Soil Carbon Dynamics Under Changing Climate——A Research Transition from Absolute to Relative Roles of Inorganic Nitrogen Pools and Associated Microbial Processes: A Review

It is globally accepted that soil carbon (C) dynamics are at the core of interlinked environmental problems,deteriorating soil quality and changing climate.Its management remains a complex enigma for the scientific community due to its intricate relationship with soil nitrogen (N) availability and moisture-temperature interactions.This article reviews the management aspects of soil C dynamics in light of recent advances,particularly in relation to the availability of inorganic N pools and associated microbial processes under changing climate.Globally,drastic alterations in soil C dynamics under changing land use and management practices have been primarily attributed to the variation in soil N availability,resulting in a higher decomposition rate and a considerable decline in soil organic C (SOC) levels due to increased soil CO2 emissions,degraded soil quality,and increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations,leading to climate warming.Predicted climate warming is proposed to enhance SOC decomposition,which may further increase soil N availability,leading to higher soil CO2 efflux.However,a literature survey revealed that soil may also act as a potential C sink,if we could manage soil inorganic N pools and link microbial processes properly.Studies also indicated that the relative,rather than the absolute,availability of inorganic N pools might be of key importance under changing climate,as these N pools are variably affected by moisture-temperature interactions,and they have variable impacts on SOC turnover.Therefore,multi-factorial studies are required to understand how the relative availability of inorganic N pools and associated microbial processes may determine SOC dynamics for improved soil C management.     

二氧化碳升高与干旱对植物生理、土壤碳及土壤酶活的影响

Global climate models have indicated high probability of drought occurrences in the coming future decades due to the impacts of climate change caused by a mass release of CO2.Thus,climate change regarding elevated ambient CO2 and drought may consequently affect the growth of crops.In this study,plant physiology,soil carbon,and soil enzyme activities were measured to investigate the impacts of elevated CO2 and drought stress on a Stagnic Anthrosol planted with soybean (Glycine max).Treatments of two CO2 levels,three soil moisture levels,and two soil cover types were established.The results indicated that elevated CO2 and drought stress significantly affected plant physiology.The inhibition of plant physiology by drought stress was mediated via prompted photosynthesis and water use efficiency under elevated CO2 conditions.Elevated CO2 resulted in a longer retention time of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in soil,probably by improving the soil water effectiveness for organic decomposition and mineralization.Drought stress significantly decreased C:N ratio and microbial biomass carbon (MBC),but the interactive effects of drought stress and CO2 on them were not significant.Elevated CO2 induced an increase in invertase and catalase activities through stimulated plant root exudation.These results suggested that drought stress had significant negative impacts on plant physiology,soil carbon,and soil enzyme activities,whereas elevated CO2 and plant physiological feedbacks indirectly ameliorated these impacts.     

匈牙利半湿润气候地区田间尺度下土壤侵蚀引起的土壤有机碳再分布

Soil organic carbon(SOC) has primary importance in terms of soil physics, soil fertility and even of climate change control. One hundred soil samples were taken from an intensively cultivated Cambisol to quantify SOC redistribution triggered by soil erosion under a subhumid climate, by the simultaneous application of diffuse reflectance(240–1 900 nm) and traditional physico-chemical methods.The representative sample points were collected from the solum along the slopes at the depth of 20–300 cm with a mean SOC content of 12 g kg~(-1). Hierarchical cluster analyses were performed based on the determined SOC results. The spatial pattern of the groups created were similar, and even though the classifications were not the same, diffuse reflectance had proven to be a suitable method for soil/sediment classification even within a given arable field. Both organic and inorganic carbon distributions were found to be a proper tool for estimations of past soil erosion processes. The SOC enrichment was found on two sedimentary spots with different geomorphological positions. Soil organic matter composition also differed between the two spots due to selective deposition of the delivered organic matter. The components with low-molecular-weight reached the bottom of the slope where they could leach into the profile, while the more polymerised organic matter compositions were delivered and deposited even before on a higher segment of the slope in an aggregated form. This spatial difference appeared below the uppermost tilled soil layer as well, referring the lower efficiency of conventional ploughing tillage in soil spatial homogenisation.     

