope steepness (S), cover management (C), and protective measures (P), were used. Based on the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) model, and combined with a geographic information system (GIS), the temporal and spatial distribution of soil erosion (SE) in the YR from 2000 to 2020 was estimated. The patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model was used to simulate the land-use and land-cover change (LUCC) under two scenarios (natural development and ecological protection) in 2040; the RUSLE factor P was found to be associated with LUCC in 2040, and soil erosion in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) in 2040 under the two scenarios were predicted and evaluated. This method has great advantages in land-use simulation, but soil erosion is greatly affected by rainfall and slope, and it only focuses on the link between land-usage alteration and SE. Therefore, this method has certain limitations in assessing soil erosion by simulating and predicting land-use change. We found that there is generally slight soil erosivity in the YRB, with the most serious soil erosion occurring in 2000. Areas with serious SE are predominantly situated in the upper reaches (URs), followed by the middle reaches (MRs), and soil erosion is less severe in the lower reaches. Soil erosion in the YRB decreased 11.92% from 2000 to 2020; thus, soil erosion has gradually reduced in this area over time. Based on the GIS statistics, land-use change strongly influences SE, while an increase in woodland area has an important positive effect in reducing soil erosion. By predicting land-use changes in 2040, compared to the natural development scenario, woodland and grassland under the ecological protection scenario can be increased by 1978 km2 and 2407 km2, respectively. Soil erosion can be decreased by 6.24%, indicating the implementation of woodland and grassland protection will help reduce soil erosion. Policies such as forest protection and grassland restoration should be further developed and implemented on the MRs and URs of the YR. Our research results possess important trend-setting significance for soil erosion control protocols and ecological environmental protection in other large river basins worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Li
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Jinbing Zhang
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Hui Zhu
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Zhimin Zhou
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
- Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, Ministry of Education, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
- Regional Planning and Development Center, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Shan Jiang
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Shuangyan He
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Yicheng Huang
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Mengfan Li
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Guangrui Xing
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Guanghui Li
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
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27
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Chen M, Yang X, Shao M, Wei X, Li T. Changes in soil C-N-P stoichiometry after 20 years of typical artificial vegetation restoration in semiarid continental climate zones. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 852:158380. [PMID: 36055495 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Vegetation restoration is one of the principal strategies for ecosystem recovery in degraded land of fragile regions, which is an important driving factor for soil fertility and elemental circulation. While the relationship between revegetation and soil C-N-P stoichiometry remains unclear. To evaluate the relationships between vegetation restoration and soil C-N-P stoichiometry, the distribution of soil C, N, and P within 0-30 cm soil depth under five typical artificial restored vegetation types on the Loess Plateau was analyzed and the influencing factors were evaluated. The results showed that soil C, N, and P contents were relatively lower at the study site than the mean values for topsoil in China. Compared with other vegetation types (Populus simonii Carr., Pinus tabuliformis Carr., and Caragana korshinskii Kom.), Medicago Sativa L. and Stipa bungeana Trin. helped improve soil fertility better; the soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) contents within the 0-30 cm soil layer respectively maximized under Stipa bungeana Trin. (3.30 g kg-1), Medicago Sativa L. (0.34 g kg-1), and Medicago Sativa L. (0.41 g kg-1). The values of soil C/N, C/P, and N/P for the five vegetation types were 9.50-11.85, 15.36-21.47, and 1.29-1.90, respectively. The contents of SOC and TN under the five vegetation types were significantly (P < 0.001) affected by soil depth and vegetation type (P < 0.001) and decreased with increasing soil depth. However, the TP content was significantly (P < 0.001) affected by vegetation type and not by soil depth. Considering the better adaptability of native species, native herb vegetation types should be considered first for ecological restoration in semiarid continental climate zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyu Chen
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Xi Yang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Ming'an Shao
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Xiaorong Wei
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Tongchuan Li
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
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Chamberlain LA, Aguayo T, Zerega NJC, Dybzinski R, Egerton-Warburton LM. Rapid improvement in soil health following the conversion of abandoned farm fields to annual or perennial agroecosystems. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.1010298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Incorporating perennial crops into agroecosystems has been shown to mitigate soil degradation and improve soil health by enhancing soil aggregation and soil organic carbon (SOC) accrual. However, our understanding of the ability and timeframe for perennial crop systems to build soil health within the context of conversion from abandoned crop land remains limited. Here, we examined changes in soil health in the first year following the conversion of an abandoned crop field into an agroecosystem planted with various treatments, including: novel perennial grain (intermediate wheatgrass, IWG; Thinopyrum intermedium), IWG/ alfalfa biculture, forage grass, tallgrass prairie, or annual wheat. We analyzed factors considered central to the concept of mitigating soil degradation to improve soil health (soil aggregation, aggregate organic carbon (OC), bulk SOC) and their soil biological and physicochemical correlates throughout the first growing season. Comparisons between treatments showed that both annual and perennial treatments rapidly and significantly improved soil health metrics including aggregation, aggregate stability, and OC levels compared to pre-conversion conditions. Such increases were positively correlated with the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF hyphae, root colonization), labile SOC and microbial activity. Notably, IWG/ alfalfa biculture resulted in significantly higher levels of macroaggregate OC in comparison to other treatments, including tallgrass prairie, supporting the potential of perennial grasses to contribute to soil carbon gains. Overall, the conversion of this abandoned land to an agroecosystem produced rapid and substantial increases in soil health in the first year after planting.
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Mu Y, Guo Y, Li X, Li P, Bai J, Linke S, Cui B. Cost-effective integrated conservation and restoration priorities by trading off multiple ecosystem services. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 320:115915. [PMID: 35952567 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Conservation and restoration have long been regarded as two separate management avenues to maintain or enhance ecosystem functioning. Despite the commonalities in goals, restoration is generally considered a lower priority than conservation due to its generally greater cost, uncertainties in multiple trajectories and deals with already degraded habitats. However, when resources and opportunities for meeting conservation needs are limited, restoration could be an imperative avenue to provide additional benefits from conservation. The priority of conservation and restoration should be integrated based on an identical framework cost effectively to obtain the maximum ecological benefits with minimal costs. We propose a methodological framework to integrate conservation and restoration based on theories of Systematic Conservation Planning, which could identify best integrated conservation and restoration pattern in a cost-effective way on the basis of the provisions of multiple ecosystem services (i.e., carbon storage, water yield, soil retention and habitat quality). The trade-offs among four ecosystem services are assessed with an each of 10% increment in the target levels of ecosystem services. We demonstrated our approach at a regional scale, in the Dongting Lake Area, China. Our results showed that conservation is prioritized in a higher proportion of the study area when the targets are low. When the target level became higher, restoration gained more importance with growing area. This highlights that restoration pattern is indispensable when target setting become high and the integrated conservation and restoration planning is more cost efficient than that of conservation alone. Improving the carbon storage and soil retention would also contribute greatly to an increase in other ecosystems, but increasing the water yield and habitat quality would not guarantee an improvement for others. Integrated conservation and restoration planning will facilitate refine target achievement of conservation and restoration recommendations, by the trade-offs between conservation and restoration, and among different ecosystem services, our prioritization framework provides a useful insight in implementing the integrated planning, which can improve the efficiency in increasing ecosystem services compared to use either conservation or restoration ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonglin Mu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Guo
- Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy, Ministry of Ecology and Environmental, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaowen Li
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing, China.
