Relation of soil organic matter concentration to climate and altitude in zonal soils of China

With a total of 886 data sets distributed in different regions of China, the relation of soil organic matter (SOM) concentration to climate and altitude was investigated. These data sets were obtained from the 2nd National Soil Survey of China that was completed in early 1980s. According to climate gradient and vegetation community succession, six geographical regions, including eastern, southern, northern, northeastern, northwestern and southwestern China, were divided to identify the key factors regulating surface SOM concentration in different geographical regions. Correlation analysis indicates that surface SOM concentration is in general negatively correlated with annual mean temperature (T) and positively correlated with annual mean precipitation (P) and altitude (H). A further investigation suggested that multiple regression models with different combination of T, P and H could explain 41.5%–56.2% of the variability in surface SOM concentration for different geographical regions, while the driving variables are different. Variables of T and P determined surface SOM concentration in northern, northeastern and northwestern China. In eastern and southern China, variables of P and H are key factors regulating surface SOM concentration. Surface SOM concentration in southwestern China is determined by a linear combination of T, P and H.