基于Century模型和1:500 000土壤数据库的华东旱地土壤有机碳动态模拟

Changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) in agricultural soils influence soil quality and greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Dry farmland covers more than 70% of the whole cropland area in China and plays an important role in mitigating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In this study, 4109 dry farmland soil polygons were extracted using spatial overlay analysis of the soil layer (1:500000) and the land use layer (1:500000) to support Century model simulations of SOC dynamics for dry farmland in Anhui Province, East China from 1980 to 2008. Considering two field-validation sites, the Century model performed relatively well in modeling SOC dynamics for dry farmland in the province. The simulated results showed that the area-weighted mean soil organic carbon density (SOCD) of dry farmland increased from 18.77 Mg C ha1 in 1980 to 23.99 Mg C ha1 in 2008 with an average sequestration rate of 0.18 Mg C ha1 year?1. Approximately 94.9% of the total dry farmland area sequestered carbon while 5.1% had carbon lost. Over the past 29 years, the net SOC gain in dry farmland soils of the province was 19.37 Tg, with an average sequestration rate of 0.67 Tg C year1. Augmentation of SOC was primarily due to increased consumption of nitrogen fertilizer and farmyard manure. Moreover, SOC dynamics were highly differentiated among dry farmland soil groups. The integration of the Century model with a fine-scale soil database approach could be conveniently utilized as a tool for the accurate simulation of SOC dynamics at the regional scale.     

室内模拟实验研究中国北方不同管理方式对土壤固碳潜力的影响

Soil has been identified as a possible carbon(C) sink for sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide(CO_2).However,soil organic carbon(SOC) dynamics in agro-ecosystems is affected by complex interactions of various factors including climate,soil and agricultural management practices,which hinders our understanding of the underlying mechanisms.The objectives of this study were to use the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator(APSIM) model to simulate the long-term SOC dynamics under different management practices at four long-term experimental sites,Zhengzhou and Xuzhou with double cropping systems and Gongzhuling and Uriimqi with single cropping systems,located in northern China.Firstly,the model was calibrated using information from the sites and literature,and its performance to predict crop growth and SOC dynamics was examined.The calibrated model was then used to assess the impacts of different management practices,including fertilizer application,irrigation,and residue retention,on C dynamics in the top 30 cm of the soil by scenario modelling.Results indicate a significant SOC sequestration potential through improved management practices of nitrogen(N) fertilizer application,stubble retention,and irrigation.Optimal N fertilization(N_(opt)) and 100%stubble retention(R100) increased SOC by about 11.2%,208.29%,and 283.67%under irrigation at Gongzhuling,Zhengzhou,and Xuzhou,respectively.Soil organic carbon decreased rapidly at(U|¨)rumqi under irrigation,which was due to the enhanced decomposition by increased soil moisture.Under rainfed condition,SOC remained at a higher level.The combination of N_(opt) and R100 increased SOC by about 0.46%under rainfed condition at Uriimqi.Generally,agricultural soils with double cropping systems(Zhengzhou and Xuzhou) showed a greater potential to sequester C than those with single cropping systems(Gongzhuling and(U|¨)r(u|¨)mqi).     

中国滇池流域土地利用方式对土壤侵蚀和养分状况的影响

Soil erosion and loss of soil nutrients have been a crucial environment threat in Southwest China. The land use and its impact on soil qualities continue to be highlighted. The present study was conducted to compare soil erosion under four land use types(i.e.,forestland, abandoned farmland, tillage, and grassland) and their effects on soil organic carbon(SOC), total nitrogen(TN) and total phosphorus(TP) in the Shuanglong catchment of the Dianchi Lake watershed, China. There were large variations in the erosion rate and the nutrient distributions across the four land use types. The erosion rates estimated by137 Cs averaged 2 133 t km-2year-1under tillage and abandoned farmland over the erosion rate of non-cultivated sites, and the grasslands showed a net deposition. For all sites, the nutrient contents basically decreased with the soil depth. Compared with tillage and abandoned farmland, grassland had the highest SOC and TN contents within 0–40 cm soil layer, followed by forestland. The significant correlations between137 Cs, SOC and TN were observed. The nutrient loss caused by erosion in tillage was the highest. These results suggested that grassland and forestland would be beneficial for SOC and TN sequestration over a long-term period because of their ability to reduce the loss of nutrients by soil erosion. Our study demonstrated that reduction of nutrient loss in the red soil area could be made through well-managed vegetation restoration measures.     