| | - Peng Li
- Wetland Conservation Center, Wuhan Municipal Forestry and Parks Bureau, Wuhan, China
| | - Junhong Bai
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing, China
| | - Simon Linke
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith Universtiy, Nathan, Queensland, Australia; CSIRO Land and Water, Dutton Park, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Baoshan Cui
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing, China
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Xu L, Li D, Wang D, Ye L, Nie Y, Fang H, Xue W, Bai C, Van Ranst E. Achieving the dual goals of biomass production and soil rehabilitation with sown pasture on marginal cropland: Evidence from a multi-year field experiment in Northeast Inner Mongolia. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:985864. [PMID: 36247641 PMCID: PMC9557734 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.985864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Grassland is the primary land use in China but has experienced severe degradation in recent decades due to overgrazing and conversion to agricultural production. Here, we conducted a field experiment in northeastern Inner Mongolia to test the effectiveness of sown pastures in lowering the grazing pressure on grasslands and raising the quality of marginal soils. Alfalfa and smooth bromegrass monocultures and mixture were sown in a marginal cropland field in Hulunber in June 2016. Biomass productivity, soil physicochemical, and biological properties were monitored annually from 2016 to 2020. The results showed that the marginal cropland soil responded consistently positively to sown pastures for major soil properties. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) increased by 48 and 21%, respectively, from 2016 to 2020 over the 0-60 cm soil depth range. Soil microbes responded proactively too. The soil microbial biomass C (SMBC) and N (SMBN) increased by 117 and 39%, respectively, during the period of 2016-2020. However, by the end of the experiment, the soil of a natural grassland field, which was included in the experiment as a control, led the sown pasture soil by 28% for SOC, 35% for TN, 66% for SMBC, and 96% for SMBN. Nevertheless, the natural grassland soil's productive capacity was inferior to that of the sown pasture soil. The average aboveground biomass productivity of sown pastures was measured at 8.4 Mg ha-1 in 2020, compared to 5.0 Mg ha-1 for natural grassland, while the root biomass of sown pastures was averaged at 7.5 Mg ha-1, leading the natural grassland by 15%. Our analyses also showed that the sown pastures' biomass productivity advantage had a much-neglected potential in natural grassland protection. If 50% of the available marginal cropland resources in Hulunber under the current environmental protection law were used for sown pastures, the livestock grazing pressure on the natural grasslands would decrease by a big margin of 38%. Overall, these results represent systematic empirical and analytical evidence of marginal cropland soil's positive responses to sown pastures, which shows clearly that sown pasture is a valid measure both for soil rehabilitation and biomass production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Xu
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Da Li
- Department of Grassland Research, Baicheng Institute of Animal Husbandry, Baicheng, China
| | - Di Wang
- Department of Grassland Research, Baicheng Institute of Animal Husbandry, Baicheng, China
| | - Liming Ye
- Department of Geology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Yingying Nie
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huajun Fang
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Xue
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chunli Bai
- Grassland Research Institute, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, China
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Yang W, Diao L, Wang Y, Yang X, Zhang H, Wang J, Luo Y, An S, Cheng X. Responses of soil fungal communities and functional guilds to ~160 years of natural revegetation in the Loess Plateau of China. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:967565. [PMID: 36118195 PMCID: PMC9479326 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.967565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural revegetation has been widely confirmed to be an effective strategy for the restoration of degraded lands, particularly in terms of rehabilitating ecosystem productivity and soil nutrients. Yet the mechanisms of how natural revegetation influences the variabilities and drivers of soil residing fungal communities, and its downstream effects on ecosystem nutrient cycling are not well understood. For this study, we investigated changes in soil fungal communities along with ~160 years of natural revegetation in the Loess Plateau of China, employing Illumina MiSeq DNA sequencing analyses. Our results revealed that the soil fungal abundance was greatly enhanced during the later stages of revegetation. As revegetation progresses, soil fungal richness appeared first to rise and then decline at the climax Quercus liaotungensis forest stage. The fungal Shannon and Simpson diversity indexes were the lowest and highest at the climax forest stage among revegetation stages, respectively. Principal component analysis, Bray–Curtis similarity indices, and FUNGuild function prediction suggested that the composition, trophic modes, and functional groups for soil fungal communities gradually shifted along with natural revegetation. Specifically, the relative abundances of Basidiomycota, Agaricomycetes, Eurotiomycetes, and ectomycorrhizal fungi progressively increased, while that of Ascomycota, Sordariomycetes, Dothideomycetes, Tremellomycetes, saprotrophic, pathotrophic, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and endophyte fungi gradually decreased along with natural revegetation, respectively. The most enriched members of Basidiomycota (e.g., Agaricomycetes, Agaricales, Cortinariaceae, Cortinarius, Sebacinales, Sebacinaceae, Tricholomataceae, Tricholoma, Russulales, and Russulaceae) were found at the climax forest stage. As important carbon (C) sources, the most enriched symbiotic fungi (particularly ectomycorrhizal fungi containing more recalcitrant compounds) can promote organic C and nitrogen (N) accumulation in soils of climax forest. However, the most abundant of saprotrophic fungi in the early stages of revegetation decreased soil organic C and N accumulation by expediting the decomposition of soil organic matter. Our results suggest that natural revegetation can effectively restore soil fungal abundance, and modify soil fungal diversity, community composition, trophic modes, and functional groups by altering plant properties (e.g., plant species richness, diversity, evenness, litter quantity and quality), quantity and quality of soil nutrient substrates, soil moisture and pH. These changes in soil fungal communities, particularly their trophic modes and functional groups along with natural revegetation, impact the accumulation and decomposition of soil C and N and potentially affect ecosystem C and N cycling in the Loess Plateau of China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
- *Correspondence: Wen Yang,
| | - Longfei Diao
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yaqi Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xitong Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Huan Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jinsong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiqi Luo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - Shuqing An
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoli Cheng
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Xiaoli Cheng,
