Soil carbon increases with long-term cattle stocking in northern temperate grasslands

Grassland management aimed at enhancing carbon (C) in soil is an important tool in mitigation of rising atmospheric CO₂, yet little is known of how grassland soil C changes with livestock stocking rate (SR). We relate soil organic and inorganic C mass (t ha⁻¹ to 60 cm depth) with cattle stocking over periods of 7–27 year for 32 paddocks distributed across nine community pastures in the mixed-grass prairie of Saskatchewan, Canada. Initial analysis comparing Akaike information criterion models showed that cattle SR explained a greater proportion of variance in soil C, particularly soil organic C, than rainfall. Soil organic C mass increased with cattle SR (R² = .293; p = .001), even when the latter was normalized to account for differences in vegetation composition and growing conditions among pastures. Normalized SR varied from 0.49 to 2.30 times recommended levels, over which SOC increased from 24.7 to 57.4 t ha⁻¹. Increases in soil organic C under greater stocking coincided with increased abundance of introduced vegetation, particularly the rhizomatous grass Poa pratensis. Inorganic soil C accounted for 34.6% of total soil C, being particularly large below 30 cm soil depth, but did not vary with stocking rate. These findings indicate that both organic and inorganic C are important pools of C in northern temperate grassland soils, with soil organic C positively associated with long-term cattle SR. Further studies are recommended to understand more fully the mechanisms regulating grazing impacts on soil C mass in northern temperate grasslands.     

Soil carbon change across ten New South Wales farms under different farm management regimes in Australia

This paper examines the potential influence of soil management and land use on soil carbon on cropping farms in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Soil organic carbon (SOC) data from ten farms spatially distributed across NSW were examined on two occasions. Soil cores to a depth 0–30 cm were measured for SOC and, as expected, SOC in the A horizon (1.16%) was significantly (p < .001) greater than in the B horizon (0.74%) of all profiles. Analysis of the 2013 and 2015 SOC data indicated that in many ways, the results runs counter to other SOC studies in Australia. Importantly, the mean SOC concentration in these agricultural soils was significantly (p < .001) less under cropping (2013-1.05%, 2015-0.97%) than in native sites (2013-1.20%, 2015-1.16%). Out of the total of 35 sites sampled from 10 farms, SOC in 49% of sites did not change significantly over 2 years, in 17% it increased significantly, whereas in 34% it decreased. Further, a clear implication of drought on SOC was seen on sites that were uncropped based on a critical value for a 95% confidence interval (p < .05) and complemented by the significant correlation (p < .05) between average annual precipitation deficit (ANPD) and SOC across the state with R² = 0.39. The mean SOC was found to be directly proportional to standard deviation and standard error. In terms of spatial variability, the C0 (nugget) value was greatest for farms with a large mean SOC and the average variogram in this study has a range of approximately 200 m which is potentially useful in determining sampling spacing for soil carbon auditing purpose. Similar empirical data over more years are required to better estimate SOC levels and to determine whether at a farm scale, factors such as land management, land use and climate can be related to soil carbon change and variability.     

高寒区施肥和混播对燕麦人工草地土壤碳氮储量及垂直分布特征的影响

了解高寒地区燕麦人工草地在燕麦品种、施肥措施和混播水平下土壤碳氮储量潜力及垂直分布动态，为高寒地区燕麦人工草地建植提供理论依据。采用4个燕麦品种（A1：青燕1号，Avena sativa cv. Qingyan No.1；A2：林纳，A. sativa cv. Lena；A3：青海444，A. sativa cv. Qinghai 444；A4：青海甜燕麦，A. sativa cv. Qinghai）、4个施肥水平（B1：不施任何肥料，CK0；B2：尿素75kg/hm2+磷酸二铵150kg/hm2，IM；B3：有机肥1500 kg/hm2，OM；B4：尿素37.5 kg/hm2+磷酸二铵75 kg/hm2+有机肥750 kg/hm2，IM+OM）和4个箭筈豌豆混播水平（C1：0 kg/hm2；C2：45 kg/hm2；C3：60 kg/hm2；C4：75 kg/hm2）的三因素四水平正交试验设计[L16(45)]，在燕麦拔节期、抽穗期、开花期、乳熟期和收获后期研究了3个因素对高寒区燕麦人工草地土壤C、N储量的影响极其垂直分布特征，为高寒区燕麦人工草地土壤固C、固N潜力评估提供理论依据。品种、施肥和混播均显著影响了燕麦人工草地土壤C、N储量。3个因素在作物生长期对土壤C储量的积累的影响大小表现为施肥＞混播＞品种，收获后期表现为混播＞施肥＞品种；各时期对土壤N储量的影响大小均表现为施肥＞混播＞品种。采用尿素37.5 kg/hm2+磷酸二铵75 kg/hm2+有机肥750 kg/hm2的施肥处理，混播75 kg/hm2箭筈豌豆建植的燕麦人工草地土壤C、N储量最高。施肥措施造成燕麦人工草地各时期不同土层间土壤C、N储量的差异。在3种措施影响下燕麦人工草地0~50cm土层土壤C、N储量潜力分别为176.78 t/hm2和11.78 t/hm2。土壤C、N随着土层的加深而逐渐下降，0~20cm土层土壤C、N储量显著高于其它土层。     