内蒙古荒漠化草地土壤碳、氮养分及土壤呼吸的空间异质性研究

There is a limited knowledge of spatial heterogeneity in soil nutrients and soil respiration in the semi-arid and arid grasslands of China. This study investigated the spatial differences in soil nutrients and soil respiration among three desertified grasslands and within two shrub-dominated communities on the Ordos Plateau of Inner Mongolia, China in 2006. Both soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) were significantly different (P < 0.01) among the three desertified grasslands along a degradation gradient. Within the two shrub-dominated communities, the SOC and TN contents decreased with increasing distance from the main stems of the shrub, and this “fertile island” effect was most pronounced in the surface soil. The total soil respirations during the growing season were 131.26, 95.95, and 118.66 g C m-2, respectively, for the steppe, shrub, and shrub-perennial grass communities. The coefficient of variability of soil respiration was the highest in the shrub community and lowest in the steppe community. CO2 effluxes from the soil under the canopy of shrub were significantly higher than those from the soil covered with biological crusts and the bare soil in the interplant spaces in the shrub community. However, soil respiration beneath the shrubs was not different from that of the soil in the inter-shrub of the shrub-perennial grass community. This is probably due to the smaller shrub size. In the two shrub-dominated communities, spatial variability in soil respiration was found to depend on soil water content and C:N ratio.     

耕地土壤有机碳组分的季节变化

Carbon fractions in soils apparently vary not only in space, but also over time. A lack of knowledge on the seasonal variability of labile carbon fractions under arable land hampers the reliability and comparability of soil organic carbon(SOC) surveys from different studies. Therefore, we studied the seasonal variability of two SOC fractions, particulate organic matter(POM) and dissolved organic carbon(DOC), under maize cropping: POM was determined as the SOC content in particle-size fractions, and DOC was measured as the water-extractable SOC(WESOC) of air-dried soil. Ammonium, nitrate, and water-extractable nitrogen were measured as potential regulating factors of WESOC formation because carbon and nitrogen cycles in soils are strongly connected. There was a significant annual variation of WESOC(coefficient of variation(CV) = 30%). Temporal variations of SOC in particle-size fractions were smaller than those of WESOC. The stocks of SOC in particle-size fractions decreased with decreasing particle sizes, exhibiting a CV of 20%for the coarse sand-size fraction(250–2 000 μm), of 9% for the fine sand-size fraction(50–250 μm), and of 5% for the silt-size fraction(20–50 μm). The WESOC and SOC in particle-size fractions both peaked in March and reached the minimum in May/June and August, respectively. These results indicate the importance of the time of soil sampling during the course of a year, especially when investigating WESOC.     

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.     

Priming effect and its regulating factors for fast and slow soil organic carbon pools: A meta-analysis

The priming effect (PE) plays a critical role in the control of soil carbon (C) cycling and influences the alteration of soil organic C (SOC) decomposition by fresh C input.However,drivers of PE for the fast and slow SOC pools remain unclear because of the varying results from individual studies.Using meta-analysis in combination with boosted regression tree (BRT) analysis,we evaluated the relative contribution of multiple drivers of PE with substrate and their patterns across each driver gradient.The results showed that the variability of PE was larger for the fast SOC pool than for the slow SOC pool.Based on the BRT analysis,67%and 34%of the variation in PE were explained for the fast and slow SOC pools,respectively.There were seven determinants of PE for the fast SOC pool,with soil total nitrogen (N) content being the most important,followed by,in a descending order,substrate C:N ratio,soil moisture,soil clay content,soil pH,substrate addition rate,and SOC content.The directions of PE were negative when soil total N content and substrate C:N ratio were below 2 g kg~(-1)and 20,respectively,but the directions changed from negative to positive with increasing levels of this two factors.Soils with optimal water content (50%–70%of the water-holding capacity) or moderately low pH (5–6) were prone to producing a greater PE.For the slow SOC pool,soil p H and soil total N content substantially explained the variation in PE.The magnitude of PE was likely to decrease with increasing soil pH for the slow SOC pool.In addition,the magnitude of PE slightly fluctuated with soil N content for the slow SOC pool.Overall,this meta-analysis provided new insights into the distinctive PEs for different SOC pools and indicated knowledge gaps between PE and its regulating factors for the slow SOC pool.     

