干湿交替格局对川西南干热河谷土壤碳氮释放的影响

有机碳和氮素含量低、结构性差等土壤退化特征,是干热河谷土壤退化的普遍现象,漫长旱季与集中雨季使干热河谷干湿交替格局不同于其他区域。通过监测不同干湿交替模式下培养土壤的呼吸、水溶性有机碳(DOC)和水溶性氮(DN)动态,评估干湿交替特征对干热河谷土壤有机碳和氮库退化的影响。结果显示,风干土壤再湿润对土壤呼吸具有激发效应,可使呼吸强度增加1.52~7.13倍;随着干湿交替次数的增加,激发效应随之衰减,经过多次干湿交替后(当周期为3d,则干湿交替5次)降至某一稳定水平,干湿交替周期越长(周期长于12d),土壤再湿润后导致的土壤呼吸激发效应的衰减越不明显。土壤DOC和DN含量同样受再湿润激发,但DOC和DN激发效应滞后于土壤呼吸,干湿交替多次后土壤DOC和DN随之降低并稳定低于最初水平,而随着干湿交替周期延长,DOC和DN在每个干湿交替末期含量变化不明显。这暗示干湿交替尽管可激发土壤DOC和DN释放,但是这种激发效应随干湿交替次数和周期延长而降低,因此对土壤碳氮动态的影响有限,干湿交替格局可能不是干旱河谷土壤有机碳和氮素退化的主要原因。     

秸秆和菌渣改良剂对高寒沙地土壤有机碳库的影响

采用田间定位试验研究了秸秆颗粒(JG)和菌渣颗粒(JZ)改良剂(施用量分别为6,12,18,24 t/hm~2)对川西北高寒沙地土壤碳库的影响。结果表明:施用JG和JZ改良剂可显著提高沙化土壤有机碳含量、有机碳储量、活性碳、土壤微生物量碳、微生物熵和碳库管理指数,其中对土壤微生物量碳和微生物熵的提升效果最为显著。与CK相比,施用第2年JG处理土壤有机碳含量、有机碳储量、活性有机碳、碳库管理指数平均增加96.2%,100.0%,157.1%,169.4%,JZ处理平均增加69.2%,66.3%,85.7%,81.7%;而JG处理土壤微生物量碳、微生物熵分别较CK平均增加934.0%,433.0%,JZ处理平均增加956.2%,546.4%。JG改良剂对土壤有机碳库组分和碳库管理指数的提升效果优于JZ,而JZ改良剂更有利于提升土壤微生物量碳含量和土壤有机碳的周转速率。秸秆和菌渣改良剂均可增加沙化土壤有机碳库各组分含量,提高土壤有机碳周转速率和碳库管理指数,具有快速培肥沙化土壤的效果。     

不同土层水稻土培养条件下有机碳矿化规律研究

以湖南省桃源县水稻土为研究对象,基于土壤有机碳三库一级动力学理论,从垂直变化角度研究水稻土总有机碳(Ct)、活性碳(Ca)、缓效性碳(Cs)、惰性碳(Cp)的含量及有机碳矿化特征的相关规律。研究结果表明:1总有机碳、活性碳、缓效性碳、惰性碳含量分别与土层深度成负相关,相关系数分别为0.8431、0.8516、0.8320、0.7734(P0.01),土层越深活性碳占总有机碳比例越小,惰性碳占总有机碳比例越大。2按照CO2-C释放速率变化程度,将矿化曲线划分为快速矿化(平均约7.94 d)、缓慢矿化(平均约28 d)和平衡矿化三个阶段,其中快速矿化阶段主要为活性碳矿化。3土壤有机碳矿化速率、累积矿化量、矿化比例等都随土层加深而减小,但30~60 cm土层有机碳总量大,其有机碳矿化总量的变化对1 m深有机碳矿化总量变化的影响大。4偏相关分析表明不同土层土壤有机碳各组分含量、有机碳矿化总量与土壤全氮含量和土壤p H相关,即土壤性质影响有机碳矿化特征。由此得出,深层土壤有机碳也参与全球碳循环,并且全氮含量和p H会影响深层碳库成为碳源或是碳汇,在研究全球碳循环时应给予充分重视。     

