树的年轮和土壤中元素含量的长期分布情况

Soil erosion accelerates soil degradation. Some natural soils and cultivated soils on sloping land in southern Jiangsu Province, China were chosen to study soil degradation associated with erosion. Soil erosion intensity was investigated using the ^137Cs tracer method. Soil particle-size distribution, soil organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were measured, and the effects of erosion on soil physical and chemical properties were analyzed statistically using SYSTAT8.0. Results indicated that erosion intensity of cultivated soils was greater than that of the natural soils, suggesting that cultivation increased soil loss. Erosion also led to an increase of coarser soil particle proportion, especially in natural soils. In addition, silt was the primary soil particle lost due to erosion. However, in cultivated fields, coarser soil particles over time were attributed not only to soil erosion but also to mechanical eluviation as a result of farming activities. Moreover, erosion caused a decrease in soil OM, TN and TP as well as thinning of the soil layer.     

侵蚀引起的苏南坡地土壤退化

Soil erosion accelerates soil degradation. Some natural soils and cultivated soils on sloping land in southern Jiangsu Province, China were chosen to study soil degradation associated with erosion. Soil erosion intensity was investigated using the ¹³⁷Cs tracer method. Soil particle-size distribution, soil organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were measured, and the effects of erosion on soil physical and chemical properties were analyzed statistically using SYSTAT8.0. Results indicated that erosion intensity of cultivated soils was greater than that of the natural soils, suggesting that cultivation increased soil loss. Erosion also led to an increase of coarser soil particle proportion, especially in natural soils. In addition, silt was the primary soil particle lost due to erosion. However, in cultivated fields, coarser soil particles over time were attributed not only to soil erosion but also to mechanical eluviation as a result of farming activities. Moreover, erosion caused a decrease in soil OM, TN and TP as well as thinning of the soil layer.     

中国亚热带稻田土壤碳氮含量及矿化动态

Dynamics of soil organic matter in a cultivation chronosequence of paddy fields were studied in subtropical China. Mineralization of soil organic matter was determined by measuring CO2 evolution from soil during 20 days of laboratory incubation. In the first 30 years of cultivation, soil organic C and N contents increased rapidly. After 30 years, 0-10 cm soil contained 19.6 g kg^-1 organic C and 1.62 g kg^-1 total N, with the corresponding values of 18.1 g kg^-1 and 1.50 g kg^-1 for 10-20 cm, and then remained stable even after 80 years of rice cultivation. During 20 days incubation the mineralization rates of organic C and N in surface soil （0-10 cm） ranged from 2.2% to 3.3% and from 2.8% to 6.7%, respectively, of organic C and total N contents. Biologically active C size generally increased with increasing soil organic C and N contents. Soil dissolved organic C decreased after cultivation of wasteland to 10 years paddy field and then increased. Soil microbial biomass C increased with number of years under cultivation, while soil microbial biomass N increased during the first 30 years of cultivation and then stabilized. After 30 years of cultivation surface soil （0-10 cm） contained 332.8 mg kg^-1 of microbial biomass C and 23.85 mg kg^-1 of microbial biomass N, which were 111% and 47% higher than those in soil cultivated for 3 years. It was suggested that surface soil with 30 years of rice cultivation in subtropical China would have attained a steady state of organic C content, being about 19 g kg^-1.     

