Natural vegetation restoration of Liaodong oak (Quercus liaotungensis Koidz.) forests rapidly increased the content and ratio of inert carbon in soil macroaggregates

The lack of clarity of how natural vegetation restoration influences soil organic carbon (SOC) content and SOC components in soil aggregate fractions limits the understanding of SOC sequestration and turnover in forest ecosystems. The aim of this study was to explore how natural vegetation restoration affects the SOC content and ratio of SOC components in soil macroaggregates (>250 μm), microaggregates (53-250 μm), and silt and clay (<53 μm) fractions in 30-, 60-, 90- and 120-year-old Liaodong oak (Quercus liaotungensis Koidz.) forests, Shaanxi, China in 2015. And the associated effects of biomasses of leaf litter and different sizes of roots (0-0.5, 0.5-1.0, 1.0-2.0 and >2.0 mm diameter) on SOC components were studied too. Results showed that the contents of high activated carbon (HAC), activated carbon (AC) and inert carbon (IC) in the macroaggregates, microaggregates and silt and clay fractions increased with restoration ages. Moreover, IC content in the microaggregates in topsoil (0-20 cm) rapidly increased; peaking in the 90-year-old restored forest, and was 5.74 times higher than AC content. In deep soil (20-80 cm), IC content was 3.58 times that of AC content. Biomasses of 0.5-1.0 mm diameter roots and leaf litter affected the content of aggregate fractions in topsoil, while the biomass of >2.0 mm diameter roots affected the content of aggregate fractions in deep soil. Across the soil profiles, macroaggregates had the highest capacity for HAC sequestration. The effects of restoration ages on soil aggregate fractions and SOC content were less in deep soil than in topsoil. In conclusion, natural vegetation restoration of Liaodong oak forests improved the contents of SOC, especially IC within topsoil and deep soil. The influence of IC on aggregate stability was greater than the other SOC components, and the aggregate stability was significantly affected by the biomasses of litter, 0.5-1.0 mm diameter roots in topsoil and >2.0 mm diameter roots in deep soil. Natural vegetation restoration of Liaodong oak forests promoted SOC sequestration by soil macroaggregates.     

Distribution of soil aggregates and organic carbon in deep soil under long-term conservation tillage with residual retention in dryland

To ascertain the effects of long-term conservation tillage and residue retention on soil organic carbon(SOC) content and aggregate distribution in a deep soil(>20-cm depth) in a dryland environment,this paper analyzed the SOC and aggregate distribution in soil, and the aggregate-associated organic carbon(OC) and SOC physical fractions. Conservation tillage(reduced tillage with residue incorporated(RT) and no-tillage with residue mulch(NT)) significantly increased SOC sequestration and soil aggregation in deep soil compared with conventional tillage with residue removal(CT). Compared with CT, RT significantly increased the proportion of small macroaggregates by 23%–81% in the 10–80 cm layer, and the OC content in small macroaggregates by 1%–58% in the 0–80 cm layer. RT significantly increased(by 24%–90%) the OC content in mineral-SOC within small macroaggregates in the 0–60 cm layer, while there was a 23%–80% increase in the 0–40 cm layer with NT. These results indicated that:(1) conservation tillage treatments are beneficial for soil aggregation and SOC sequestration in a deep soil in a dryland environment; and(2)the SOC in mineral-associated OC plays important roles in soil aggregation and SOC sequestration. In conclusion, RT with NT is recommended as an agricultural management tool in dryland soils because of its role in improving soil aggregation and SOC sequestration.     

Contents of soil organic carbon and nitrogen in water-stable aggregates in abandoned agricultural lands in an arid ecosystem of Northwest China