土壤碳转化对大气CO_2升高响应机制研究进展

土壤有机碳是地球表层最大的碳库,其微小的变化将影响大气CO_2浓度,而使土壤成为CO_2的源或汇。在大气CO_2浓度升高的大背景下,土壤碳库的转化与更新过程在时间和空间上发生改变。由于土壤本身及环境条件的差异性,土壤碳转化过程对CO_2浓度上升的响应差异较大,要阐明这些差异,理清土壤"碳汇(源)"功能,必须全面深入了解土壤碳转化对CO_2的响应机理。然而,长期以来,关于CO_2升高对土壤地上部碳输入的影响研究较多,而针对土壤有机碳对CO_2升高的响应,尤其是响应的内在机制研究不足。本文主要依据近10年相关研究报道,在论述CO_2浓度升高对土壤有机碳含量影响的基础上,从微生物学、土壤酶活性及与其他影响因素的耦合效应揭示CO_2浓度升高对土壤有机碳转化内在机制的研究进展,并展望了未来相关研究的主要方向,旨在为将来农田土壤管理决策提供科学的理论依据。     

Soil organic carbon temperature sensitivity of different soil types and land use systems in the Brazilian semi‐arid region

Quantifying the sensitivity of soil organic matter decomposition (SOM) to global warming is critical for predict future impacts of climate change on soil organic carbon stocks (SOC) and soil respiration, especially in semi‐arid regions such as north‐eastern Brazil, where SOC stocks are naturally small. In this study, the responses of the labile and recalcitrant carbon components and soil respiration dynamics were evaluated in three different soil types and land use systems (native vegetation, cropland and pasture) of the Brazilian semi‐arid region, when submitted to temperature increase. After 169 days of incubation, the results showed that an increase of 5°C generated an average increase in CO₂ emission of 12.0%, but which could reach 28.1%. Overall, the labile carbon (LC) in areas of native vegetation showed greater sensitivity to temperature than in cropland areas. It was also observed that recalcitrant carbon (RC) was more sensitive to warming than LC. Our results indicate that Brazil's semi‐arid region presents a substantial vulnerability to global warming, and that the sensitivity of RC and of LC in areas of native vegetation to warming can enhance SOC losses, contributing to positive feedback on climate change, and compromising the productive systems of the region. However, further studies evaluating other types of soil and texture and management systems should be carried out to consolidate the results obtained and to improve the understanding about SOM decomposition in the Brazilian semi‐arid region.     

气候变化对农田生态系统碳氮过程的影响及其对生产的启示

从农田生态系统过程角度综合分析了气候变化（[CO2]增加、温度升高）对土壤碳库、氮供给生物化学过程的综合影响和长期效应。总结指出,[CO2]增加、温度升高对农田生态系统过程的影响具有明显的时间效应,短时间尺度上加快农田土壤养分周转,改变碳氮组分,长时间尺度上导致土壤养分有效性降低;[CO2]增加、温度升高和养分管理对农田生态系统过程的影响具有显著的交互作用,土壤养分有效性制约着气候变化对农田生态系统生产力和碳汇功能的影响。因此,气候变化（[CO2]增加、温度升高）情景下对农业生产管理包括施肥运筹及秸秆还田策略等的启示在于：根据气候变化背景下土壤养分的周转规律有效管理农田土壤养分、保持农田土壤肥力,从而保障农业高产的可持续性以及农田碳汇的生态服务功能。     