不同农业利用方式土壤有机碳矿化及其与有机碳组分的关系

通过土壤样品室内培养法测定菜园、桃园、水田及旱地土壤有机碳矿化动态和3种土壤有机碳组分,并根据三库一级动力学模型,拟合4种土地利用方式土壤有机碳库各库大小及周转速率,探讨不同土地利用下土壤有机碳矿化特征及其与有机碳组分的关系。结果表明,各土地利用方式土壤有机碳日矿化速率差异主要在培养前期,表现为菜园桃园水田旱地,后期差异减小且保持平稳。旱地土壤有机碳累积矿化量最小,菜园、桃园、水田分别为其2.61,2.50,1.63倍。由三库一级动力学方程拟合参数发现,活性碳库(C_a)所占总有机碳(TOC)比例最小,且与易氧化碳(ROC)、颗粒态碳(POC)、轻组有机碳(LFOC)含量均呈极显著正相关;除桃园外,缓效性碳含量(Cs)均低于惰性碳含量(Cr),且ROC、POC、LFOC亦与Cs具有显著相关性。活性碳库周转速率(Ka)和缓效性碳库周转速率(Ks)仅与LFOC占总有机碳的比例具有显著相关性,故可用LFOC/TOC来指示土壤活性有机碳库及缓效性碳库的动态变化。     

土壤有机碳稳定性及其影响因素

土壤有机碳库在全球碳循环中起着重要作用。利用文献资料,阐明土壤有机碳稳定性理论及其影响因素。土壤有机碳稳定性指土壤有机碳在当前条件下抵抗干扰和恢复原有水平的能力。它是由土壤的理化性质所决定的,是自然因素和人为因素共同作用的结果。土壤有机碳的降解包括生物降解作用和物理化学降解作用等,生物降解作用是主要的过程。把土壤有机碳库分成活性碳库、慢性碳库、惰性碳库,能较好地与土壤微生物的生物降解过程相对应。构建土壤有机碳稳定性概念模型,能更系统地理解有机碳在土壤中的稳定机制。     

干湿交替对土壤呼吸和土壤有机碳矿化的影响述评

土壤干湿交替循环对土壤呼吸的“激发效应”被证实在干旱、半干旱和地中海气候区普遍存在。土壤干湿交替被认为是影响土壤呼吸的重要因素。土壤物理、化学、生物性状会在干湿交替过程中发生一系列变化,引发土壤CO₂排放量显著激增而引起“Birch效应”。随着未来气候变化下极端降水天气事件发生频率的增加,降雨强度和频率的改变将导致部分地区的土壤经受更广泛和频繁的干湿交替作用,加剧土壤干湿循环,影响土壤呼吸。重点论述了干湿交替对土壤碳素循环各个关键过程(尤其是土壤呼吸和SOC矿化)的影响效应,归纳总结了干湿交替对土壤碳素循环的影响机制,从土壤团聚体、根系呼吸、微生物呼吸等方面阐述了干湿交替对土壤呼吸和土壤有机碳(SOC)矿化激发效应的影响及其机理。综合生理学说与物理学说观点,认为干湿交替主要通过土壤结构、SOC的分解速率、土壤微生物群落的结构与稳定性等的改变来影响土壤呼吸和SOC矿化过程。目前,关于干湿交替对土壤碳素循环关键过程影响的研究结果还不尽一致,其影响机制尚不明晰,研究方法也还有一些不足之处。简要指出了目前研究过程中存在的一些不足,并对未来研究中值得深入研究的科学问题进行了探讨与展望。     