Variation in glomalin in soil profiles and its association with climatic conditions,shelterbelt characteristics,and soil properties in poplar shelterbelts of Northeast China

Glomalin-related soil protein(GRSP)sequesters large amounts of carbon and plays important roles in maintaining terrestrial soil ecosystem functions and ecological restoration;however,little is known about GRSP variation in 1-m soil profiles and its association with stand characteristics,soil properties,and climatic conditions,hindering GRSP-related degraded soil improvement and GRSP evaluation.In this study,we sampled soils from 1-m profiles from poplar(Populus spp.)shelterbelts in Northeast China.GRSP contents were 1.8–2.0 times higher in the upper 40 cm soil layers than at 40–100 cm.GRSP-related soil organic carbon(SOC)sequestration in deeper soil layers was*1.2 times higher than in surface layers.The amounts of GRSP-related nutrients were similar throughout the soil profile.A redundancy analysis showed that in both surface and deeper layers,soil properties(pH,electrical conductivity,water,SOC,and soil nutrients)explained the majority of the GRSP variation(59.5–84.2%);the second-most-important factor in GRSP regulation was climatic conditions(temperature,precipitation,and altitude),while specific shelterbelt characteristics had negligible effects(<5%).Soil depth and climate indirectly affected GRSP features via soil properties,as manifested by structural equation model analysis.Our findings demonstrate that GRSP is important for carbon storage in deep soils,regardless of shelterbelt characteristics.Future glomalin assessments should consider these vertical patterns and possible regulating mechanisms that are related to soil properties and climatic changes.     

秸秆还田与化肥配施对汉中盆地稻麦轮作农田土壤固碳及经济效益的影响

为汉中盆地秸秆还田技术和合理化肥减量技术提供科学依据,2015—2017年小麦和水稻生长季,设置秸秆不还田+常规施肥(SN+NPK);秸秆常规还田+常规施肥(S+NPK);秸秆促腐还田+常规施肥(SD+NPK);秸秆促腐还田+化肥减量15%(SD+85%NPK);秸秆促腐还田+化肥减量30%(SD+70%NPK),共5个处理,研究其对土壤总有机碳(TOC)、活性有机碳(LOC)、碳储量(SCS)、作物产量及经济效益的影响。结果表明与秸秆不还田配施常规施肥处理(SN+NPK)相比,秸秆还田配施不同比例化肥处理显著提高了稻田0～15cm土层的TOC和LOC,增幅分别为3.62%～25.07%和23.01%～46.79%; S+NPK和SD+NPK处理提高了0～30 cm碳储量,增幅分别为4.67%和18.20%。而SD+85%NPK和SD+70%NPK分别降低8.31%和9.83%。S+NPK和SD+NPK处理显著增加了小麦和水稻籽粒产量,而SD+85%NPK和SD+70%NPK处理均降低了小麦和水稻产量,周年产量2年平均增幅分别为3.47%、8.70%、-3.65%、-8.12%。与SN+NPK处理相比, S+NPK、SD+NPK、SD+85%NPK、SD+70%NPK处理周年经济效益2年平均增幅分别为16.91%、23.56%、6.02%、1.06%。土壤有机碳、作物产量和经济效益SD+NPK处理的最高, S+NPK处理次之,SD+70%NPK处理最低,与之相比,SD+85%NPK处理在小麦和水稻两季共减少化肥80kghm–2,作物周年产量降低不明显,经济效益略有增加。秸秆还田与常规化肥配施是提高汉中盆地稻麦轮作体系农田固碳、产量及经济效益的最佳措施,两季作物全量还田条件下化肥用量减少15%是适宜该区域的绿色生产模式。     

河北太行山区典型水土保持林乔木层生物量及碳储量研究

以河北太行山区4种典型水土保持林为研究对象,对混交林(栓皮栎-侧柏)、油松林、栓皮栎林和刺槐林的乔木层各器官生物量、含碳率以及碳储量进行比较研究。结果表明:混交林、油松林、栓皮栎林和刺槐林生物量分别为51.94,86.40,90.19,18.08t/hm^2,栓皮栎林和油松林生物量高于4种水土保持林生物量的均值(61.65t/hm^2),而混交林和刺槐林生物量分别占生物量均值的84.25%,29.33%。不同林分各器官在乔木层生物量中分配顺序均表现为树干>树根>树枝>树叶。4种典型林分各器官含碳率分别为45.16%~58.93%,58.48%~64.61%,51.16%~58.37%,52.35%~62.30%。4种典型林分碳储量为10.10~53.85t/hm^2。不同林分类型各器官碳储量与生物量呈正比关系,与生物量趋势基本相同,碳储量大小表现为油松林>栓皮栎林>混交林>刺槐林。     