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Li H, Wu Y, Liu S, Zhao W, Xiao J, Winowiecki LA, Vågen TG, Xu J, Yin X, Wang F, Sivakumar B, Cao Y, Sun P, Zhang G. The Grain-for-Green project offsets warming-induced soil organic carbon loss and increases soil carbon stock in Chinese Loess Plateau. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 837:155469. [PMID: 35523345 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock is a vital element affecting the climate, and ecological restoration is potentially an effective measure to mitigate climate change by enhancing vegetation and soil carbon stocks and thereby offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. The Grain-for-Green project (GFGP) implemented in Chinese Loess Plateau (LP) since 1999 is one of the largest ecological restoration projects in the world. However, the contributions of ecological restoration and climate change to ecosystem soil carbon sequestration are still unclear. In this study, we improved a soil carbon decomposition framework by optimizing the initial SOC stock based on full spatial simulation of SOC and incorporating the priming effect to investigate the SOC dynamics across the LP GFGP region from 1982 through 2017. Our results indicated that SOC stock in the GFGP region increased by 20.18 Tg C from 1982 through 2017. Most portion (15.83 Tg C) of the SOC increase was accumulated when the GFGP was initiated, with a SOC sink of 16.12 Tg C owing to revegetation restoration and a carbon loss of 0.29 Tg C due to warming during this period. The relationships between SOC and forest canopy height and investigations on the SOC dynamics after afforestation revealed that the accumulation rate of SOC could be as high as 24.68 g C m-2 yr-1 during the 70 years following afforestation, and that SOC could decline thereafter (-8.89 g C m-2 yr-1), which was mainly caused by warming. This study provides a new method for quantifying the contribution of ecological restoration to SOC changes, and also cautions the potential risk of LP SOC loss in the mature forest soil under future warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiwen Li
- Department of Earth & Environmental Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710049, China; Key Laboratory of Degraded and Unused Land Consolidation Engineering, The Ministry of Natural Resources of China, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710075, China
| | - Yiping Wu
- Department of Earth & Environmental Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710049, China; Technology Innovation Center for Land Engineering and Human Settlements, Shaanxi Land Engineering Construction Group Co. Ltd and Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710115, China.
| | - Shuguang Liu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry and Ecology in South China, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan Province 410004, China.
| | - Wenzhi Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology and River Basin Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, China
| | - Jingfeng Xiao
- Earth Systems Research Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Leigh A Winowiecki
- World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), P.O. Box 30677-00100 GPO, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Tor-Gunnar Vågen
- World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), P.O. Box 30677-00100 GPO, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jianchu Xu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Heilongtan, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiaowei Yin
- Department of Earth & Environmental Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710049, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Earth & Environmental Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710049, China
| | - Bellie Sivakumar
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Yue Cao
- Xi'an Institute for Innovative Earth Environment Research, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710061, China
| | - Pengcheng Sun
- Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Water Resources, Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450003, China
| | - Guangchuang Zhang
- Department of Earth & Environmental Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710049, China
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Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Ecosystem Service Value in Shaanxi Province against the Backdrop of Grain for Green. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13071146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Grain for Green Project (GGP) has influenced Shaanxi Province’s land-use pattern, resulting in a shift in ecosystem service value (ESV). Exploring the spatial and temporal evolution of the pattern of land use and ESV in Shaanxi Province, before and after the project’s implementation, can give a theoretical foundation for regional land-use planning. For this study, we used the transfer matrix and the value equivalent approaches to investigate the influence of project implementation on the spatial distribution and evolution of patterns of land use and ESV in Shaanxi Province based on four periods of land-use data from 1990 to 2020. The results suggest the following: (1) Farmland, forestland, and grassland were the most common land-types in Shaanxi Province. Farmland, forestland, and grassland in Shaanxi Province were all altered dramatically over the research period due to the GGP. Farmland was turned mostly into forestland and grassland, and forestland and grassland areas progressively grew. (2) The ESVs in Shaanxi Province were USD 3802.82, 3814.90, 3836.20, and 3806.50 billion in 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020, respectively. The most value was supplied by hydrological management, while water resources provided the lowest value. Forestland and grassland were the most valuable land-types in high-value locations, whereas built-up land was the most valuable land-type in low-value areas. (3) While the GGP has increased the ESV of forestland and grassland, it has harmed the acreage of other land-types, resulting in a decline in the total ESV in Shaanxi Province.
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Hu M, Sardans J, Le Y, Yan R, Zhong Y, Peñuelas J. Effects of wetland types on dynamics and couplings of labile phosphorus, iron and sulfur in coastal wetlands during growing season. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 830:154460. [PMID: 35278550 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Wetland type plays an important role in controlling the phosphorus (P) biogeochemical cycle, while its effect on labile P dynamics and coupling with iron (Fe) and sulfur (S) in coastal wetlands remains unclear. In this study, chemical sequential extraction and high-resolution diffusive gradients in thin-film (DGT) techniques were employed to investigate P forms, mobilization, and labile Fe-S-P coupling in several coastal wetland types [i.e., natural wetland (NW), aquaculture pond (AP), artificial (ARW) and natural restored wetlands (NRW)]. Compared with NW, AP decreased the total P by 40.6%. The concentrations of soil organic P and inorganic P (including NaOH-extractable P and HCl-extractable P) were significantly increased in ARW, but decreased in AP and NRW. DGT-labile P, Fe, and S concentrations changed significantly in different wetland types, and the labile P concentrations in AP were significantly higher than those in the others. Similar spatial distribution dynamics and significant positive relationships between labile P, Fe, and S concentrations in NW and AP confirmed that intense reduction in iron and sulfate are the key mechanisms regulating P mobilization. However, these relationships were decoupled in restored wetlands, suggesting that the Fe redox-coupled P mobilization and sulfate reduction were sensitive to wetland changes. The diffusion fluxes of P across the soil-water interface were positive in AP (0.619 pg·cm-2·s-1), indicating that P was released from soil to the overlying-water. We concluded that coastal wetland types altered soil P forms, availability, and labile Fe-S-P coupling, and the natural restored wetland could help stabilize the soil P pool and eventually controlled the mobilization and release of P.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjie Hu
- Key Laboratory of Humid Sub-tropical Eco-geographical Process of Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China; School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China.