模拟干湿交替对湿地土壤呼吸及有机碳含量的影响

土壤水分是影响湿地生态系统的主要因子,也是影响湿地土壤有机碳含量变化的主要因子之一。以天津滨海盐碱湿地为研究对象,采集盐地碱蓬群落土壤作为实验样品,设置过湿处理(饱和含水量,水面高过土壤10 cm);干湿交替处理(每隔20天浇水1次至过饱和,自然通风)和干处理(长期干旱)等3种土壤水分含量,研究干湿交替对盐碱湿地土壤有机碳含量的影响。结果表明:干湿交替对土壤呼吸有明显的激发效应。每次湿润后,都会有一个明显的呼吸高峰,随着过湿处理次数的增加,土壤呼吸的激发效应逐渐减弱;而且经过干旱期后,呼吸速率通常在一周后就会降到最低。水分的过度饱和及过度的干旱都会抑制土壤的呼吸,其中过度缺水对呼吸速率的抑制作用更强;在3种处理方式下,随着培养时间的增加,土壤有机碳含量呈现明显的下降趋势。干处理条件下土壤有机碳含量基本保持稳定,并在培养结束时,高于其他两种处理方式。除了土壤水分含量是造成土壤有机碳含量的主要因素外,在天津地区的滨海盐碱湿地土壤中,土壤质地和土壤p H成为土壤有机碳积累的主要影响因素。     

集约经营毛竹林土壤活性有机碳库研究

为了解毛竹林集约经营后土壤有机碳库发生的变化,采集了集约经营历史5～10年竹林的土壤样品进行分析,并与粗放经营毛竹林进行比较。研究结果表明:毛竹林集约经营后土壤总有机碳、水溶性有机碳和微生物量碳含量都明显减少,与粗放经营毛竹林之间有显著差异(P<0.05),并且微生物量碳占总有机碳比例也显著降低,水溶性有机物质的分子量也明显变小。集约经营后竹林土壤矿化态碳数量及其占总有机碳比例增强,说明毛竹集约经营使土壤有机物质稳定性变差,矿化率增加。毛竹林土壤总有机碳、水溶性碳、微生物量碳及矿化态碳两两之间相关性均达极显著水平(P<0.01),土壤各类有机碳含量与土壤全氮、水解氮含量间相关性也达显著或极显著水平。毛竹集约经营未改变各类有机碳的剖面变化特征。     

臭氧污染对麦田土壤不同活性有机碳库的影响

近年来大气臭氧危害加剧,臭氧浓度升高影响植物—土壤系统进而影响土壤有机碳库周转。本研究在开放条件下,采用Chan修订的Walkley-Black方法,研究了连续5年增加稻—麦轮作系统大气臭氧浓度(较周围大气高50%)对麦季农田土壤不同活性有机碳库的影响。结果表明,大气臭氧浓度升高致使0~3 cm、10~20 cm土层土壤有机碳含量显著降低,累积导致耕层(0~20 cm)土壤有机碳含量下降18.4%(p0.05)。臭氧浓度升高显著降低了0~3、3~10、10~20 cm 3个土层中的活性有机碳含量;臭氧升高使0~3 cm土层的受保护缓性有机碳含量增加了10.8%(p0.05),并使未受保护缓性有机碳含量降低了59.7%(p0.05);臭氧升高条件下10~20 cm土层的受保护缓性有机碳含量降低了59.6%(p0.05)。臭氧升高对不同活性碳占总有机碳比例的影响受活性碳类型和土壤层次的制约,显著降低了3~10 cm土层活性有机碳所占比例(p0.05),未对耕层各层次上的稳定有机碳含量及其分配产生显著影响。臭氧升高导致土壤中占土壤有机碳比重59.3%~69.8%的活性碳库的库容变小,应是土壤有机碳库下降的直接原因。本研究表明长期大气臭氧浓度增加具有降低土壤有机碳含量并改变不同活性有机碳库分配与周转的态势。     

