中国东北黑土养分空间异质性

Patterns of soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and density in various soil types or locations are the foundation for examining the role of soil in the global carbon cycle. An assessment of SOC storage and density patterns in China based on soil types as defined by Chinese Soil Taxonomy (CST) and the recently compiled digital 11000 000 Soil Database of China was conducted to generate a rigorous database for the future study of SOC storage. First, SOC densities of 7292soil profiles were calculated and linked by soil type to polygons of a digital soil map using geographic information system resulting in a 11000 000 SOC density distribution map of China. Further results showed that soils in China covered 9 281 ×103 km2 with a total SOC storage of 89.14 Gt and a mean SOC density 96.0 t ha-1. Among the 14 CST orders, Cambosols and Argosols constituted high percentage of China's total SOC storage, while Andosols, Vertosols, and Spodsols had a low percentage. As for SOC density, Histosols were the highest, while Primosols were the lowest. Specific patterns of SOC storage of various soil types at the CST suborder, group, and subgroup levels were also described. Results obtained from the study of SOC storage and density of all CST soil types would be not only useful for international comparative research, but also for more accurately estimating and monitoring of changes of SOC storage in China.     

基于1:50 000土壤数据库并结合PKB方法估算中国浙江省土壤有机碳储量的研究

Soil organic carbon(SOC) is an important component of farming systems and global carbon cycle. Accurately estimating SOC stock is of great importance for assessing soil productivity and modeling global climate change. A newly built 1:50 000 soil database of Zhejiang Province containing 2 154 geo-referenced soil profiles and a pedological professional knowledge-based(PKB) method were used to estimate SOC stock up to a depth of 100 cm for the Province. The spatial patterns of SOC stocks stratified by soil types,watershed(buffer analysis), topographical factors, and land use types were identified. Results showed that the soils in Zhejiang covered an area of 100 740 km2 with a total SOC stock of 831.49 × 106 t and a mean SOC density of 8.25 kg m-2, excluding water and urban areas. In terms of soil types, red soils had the highest SOC stock(259.10 × 106t), whereas mountain meadow soils contained the lowest(0.15 × 106t). In terms of SOC densities, the lowest value(5.11 kg m-2) was found in skel soils, whereas the highest value(45.30 kg m-2) was observed in mountain meadow soils. Yellow soils, as a dominant soil group, determined the SOC densities of different buffer zones in Qiantang River watershed because of their large area percentage and wide variation of SOC density values.The area percentages of various soil groups significantly varied with increasing elevation or slope when overlaid with digital elevation model data, thus influencing the SOC densities. The highest SOC density was observed under grassland, whereas the lowest SOC density was identified under unutilized land. The map of SOC density(0–100 cm depth) and the spatial patterns of SOC stocks in the Province would be helpful for relevant agencies and communities in Zhejiang Province, China.     

中国农田土壤有机碳贮存的空间特征

The soil organic carbon (SOC) pool is the largest component of terrestrial carbon pools. With the construction of a geographically referenced database taken from the second national general soil survey materials and based on 1546 typical cropland soil profiles, the paddy field and dryland SOC storage among quantified to characterize the spatial pattern of cropland SOC storage in China regions of China were systematically to examine the relationship between mean annual temperature, precipitation, soil texture features arid SOC content. In all regions, paddy soils had higher SOC storage than dryland soils, and cropland SOC content was the highest in Southwest China. Climate controlled the spatial distribution of SOC in both paddy and dryland soils, with SOC storage increasing with increasing precipitation and decreasing with increasing temperature.     

Spatial Characteristics of Soil Organic Carbon Storage in China＇s Croplands

The soil organic carbon （SOC） pool is the largest component of terrestrial carbon pools. With the construction of a geographically referenced database taken from the second national general soil survey materials and based on 1546 typical cropland soil profiles, the paddy field and dryland SOC storage among six regions of China were systematically quantified to characterize the spatial pattern of cropland SOC storage in China and to examine the relationship between mean annual temperature, precipitation, soil texture features and SOC content. In all regions, paddy soils had higher SOC storage than dryland soils, and cropland SOC content was the highest in Southwest China. Climate controlled the spatial distribution of SOC in both paddy and dryland soils, with SOC storage increasing with increasing precipitation and decreasing with increasing temperature.     