Soil organic matter content in water-stable aggregates(WSA) in the arid ecosystems(abandoned agricultural lands especially) of China is poorly understood. In this study, we examined the WSA sizes and stability, and soil organic carbon(OC) and nitrogen(N) contents in agricultural lands with abandonment ages of 0, 3, 12, 20, 30 and 40 years, respectively, in the Minqin Oasis of Northwest China. The total soil OC and N contents at depths of 0–20, 20–40 and 40–60 cm in abandoned agricultural lands were compared to those in cultivated land(the control). Agricultural land abandonment significantly(P0.05) influenced the distribution of MWD(mean weight diameter), and OC and N contents. There were significant increases in MWD and the proportion of macroaggregates(sizes 0.25 mm) as the age of agricultural land abandonment increased. The effect of abandonment ages of agricultural lands on MWD was determined by the changes of OC and N accumulation in WSA sizes 2 mm. The total OC and N contents presented a stratification phenomenon across soil depths in this arid ecosystem. That is, both of them decreased significantly at depths of 0–20 and 40–60 cm while increased at the depth of 20–40 cm. The WSA sizes 0.053 mm had the highest soil OC and N contents(accounting for 51.41%–55.59% and 42.61%–48.94% of their total, respectively). Soil OC and N contents in microaggregates(sizes 0.053–0.25 mm) were the dominant factors that influenced the variations of total OC and N contents in abandoned agricultural lands. The results of this study suggested that agricultural land abandonment may result in the recovery of WSA stability and the shifting of soil organic matter from the silt+clay(0.053 mm) and microaggregate fractions to the macroaggregate fractions. However, agricultural land abandonment did not increase total soil OC and N contents in the short-term.     

Effects of different tillage and straw retention practices on soil aggregates and carbon and nitrogen sequestration in soils of the northwestern China

Soil tillage and straw retention in dryland areas may affect the soil aggregates and the distribution of total organic carbon. The aims of this study were to establish how different tillage and straw retention practices affect the soil aggregates and soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents in the aggregate fractions based on a long-term (approximately 15 years) field experimentin the semi-arid western Loess Plateau, northwestern China. The experiment included four soil treatments, i.e., conventional tillage with straw removed (T), conventional tillage with straw incorporated (TS), no tillage with straw removed (NT) and no tillage with straw retention (NTS), which were arranged in a complete randomized block design. The wet-sieving method was used to separate four size fractions of aggregates, namely, large macroaggregates (LA, >2000 μm), small macroaggregates (SA, 250-2000 μm), microaggregates (MA, 53-250 μm), and silt and clay (SC, <53 μm). Compared to the conventional tillage practices (including T and TS treatments), the percentages of the macroaggregate fractions (LA and SA) under the conservation tillage practices (including NT and NTS treatments) were increased by 41.2%-56.6%, with the NTS treatment having the greatest effect. For soil layers of 0-5, 5-10 and 10-30 cm, values of the mean weight diameter (MWD) under the TS and NTS treatments were 10.68%, 13.83% and 17.65%, respectively. They were 18.45%, 19.15% and 14.12% higher than those under the T treatment, respectively. The maximum contents of the aggregate-associated SOC and TN were detected in the SA fraction, with the greatest effect being observed for the NTS treatment. The SOC and TN contents were significantly higher under the NTS and TS treatments than under the T treatment. Also, the increases in SOC and TN levels were much higher in the straw-retention plots than in the straw-removed plots. The macroaggregates (including LA and SA fractions) were the major pools for SOC and TN, regardless of tillage practices, storing 3.25-6.81 g C/kg soil and 0.34-0.62 g N/kg soil. Based on the above results, we recommend the NTS treatment as the best option to boost soil aggregates and to reinforce carbon and nitrogen sequestration in soils in the semi-arid western Loess Plateau of northwestern China.     

耕作方式对旱地麦田土壤团聚体及其碳氮组分分布的影响

为明确蓄水保墒耕作方式下旱地麦田土壤团聚体稳定性、有机碳及碳组分和全氮及氮组分在不同粒径团聚体组分中的分布特征,深入了解不同耕作方式下土壤碳氮固持机制,以连续3 a(2017—2020年)实施不同耕作方式(免耕、深松、深翻)后冬小麦收获期0～20 cm土壤为研究对象,采用湿筛法测算土壤团聚体的构成与稳定性(R_0.25,>0.25 mm团聚体含量;MWD,平均重量直径;GMD,几何平均直径),并测定各粒径团聚体有机碳(SOC)和碳组分(重组有机碳,HFOC;轻组有机碳,LFOC;易氧化有机碳,EOC;可溶性有机碳,DOC;颗粒有机碳,POC)含量、全氮(TN)和氮组分(硝态氮,NO^-₃-N;铵态氮,NH⁺₄-N;可溶性有机氮,SON)含量,分析了碳氮组分的相关关系。结果显示：(1)免耕和深松处理>2 mm团聚体土壤比例较深翻处理分别提高8.8%和22.1%,免耕有利于增加<0.053 mm粉黏粒比例,较深松和深翻处理分别提高46.4%和27.7%。深松处理较深翻...     