用激光衍射法评价有机物和和碳酸盐对土壤团聚的作用

>Aggregation in many soils in semi-arid land is affected by their high carbonate contents.The presence of lithogenic and/or primary carbonates can also inffuence the role of soil organic matter(SOM) in aggregation.The role of carbonates and SOM in aggregation was evaluated by comparing the grain-size distribution in two carbonate-rich soils(15% and 30% carbonates) under conventional tillage after different disaggregating treatments.We also compared the effect of no-tillage and conventional tillage on the role of these two aggregating agents in the soil with 30% of carbonates.Soil samples were treated as four different ways:shaking with water(control),adding hydrochloric acid(HCl) to remove carbonates,adding hydrogen peroxide(H2O2) to remove organic matter,and consecutive removal of carbonates and organic matter(HCl + H2O2),and then analyzed by laser diffraction grain-sizing.The results showed that different contributions of carbonates and SOM to aggregate formation and stability depended not only on their natural proportion,but also on the soil type,as expressed by the major role of carbonates in aggregation in the 15% carbonate-rich soil,with a greater SOC-to-SIC(soil organic C to soil inorganic C) ratio than the 30% carbonate-rich soil.The increased organic matter stocks under no-tillage could moderate the role of carbonates in aggregation in a given soil,which meant that no-tillage could affect the organic and the inorganic C cycles in the soil.In conclusion,the relative role of carbonates and SOM in aggregation could alter the aggregates hierarchy in carbonate-rich soils.     

严重退化红壤植被恢复后有机质富集和团聚体稳定性

Three types of soils： an eroded barren soil under continuous fallow, an eroded soil transplanted with Lespedeza shrubs （Lespedeza bieolor）, and an eroded soil transplanted with camphor tree （Cinnaraomum camphora） were investigated to quantify organic matter pools and aggregates in reforested soils using physical fractionation techniques and to determine aggregate stability in relation to the enrichment of soil organic carbon （SOC）. Soil organic matter （SOM） was physically fractionalized into free particulate organic matter （fPOM）, occluded particulate organic matter （oPOM）, and mineralassociated organic matter （mOM）. The SOM was concentrated on the surface soil （0 5 cm）, with an average C sequestration rate of 20-25 g C m^-2 year^-1 over 14 years. As compared to the eroded barren land, organic C content of fPOM, oPOM, and mOM fractions of the soil under Lespedeza and under camphor tree increased 12-15, 45-54, and 3.1-3.5 times, respectively. A linear relationship was found between aggregate stability and organic C （r^2 = 0.45, P 〈 0.01）, oPOM （r^2 = 0.34, P 〈 0.05）, and roOM （r^2 = 0.46, P 〈 0.01） of aggregates. The enrichment of organic C improved aggregate stability of the soil under Lespedeza but not that under camphor tree. However, further research is needed on the physical and biological processes involved in the interaction of soil aggregation and SOC sequestration in ecosystem.     

土地利用变化对中国西南热带湿润地区土壤磷动态的影响

Land use changes can greatly influence soil phosphorus (P) dynamics, especially when converting native forests to agricultural land. Soils in Xishuangbanna, which is one of southwest China’s tropical areas that maintain fragments of primary forests, were studied to a) evaluate the effect of two common land use changes, conversion of forests to agricultural land or rubber tree plantation, on the dynamics of available P and total P in bulk soils as well as total P in particle size fractions; b) assess the relationship between soil P dynamics and soil organic carbon (SOC); and c) elucidate the relationship between soil P content and soil properties such as pH and texture. Clearing secondary forests with subsequent shifting cultivation and establishment of rubber tree plantation caused significant decreases (P < 0.05) in available P in 0--20 cm soil depths, whereas for total P there was a significant decrease (P < 0.05) when converting to shifting cultivation, rubber tree plantation, or fallow fields at both 0--20 and 20--40 cm depths. Abandonment of fields used for shifting cultivation led to significant increases (P < 0.05) in available P at 20--40 cm depth. In addition, there was a significant positive relationship between soil organic carbon and soil P content. Compared to secondary forests, the ratio of organic carbon to total P in surface soils (0--20 cm) of shifting cultivation and rubber tree plantation was significantly lower (P < 0.05).     

Cropping leads to loss of soil organic matter: How can we prevent it?

<正>Soil organic matter (SOM), which associates carbon (C) to key plant nutrients, has been stored in soil for thousands of years. Scientists have long recognised its positive impact on key environmental functions such as food production and climate regulation. As soon as a virgin land (forest or grassland) is cultivated, there is a tendency for the soil to lose its SOM, and we still largely misunderstand the underlying mechanisms, leading to inappropriate decisions being taken to fight soi...     