人为破碎和见光风干对干湿交替培养下土壤有机碳矿化的影响

【目的】通常恒温恒湿培养下土壤有机碳矿化强度随时间延长逐渐衰减，而干湿交替和阶段性扰动（如人为破碎、见光风干等）是否会改变这一趋势？【方法】设置多重干湿交替培养试验，并辅以人为破碎和见光风干阶段性扰动措施，分析多循环干湿交替下土壤有机碳矿化的动态特征，探讨人为破碎和见光风干对干湿交替培养下土壤有机碳矿化的影响。【结果】与恒湿（淹水和好气）处理相比，常规干湿交替每次复水和排水后对土壤有机碳矿化均有显著的激发效应，这种激发效应随着干湿交替次数增多逐步减弱，培养结束时土壤有机碳累积矿化量分别提高了72.09%和128.48%；见光风干相较于避光风干土壤有机碳矿化速率峰值和土壤有机碳累积矿化量分别提高了26.29%和16.15%，而人为破碎对土壤有机碳矿化特征无显著影响。各阶段难分解有机碳矿化的比例随着干湿交替次数逐渐增加。【结论】循环干湿交替并未改变土壤有机碳矿化强度随时间延长阶段性衰减的趋势，但衰减幅度有所减缓；见光风干阶段性扰动进一步减缓了衰减趋势，建议用于土壤有机碳矿化培养试验的土壤样品应尽量避光风干和保存。     

Soil fauna modifies the recalcitrance-persistence relationship of soil carbon pools

Traditional models of soil organic matter decomposition predict that soil carbon pools with high chemical stability and large physical structure are more resistant against degradation than chemically labile and fine-grained material. We investigated whether soil fauna, by its direct and indirect effects on carbon turnover, would reinforce or counteract this general trend.The effects of four major faunal groups on carbon pools of differing recalcitrance were studied in an extensive microcosm experiment. Ninty-six microcosms were inoculated with nematodes, enchytraeids, collembola, and lumbricids in three densities, including combinations of groups. Bare agricultural soil and soil covered with maize litter were used as substrates. The microcosms were kept under constant conditions at 12 °C and 50% water holding capacity for 60 days. At the end of the experiment, soil particles were separated into size classes (<63 μm, 63-250 μm, >250 μm) and carbon pools were separated into solubility fractions (K₂SO₄-soluble, pyrophosphate-soluble, insoluble), by means of ultrasonic dispersion and subsequent stepwise solubilisation.Both in bare soil and in soil with litter, the carbon pools with the highest chemical stability (insoluble) and the larger particle sizes (>63 μm) were degraded more intensively than all other pools in the presence of lumbricids. The pools of intermediate chemical stability (pyrophosphate-soluble) underwent simultaneous degradation and neoformation brought about by different animal groups. The chemically most labile pool (K₂SO₄-soluble) remained largely unaffected by the fauna. Fixation of carbon in microbial biomass was increased by nematodes in bare soil and by enchytraeids in soil with litter. The results illustrate in detail how, under the influence of soil fauna, soil carbon pools are decomposed in a cascade-like process where carbon is transferred from the stable to the more labile pools, while simultaneously a proportion is fixed in microbial biomass and another part is lost as CO₂. Thereby, the relationship between a substrate's persistence and its chemical stability and physical size is substantially modified. We summarize the mechanisms that most likely are responsible for the different effects of the investigated faunal groups.     

Estimating soil labile organic carbon and potential turnover rates using a sequential fumigation-incubation procedure

Labile carbon is the fraction of soil organic carbon with most rapid turnover times and its oxidation drives the flux of CO₂ between soils and atmosphere. Available chemical and physical fractionation methods for estimating soil labile organic carbon are indirect and lack a clear biological definition. We have modified the well-established Jenkinson and Powlson's fumigation-incubation technique to estimate soil labile organic carbon using a sequential fumigation-incubation procedure. We define soil labile organic carbon as the fraction of soil organic carbon degradable during microbial growth, assuming that labile organic carbon oxidizes according to a simple negative exponential model. We used five mineral soils and a forest Oa horizon to represent a wide range of organic carbon levels. Soil labile organic carbon varied from 0.8 mg/g in an Entisol to 17.3 mg/g in the Oa materials. Potential turnover time ranged from 24 days in an Alfisol to 102 days in an Ultisol. Soil labile organic carbon contributed from 4.8% in the Alfisol to 11.1% in the Ultisol to the total organic carbon. This new procedure is a relatively easy and simple method for obtaining indices for both the pool sizes and potential turnover rates of soil labile organic carbon and provides a new approach to studying soil organic carbon.     