Tillage effect on organic carbon in a purple paddy soil

The distribution and storage of soil organic carbon （SOC） based on a long-term experiment with various tillage systems were studied in a paddy soil derived from purple soil in Chongqing, China. Organic carbon storage in the 0-20 and 0-40 cm soil layers under different tillage systems were in an order： ridge tillage with rice-rape rotation （RT-rr） 〉 conventional tillage with rice only （CT-r） 〉 ridge tillage with rice only （RT-r） 〉 conventional tillage with rice-rape rotation （CT-rr）. The RT-rr system had significantly higher levels of soil organic carbon in the 0-40 cm topsoil, while the proportion of the total remaining organic carbon in the total soil organic carbon in the 0-10 cm layer was greatest in the RT-rr system. This was the reason why the RT-rr system enhanced soil organic carbon storage. These showed that tillage system type was crucial for carbon storage. Carbon levels in soil humus and crop-yield results showed that the RT-rr system enhanced soil fertility and crop productivity. Adoption of this tillage system would be beneficial both for environmental protection and economic development.     

中国土壤氮含量、空间格局及其环境控制

Soil holds the largest nitrogen （N） pool in terrestrial ecosystems, but estimates of soil N stock remain controversial. Storage and spatial distribution of soil N in China were estimated and the relationships between soil N density and environmental factors were explored using data from China＇s Second National Soil Survey and field investigation in northwest China and the Tibetan Plateau. China＇s soil N storage at a depth of one meter was estimated at 7.4 Pg, with an average density of 0.84 kg m^-2. Soil N density appeared to be high in southwest and northeast China and low in the middle areas of the country. Soil N density increased from the arid to semi-arid zone in northern China, and decreased from cold-temperate to tropical zone in the eastern part of the country. An analysis of general linear model suggested that climate and vegetation determined the spatial pattern of soil N density for natural vegetation, which explained 75.4% of the total variance.     

美国路易斯安那州土壤碳估算的尺度效应——美国STATSGO和SSURGO两大最新土壤数据库的比较研究

Estimation of soil organic carbon (SOC) pools and fluxes bears large uncertainties because SOC stocks vary greatly over geographical space and through time.Although development of the U.S.Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO),currently the most detailed level with a map scale ranging from 1:12 000 to 1:63 360,has involved substantial government funds and coordinated network efforts,very few studies have utilized it for soil carbon assessment at the large landscape scale.The objectives of this study were to 1) compare estimates in soil organic matter among SSURGO,the State Soil Geographic Database (STATSGO),and referenced field measurements at the soil map unit;2) examine the influence of missing data on SOC estimation by SSURGO and STATSGO;3) quantify spatial differences in SOC estimation between SSURGO and STATSGO,specifically for the state of Louisiana;and 4) assess scale effects on soil organic carbon density (SOCD) estimates from a soil map unit to a watershed and a river basin scale.SOC was estimated using soil attributes of SSURGO and STATSGO including soil organic matter (SOM) content,soil layer depth,and bulk density.Paired t-test,correlation,and regression analyses were performed to investigate various relations of SOC and SOM among the datasets.There were positive relations of SOC estimates between SSURGO and STATSGO at the soil map unit (R2=0.56,n=86,t=1.65,P=0.102;depth:30 cm).However,the SOC estimated by STATSGO were 9%,33% and 36% lower for the upper 30-cm,the upper 1-m,and the maximal depth (up to 2.75 m) soils,respectively,than those from SSURGO.The difference tended to increase as the spatial scale changes from the soil map unit to the watershed and river basin scales.Compared with the referenced field measurements,the estimates in SOM by SSURGO showed a closer match than those of STATSGO,indicating that the former was more accurate than the latter in SOC estimation,both in spatial and temporal resolutions.Further applications of SSURGO in SOC estimation for the entire United States could improve the accuracy of soil carbon accounting in regional and national carbon balances.     