土壤-作物系统综合管理对中国东北冲积土有机碳特征的影响

A synchronous increase in crop productivity, nutrient use efficiency, and soil carbon(C) sequestration is important from the point of view of food security and environmental protection. In recent years, integrated soil-crop system management(ISSM), which uses crop models and advanced nutrient management to redesign cropping systems, has been successfully demonstrated to achieve both high crop productivity and high nutrient use efficiency in China, but the effects of ISSM on soil organic C(SOC) characteristics remain unknown. In this study, the effects of current farmers' practice(FP), high-yielding practice(HY), which maximizes yields without considering costs, and ISSM on the content and chemical composition of SOC were studied in a 4-year(2009–2013) field plot experiment with maize(Zea mays L.) monoculture in an Alluvic Primosol in Northeast China. The ISSM resulted in higher soil total organic C(TOC), water-soluble organic C, easily-oxidizable organic C, particulate organic C, and humic acid C compared with HY and FP in the region. The SOC contents in aggregate size fractions generally followed a similar pattern to TOC. Compared with FP,HY decreased the mean weight diameter, geometric mean diameter, percentage of 0.25-mm water-stable aggregates, and the stability ratio of water-stable aggregates, and increased the structure-deterioration rate and index of unstable aggregates. The opposite trend was observed between ISSM and HY. Solid-state ~(13)C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of bulk soil showed that ISSM had higher O-alkyl C and aliphatic C/aromatic C ratio, but lower aromatic C, carbonyl C, and alkyl C/O-alkyl C and hydrophobic C/hydrophilic C ratios than HY and FP. Our results suggest that ISSM improves the quantity and quality of SOC and has a positive effect on soil aggregation and aggregate stability.     

铵、钾同时存在时, 土壤对铵的优先吸附

The water stability of aggregates in various size classes separated from 18 samples of red soils under different managements, and the mechanisms responsible for the formation of water-stable soil aggregates were studied. The results showed that the water stability of soil aggregates declined with increasing size, especially for the low organic matter soils. Organic matter plays a key role in the formation of water-stable soil aggregates. The larger the soil aggregate size, the greater the impact of organic matter on the water stability of soil aggregates. Removal of organic matter markedly disintegrated the large water-stable aggregates (> 2.0 mm) and increased the small ones (< 0.25-0.5mm) to some extent, whereas removal of free iron(aluminium) oxides considerably destroyed aggregates of all sizes, especially the < 0.25-0.5 mm classes. The contents of organic matter in water-stable aggregates increased with aggregate sizes. It is concluded from this study that small water-stable aggregates (< 0.25-0.5 mm) were chiefly cemented by Fe and Al oxides whilst the large ones (> 2.0 mm) were mainly glued up by organic matter. Both free oxides and organic matter contribute to the formation and water stability of aggregates in red soils.     

生物碳可以防止土壤活性有机质矿化吗？

Biochar could help to stabilize soil organic(SOM) matter, thus sequestering carbon(C) into the soil. The aim of this work was to determine an easy method i) to estimate the effects of the addition of biochar and nutrients on the organic matter(SOM)mineralization in an artificial soil, proposed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD), amended with glucose and ii) to measure the amount of labile organic matter(glucose) that can be sorbed and thus be partially protected in the same soil, amended or not amended with biochar. A factorial experiment was designed to check the effects of three single factors(biochar, nutrients, and glucose) and their interactions on whole SOM mineralization. Soil samples were inoculated with a microbial inoculum and preincubated to ensure that their biological activities were not limited by a small amount of microbial biomass, and then they were incubated in the dark at 21℃ for 619 d. Periodical measurements of C mineralized to carbon dioxide(CO_2) were carried out throughout the 619-d incubation to allow the mineralization of both active and slow organic matter pools. The amount of sorbed glucose was calculated as the difference between the total and remaining amounts of glucose added in a soil extract. Two different models, the Freundlich and Langmuir models, were selected to assess the equilibrium isotherms of glucose sorption. The CO_2-C release strongly depended on the presence of nutrients only when no biochar was added to the soil. The mineralization of organic matter in the soil amended with both biochar and glucose was equal to the sum of the mineralization of the two C sources separately. Furthermore, a significant amount of glucose can be sorbed on the biochar-amended soil, suggesting the involvement of physico-chemical mechanisms in labile organic matter protection.     