覆盖方式对旱作小麦田土壤团聚体有机碳的影响

依托中国科学院长武黄土高原农业生态实验站的长期覆盖试验,分析研究秸秆覆盖和地膜覆盖对黄土高原旱作冬小麦田土壤团聚体分布和团聚体有机碳的影响,共包括4种处理:无覆盖(CK)、全年9 000 kg·hm~(-2)秸秆覆盖(M_(9000))、全年4 500 kg·hm~(-2)秸秆覆盖(M_(4500))和全年地膜覆盖(PM)。结果表明:(1)与CK处理相比,M_(9000)处理土壤总有机碳含量提高8.1%(P0.05),M_(4500)和PM处理较CK处理无显著差异。(2)M_(9000)、M_(4500)处理0.25 mm团聚体含量较CK处理分别提高6.6%、4.1%,PM处理降低1.7%。(3)与CK处理相比,M_(9000)处理平均重量直径(MWD)值提高9.2%,PM处理降低14.8%;M_(9000)处理几何平均直径(GMD)提高13.0%,PM处理降低15.7%(P0.05)。(4)土壤总有机碳与0.25 mm团聚体含量、MWD和GMD值呈显著正相关。(5)各处理中,5 mm和0.25 mm团聚体中有机碳含量较高;M_(9000)处理可不同程度地提高各级别团聚体中有机碳的含量,PM处理作用不明显;土壤有机碳主要储存在机械稳定性大团聚体中,且5 mm团聚体对总有机碳的贡献率最大,M_(9000)、M_(4500)处理可提高0.25 mm团聚体有机碳的贡献率。(6)各处理土壤总有机碳与5 mm和0.25 mm机械稳定性团聚体中有机碳呈极显著正相关。因此,长期秸秆覆盖不仅可以提升团聚体水平和稳定性,还可增加团聚体中有机碳含量,有利于土壤有机碳的固定。该区全年9 000 kg·hm~(-2)秸秆覆盖处理效果最好。     

Cultivation effects on soil texture and fertility in an arid desert region of northwestern China

In arid desert regions of northwestern China, reclamation and subsequent irrigated cultivation have become effective ways to prevent desertification, expand arable croplands, and develop sustainable agricultural production. Improvement in soil texture and fertility is crucial to high soil quality and stable crop yield. However, knowledge on the long-term effects of the conversion of desert lands into arable croplands is very limited. To address this problem, we conducted this study in an arid desert region of northwestern China to understand the changes in soil physical-chemical properties after 0, 2, 5, 10, 17, and 24 years of cultivation. Our results showed that silt and clay contents at the 17-year-old sites increased 17.5 and 152.3 folds, respectively, compared with that at the 0-year-old sites. The soil aggregate size fraction and its stability exhibited an exponential growth trend with increasing cultivation ages, but no significant change was found for the proportion of soil macroaggregates (>5.00 mm) during the 17 years of cultivation. The soil organic carbon (SOC) content at the 24-year-old sites was 6.86 g/kg and increased 8.8 folds compared with that at the 0-year-old sites. The total (or available) nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents showed significant increasing trends and reached higher values after 17 (or 24) years of cultivation. Changes in soil physical-chemical properties successively experienced slow, rapid, and stable development stages, but some key properties (such as soil aggregate stability and SOC) were still too low to meet the sustainable agricultural production. The results of this long-term study indicated that reasonable agricultural management, such as expanding no-tillage land area, returning straw to the fields, applying organic fertilizer, reducing chemical fertilizer application, and carrying out soil testing for formula fertilization, is urgently needed in arid desert regions.     

Type and quantity of organic amendments determine the amount of carbon stabilized in particle-size fractions of a semiarid degraded soil

A 9-month lab experiment was carried out with three different amendments (vine pruning wastes, PW; composted vine pruning wastes, cPW; and sewage sludge, SS) added at three different rates (90, 180, and 240 t ha^?1, dry weight) in order to test whether the type or the quantity of the amendments applied to a semiarid, degraded soil determined the C_org accumulation in its particle-size fractions (coarse sand, 200–2,000 µm; fine sand, 63–200 µm; silt, 2–63 µm; and clay, 0.1–2 µm). All amendments, independently of their C/N ratios, resulted in similar C_org content and accumulation in coarse sand and silt-sized fractions after 9 months. In the clay-sized fraction, enrichment in C_org produced the incorporation of particles from this particle-size fraction into the silt-sized fraction. Likewise, increasing the application rates of the amendments led to larger C_org contents into the particle-size fractions of all amended soils except for the clay-sized fraction. The application of SS resulted in lower basal respiration-to-C_org ratios in the clay-sized fraction than the application of PW and cPW, suggesting a higher protection of the C_org in the SS treatment. These results indicate that organic amendments from woody plants with C/N ratios higher than 30, such as PW, favor C_org accumulation in the fine sand-sized fractions. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the application rate of such amendments, rather than the C/N ratios and amendment origin (from sludge or woody plants), is the key factor for promoting C_org accumulation in the silt-sized fractions of semiarid degraded soils.     