| | - Jordi Sardans
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona), Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Yixun Le
- College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Ruibing Yan
- Key Laboratory of Humid Sub-tropical Eco-geographical Process of Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China; School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
| | - Yi Zhong
- School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona), Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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Luo Y, Li Y, Liu S, Yu P. Effects of vegetation succession on soil organic carbon fractions and stability in a karst valley area, Southwest China. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2022; 194:562. [PMID: 35789436 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10254-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A series of complex organic fractions with different physical and chemical properties make up soil organic carbon (SOC), which plays a vital role in climate change and the global carbon cycle. Different SOC fractions have different stability and respond differently to vegetation succession. This research was carried out to assess the impacts of vegetation succession on SOC dynamics in the Qingmuguan karst valley area, southwest China. Soil samples were collected from four typical vegetation succession stages, including farmland, grassland, shrubland, and forest. The total SOC content and four oxidizable SOC fractions were measured. Results showed that the total SOC content and storage under farmland were highest, followed by forest and shrubland, and the grassland had the lowest total SOC content and storage. The SOC sequestration potential under different vegetation types in the study area was grassland (26.32 Mg C ha-1) > shrubland (9.64 Mg C ha-1). All SOC content, storage, and fractions showed a decrease with the increase of soil depth over the 0-50 cm in the study area. The four SOC fractions under forest at topsoil (0-10 cm) were higher than that under the other vegetation types. Compared with the other land uses, the farmland had the highest stable oxidizable SOC fractions (F3 and F4) at the 10-50-cm depth, while the shrubland had the highest active oxidizable SOC fractions (F1 and F2). In terms of the lability index of SOC, shrubland was the largest, followed by grassland and forest, and farmland was the smallest. These results provide essential information about SOC fractions and stability changes resulting from changes of vegetation types in a karst valley area of southwest China. It also supplements our understanding of soil carbon sequestration in vegetation succession.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxi Luo
- Chongqing Jinfo Mountain Karst Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Geographical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yixuan Li
- Chongqing Jinfo Mountain Karst Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Geographical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Shiwei Liu
- Chongqing Jinfo Mountain Karst Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Geographical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Pujia Yu
- Chongqing Jinfo Mountain Karst Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Geographical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Remote Sensing Big Data Application, School of Geographical Sciences, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Road, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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Tian D, Xiang Y, Seabloom E, Chen HYH, Wang J, Yu G, Deng Y, Li Z, Niu S. Ecosystem restoration and belowground multifunctionality: A network view. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2575. [PMID: 35191122 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Ecological restoration is essential to reverse land degradation worldwide. Most studies have assessed the restoration of ecosystem functions individually, as opposed to a holistic view. Here we developed a network-based ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) framework to identify key functions in evaluating EMF restoration. Through synthesizing 293 restoration studies (2900 observations) following cropland abandonment, we found that individual soil functions played different roles in determining the restoration of belowground EMF. Soil carbon, total nitrogen, and phosphatase were key functions to predict the recovery of belowground EMF. On average, abandoned cropland recovered ~19% of EMF during 18 years. The restoration of EMF became larger with longer recovery time and higher humidity index, but lower with increasing soil depth and initial soil carbon. Overall, this study presents a network-based EMF framework, effectively helping to evaluate the success of ecosystem restoration and identify the key functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dashuan Tian
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yangzhou Xiang
- School of Geography and Resources, Guizhou Education University, Guiyang, China
| | - Eric Seabloom
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Han Y H Chen
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jinsong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing, China
| | - Guirui Yu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing, China
| | - Ye Deng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaolei Li
- College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, China
| | - Shuli Niu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Lan J, Wang S, Wang J, Qi X, Long Q, Huang M. The Shift of Soil Bacterial Community After Afforestation Influence Soil Organic Carbon and Aggregate Stability in Karst Region. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:901126. [PMID: 35832811 PMCID: PMC9271926 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.901126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil microbes regulate the carbon cycle and affect the formation and stabilization of soil aggregates. However, the interactions between the soil microbial community and soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions, organic carbon (OC) content in aggregates, and soil aggregate stability after afforestation are remain poorly understood. In our study, we investigated SOC fractions in bulk soil, aggregate-associated OC content, soil aggregate stability, and soil bacterial community with high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing at sites representing natural secondary forest (NF) and managed forest (MF), with cropland (CL) as reference in a degraded karst region of Southwest China. Our results showed that afforestation remarkably increased the SOC fraction and OC content in aggregates, the mean weight diameter (MWD), and the mean geometric diameter (GMD). The most dominant bacterial phyla detected were Acidobacteriota, Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, and Chloroflexi across all soils. Afforestation remarkably altered the relative abundances of most of the dominant soil bacteria at the phylum, class, and order levels. Interestingly, such changes in the abundance of soil bacteria taxa had significantly effects on SOC fraction, aggregate-associated OC content, MWD, and MGD. The abundance of dominant bacterial taxa such as Methylomirabilota, Latescibacterota, Methylomirabilia, MB-A2-108, norank_Latescibacterota; Dehalococcoidia, Rokubacteriales, Gaiellales, Microtrichales, norank_c__MB-A2-108, norank_c__norank_p__Latescibacterota, Rhizobiales, and S085 not only remarkably increased but also had significant positive effects on SOC fractions and aggregate-associated OC content after afforestation. Moreover, MWD and MGD were positively correlated with the relative abundance of Methylomirabilota, Methylomirabilia, Rokubacteriales, Latescibacterota, and Rhizobiales. Results indicated the importance of certain soil bacteria for regulating SOC storage and soil aggregate stability. We concluded that afforestation on cropland could alter the abundance of soil bacteria, and these changes modulate the stability of soil aggregates and SOC fractions.