Addition of Leucaena-KX2 mulch in a shaded coffee agroforestry system increases both stable and labile soil C fractions

Agroforestry systems have the potential to increase sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) as soil organic carbon (SOC) because of the increased rates of organic matter addition and retention. However, few studies have characterized the relative stability of sequestered SOC in soil. We characterized SOC storage in aggregate size and chemical stability classes to estimate the relative stability of SOC pools after the addition of Leucaena-KX2 pruning residues (mulch) from 2006 to 2008 in a shaded coffee agroforestry system in Hawaii. Soil samples were separated by microaggregate isolation, density flotation and dispersion, and acid hydrolysis, resulting in five distinct fractions that differed in relative stability: coarse particulate organic matter (POM), fine POM, microaggregate-protected POM, silt + clay hydrolyzable soil organic matter (SOM), and silt + clay non-hydrolyzable SOM. With mulch addition, the fine POM fraction increased. There was also a shift in the proportion of SOC to more stable silt + clay fractions. In the absence of mulch there was no significant change in SOC fractions. Given that the turnover time of SOC in silt + clay fractions is on the order of decades to centuries, the potential benefits of active shade management and mulching compensate for the loss of C sequestration in tree biomass from pollarding.     

Degradation and restoration of sandy soils under different agricultural land uses in northeast Thailand: a review

Conversion of natural forest to agricultural land use has significantly lowered the soil organic matter (SOM) content in sandy soils of northeast Thailand. This paper reviews the findings of comparative studies on contents of SOM pools (labile, i.e. microbial biomass and particulate organic matter—POM and stable, i.e. humic substance) and related soil aggregate formation, in natural forest plots and cultivated fields (monocrops of cassava, sugarcane and rice) in sites representative of northeast Thailand from the viewpoints of terrain (i.e. undulating), soils (sandy) and land use and discusses the restoration of SOM and fertility (nitrogen) in these degraded soils. Monocultural agriculture brings about the degradation of all SOM pools and associated soil aggregation as compared to the forest system because of decreased organic inputs and more frequent soil disturbance. The build‐up of SOM was achieved through the continuous recycling of organic residues produced within the system. Low‐quality residues contributed the largest SOM build‐up in whole and fractionated SOM pools, including POM and humic substance. However, to restore N fertility, high quality residues, (i.e. with low C/N ratios, lignin and polyphenols) were also needed. Timing of N release to meet crop demand was achieved by employing a mixture of high and low quality residues. Selection of appropriate residues for N sources was affected by environmental factors, notably soil moisture regimes, which differed in upland field and lowland paddy subsystems. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Predicting soil organic matter stability in agricultural fields through carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes

In order to evaluate the sustainability and efficiency of soil carbon sequestration measures and the impact of different management and environmental factors, information on soil organic matter (SOM) stability and mean residence time (MRT) is required. However, this information on SOM stability and MRT is expensive to determine via radiocarbon dating, precluding a wide spread use of stability measurements in soil science. In this paper, we test an alternative method, first developed by Conen et al. (2008) for undisturbed Alpine grassland systems, using C and N stable isotope ratios in more frequently disturbed agricultural soils. Since only information on carbon and nitrogen concentrations and their stable isotope ratios is required, it is possible to estimate the SOM stability at greatly reduced costs compared to radiocarbon dating. Using four different experimental sites located in various climates and soil types, this research proved the effectiveness of using the C/N ratio and δ¹⁵N signature to determine the stability of mOM (mineral associated organic matter) relative to POM (particulate organic matter) in an intensively managed agro-ecological setting. Combining this approach with δ¹³C measurements allowed discriminating between different management (grassland vs cropland) and land use (till vs no till) systems. With increasing depth the stability of mOM relative to POM increases, but less so under tillage compared to no-till practises. Applying this approach to investigate SOM stability in different soil aggregate fractions, it corroborates the aggregate hierarchy theory as proposed by Six et al. (2004) and Segoli et al. (2013). The organic matter in the occluded micro-aggregate and silt & clay fractions is less degraded than the SOM in the free micro-aggregate and silt & clay fractions. The stable isotope approach can be particularly useful for soils with a history of burning and thus containing old charcoal particles, preventing the use of ¹⁴C to determine the SOM stability.     