Soil carbon pools and fluxes after land conversion in a semiarid shrub-steppe ecosystem

Worldwide soil carbon (C) losses associated with agricultural expansion and intensification have contributed significantly to increased atmospheric CO₂. Soil disturbances resulting from land use changes were shown to modify the turnover of C and the formation of soil organic matter. A native semiarid shrub-steppe ecosystem recently converted into an irrigated agricultural development in the Columbia Basin of Washington State was evaluated for several abiotic indicators that might signal changes in an ecosystem during the initial stages of conversion and disturbance. Soil samples were collected in March of 2003 and 2004 from nine sites that included native shrub-steppe and agricultural fields converted in 2001 and 2002. Disturbance from conversion to irrigated crop production influenced total organic C and nitrogen (N) storage, C and N mineralization, and C turnover. Cultivated fields had greater concentrations of total organic C and N and higher cumulative C and N mineralization than native sites after 3 years of cultivation. Soil organic C was divided into three pools: an active pool (C _a) consisting of labile C (simple sugars, organic acids, the microbial biomass, and metabolic compounds of incorporated plant residues) with a mean residence time of days, an intermediate or slow pool (C _s) consisting of structural plant residues and physically stabilized C, and a resistant fraction (C _r) consisting of lignin and chemically stabilized C. Extended laboratory incubations of soil with measurements of CO₂ were used to differentiate the size and turnover of the C _a and C _s functional C pools. The active pools were determined to be 4.5 and 6.5% and slow pools averaged 44 and 47% of the total C in native and cultivated fields, respectively. Cultivation, crop residue incorporation, and dairy manure compost amendments contributed to the increase in total soil C.     

Environmental stress response limits microbial necromass contributions to soil organic carbon

The majority of dead organic material enters the soil carbon pool following initial incorporation into microbial biomass. The decomposition of microbial necromass carbon (C) is, therefore, an important process governing the balance between terrestrial and atmospheric C pools. We tested how abiotic stress (drought), biotic interactions (invertebrate grazing) and physical disturbance influence the biochemistry (C:N ratio and calcium oxalate production) of living fungal cells, and the subsequent stabilization of fungal-derived C after senescence. We traced the fate of ¹³C-labeled necromass from ‘stressed’ and ‘unstressed’ fungi into living soil microbes, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total soil carbon and respired CO₂. All stressors stimulated the production of calcium oxalate crystals and enhanced the C:N ratios of living fungal mycelia, leading to the formation of ‘recalcitrant’ necromass. Although we were unable to detect consistent effects of stress on the mineralization rates of fungal necromass, a greater proportion of the non-stressed (labile) fungal necromass C was stabilised in soil. Our finding is consistent with the emerging understanding that recalcitrant material is entirely decomposed within soil, but incorporated less efficiently into living microbial biomass and, ultimately, into stable SOC.     

Relationships of soil respiration to microbial biomass, substrate availability and clay content