中国稻田土壤有机碳汇特征与影响因素的研究进展

稻田是中国面积最大的耕地之一，稻田土壤有机碳（SOC）是重要的农业碳库，被认为在减缓大气二氧化碳（CO2）浓度上升和全球变暖中起着重要作用。明确中国稻田SOC汇特征与影响因素，有助于制定合理的农业管理措施，科学地增强稻田土壤固碳减排潜力。研究发现，在空间分布上，中国稻田SOC含量具有地域性差异，总体表现为华南、西南高于华北、西北，长江中游高于长江下游；且稻田SOC含量沿海拔升高而增加，随土壤深度增加而减少。在组成上，稻田土壤活性碳比例不超过5.3%，惰性碳比例远大于活性碳，高达60%以上，稻田固碳重点在于惰性组分。在影响因素上，人为管理措施是导致稻田碳汇变化的主要原因，并与自然因素密切相关。为充分发挥稻田土壤碳汇功能，未来研究应加强稻田SOC稳定机制研究，制定因地制宜的农业管理推广方案，为中国“双碳”目标的实现提供科学依据。     

Potential carbon stock in Japanese forest soils – simulated impact of forest management and climate change using the CENTURY model

Forest management and climate change may have a substantial impact on future soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks at the country scale. Potential SOC in Japanese forest soils was regionally estimated under nine forest managements and a climate change scenario using the CENTURY ecosystem model. Three rotations (30, 50, 100 yr) and three thinning regimes were tested: no‐thinning; 30% of the trees cut in the middle of the rotation (e.g. 15 year in a 30‐yr rotation) and thinned trees all left as litter or slash (ThinLef) and the trees from thinning removed from the forest (ThinRem). A climate change scenario was tested (ca. 3 °C increase in air temperature and 9% increase in precipitation). The model was run at 1 km resolution using climate, vegetation and soil databases. The estimated SOC stock ranged from 1600 to 1830 TgC (from 6800 to 7800 gC/m²), and the SOC stock was largest with the longest rotation and was largest under ThinLef with all three rotations. Despite an increase in net primary production, the SOC stock decreased by 5% under the climate change scenario.     

制图尺度对CO_2浓度升高情景下旱地土壤有机碳模拟的影响

基于土壤数据库的动态模型预测未来二氧化碳(CO_2)浓度升高下农田有机碳变化是实施农业固碳的基础,但目前基于不同制图尺度土壤数据库对旱地有机碳模拟结果的影响尚不清晰,一定程度上增加了农业管理措施制定的风险性。基于此,选择江苏北部(简称"苏北地区")3.90×10~6 hm~2旱地为例,运用生物地球化学过程模型(Denitrification and Decomposition,DNDC)模拟未来CO_2浓度升高下该地区1:5万、1:25万、1:50万、1:100万、1:400万、和1:1000万制图尺度的土壤有机碳变化。结果表明:2010—2039年间CO_2浓度在目前正常增加速率(1.9ppm a~(-1))的基础上提高0.5倍、1倍和2倍,苏北旱地数据最详细的1:5万尺度年均固碳速率分别为357 kg hm~(-2)、360 kg hm~(-2)和365 kg hm~(-2)。但进一步从其他制图尺度来看,由于使用的土壤数据库不同导致有机碳模拟结果差异很大。以1:5万尺度年均固碳速率为基准,3种CO_2浓度情景处理下1:25万~1:1000万尺度的模拟误差分别在0.89%~60.55%、0.81%~60.71%和0.15%~61.02%之间,这说明未来CO_2浓度升高的大背景下我国旱地土壤有机碳模拟中选择适宜的制图尺度非常重要。     

Biochar application to soil for climate change mitigation by soil organic carbon sequestration