不同土地利用与施肥管理下黑土团聚体颗粒有机碳分配变化

土地利用和土壤管理方式的变化强烈影响土壤结构及土壤有机碳的稳定机制。基于长期定位试验,通过分析土壤团聚体粒级及碳分布,以揭示和探讨不同土地利用和施肥管理下东北黑土团聚体颗粒有机碳分配特征及其稳定性机制。通过分析>0.25mm团聚体的变化,草地植被恢复和农田有机培肥团聚体稳定性显著提高。所有处理团聚体碳的分布趋势均表现为:>0.25mm团聚体>微团聚体>粉粘粒。草地粗颗粒有机碳总量和细颗粒有机碳总量均显著高于裸地和无肥处理(p<0.05),表明自然植被恢复可有效提高物理保护颗粒有机碳含量。农田有机培肥明显增加粗颗粒有机质(p<0.05),但并没有提高细颗粒有机质的量。物理保护颗粒有机碳占土壤总碳的比例为10.1%～18.6%,平均约15%。平均重量直径与粗、细颗粒有机碳的相关性达极显著水平(p<0.001),特别是与>2mm团聚体内各颗粒有机质组分碳的相关性更强(r≥0.9,p<0.001)。长期植被恢复和增施有机肥不仅可提高土壤碳库储量,并增强了土壤结构稳定性及土壤组分有机碳的物理性保护。     

引黄灌淤耕作对剖面土壤有机质组分构成的影响

土壤有机质组分构成是影响土壤有机碳库稳定性最直接的原因。为研究灌溉耕作对不同组分土壤有机质含量变化产生的影响,以宁夏引黄灌区为研究对象,通过密度分组方法,测定并分析土壤轻组和重组有机碳含量的变化。结果表明,经过不同时间的引黄灌溉耕作后,土壤轻组和重组有机质含量增加,但是不同组分,其变化量之间存在差异。在剖面深度上,土壤轻组和重组有机质含量及其增加量均随土层深度的增加而降低,表层土壤轻组和重组有机质增加最显著,土壤有机质组分含量的变化受土壤类型的影响明显。与未受灌溉耕作影响的自然土壤相比,灌溉土壤0~60 cm深度内轻组有机质与总有机质间的相关性增强,而且这种相关性随土层深度增加而减弱;自然土壤和灌溉土壤剖面各层次重组有机质与总有机质间均有极强的相关性,说明重组有机质是土壤有机质最为重要的组分,但轻组有机质对灌溉耕作的响应更加敏感,重组有机质较轻组有机质具有更好的固碳效果。     

Land‐use effects on the distribution of soil organic carbon within particle‐size fractions of volcanic soils in the Transmexican Volcanic Belt (Mexico)

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of land‐use and forest cover depletion on the distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) within particle‐size fractions in a volcanic soil. Emphasis was given to the thermal properties of soils. Six representative sites in Mexico were selected in an area dominated by Andosols: a grassland site, four forested sites with different levels of degradation and an agricultural site. Soils were fractionated using ultrasonic energy until complete dispersion was achieved. The particle‐size fractions were coarse sand, fine sand, silt, clay and particulate organic matter from the coarse sand sized fraction (POM‐CS) and fine sand (POM‐FS). Soil organic carbon decreased by 70% after forest conversion to cropland and long‐term cultivation; forest cover loss resulted in a decrease in SOC of up to 60%. The grassland soil contained 45% more SOC than the cropland one. Soil organic carbon was mainly associated with the silt‐size fraction; the most sensitive fractions to land‐use change and forest cover depletion were POM followed by SOC associated with the silt and clay‐sized fractions. Particulate organic matter can be used as an early indicator of SOC loss. The C lost from the clay and silt‐sized fractions was thermally labile; therefore, the SOC stored in the more degraded forest soils was more recalcitrant (thermally resistant). Only the transformation of forest to agricultural land produced a similar loss of thermally stable C associated with the silt‐sized fraction.     