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Evaluation of the Ecological Effects of Ecological Restoration Programs: A Case Study of the Sloping Land Conversion Program on the Loess Plateau, China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19137841. [PMID: 35805498 PMCID: PMC9265944 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19137841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The Sloping Land Conversion Program (SLCP) is the largest ecological restoration program in the world. Evaluating the ecological effects of the SLCP not only provides a scientific basis for China to improve the SLCP but also provides a reference for other countries in the world to evaluate the ecological effects of ecological restoration programs being implemented or to be implemented. To this end, we took the Loess Plateau, the core area for the implementation of the SLCP, as an example and, based on multi-source remote sensing data and GIS technology, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the ecological effects of the implementation of the SLCP on the Loess Plateau. The results showed that, first, from 2000 to 2018, a total of 12,372.05 km2 of cultivated land was converted into forest land and grassland on the Loess Plateau, and this contributed to an increase in vegetation cover from 45.09% in 2000 to 64.15% in 2018, and a decrease in the soil erosion modulus from 26.41 t·hm−2·yr−1 in 2000 to 17.92 t·hm−2·yr−1 in 2018. Second, the 6–25° slope range is the core area of the Loess Plateau for implementation of the SLCP. In this range, the area of cultivated land converted into forest land and grassland accounts for 60.16% of the total area of transferred cultivated land. As a result, the 6–25° slope range has become the most significant area for improving vegetation cover and reducing the soil erosion intensity, and it is mainly concentrated in the southwestern, central and central-eastern hilly and gully areas of the Loess Plateau. Third, from 2000 to 2018, the climate of the Loess Plateau tended to be warm and humid and was conducive to the implementation of the SLCP. Among these factors, precipitation is the dominant factor in determining the spatial distribution of vegetation on the Loess Plateau, and the increase in precipitation is also the main reason for the promotion of vegetation growth. Fourthly, from 2000 to 2018, the ecological environment of the Loess Plateau was significantly improved as a result of the combined effects of the implementation of the SLCP and climate warming and humidification, but the primary reason is still the implementation of the SLCP.
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The Grain for Green Project in Contiguous Poverty-Stricken Regions of China: A Nature-Based Solution. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14137755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The Grain for Green Project (GGP) is one of many Nature-based Solutions (NbS), which aims to address the challenge of ecological restoration while providing livelihood security for farmers in poverty-dominated regions. Evaluating the success of such a project can prove difficult. Here, we choose the contiguous poverty-stricken regions (CPSR) of China to study the multiple benefits of the GGP in the context of NbS. We collect ecological-monitoring data, forest-resources data, and socioeconomic data and use them in a distributed method with relevant indicators, to evaluate the ecological benefits of the GGP. Additionally, the socioeconomic benefits are evaluated using questionnaire-based surveys. Our results showed that the ecological benefits of the GGP in the CPSR were 5.6 × 1011 RMB/a in 2017, with the proportion of each ecosystem’s services being 27.1% (water conservation), 21.1% (biodiversity conservation), 18.4% (purification of the atmospheric environment), 13.1% (soil conservation), 12.9% (carbon sequestration and oxygen release), 5.4% (forest protection), and 1.6% (nutrient accumulation). In terms of socioeconomic benefit, the GGP changed the production methods of farmers, which resulted in income growth, with an average increase of 5100 RMB/a per household. In the context of NbS, ecological conservation, and restoration, the accurate and systematic monitoring of the socioeconomic and ecological benefits will become more important for government decisions.
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Li H, Wu Y, Liu S, Xiao J, Zhao W, Chen J, Alexandrov G, Cao Y. Decipher soil organic carbon dynamics and driving forces across China using machine learning. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:3394-3410. [PMID: 35253325 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) play a critical role in modulating global warming. However, the long-term spatiotemporal changes of SOC at large scale, and the impacts of driving forces remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the dynamics of SOC in different soil layers across China through the1980s to 2010s using a machine learning approach and quantified the impacts of the key factors based on factorial simulation experiments.Our results showed that the latest (2000-2014) SOC stock in the first meter soil (SOC100 ) was 80.68 ± 3.49 Pg C, of which 42.6% was stored in the top 20 cm, sequestrating carbon with a rate of 30.80 ± 12.37 g C m-2 yr-1 since the 1980s. Our experiments focusing on the recent two periods (2000s and 2010s) revealed that climate change exerted the largest relative contributions to SOC dynamics in both layers and warming or drying can result in SOC loss. However, the influence of climate change weakened with soil depth, while the opposite for vegetation growth. Relationships between SOC and forest canopy height further confirmed this strengthened impact of vegetation with soil depth and highlighted the carbon sink function of deep soil in mature forest. Moreover, our estimates suggested that SOC dynamics in 71% of topsoil were controlled by climate change and its coupled influence with environmental variation (CE). Meanwhile, CE and the combined influence of climate change and vegetation growth dominated the SOC dynamics in 82.05% of the first meter soil. Additionally, the national cropland topsoil organic carbon increased with a rate of 23.6 ± 7.6 g C m-2 yr-1 since the 1980s, and the widely applied nitrogenous fertilizer was a key stimulus. Overall, our study extended the knowledge about the dynamics of SOC and deepened our understanding about the impacts of the primary factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiwen Li
- Department of Earth & Environmental Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- Key Laboratory of Degraded and Unused Land Consolidation Engineering, The Ministry of Natural Resources of China, Xi'an, China
| | - Yiping Wu
- Department of Earth & Environmental Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- Technology Innovation Center for Land Engineering and Human Settlements, Shaanxi Land Engineering Construction Group Co. Ltd, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shuguang Liu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry and Ecology in South China, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, China
| | - Jingfeng Xiao
- Earth Systems Research Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Wenzhi Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology and River Basin Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ji Chen
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Georgii Alexandrov
- A. M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Yue Cao
- Xi'an Institute for Innovative Earth Environment Research, Xi'an, China
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Khorchani M, Nadal-Romero E, Lasanta T, Tague C. Carbon sequestration and water yield tradeoffs following restoration of abandoned agricultural lands in Mediterranean mountains. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 207:112203. [PMID: 34648763 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Abandoned cropland areas have the potential to contribute to climate change mitigation through natural revegetation and afforestation programs. These programs increase above and belowground carbon sequestration by expanding forest cover. However, this potential to mitigate climate change often involves tradeoffs between carbon sequestration and water availability. Particularly in a water limited environments such as the Mediterranean region, any loss of recharge to groundwater or streamflow can have critical societal consequences. In this study, we used an ecohydrologic model, Regional Hydro-Ecological Simulation System (RHESSys), to quantify these tradeoffs for land management plans in abandoned cropland areas in Mediterranean mountains. Changes to Net Ecosystem Production (NEP), water yield and Water-Use Efficiency (WUE) under different land management and climate scenarios were estimated for Arnás, a catchment with similar geology, vegetation and climate to many of the locations targeted for land abandonment restoration in the Spanish Pyrenees. Results showed significant changes to both carbon and water fluxes related to land management, while changes related to a warming scenario were not significant. Afforestation scenarios showed the highest average annual carbon sequestration rates (112 g C·m-2·yr-1) but were also associated with the lowest water yield (runoff coefficient of 26%) and water use efficiency (1.4 g C·mm-1) compared to natural revegetation (-27 g C·m-2·yr-1, 50%, 1.7 g C·mm-1 respectively). Under both restoration scenarios, results showed that the catchment ecosystem is a carbon sink during mid-February to July, coinciding with peak monthly transpiration and WUE, while during the rest of the year the catchment ecosystem is a carbon source. These results contribute to understanding carbon and water tradeoffs in Mediterranean mountains and can help adapt restoration plans to address both carbon sequestration and water management objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Khorchani