The roles of microbial biomass (MBC) and substrate supply as well as their interaction with clay content in determining soil respiration rate were studied using a range of soils with contrasting properties. Total organic C (TOC), water-soluble organic carbon, 0.5 M K₂SO₄-extractable organic C and 33.3 mM KMnO₄-oxidisable organic carbon were determined as C availability indices. For air-dried soils, these indices showed close relationship with flush of CO₂ production following rewetting of the soils. In comparison, MBC determined with the chloroform fumigation-extraction technique had relatively weaker correlation with soil respiration rate. After 7 d pre-incubation, soil respiration was still closely correlated with the C availability indices in the pre-incubated soils, but poorly correlated with MBC determined with three different techniques—chloroform fumigation extraction, substrate-induced respiration, and chloroform fumigation-incubation methods. Results of multiple regression analyses, together with the above observations, suggested that soil respiration under favourable temperature and moisture conditions was principally determined by substrate supply rather than by the pool size of MBC. The specific respiratory activity of microorganisms (CO₂-C/MBC) following rewetting of air-dried soils or after 7 d pre-incubation was positively correlated with substrate availability, but negatively correlated with microbial pool size. Clay content had no significant effect on CO₂ production rate, relative C mineralization rate (CO₂-C/TOC) and specific respiratory activity of MBC during the first week incubation of rewetted dry soils. However, significant protective effect of clay on C mineralization was shown for the pre-incubated soils. These results suggested that the protective effect of clay on soil organic matter decomposition became significant as the substrate supply and microbial demand approached to an equilibrium state. Thereafter, soil respiration would be dependent on the replenishment of the labile substrate from the bulk organic C pool.     

The relative impact of land use and soil properties on sizes and turnover rates of soil organic carbon pools in Subtropical China

The dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) pools determine potential carbon sequestration and soil nutrient improvement. This study investigated the characteristics of SOC pools in five types of cultivated topsoils (0–15 cm) in subtropical China using laboratory incubation experiments under aerobic conditions. The sizes and turnover rates of the active, slow and resistant C pools were simulated using a first‐order kinetic model. The relative influence of soil environmental properties on the dynamics of different SOC pools was evaluated by applying principal component analysis (PCA) and aggregated boosted trees (ABTs) analysis. The results show that there were significantly greater sizes of different SOC pools and lower turnover rates of slow C pool in two types of paddy soils than in upland soils. Land use exerted the most significant influence on the sizes of all SOC pools, followed by clay content and soil pH. The soil C/N ratio and pH were the major determinants for turnover rates of the active and slow C pools, followed by clay content which had more impact on the turnover rates of the active C pool than the slow C pool. It is concluded that soil type exerts a significant impact on the dynamics of SOC.     

Short-term effects of tillage on mineralization of nitrogen and carbon in soil

Tillage is known to decrease soil organic nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) pools with negative consequences for soil quality. This decrease is thought partly to be caused by exposure of protected organic matter to microbial degradation by the disturbance of soil structure. Little is known, however, about the short-term effects of tillage on mineralization of N and C, and microbial activity. We studied the short-term effects of two types of tillage (conventional plough- and a non-inverting-tillage) on mineralization and microbial N and C pools in a sandy loam under organic plough-tillage management. The release of active and protected (inactive) N by tillage was further studied in the laboratory by use of ¹⁵N labelling of the active pool of soil N followed by simulation of tillage by sieving through a 2 mm sieve. Results showed that the two types of tillage as well as the simulation of tillage had very few effects on mineralization and microbial pools. The simulation of tillage caused, however, a small release of N from a pool which was otherwise protected against microbial degradation. The use of soil crushing for disruption of larger macroaggregates (>425 μm) and chloroform fumigation for perturbation of the microbial biomass increased the release from both active and protected N pools. The relative contribution from the protected N pool was, however, similar in the three treatments (22-27%), thus the pools subjected to mineralization were characterised by similar degree of protection. On the basis of isotopic composition the pools of N mineralised were indistinguishable. This suggests that the released N originated from the same pool, that is the soil microbial biomass. The study points to the microbial pool as the main source of labile N which may be released by tillage, and thus to its importance for sustained soil fertility in agricultural systems.     