Pyrogenic carbon (C) is produced by incomplete combustion of fuels including organic matter (OM). Certain ranges in the combustion continuum are termed ‘black carbon' (BC). Because of its assumed persistence, surface soils in large parts of the world contain BC with up to 80% of surface soil organic C (SOC) stocks and up to 32% of subsoil SOC in agricultural soils consisting of BC. High SOC stocks and high levels of soil fertility in some ancient soils containing charcoal (e.g., terra preta de Índio) have recently been used as strategies for soil applications of biochar, an engineered BC material similar to charcoal but with the purposeful use as a soil conditioner (1) to mitigate increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) by SOC sequestration and (2) to enhance soil fertility. However, effects of biochar on soils and crop productivity cannot be generalized as they are biochar‐, plant‐ and site‐specific. For example, the largest potential increases in crop yields were reported in areas with highly weathered soils, such as those characterizing much of the humid tropics. Soils of high inherent fertility, characterizing much of the world's important agricultural areas, appear to be less likely to benefit from biochar. It has been hypothesized that both liming and aggregating/moistening effects of biochar improved crop productivity. Meta‐analyses of biochar effects on SOC sequestration have not yet been reported. To effectively mitigate climate change by SOC sequestration, a net removal of C and storage in soil relative to atmospheric CO₂ must occur and persist for several hundred years to a few millennia. At deeper soil depths, SOC is characterized by long turnover times, enhanced stabilization, and less vulnerability to loss by decomposition and erosion. In fact, some studies have reported preferential long‐term accumulation of BC at deeper depths. Thus, it is hypothesized that surface applied biochar‐C (1) must be translocated to subsoil layers and (2) result in deepening of SOC distribution for a notable contribution to climate change mitigation. Detailed studies are needed to understand how surface‐applied biochar can move to deeper soil depths, and how its application affects organic C input to deeper soil depths. Based on this knowledge, biochar systems for climate change mitigation through SOC sequestration can be designed. It is critically important to identify mechanisms underlying the sometimes observed negative effects of biochar application on biomass, yield and SOC as biochar may persist in soils for long periods of time as well as the impacts on downstream environments and the net climate impact when biochar particles become airborne.     

Spatial patterns of top soil carbon sensitivity to climate variables in northern Chinese grasslands

Abstract

Estimation of the sensitivity for soil organic carbon to climate change is critical for evaluating the potential response of the terrestrial biosphere to global change. In this study, we integrated CENTURY 4.5 model with GIS to assess the soil organic carbon sensitivity to climate variable shifting and atmospheric carbon dioxide enrichment in northern Chinese grasslands. The response of top soil (0–20 cm) organic carbon to climate change depended on the relative sensitivity of net primary productivity and soil respiration. A 4°C increase in soil temperature led to a loss of 4.7% of soil organic carbon in the Alpine Meadow region, but the same temperature increase led to a maximum loss of only 2.3% of soil organic carbon in the Temperate Steppe region. The effects of precipitation changes on soil organic carbon were varied depending on the moisture level of the local grassland system. The direct effect of carbon dioxide enrichment was to reduce carbon loss throughout northern Chinese grasslands, especially in droughty regions. Alpine Meadow was the most sensitive region under climate change, and it will become the biggest potential carbon source in Chinese grasslands as climate warming continues to occur. Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations led to net carbon sequestration in all grasslands and tended to diminish the carbon loss driven by precipitation and temperature changes.     

The impact of fire on redistribution of soil organic matter on a mediterranean hillslope under maquia vegetation type

Soil organic matter (SOM) changes affect the CO₂ atmospheric levels and is a key factor on soil fertility and soil erodibility. Fire affects ecosystems and the soil properties due to heating and post‐fire soil erosion and degradation processes. In order to understand fire effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) balance research was undertaken on a fire‐prone ecosystem: the Mediterranean maquia . The spatial distribution of SOC was measured in a Burnt site 6 months after a wildfire and in a Control site. Samples were collected at two different depths (0–3 and 3–10 cm) and SOC was determined. The results show that 41·8 per cent of the SOC stock was lost. This is due to the removal of the burnt material by surface wash. No significant differences in SOC content were found for the subsurface samples between burnt and control plots. Those results show that ashes and charcoal are transported by runoff downslope and are subsequently deposited in the valley bottom and this is the key process that contributes the burial of SOC after a forest fire. SOC redistribution by water erosion is accelerated after forest fires and contribute to the degradation of soils located at the upper part of the hillslopes but causes the enrichment with SOM of the soils located at the valley bottom. Buried SOC in the bottoms valley terraces will contribute to the sequestration of carbon for longer. Conservation of abandoned terraces is a key policy to avoid land degradation and climate change. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.