不同森林植被下土壤活性有机碳的含量及动态变化

Soil organic matter （SOM） in forest ecosystems is not only important to global carbon （C） storage but also to sustainable management of forestland with vegetation types, being a critical factor in controlling the quantity and dynamics of SOM. In this field experiment soil plots with three replicates were selected from three forest vegetation types： broadleaf, Masson pine （Pinus massoniana Lamb.）, and Chinese fir （Cunninghamia lanceolata Hook.）. Soil total organic C （TOC）, two easily oxidizable C levels （EOC1 and EOC2, which were oxidized by 66.7 mmol L^-1 K2Cr2O7 at 130-140℃ and 333 mmol L^-1 KMnO4 at 25 ℃, respectively）, microbial biomass C （MBC）, and water-soluble organic C （WSOC） were analyzed for soil samples. Soil under the broadleaf forest stored significantly higher TOC （P ≤ 0.05）. Because of its significantly larger total soil C storage, the soil under the broadleaf forest usually had significantly higher levels （P ≤ 0.05） of the different labile organic carbons, EOC1, EOC2, MBC, and WSOC; but when calculated as a percentage of TOC each labile C fraction of the broadleaf forest was significantly lower （P ≤ 0.05） than one of the other two forests. Under all the three vegetation types temperature as well as quality and season of litter input generally affected the dynamics of different organic C fractions in soils, with EOC1, EOC2, and MBC increasing closely following increase in temperature, whereas WSOC showed an opposite trend.     

城郊土壤不透水表面有土壤机碳转化及其相关性质的研究

Installation of impervious surface in urban area prevents the exchange of material and energy between soil and other environmental counterparts, thereby resulting in negative effects on soil function and urban environment. Soil samples were collected at 0-20 cm depth in Nanjing City, China, in which seven sites were selected for urban open soils, and fourteen sites with similar parent material were selected for the impervious-covered soils, to examine the effect of impervious surface on soil properties and microbial activities, and to determine the most important soil properties associated with soil organic carbon （SOC） transformation in the urban soils covered by impervious surfaces. Soil organic carbon and water-soluble organic carbon （WSOC） concentrations, potential carbon （C） and nitrogen （N） mineralization rates, basal respiration, and physicochemical properties with respect to C transformation were measured. Installation of impervious surface severely affected soil physicochemical properties and microbial activities, e.g., it significantly decreased total N contents, potential C mineralization and basal respiration rate （P 〈 0.01）, while increased pH, clay and Olsen-P concentrations. Soil organic carbon in the sealed soils at 0-20 cm was 2.35 kg m-2, which was significantly lower than the value of 4.52 kg m-2 in the open soils （P 〈 0.05）. Canonical correlation analysis showed WSOC played a major role in determining SOC transformation in the impervious-covered soil, and it was highly correlated with total N content and potential C mineralization rate. These findings demonstrate that installation of impervious surface in urban area, which will result in decreases of SOC and total N concentrations and soil microbial activities, has certain negative consequences for soil fertility and long-term storage of SOC.     