Episodic rewetting enhances carbon and nitrogen release from chaparral soils

The short-term pulse of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) mineralization that accompanies the wetting of dry soils may dominate annual C and N production in many arid and semi-arid environments characterized by seasonal transitions. We used a laboratory incubation to evaluate the impact of short-term fluctuations in soil moisture on long-term carbon and nitrogen dynamics, and the degree to which rewetting enhances C and N release. Following repeated drying and rewetting of chaparral soils, cumulative CO₂ release in rewet soils was 2.2-3.7 times greater than from soils maintained at equivalent mean soil moisture and represented 12-18% of the total soil C pool. Rewetting frequency did not affect cumulative CO₂ release but did enhance N turnover, and net N mineralization and nitrification increased with rewetting in spite of significant reductions in nitrification potential. Litter addition decreased inorganic N release but enhanced dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from dry soils, indicating the potential importance of a litter-derived pulse to short-term nutrient dynamics.     

Dynamics of labile and recalcitrant soil carbon pools in a sorghum free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) agroecosystem

Experimentation with dynamics of soil carbon pools as affected by elevated CO₂ can better define the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to sequester global carbon. In the present study, 6 N HCl hydrolysis and stable-carbon isotopic analysis (δ¹³C) were used to investigate labile and recalcitrant soil carbon pools and the translocation among these pools of sorghum residues isotopically labeled in the 1998-1999 Arizona Maricopa free air CO₂ enrichment (FACE) experiment, in which elevated CO₂ (FACE: 560 μmol mol⁻¹) and ambient CO₂ (Control: 360 μmol mol⁻¹) interact with water-adequate (wet) and water-deficient (dry) treatments. We found that on average 53% of the final soil organic carbon (SOC) in the FACE plot was in the recalcitrant carbon pool and 47% in the labile pool, whereas in the Control plot 46% and 54% of carbon were in recalcitrant and labile pools, respectively, indicating that elevated CO₂ transferred more SOC into the slow-decay carbon pool. Also, isotopic mixing models revealed that increased new sorghum residue input to the recalcitrant pool mainly accounts for this change, especially for the upper soil horizon (0-30 cm) where new carbon in recalcitrant soil pools of FACE wet and dry treatments was 1.7 and 2.8 times as large as that in respective Control recalcitrant pools. Similarly, old C in the recalcitrant pool under elevated CO₂ was higher than that under ambient CO₂, indicating that elevated CO₂ reduces the decay of the old C in recalcitrant pool. Mean residence time (MRT) of bulk soil carbon at the depth of 0-30 cm was significantly longer in FACE plot than Control plot by the averages of 12 and 13 yr under the dry and wet conditions, respectively. The MRT was positively correlated to the ratio of carbon content in the recalcitrant pool to total SOC and negatively correlated to the ratio of carbon content in the labile pool to total SOC. Influence of water alone on the bulk SOC or the labile and recalcitrant pools was not significant. However, water stress interacting with CO₂ enhanced the shift of the carbon from labile pool to recalcitrant pool. Our results imply that terrestrial agroecosystems may play a critical role in sequestrating atmospheric CO₂ and mitigating harmful CO₂ under future atmospheric conditions.     

Effect of long-term cropping systems on soil organic carbon pools and soil quality in western plain of hot arid India

Maintaining soil organic carbon (SOC) in arid ecosystem is important for soil productivity and restoration of deserted sandy soil in western plain of India. There is a need to understand how the cropping systems changes may alter SOC pools including total organic carbon (TOC), particulate organic C (POC), water soluble carbon (WSC), very labile C (VLC), labile C (LC), less labile C (LLC) and non-labile C (NLC) in arid climate. We selected seven major agricultural systems for this study viz., barren, fallow, barley–fallow, mustard–moth bean, chickpea–groundnut, wheat–green gram and wheat–pearl millet. Result revealed that conversion of sandy barren lands to agricultural systems significantly increased available nutrients and SOC pools. Among all studied cropping systems, the highest values of TOC (6.12 g kg^?1), POC (1.53 g kg^?1) and WSC (0.19 g kg^?1) were maintained in pearl millet–wheat system, while the lowest values of carbon pools observed in fallow and barren land. Strong relationships (P < 0.05) were exhibited between VLC and LC with available nutrients. The highest carbon management index (299) indicates that wheat–pearl millet system has greater soil quality for enhancing crop productivity, nutrient availability and carbon sequestration of arid soil.