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Procesos Geoambientales y Cambio Global, IPE-CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - E Nadal-Romero
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Procesos Geoambientales y Cambio Global, IPE-CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - T Lasanta
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Procesos Geoambientales y Cambio Global, IPE-CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - C Tague
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
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Li B, Shen X, Zhao Y, Cong P, Wang H, Wang A, Chang S. Sloping Farmlands Conversion to Mixed Forest Improves Soil Carbon Pool on the Loess Plateau. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19095157. [PMID: 35564554 PMCID: PMC9100523 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Vegetation restoration is considered a potentially useful strategy for controlling soil erosion and improving soil organic carbon (SOC) in arid and semiarid ecosystems. However, there is still debate regarding which vegetation restoration type is the best choice. In this study, four vegetation restoration types (i.e., grasslands, shrubs, forests and mixed forests) converted from sloping farmlands were selected to explore the SOC variation among the four types and to investigate which soil factors had the greatest effect on SOC. The results showed while the magnitude of effect differed between vegetation restoration type, all studied systems significantly increased SOC and labile organic carbon contents (p < 0.01), soil nutrients such as total nitrogen (TN) (p < 0.01), available nitrogen (AN) (p < 0.01), total phosphorus (TP) (p < 0.05) and available phosphorus (AP) (p < 0.05), soil enzyme activities such as phosphatase (p < 0.01), soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) (p < 0.05), and basal respiration (BR) (p < 0.05), but had significant negative correlationswith polyphenol oxidase (p < 0.05). However, the effects of vegetation restoration of farmland converted to natural grasslands, shrubs, forests and mixed forests varied. Among the types studied, the mixed forests had the largest overall positive effects on SOC overall, followed by the natural grasslands. Soil nutrients such as N and P and soil microbial activities were the main factors that affected SOC after vegetation restoration. Mixed forests such as Robinia pseudoacacia and Caragana korshinskii are the best choice for farmland conversion on the central of the Loess Plateau.
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Changes in the Soil Labile Organic Carbon Fractions following Bedrock Exposure Rate in a Karst Context. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13040516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Soil labile organic carbon fractions (SLOCFs) mainly include microbial biomass carbon (MBC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), easily oxidized organic carbon (EOC) and light fraction organic carbon (LFOC). The link between bedrock exposure rates with SLOCFs and the carbon pool management index under karst rocky desertification has not been well understood. We selected the bedrock exposure rate and vegetation coverage of 30–50% (light bedrock exposure, LBE), 50–70% (moderate bedrock exposure, MBE) and >70% (intense bedrock exposure, IBE) as the experimental sample plots according to the classification standard of karst rocky desertification, and then selected a sample plot of 0–30% (secondary forest, SF) as the control. This study compared the concentrations and stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC) and SLOCFs and analyzed the relevant carbon pool management index on karst landforms at Anshun, S.W. China. The aims were to determine the relationship between bedrock exposure rates and SLOCFs and to identify the most limiting factors for SLOCFs in karst rocky desertification areas. We found that (1) the concentrations and stocks of SLOCFs declined with increasing soil depth. SOC, DOC and MBC showed IBE (intense bedrock exposure) > LBE (light bedrock exposure) > MBE (moderate bedrock exposure) > SF (secondary forest); LFOC decreased with increasing bedrock exposure rate, and EOC did not show obvious regularity. (2) The carbon pool management index and sensitivity index had significant differences under different bedrock exposure rates. Redundancy analysis and linear regression showed that the increase in bedrock exposure rate had a great impact on MBC, DOC, EOC and SOC. In conclusion, the increase of bedrock exposure rate has no side impact on the DOC, EOC and MBC of the soil, but side effects are exhibited by LFOC. secondary forest improves the integrity of karst landscapes, and does not change the soil properties as well as the concentrations and stocks of SLOCFs in karst rocky desertification areas.
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Wang X, Wu J, Liu Y, Hai X, Shanguan Z, Deng L. Driving factors of ecosystem services and their spatiotemporal change assessment based on land use types in the Loess Plateau. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 311:114835. [PMID: 35306366 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
A clear understanding of the driving factors for different ecosystem services (ESs) is quite essential for sustainable ecosystem management. It is important to strengthen research in ESs and social sustainable development to identify the main driving factors of different ESs. This study assessed carbon sequestration (CS), water yield (WY) and soil conservation (SC) from 2000 to 2018 in the Loess Plateau using CASA (The Carnegie-AmesStanford Approach), InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs) and RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) models. The spatial heterogeneity, trade-offs and synergies and driving factors were explored in the whole Loess Plateau. The results showed that the WY, CS and SC had increased from 2000 to 2018. The spatial relationships between WY and SC, SC and CS, and WY and CS were mainly synergistic. Annual mean precipitation (MAP) was the dominant driving factor of WY, while normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and slope (SL) had the strongest explanatory power for CS and SC. The LU was the most critical factor affecting the ESs in the different climatic zones. These results could act as a reference for decision-makers on how to control various influencing factors of ESs to improve the local ecology under local conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozhen Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Jianzhao Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Yulin Liu
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xuying Hai
- State Key Laboratory for Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Zhouping Shanguan
- State Key Laboratory for Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Lei Deng
- State Key Laboratory for Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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Khan MZ, Chiti T. Soil carbon stocks and dynamics of different land uses in Italy using the LUCAS soil database. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 306:114452. [PMID: 35032939 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In terrestrial biosphere, soil represents the largest organic carbon pool, and a small change of soil organic carbon (SOC) can significantly affect the global carbon cycle and climate. Land use change (LUC) and soil management practices coupled with climate variables can significantly influence the soil organic carbon stocks (SOC-S) and its dynamics; however, our understanding about the responses of SOC in different LUC's (e.g., cropland, grassland and forest land) to mitigate climate change is quite limited at country level like Italy. Thus, the aims of this study were which factors are affecting SOC dynamics in three LUC's over time across Italy; and their relevance in terms of SOC-S in the superficial layer of soil that significantly contributes to the climate change mitigation, using LUCAS soil database. To calculate the SOC-S, it is necessary to have soil bulk density (BD) which is not present in the LUCAS database. Thus, we estimate the soil BD using the pedotransfer function (PTFs); and results shows that the soil BD obtained from fitting of the PTFs were reasonable to estimate the SOC-S for different land use types (R2 ≥ 0.75). Overall, results showed that LUC's and soil management practices can significantly (p < 0.001) influences SOC dynamics and SOC storage from the soil and varied among LUC's but not for over time except grassland. Spatially, the mean SOC-S storage of the different LUC's was in the following order: forest land > grassland > cropland for both years 2009 and 2015. On the other hand, the SOC-S storage increased by 8.33% for cropland, 13.56% for forest land, and 29.79% for grassland during the year of 2009-2015, while SOC-S storage increased significantly (p < 0.001) in grassland over time but not for cropland and forest land which also follow the increasing trend but insignificantly. Our results also reveal that the SOC dynamics negatively correlated with MAT, and positively correlated with MAP for all land uses except forest land. Thus, this research indicates that LUC's and soil management practices coupled with climate variables can significantly influence SOC storage and its dynamics in the superficial layer of soil which have the potential capacity to mitigate climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Zulfikar Khan
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forestry System (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, 01100, Italy; Soil, Water and Environment Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna, 9208, Bangladesh.