蔬菜连作对铜尾矿土壤中有机碳、腐殖质碳以及可溶性有机碳的影响

Carbon of humus acids （HSAC） and dissolved organic carbon （DOC） are the most active forms of soil organic carbon （SOC） and play an important role in global carbon recycling. We investigated the concentrations of HSAC, water-soluble organic carbon （WSOC）, hot water-extractable organic carbon （HWOC） and SOC in soils under different vegetation types of four copper mine tailings sites with differing vegetation succession time periods in Tongling, China. The concentrations of HSAC, WSOC, HWOC and SOC increased with vegetation succession. WSOC concentration increased with the accumulation of SOC in the tailings, and a linearly positive correlation existed between the concentrations of HSAC and SOC in the tailings. However, the percentages of HSAC and DOC in the SOC decreased during vegetation succession. The rate of SOC accumulation was higher when the succession time was longer than 20 years, whereas the speeds of soil organic matter （SOM） decomposition and humification were slow, and the concentrations of HSAC and DOC increased slowly in the tailings. The percentage of carbon of humic acid （HAC） in HSAC increased with vegetation succession, and the values of humification index （HI）, HAC/carbon of fulvic acid, also increased with the accumulation of HSAC and SOC in soils of the tailings sites. However, the HI value in the each of the tailings was less than 0.50. The humification rate of SOM was lower than the accumulation rate of SOM, and the level of soil fertility was still very low in the tailings even after 40 years of natural restoration.     

Applying statistical methods to map soil organic carbon of agricultural lands in northeastern coastal areas of China

ABSTRACT

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important indicator to evaluate agricultural soil quality. Precise mapping SOC can help to facilitate soil and environmental management decisions. This study applied multiple stepwise regression (MSR), boosted regression trees (BRT) model, and boosted regression trees hybrid residuals kriging (BRTRK) to map SOC of agricultural lands in Wafangdian City, northeastern China. A 10-fold cross-validation procedure was used to evaluate the performance of the three models. The BRTRK method exhibited the best predictive performance and explained 78% of the total SOC variability. The distribution of SOC was mainly explained by elevation, followed by soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), and topographic wetness index (TWI). We conclude that the BRTRK was the most accurate method in predicting spatial distribution of SOC. In addition, our study indicated that topographic variables as key factors to affect SOC should be considered in future SOC mapping.     

藏东南色季拉山西坡不同植被土壤有机碳垂直分布特征及其影响因素

  【目的】  藏东南地区高山生态系统有巨大的土壤碳汇潜力，研究其不同生态系统下土壤有机碳 (SOC) 储存的变化特征及其影响因子，有助于深入了解青藏高原土壤碳循环及区域碳源汇平衡。  【方法】  本研究在西藏色季拉山西坡海拔3000～4600 m开展密集土壤采样，研究不同海拔高度下不同植被类型SOC的储存特征，并分析其关键影响因子。  【结果】  表层0—5 cm的SOC含量随海拔升高而增加，4个植被带SOC含量平均值表现为高寒草甸 (8.31% ± 0.77%) > 暗针叶林 (7.20% ± 0.90%) > 高寒灌丛草甸 (6.74% ± 0.80%) > 针阔混交林 (3.88% ± 0.46%)。在剖面5—10、10—15、15—20、20—30、30—40、40—60 cm各层SOC含量随海拔升高呈先增加后降低趋势，SOC含量在4种植被带的平均值表现为暗针叶林 > 高寒灌丛草甸 > 高寒草甸 > 针阔混交林。SOC含量随剖面深度增加而显著下降，高寒草甸和高寒灌丛草甸SOC垂直分布特征为表层聚集型，而针阔混交林和暗针叶林SOC垂直分布特征为普通递减型。剖面0—20、20—40、40—60 cm的SOC储量随海拔升高呈先增加后降低的特征。在表层0—20 cm高寒草甸SOC储量最高 (C 95.66 ± 4.81 t/hm2)；在剖面20—40和40—60 cm暗针叶林SOC储量最高，且其在整个0—60 cm剖面的SOC总储量在所有植被类型中最高 (C 199.14 ± 11.10 t/hm2)；针阔混交林SOC储量在剖面各层均为最低，且其在整个剖面的SOC总储量 (C 111.45 ± 10.30 t/hm2) 显著低于其他植被类型。剖面各层SOC储量与年平均温度、凋落物碳氮比呈显著负相关，而与海拔高度、年平均降水量和土壤含水量呈显著正相关。逐步回归显示土壤含水量是影响剖面各层以及整个剖面SOC储存的关键因子。随机森林模型对SOC储存的解释度为50.32%～65.82%，土壤含水量对表层土体SOC预测的相对贡献最高，年平均温度、年平均降水量和凋落物质量对各层SOC预测均有显著贡献，而植被类型对SOC预测的相对贡献随剖面加深而逐步增加。  【结论】  色季拉山西坡不同海拔高度下SOC的储存特征随不同植被类型和剖面深度而发生显著变化，环境因子(如土壤水分) 对表层土体SOC储存有关键影响，植被类型对深层土体SOC储量变化的预测有重要贡献。     