毒死蜱和氰戊菊酯在土壤中的吸附与迁移

为评估被用作白蚁预防药剂的毒死蜱和氰戊菊酯在土壤中的移动性,采用平衡吸附法和薄层层析法分别测定了两种农药在浙江宁波地区的东钱湖土(粉砂质壤土)、青岭土(粉砂质壤土)和象山土(粉砂质黏壤土)3种土壤中的吸附常数(Kd)和迁移率(Rf)。结果表明,两种供试药剂在东钱湖土中的吸附等温线线性化程度均较高,而在青岭土和象山土中的吸附等温线均近似于 "L"型。从Kd和有机质吸附常数Koc的数值看,氰戊菊酯在土壤中的吸附作用主要受土壤有机质因素影响,而毒死蜱的吸附并非只受土壤有机质因素的影响。毒死蜱在3种供试土壤中的Kd和Rf值均高于氰戊菊酯。这表明由Kd值推测不同农药在土壤中的相对移动性可能会存在一定偏差。毒死蜱和氰戊菊酯在3种土壤中的Rf值由大到小的顺序为:东钱湖土>青岭土>象山土;而Kd值由大到小顺序为象山土>青岭土>东钱湖土。对Kd和Rf值与土壤理化性质的多元线性回归分析表明:1)土壤有机质含量和阳离子代换量在决定Kd和Rf值中所起的作用相互重叠;2)土壤有机质含量(或土壤阳离子代换量)和土壤黏粒含量是影响Kd和Rf值的关键因素,而土壤pH值对于Kd和Rf值无决定性影响。     

Effects of long-term fertilization on oxidizable organic carbon fractions on the Loess Plateau,China

The effects of long-term fertilization on pools of soil organic carbon(SOC)have been well studied,but limited information is available on the oxidizable organic carbon(OOC)fractions,especially for the Loess Plateau in China.We evaluated the effects of a 15-year fertilization on the OOC fractions(F1,F2,F3 and F4)in the 0–20 and 20–40 cm soil layers in flat farmland under nine treatments(N(nitrogen,urea),P(phosphorus,monocalcium phosphate),M(organic fertilizer,composted sheep manure),N+P(NP),M+N(MN),M+P(MP),M+N+P(MNP),CK(control,no fertilizer)and bare land(BL,no crops or fertilizer)).SOC content increased more markedly in the treatment containing manure than in those with inorganic fertilizers alone.F1,F2,F4 and F3 accounted for 47%,27%,18% and 8% of total organic carbon,respectively.F1 was a more sensitive index than the other C fractions in the sensitivity index(SI)analysis.F1 and F2 were highly correlated with total nitrogen(TN)and available nitrogen(AN),F3 was negatively correlated with p H and F4 was correlated with TN.A cluster analysis showed that the treatments containing manure formed one group,and the other treatments formed another group,which indicated the different effects of fertilization on soil properties.Long-term fertilization with inorganic fertilizer increased the F4 fraction while manure fertilizer not only increased labile fractions(F1)in a short time,but also increased passive fraction(F4)over a longer term.The mixed fertilizer mainly affected F3 fraction.The study demonstrated that manure fertilizer was recommended to use in the farmland on the Loess Plateau for the long-term sustainability of agriculture.     