| | - Tommaso Chiti
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forestry System (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, 01100, Italy
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Lu Q, Ma H, Zhou Y, Calvelo-Pereira R, Shen Y. Caragana korshinskii Kom. plantation reduced soil aggregate stability and aggregate-associated organic carbon on desert steppe. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12507. [PMID: 35190782 PMCID: PMC8857906 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND After implementing of the "Grain-for-Green" project, Caragana korshinskii Kom. has been widely planted in China's arid regions. Although natural restoration grassland and artificial Caragana plantations measures have long been focuses in carbon research, the combined influence of natural restoration grassland and artificial Caragana plantation measures on aggregate stability and the aggregate-associated organic carbon (OC) remains unclear. METHOD We selected natural grassland (NG) and three different densities of Caragana plantations (high planting density, HG; middle planting density, MD; low planting density, LD) on desert steppe. The soil aggregate distribution and stability index such as fractal dimension (D), mean weight diameter (MWD), geometric mean diameter (GMD), percentage of aggregation destruction (PAD), as well as aggregate-associated OC concentration and stock were measured. RESULTS Results shows that the soil aggregates were primarily macroaggregates (>2 mm) and mesoaggregates (0.25-2 mm) under dry sieving while microaggregates (<0.25 mm) were preponderant under wet sieving (more than 57%). Overall, compared with Caragana plantations, the MWD (4.43 and 4.51 mm) and GMD (1.72 and 1.83 mm) were both highest in two soil layers under the NG and the D (2.77 and 2.71) was lowest. Compared with the NG, the aggregate-associated OC stocks in the 0-40 cm depths in the LD, MD, and HD decreased by 41.54%, 46.93%, and 42.03%, respectively. SOC stock was mainly concentrated in the soil aggregate with sizes of >2 mm and <0.25 mm. These results suggested that natural grassland restoration measures could improve the soil aggregate stability and aggregate-associated OC concentration better than Caragana plantation restoration measures, which NG may be optimal for increasing carbon sequestration and stabilizing soil aggregates on desert steppe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Lu
- Ningxia University, School of Agricultural, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Hongbin Ma
- Ningxia University, School of Agricultural, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China,Ningxia University, Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration of Northwest China, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Yao Zhou
- Ningxia University, School of Agricultural, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | | | - Yan Shen
- Ningxia University, School of Agricultural, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China,Ningxia University, Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration of Northwest China, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
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Xiang Y, Li Y, Liu Y, Zhang S, Yue X, Yao B, Xue J, Lv W, Zhang L, Xu X, Li Y, Li S. Factors shaping soil organic carbon stocks in grass covered orchards across China: A meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 807:150632. [PMID: 34606865 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Orchard grass coverage has been widely adopted to increase fruit yield by improving soil fertility. However, the impact of the environment on the changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks consecutive to orchard grass coverage remain poorly quantified at a large scale. The present study aimed to examine the responses of SOC stocks to grass coverage at a soil depth of 0-30 cm in orchards compared to clean tillage. A total of 342 observations across China from 139 peer-reviewed publications were subjected to meta-analysis. Aggregated boosted tree analysis was performed, evaluating the determinants of SOC stocks, such as plant traits (e.g., fruit tree type, grass type, orchard age, and grass age), edaphic variables (e.g., initial SOC and nitrogen concentration, soil pH, and soil clay content), climatic factors (e.g., mean annual precipitation (MAP) and mean annual temperature (MAT)), and management practices (e.g., grass source, grass growing mode, fertilization, grass mowing, placement of mowed residues, and irrigation). On average, orchard grass coverage significantly enhanced SOC stocks by 21.47% (percentage change) compared to clean tillage. Biotic and abiotic factors influenced this increase in SOC stocks following grass coverage in orchards to different extents. Grass age and soil clay content were the main determinants driving the variation in the SOC stocks following grass coverage in orchards. Thus, we propose an efficient way to optimize C sequestration in grass covered orchards, regarding plant traits, climatic factors, edaphic variables, and management practices. Longer than 12 months of surface grass coverage with cultivated grass species in mature deciduous fruit orchards (≥5 years) efficiently increased SOC stocks. This is particularly the case for acidic (pH < 6.5) soils with low C content (SOM < 15 g kg-1) in areas with suitable rainfall and temperature conditions (MAP ≥ 400 mm, MAT ≥ 10 °C). Collectively, this meta-analysis identified orchard grass coverage as a promising practice for significantly increasing SOC stocks at 0-30 cm across large geospatial locations in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangzhou Xiang
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic State Monitoring of Watershed, School of Geography and Resources, Guizhou Education University, Guiyang 550018, China
| | - Yuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Ying Liu
- School of Biological Sciences, Guizhou Education University, Guiyang 550018, China
| | - Siyu Zhang
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic State Monitoring of Watershed, School of Geography and Resources, Guizhou Education University, Guiyang 550018, China
| | - Xuejiao Yue
- Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; State Forestry Administration Dunhuang Desert Ecosystem Location Research Station, Dunhuang 736200, China
| | - Bin Yao
- Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; State Forestry Administration Dunhuang Desert Ecosystem Location Research Station, Dunhuang 736200, China.