基于环境变量的中国土壤有机碳空间分布特征

研究中国土壤有机碳(Soil Organic Carbon,SOC)的空间分布特征对SOC储量估算以及农业生产管理具有重要意义。以全国第二次土壤普查2473个土壤典型剖面的表层(A层)SOC含量为研究对象,探寻地形、气候和植被等环境因素对SOC空间异质性分布的影响;以普通克里格法为对照,利用地理加权回归、地理加权回归克里格、多元线性回归和回归克里格模型建立SOC空间预测模型;并分别绘制了中国SOC的空间分布预测图。结果表明:(1)SOC含量与年均降水量、年均温、归一化植被指数、高程以及地形粗糙指数呈极显著相关关系;(2)平均绝对估计误差、均方根误差、平均相对误差和皮尔逊相关系数等模型验证指标表明地理加权回归的预测精度优于其他模型,可以更好地绘制SOC在大尺度上的空间分布特征;(3)较高SOC含量主要分布在研究区东北部、西南部以及东南部,而西北部SOC含量普遍偏低。本文以期从大尺度上探讨土壤属性与环境变量之间的相关关系,为全国土壤属性的空间制图提供一定的解决方案和思路。     

滇中不同植物群落对紫色土表层土壤碳、氮累积的影响

通过连续观测2007-2008年滇中飒马场5种植物群落下紫色土表层土壤理化性质及碳、氮含量的旱雨季变化和层次分布特征,以揭示滇中不同植物群落对紫色土碳、氮累积效应的影响.研究结果表明:植物群落对表层土壤有机碳及其组分、全氮含量、pH及容重有显著的影响.云南松林表层土壤(0-20 cm)有机碳贮存量(24.9 t/ha)显著低于次生常绿阔叶林、桉树林和针阔混交林土壤的.不同植物群落表层土壤(0-20 cm)的全氮贮存量之间没有显著的差异.易氧化有机碳含量的变化是引起各植物群落表层土壤有机碳含量的呈现差异的主要原因.旱雨季变化对各土层易氧化有机碳及总有机碳含量、pH有明显的影响.表层土壤有机碳贮量与地表枯落物碳贮量变化特征之间表现出明显的滞后效应,且二者无显著相关性,表明地表枯落物可能不是影响土壤有机碳碳贮量季节变化的主要因素.     

不同植被下中国土壤有机碳的储量与影响因子

基于第二次土壤普查和新疆土壤调查等 2 4 4 0个典型土壤剖面数据和 1∶4 0 0万中国植被图 ,对中国不同植被类型下的 1 0 0cm和 2 0cm厚度土壤有机碳密度和储量进行估算 ,绘制了土壤有机碳储量的地理分布图 ,并且对土壤有机碳储量与生境条件之间的关系进行统计分析。结果表明 :不同植被类型下的土壤有机碳密度存在显著差异 ,草甸和森林最高 ,灌木和农田次之 ,再其次是草原 ,最低的是荒漠 ;基于植被分类计算的我国 1 0 0cm和 2 0cm厚度土壤有机碳总储量分别为 6 9.38Gt和 2 3.81Gt。 1 0 0cm深度土壤碳储量在森林、农田、灌丛、草甸、草原、荒漠植被下分别为 1 7.39Gt、1 4 .6 9Gt、1 3.6 2Gt、1 2 .2 2Gt、7.4 6Gt、3.93Gt;土壤有机碳储量的空间分布差异明显 ,具有明显地域性 ,青藏高原东南地区、阿尔泰山和天山山地等高寒草甸、灌丛草甸区是土壤有机碳储量最高的地区 ,其次是东北地区北部的针叶林、草甸区和我国南方的亚热带阔叶林区 ,土壤有机碳储量最低的地区是西北地区和藏北高原的荒漠、草原干旱区 ;在不同生态系统中环境变量对土壤有机碳储量的影响是不同的 ,在温带草原年平均温度是土壤有机碳储量主要控制因素 ,而对于针叶林海拔是导致土壤有机碳储量变异的主导因子 ;随着研究尺度的细化 ,环境变     