Spatial variability of soil water content and related factors across the Hexi Corridor of China

Soil water content(SWC) is a key factor limiting ecosystem sustainability in arid and semi-arid areas of the Hexi Corridor of China, which is characterized by an ecological environment that is vulnerable to climate change. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the large-scale spatial distribution of SWC in this region. The specific objectives of this study were to determine the spatial distribution patterns of SWC across the Hexi Corridor and identify the factors responsible for spatial variation of SWC at a regional scale. This study collected and analyzed SWC in the 0–100 cm soil profile from 109 field sampling sites(farmland, grassland and forestland) across the Hexi Corridor in 2017. We selected 17 factors, including land use, topography(latitude, longitude, elevation, slope gradient, and slope aspect), soil properties(soil clay content, soil silt content, soil bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, field capacity, and soil organic carbon content), climate factors(mean annual precipitation, potential evaporation, and aridity index), plant characteristic(vegetation coverage) and planting pattern(irrigation or rain-fed), as possible environmental variables to analyze their effects on SWC. The results showed that SWC was 0.083(±0.067) g/g in the 0–100 cm soil profile and decreased in the order of farmland, grassland and forestland. The SWC in the upper soil layers(0–20, 20–40 and 40–60 cm) had obvious difference when the mean annual precipitation differed by 200 mm. The SWC decreased from southeast to northwest following the same pattern as precipitation, and had a moderate to strong spatial dependence in a large effective range(75–378 km). The SWC showed a similar distribution and had no significant difference between soil layers in the 0–100 cm soil profile. The principal component analysis showed that the mean annual precipitation, geographical position(longitude and latitude) and soil properties(soil bulk density and soil clay content) were the main factors dominating the variance of environmental variables. A stepwise linear regression equation showed that plant characteristic(vegetation coverage) and soil properties(soil organic carbon content, field capacity and soil clay content) were the optimal factors to predict the variation of SWC. Soil clay content could be better to explain the SWC variation in the deeper soil layers compared with the other factors.     

Long-Term Crop Rotation Effects on Organic Carbon,Nitrogen, and Phosphorus in Haplustoll Soil Fractions

Soil organic matter (SOM) or carbon (SOC) consists of a number of fractions (which can be separated by granulometric wet sieving) having different properties among them. Information on fraction nutrient distribution and long-term crop rotations is lacking for semiarid environments. The objective of this research was to study the agronomic effects on soil OC, N, and P fractions. The humified OC was the largest and least variable fraction of the SOC. Soil under continuous mixed pasture had higher OC contents than under annually tilled treatments. Similarly, soil total nitrogen under the cropped treatments decreased from 1.7 g N kg-¹ in noncultivated soils (reference plots) to 1.0, 0.7 an 0.7 g N kg-¹ under mixed pasture, pasture-crop, and wheat-crop respectively, in the fine soil fraction. The reference plots also showed significantly lower levels of organic phosphorus (P o ) in comparison to the other treatment (from 67.1 w g P o g-¹ to greater than 100 w g P o g-¹ in the fine fraction of the treatments and years). The noncultivated soil showed larger values of P o and inorganic P in the large-size granulometric fraction (0.1-2 mm) than in the soil fine fraction (0-01 mm). However, the rotation treatments had greater concentrations of P in the fine fraction. The P o from the coarse fraction appears to be the most labile and sensitive fraction to tillage and environmental conditions, and may be closely related to P availability.     

高寒草甸不同类型草地土壤机械组成及肥力比较

研究了青藏高原高寒草甸不同类型草地土壤机械组成和土壤养分变化特征,并用相关分析探讨了土壤理化特征、土壤机械组成对不同草地类型群落物种组成、生物量变化的响应。结果表明:不同草地类型土壤机械组成分布大致是矮嵩草草甸:粉粒>细砂粒>粘粒>粗砂粒;高山嵩草草甸:细砂粒>粉粒>粘粒>粗砂粒;藏嵩草沼泽化草甸:细砂粒>粉粒>粘粒>粗砂粒;金露梅灌丛:粉粒>粘粒≥细砂粒>粗砂粒。矮嵩草草甸、高山嵩草草甸为粉砂质粘壤土,藏嵩草沼泽化草甸为壤土,金露梅灌丛为壤质粘土。矮嵩草草甸、高山嵩草草甸和金露梅灌丛土壤颗粒分布相对比较均匀(除藏嵩草沼泽化草甸外),主要集中在<0.5mm的范围内,土壤粘粒含量普遍大于20%。土壤全量养分和速效养分以及土壤物理特征均影响着高寒草甸不同草地类型土壤质量和土壤结构。土壤结构和养分状况是判断高寒草甸生态系统生态功能维持的关键指标之一。     

Changes in soil carbon stocks and related soil properties along a 50-year grassland-to-cropland conversion chronosequence in an agro-pastoral ecotone of Inner Mongolia, China