Changes in the carbon concentrations and other soil properties of some Scottish agricultural soils: Evidence from a resampling campaign

The change in soil carbon (C) concentration, soil pH and major nutrients for approximately 1,000 topsoil sampled from on-farm experimental sites over a thirty-year period from 1950 to 1980 in north-east Scotland are summarized. This period coincided with increased agricultural intensification, which included regular liming and fertilizer additions. During 2017, 37 of these sites were resampled and reanlaysed. While pH and extractable phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) increased over this period, there was no detectable change in the percentage loss on ignition. Composite soil samples were taken by auger from a depth of 0–15 cm and compared with the corresponding archived samples collected at the initiation of each experiment. Analysis of these resampled soils indicated no significant change in soil carbon (C), although soil pH, extractable magnesium (Mg) and K and Nitrogen (N) concentrations were significantly greater (p < .001) but extractable soil P concentration was significantly less (p = .015) compared with the original samples. Even though measuring C concentration alone is a poor indicator of overall changes in soil C stocks, it does provide a relative quick “early warning” of C losses that would justify a more comprehensive measure of stocks.     

Effect of conservation agriculture on soil organic and inorganic carbon sequestration and lability: A study from a rice–wheat cropping system on a calcareous soil of the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains

Increasing soil carbon (C) in arable soils is an important strategy to achieve sustainable yields and mitigate climate change. We investigated changes in soil organic and inorganic carbon (SOC and SIC) under conservation agriculture (CA) in a calcareous soil of the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. The treatments were as follows: conventional-till rice and wheat (CT-CT), CT rice and zero-till wheat (CT-ZT), ZT direct seeded rice (DSR) and CT wheat (ZT-CT), ZTDSR and ZT wheat without crop residue retention (ZT-ZT), ZT-ZT with residue (ZT-ZT+R), and DSR and wheat both on permanent beds with residue (PB-PB+R). The ZT-ZT+R had the highest total SOC in both 0–15 and 15–30 cm soil layers (20% and 40% higher (p < .05) than CT-CT, respectively), whereas total SIC decreased by 11% and 15% in the respective layers under ZT-ZT+R compared with CT-CT. Non-labile SOC was the largest pool, followed by very labile, labile and less labile SOC. The benefits of ZT and residue retention were greatest for very labile SOC, which showed a significant (p < .05) increase (~50%) under ZT-ZT+R compared with CT-CT. The ZT-ZT+R sequestered ~2 Mg ha⁻¹ total SOC in the 0–15 cm soil layer in 6 years, where CT registered significant losses. Thus, the adoption of CA should be recommended in calcareous soils, for C sequestration, and also as a reclamation technique.     

二氧化碳浓度升高对茶树生理代谢的影响及应对技术

大气中的二氧化碳(CO2)浓度升高是工业革命以来全球范围内最重要的生态变化之一,将直接影响植物的生长发育和代谢过程。尽管CO2浓度升高对粮食作物的影响已经得到了广泛的研究,但其对茶树等重要经济作物的影响却很少受到关注。本文回顾和总结了CO2浓度升高对茶树的初级代谢(包括光合作用、呼吸作用和碳氮代谢)和次级代谢的影响,并探讨了CO2浓度升高环境下茶叶生产过程中的应对技术,旨在为CO2浓度升高背景下茶树优质高产栽培提供一定的理论基础和科学依据。     

长期少免耕对中国东北玉米农田土壤呼吸及碳氮变化的影响

在黑土区37年不同耕作模式定位试验田，采用原位法比较常规旋耕灭茬起垄（CT）、旋耕留高茬行间深松-少耕（RT）、免耕（NT）和深翻（PT）4种耕作模式土壤呼吸速率及其与土壤温度和湿度的关系，测定土壤总碳氮、无机氮，微生物碳氮的变化。结果表明，玉米生育期间土壤呼吸呈单峰变化，开花期达最大值，生长季平均呼吸速率依次为RT > NT > CT > PT。4个处理土壤温度与土壤呼吸速率间存在显著指数关系。不同耕作模式0~10 cm土壤温度可解释土壤呼吸速率变异的38.3%~67.9%，温度敏感性系数Q10范围为2.1~5.3；RT和NT处理显著提高0~20 cm土壤碳氮含量；RT处理在0~20 cm土壤中微生物碳含量均高于CT、NT和PT处理。RT处理土壤呼吸对温度响应提高，RT和NT处理显著增加上层土壤总碳氮含量，利于土壤质量提升。