Effects of vegetation restoration on soil organic carbon sequestration at multiple scales in semi-arid Loess Plateau,China

Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration by vegetation restoration is the theme of much current research. Since 1999, the program of “Grain for Green”has been implemented in the semi-arid Loess Plateau, China. Its scope represents the largest vegetation restoration activity in China. However, it is still unclear for the SOC sequestration effects of vegetation cover change or natural succession promoted by the revegetation efforts at different scales under the semi-arid conditions. In this study, the changes in SOC stocks due to the vegetation restoration in the middle of Loess Plateau were estimated at patch, hill slope transect and small watershed scale from 1998 to 2006. Soil samples were taken from field for the determination of cesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs) and SOC contents. Vegetation cover change from 1998 to 2006 at the small watershed scale was assessed using Geographic Information System. The results showed that cropland transforming to grassland or shrubland significantly increased SOC at patch scale. Immature woodland, however, has no significant effect. When vegetation cover has no transformation for mature woodland (25 years old), SOC has no significant increase implying that SOC has come to a stable level. At hill slope scale, three typical vegetation cover patterns showed different SOC sequestration effects of 8.6%, 24.6%, and 21.4% from 1998 to 2006, and these SOC increases mainly resulted from revegetation. At the small watershed scale, SOC stocks increased by 19% in the surface soil layer at 0–20 cm soil depth from 1998 to 2006, which was equivalent to an average SOC sequestration rate of 19.92 t C y^− 1 km^− 2. Meanwhile, SOC contents showed a significant positive correlation (P < 0.001) with the ¹³⁷Cs inventory at every soil depth interval. This implied significant negative impacts of soil erosion on SOC sequestration. The results have demonstrated general positive effects of vegetation restoration on SOC sequestration at multiple scales. However, soil erosion under rugged topography modified the spatial distribution of the SOC sequestration effects. Therefore, vegetation restoration was proved to be a significant carbon sink, whereas, erosion could be a carbon source in high erosion sensitive regions. This research can contribute to the performance assessment of ecological rehabilitation projects such as “Grain to Green” and the scientific understanding of the impacts of vegetation restoration and soil erosion on soil carbon dynamics in semi-arid environments.     

Optimization of carbon stock models to local conditions using farmers' soil tests: A case study with AMGv2 for a cereal plain in central France

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is associated with environmental benefits and crop productivity; therefore, monitoring of SOC stocks is important when assessing the sustainability of agricultural systems. This study applied a hybrid method and the results of on-farm soil tests to calibrate the AMGv2 model and adapt it to local conditions. The method was applied to soils in the Limagne plain (France), which shifted to cereal production since the 1960s. Based on analysing 988 soil test data, covering the period from 1954 to 2019, it was found that SOC stocks showed a significant decrease in the three main soil types of the study area. An optimization procedure estimated that the initial ratios of stable to total carbon fall in the ranges 0.42 and 0.46 for vertisols, 0.48 and 0.52 for calcisols, and 0.56 and 0.60 for fluvisols. Simulations using these values estimated that SOC stocks declined between 1960 and 2018 by between −31 and −17%, depending on soil type. The optimized model was used to forecast the evolution of SOC stocks up to 2050. These simulations showed a further decline in SOC stocks with continuation of current practices, even assuming a 15% increase in crop yields. They indicated that stopping straw exports would stabilize stocks, while a systematic introduction of cover crops would increase stocks about 3.8% over the period considered. It is concluded that this hybrid procedure can improve the adaptation of predictive models to local conditions.     