Organic matter in density fractions of water-stable aggregates in silty soils: Effect of land use

The location of soil organic matter (SOM) within the soil matrix is considered a major factor determining its turnover, but quantitative information about the effects of land cover and land use on the distribution of SOM at the soil aggregate level is rare. We analyzed the effect of land cover/land use (spruce forest, grassland, wheat and maize) on the distribution of free particulate organic matter (POM) with a density <1.6 g cm⁻³ (free POM_<1.6), occluded particulate organic matter with densities <1.6 g cm⁻³ (occluded POM_<1.6) and 1.6-2.0 g cm⁻³ (occluded POM_1.6-2.0) and mineral-associated SOM (>2.0 g cm⁻³) in size classes of slaking-resistant aggregates (53-250, 250-1000, 1000-2000, >2000 μm) and in the sieve fraction <53 μm from silty soils by applying a combined aggregate size and density fractionation procedure. We also determined the turnover time of soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions at the aggregate level in the soil of the maize site using the ¹³C/¹²C isotope ratio. SOM contents were higher in the grassland soil aggregates than in those of the arable soils mainly because of greater contents of mineral-associated SOM. The contribution of occluded POM to total SOC in the A horizon aggregates was greater in the spruce soil (23-44%) than in the grassland (11%) and arable soils (19%). The mass and carbon content of both the free and occluded POM fractions were greater in the forest soil than in the grassland and arable soils. In all soils, the C/N ratios of soil fractions within each aggregate size class decreased in the following order: free POM_<1.6>occluded POM_<1.6-2.0>mineral-associated SOM. The mean age of SOC associated with the <53 μm mineral fraction of water-stable aggregates in the Ap horizon of the maize site varied between 63 and 69 yr in aggregates >250 μm, 76 yr in the 53-250 μm aggregate class, and 102 yr in the sieve fraction <53 μm. The mean age of SOC in the occluded POM increased with decreasing aggregate size from 20 to 30 yr in aggregates >1000 μm to 66 yr in aggregates <53 μm. Free POM had the most rapid rates of C-turnover, with residence times ranging from 10 yr in the fraction >2000 μm to 42 yr in the fraction 53-250 μm. Results indicated that SOM in slaking-resistant aggregates was not a homogeneous pool, but consisted of size/density fractions exhibiting different composition and stability. The properties of these fractions were influenced by the aggregate size. Land cover/land use were important factors controlling the amount and composition of SOM fractions at the aggregate level.     

Impact of sugarcane cultivation on soil carbon fractions, consistence limits and aggregate stability of a Yellow Latosol in Northeast Brazil

The effects of continuous sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) cropping on the properties of a cohesive Yellow Latosol were studied in the region of the Coastal Tablelands, Northeast Brazil. Four areas were studied at Caeté mill, municipality of São Miguel dos Campos, Alagoas State, involving a native forest (Tn), and sugarcane fields cultivated for periods of 2 years (T2), 18 years (T18) and 25 years (T25). Samples were collected from each area at 0–0.2 and 0.2–0.4 m depth, to determine total organic C, physical fractionation of soil organic matter and consistence limits. Undisturbed samples were collected to determine wet aggregate mean weight–diameter, dry mean weight diameter and aggregate stability. In relation to the soil under native forest, total organic C and particulate organic matter contents were reduced after 2 years of cultivation. Sugarcane cropping for a longer period promoted a recuperation of soil organic matter content. The decrease of total organic C and reduction in aggregate stability and plastic limit after 2 years of sugarcane cultivation rendered the soil more susceptible to compaction.     