| | - Jianming Xue
- New Zealand Forest Research Institute Ltd (Scion), Scion 8440, New Zealand
| | - Wenqiang Lv
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic State Monitoring of Watershed, School of Geography and Resources, Guizhou Education University, Guiyang 550018, China
| | - Leiyi Zhang
- South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Xiuyue Xu
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic State Monitoring of Watershed, School of Geography and Resources, Guizhou Education University, Guiyang 550018, China
| | - Yonghua Li
- Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; State Forestry Administration Dunhuang Desert Ecosystem Location Research Station, Dunhuang 736200, China
| | - Song Li
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic State Monitoring of Watershed, School of Geography and Resources, Guizhou Education University, Guiyang 550018, China
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Li M, Wang L, Li J, Peng Z, Wang L, Zhang X, Xu S. Grazing exclusion had greater effects than nitrogen addition on soil and plant community in a desert steppe, Northwest of China. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 22:60. [PMID: 35114932 PMCID: PMC8812004 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-021-03400-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The impacts of increasing nitrogen (N) deposition and overgrazing on terrestrial ecosystems have been continuously hot issues. Grazing exclusion, aimed at restoration of grassland ecosystem function and service, has been extensively applied, and considered a rapid and effective vegetation restoration method. However, the synthetic effects of exclosure and N deposition on plant and community characteristics have rarely been studied. Here, a 4-year field experiment of N addition and exclusion treatment had been conducted in the desert steppe dominated by Alhagi sparsifolia and Lycium ruthenicum in northwest of China, and the responses of soil characteristics, plant nutrition and plant community to the treatments had been analyzed. RESULTS The grazing exclusion significantly increased total N concentration in the surface soil (0-20 cm), and increased plant height, coverage (P < 0.05) and aboveground biomass. Specifically, A. sparsifolia recovered faster both in individual and community levels than L. ruthenicum did after exclusion. There was no difference in response to N addition gradients between the two plants. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that it is exclusion rather than N addition that has greater impacts on soil properties and plant community in desert steppe. Present N deposition level has no effect on plant community of desert steppe based on short-term experimental treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengru Li
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222, Southern Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Lilong Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222, Southern Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, CAS, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Junjun Li
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222, Southern Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Zhenling Peng
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222, Southern Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Liang Wang
- Administration of Anxi Extra-arid Desert National Nature Reserve, Guazhou, 736100, China
| | - Xinfang Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222, Southern Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Shijian Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222, Southern Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
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Yakob G, Smith JU, Nayak DR, Hallett PD, Phimister E, Mekuria W. Changes in Soil Properties Following the Establishment of Exclosures in Ethiopia: A Meta-Analysis. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.823026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Community-led watershed development activities, including the establishment of exclosures (areas where both livestock and farming activities are excluded) on degraded communal grazing land, have become a common practice in Ethiopia since the 1990s. However, it is not yet fully understood how these exclosures change soil organic carbon and total soil nitrogen in different soil types and under different agroecologies. A meta-analysis using data gathered from the most relevant peer reviewed articles from Ethiopian exclosure systems was conducted to assess the variation in the effects of exclosures on soil carbon and nitrogen and to investigate the factors controlling change. The results demonstrate that after 16 years, exclosures can increase soil organic carbon and total soil nitrogen up to an effect size greater than two. This is moderated by soil type, exclosure age, landscape position and agroecology. More effective restoration of soil carbon was observed in less developed Leptosols and Cambisols than in more developed Luvisols, and in drier than more humid agroecologies. The results suggest that soil type and agroecology should be taken into consideration when planning and implementing exclosures on degraded communal grazing land. The findings of this study provide base line information for the future expansion of exclosures, and guide where to focus implementation. They also provide criteria to be used when planning and establishing exclosures to restore soil carbon and nitrogen. In addition, the results generated through this meta-analysis provide better understanding of the spatial and temporal variation of the effectiveness of exclosures to restore soil carbon and nitrogen.
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Dong L, Li J, Zhang Y, Bing M, Liu Y, Wu J, Hai X, Li A, Wang K, Wu P, Shangguan Z, Deng L. Effects of vegetation restoration types on soil nutrients and soil erodibility regulated by slope positions on the Loess Plateau. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 302:113985. [PMID: 34700089 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Soil degradation is significantly increased driven by soil nutrient loss and soil erodibility, thus, hampering the sustainable development of the ecological environment and agricultural production. Vegetation restoration has been widely adopted to prevent soil degradation given its role in improving soil nutrients and soil erodibility. However, it is unclear which vegetation type has the best improving capacity from soil nutrient and soil erodibility perspectives. This study selected three vegetation restoration types of grasslands (GL), shrublands (SL), and forestlands (FL) along the five slope positions (i.e., top, upper, middle, lower, and foot slope), to investigate the effects of vegetation restoration types on soil nutrients and soil erodibility. All vegetation restoration types were restored for 20 years from croplands (CL). We used comprehensive soil nutrient index (CSNI) and comprehensive soil erodibility index (CSEI) formed by a weighted summation method to reflect the effect of vegetation restoration on the improving capacity of soil nutrient and erodibility. The results showed the vegetation types with the highest comprehensive soil quality index (CSQI) at the top, upper, middle, lower and foot slope were FL (1.92), FL (1.98), SL (2.15), FL (2.37) and GL (3.93), respectively. When only one vegetation type was considered on the entire slope, SL (0.59) and FL (0.59) had the highest CSNI, the SL had the lowest CSEI (0.34) and the highest CSQI (1.89). The CSNI was mainly influenced by soil structure stability index (SSSI), sand content, silt + clay particles, and CSEI was controlled by soil organic matter (SOM), macroaggregates and microaggregates. Moreover, the CSQI was influenced by pH, silt and clay content, and biome coverage (BC). The study suggested the SL were advised as the best vegetation restoration type on the whole slope from improving soil nutrients and soil erodibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingbo Dong
- State Key Laboratory for Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shanxi, 712100, China
| | - Jiwei Li
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shanxi, 712100, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shanxi, 712100, China
| | - Mengyao Bing
- State Key Laboratory for Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shanxi, 712100, China
| | - Yulin Liu
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shanxi, 712100, China
| | - Jianzhao Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shanxi, 712100, China
| | - Xuying Hai
- State Key Laboratory for Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shanxi, 712100, China
| | - Ao Li
- State Key Laboratory for Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shanxi, 712100, China
| | - Kaibo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, Shanxi, 710075, China
| | - Puxia Wu
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grass Bureau of Loess Plateau, Shaanxi Forestry Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, Shanxi, 710021, China
| | - Zhouping Shangguan
- State Key Laboratory for Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shanxi, 712100, China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shanxi, 712100, China
| | - Lei Deng
- State Key Laboratory for Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shanxi, 712100, China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shanxi, 712100, China.
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