Soil carbon dynamics in saline and sodic soils: a review

Soil salinity (high levels of water-soluble salt) and sodicity (high levels of exchangeable sodium), called collectively salt-affected soils, affect approximately 932 million ha of land globally. Saline and sodic landscapes are subjected to modified hydrologic processes which can impact upon soil chemistry, carbon and nutrient cycling, and organic matter decomposition. The soil organic carbon (SOC) pool is the largest terrestrial carbon pool, with the level of SOC an important measure of a soil's health. Because the SOC pool is dependent on inputs from vegetation, the effects of salinity and sodicity on plant health adversely impacts upon SOC stocks in salt-affected areas, generally leading to less SOC. Saline and sodic soils are subjected to a number of opposing processes which affect the soil microbial biomass and microbial activity, changing CO₂ fluxes and the nature and delivery of nutrients to vegetation. Sodic soils compound SOC loss by increasing dispersion of aggregates, which increases SOC mineralisation, and increasing bulk density which restricts access to substrate for mineralisation. Saline conditions can increase the decomposability of soil organic matter but also restrict access to substrates due to flocculation of aggregates as a result of high concentrations of soluble salts. Saline and sodic soils usually contain carbonates, which complicates the carbon (C) dynamics. This paper reviews soil processes that commonly occur in saline and sodic soils, and their effect on C stocks and fluxes to identify the key issues involved in the decomposition of soil organic matter and soil aggregation processes which need to be addressed to fully understand C dynamics in salt-affected soils.     

Potential for soil carbon sequestration of eroded areas in subtropical China

Soil plays an important role in the global carbon cycle, and carbon sequestration in soil is important for mitigating global climate change. Historically, soil erosion led to great reductions of soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in China. Fortunately, with the economic development and remarkably effective soil erosion control measures in subtropical China over the past 20 years, soil erosion has been greatly decreased. As a result, soil organic carbon sequestration has gradually increased due to the rapid recovery of vegetation in the area. However, little information exists concerning the potential of soil carbon sequestration in the area. This paper introduces a case study in Xingguo County, Jiangxi Province, China, which used to be a typical area with significant soil loss in subtropical China. This work represents a systematic investigation of the interrelations of carbon sequestration potential with soil erosion types, altitudes, soil types and soil parent materials. In this study, 284 soil samples were collected from 151 sampling sites (51 are soil profile sites) to determine soil physicochemical properties including organic carbon content. Soil organic carbon distribution maps of the surface layer (0–20 cm) and whole profile (0–100 cm) were compiled by linking soil types to the polygons of digital soil maps using GIS. Assuming that SOC was lost following the destruction of native vegetation, these lands hold great promise for potentially sequestering carbon again. The potential of soil carbon sequestration in the study area was estimated by subtracting the organic carbon status in eroded soils from that in non-eroded soils under undisturbed forest. Results show that the potential of SOC in the surface layer is 4.47 Tg C while that in the whole profile is 12.3 Tg C for the entire county. The greatest potential for carbon sequestration (3.72 Tg C) is found in severely eroded soil, while non-eroded soil has the smallest potential. Also, soil carbon sequestration potential decreases with increasing altitude. Soils at altitudes of <300 m show the greatest potential (5.01 Tg C), while those of >800 m have the smallest potential (0.25 Tg C). Among various soil types, red earths (Humic Acrisols) have the greatest potential of carbon sequestration (5.32 Tg C), and yellow earths (Ferralic Cambisols) have the smallest (0.15 Tg C). As for soils derived from various parent materials, soils derived from phyllite possess the greatest carbon sequestration potential, and soils from Quaternary red clays have the smallest.