Soil organic matter content and chemical composition under two rotation management systems in a Mediterranean climate

The crop rotation system in organic farming is a determinant factor to accumulate and preserve soil organic matter (SOM), and in depth knowledge on its effects is still lacking. Tillage intensity in particular is crucial to maintain soil aggregates and protect SOM from degradation. The evolution of SOM was tested in two adjacent fields under two different rotation cropping systems (low-intensity tillage and high-intensity tillage), and the effect of a further cultivation of legume in both fields was evaluated using ¹³carbon (C)-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and elemental analysis of samples isolated through combined aggregate size and density fractionation. The two adjacent fields had been managed using the following organic farming methods for 13 seasons since 1998: i) alfalfa-based, with nitrogen (N) enrichment and low-frequency tillage with alfalfa (Medicago sativa) (9 seasons), winter wheat (Triticum durum) (3 seasons), and broad bean (Vicia faba) (1 season) and ii) cereal-based, with N depletion and annual tillage with barley (Hordeum vulgare) (7 seasons), sunflower (Helianthus annuus) (2 seasons), broad bean (Vicia faba) (3 seasons), and bare fallow (1 season). Soil sampling was carried out at the end of the 13-year rotation (T0, November 2011) and after winter wheat and chickpea cultivation in both fields over two subsequent years (T1, July 2013). Bulk organic C was significantly higher in the alfalfa-based system than in the cereal-based system at both T0 and T1, with SOM occluded in soil aggregates and associated with mineral particles. In terms of the macroaggregates heavy fraction at T0, the alfalfa-based field contained twice the organic C of that in the cereal-based field, as well as three times the organic C in the occluded particulate organic matter (POM). The occluded POM (oPOM) had a lower aryl/O-alkyl C ratio in the alfalfa-based system than in the cereal-based system, suggesting that oPOM undergoes a lower degree of decomposition during low-intensity management. The aryl/O-alkyl C ratios of the macro-and microaggregate oPOM decreased from T0 to T1 in the cereal-based system, suggesting increased protection of these fractions by soil aggregates. Thus, including legumes in crop rotation appears to positively affect the accumulation of SOM associated with mineral particles and within soil aggregates.     

Organic Matter Associated with Soil Aggregate Fractions of a Black Soil in Northeast China: Impacts of Land-Use Change and Long-Term Fertilization

Soil organic matter plays a pronounced role in soil aggregation, showing a wide variation depending upon soil-management practices. This study was conducted to characterize organic-matter changes in aggregate fractions in response to land-use change and long-term fertilization. Two experimental sites were established for this study: Site 1 included grassland (GL) and bare land (BL); site 2 comprised three treatments under cropland: no fertilizer application (NF), nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer application (NP), and NP amended with organic manure (NPM). There was significantly increased carbon (C) sequestration (P < 0.001) in particulate organic matter (POM) observed under grassland and NPM relative to other plots, especially in large macroaggregates, attributable to lack of disturbance and organic input. The protected coarse and fine POM-C together accounted for 15% on average of soil organic carbon, ranging from 10.1 to 18.6% for all plots. The enhanced correlation occurred between protected POM-C fractions and soil C stocks and soil aggregation (calculated as mean weight diameter, MWD) (P = 0.000) relative to other C fractions, indicating that the increases in POM fractions resulting from long-term vegetation restoration and organic amendment enhance soil aggregation and C sequestration in this black soil. In contrast, the significantly negative relationship between MWD and fine-to-coarse POM-C ratio implied that this ratio might account for the decreased soil aggregation. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that three PCs accounted for 42.6, 25.7, and 11.8%, respectively, and together more than 80% of the total variance. The protected POMs with significantly greater positive PC1 loadings (>0.8), particularly for large macroaggregates, were highly sensitive to changes induced by land use and fertilizer-management practices, leading to the wide variations in soil properties. The interrelation of organic matter with soil aggregation helps us to better understand the mechanisms of C protection and restoration in this black soil in the context of soil degradation and climate change.