Land use change significantly influences soil properties.There is little information available on the long-term effects of post-reclamation from grassland to cropland on soil properties.We compared soil carbon(C) and nitrogen(N) storage and related soil properties in a 50-year cultivation chronosequence of grassland in the agro-pastoral ecotone of Inner Mongolia.Field surveys on land use changes during the period of 1955-2002 were conducted to build a chronosequence of cropland of different ages since the conversion from grassland.The results showed that soil C and N storage,soil texture,and soil nutrient contents varied with land use types and cropland ages(P<0.01).In the 0-30 cm soil layer,the soil organic carbon(SOC) density was significantly lower in the croplands(3.28 kg C/m2 for C50 soil) than in the grasslands(6.32 kg C/m2).After 5,10,15,20,35,and 50 years of crop planting(years since the onset of cultivation),the SOC losses were 17%,12%,19%,47%,46%,and 48%,respectively,compared with the grasslands.The soil total nitrogen(TN) density of the grasslands was 65 g N/m2,and TN density of the cropland soil was 35 g N/m2 after 50 years of crop planting.Both the SOC and TN densities could be quantitatively determined by a negative exponential function of cropland age(P<0.0001,R2=0.8528;P<0.0001,R2=0.9637).The dissolved organic carbon(DOC) content,soil available potassium(AK) content,clay content,and pH value were decreased;and the soil bulk density and sand content were increased since the conversion of grassland into cropland during the 50-year period.Our results show soil nutrients were higher in grassland than in cropland.The conversion of grasslands to croplands induced a loss of soil C storage and changes of related soil properties.The reclamation time of cultivated soil(cropland age) had significant effects on soil properties in the study area.     

绿肥填闲种植对旱作冬小麦农田土壤团聚体有机碳含量的影响

依托黄土塬区4 a绿肥填闲种植田间定位试验,开展不同填闲作物对土壤团聚体组成及各组分有机碳在团聚体中分布影响的研究,为阐明填闲种植措施下土壤有机碳库的物理保护机制提供依据。试验设置4个处理,即冬小麦夏闲期种植长武怀豆(SB)、苏丹草(SG)、怀豆/苏丹草混播(Mix)和裸地休闲(CK)。利用干筛法将全土筛分为>5 mm、2～5 mm、0.25～2 mm和<0.25 mm等4个粒级,分别测定土壤和各粒级团聚体中有机碳和颗粒有机碳含量,进而计算团聚体平均重量直径及有机碳贡献率。结果表明：绿肥种植对土壤团聚体分布有显著影响,各绿肥处理均有利于0～10 cm土层土壤团聚体的形成,但对亚表层土壤团聚结构影响较小。与CK相比,在0～40 cm各土层,SB、SG和Mix处理均显著提高土壤有机碳含量、颗粒有机碳含量及团聚体平均重量直径,提高幅度分别为7.9%、8.0%和7.9%,其中SB更有利于表层土壤有机碳的固存,且土壤有机碳和颗粒有机碳含量之间呈显著正相关关系,这两者与团聚体平均重量直径之间均呈显著负相关关系。不同处理下土壤团聚体各有机碳组分含量存在差异,与CK相比,SB和Mix均显著...     

Effects of different mulching patterns on soil moisture,temperature, and maize yield in a semi-arid region of the Loess Plateau,China

A study was conducted in the semi-arid region of the Loess Plateau in China to identify an alternative material for use instead of plastic film under maize crops. Plastic film (PMW), straw (SMW), and biodegradable film (BMW) were used for mulching throughout the whole season (fallow and growth periods), in addition to straw for mulching (SMF) only during the fallow period. The results showed that PMW and BMW treatments retained 17 mm and 11 mm more water, respectively, than the mean value of both SMW and SMF treatments, and 53 mm and 38 mm more water than nonmulching (NM) treatment during the fallow period. PMW and BMW treatments increased the soil water and temperature during the early growth stage of maize and significantly improved the dry matter accumulation. Under PMW and BMW treatments, the yield improved by 4.6–6.4 Mg ha^?1 and 2.3–2.8 Mg ha^?1, and the net income increased by 1166 USD ha^?1 and 372 USD ha^?1 compared with NM treatment, respectively. SMW treatment led to poor growth and yield reductions of 3.7 Mg ha^?1 due to the lower temperature, whereas SMF treatment had no significant effects on the yield (P > 0.05). High water consumption with PMW treatment reduced the water supply capacity at the end of the season, and resulted in soil water deficit during 2015, indicating that high yields might not be sustained in the long-term. Therefore, BMW treatment is recommended as an effective method for increasing the maize yield and maintaining the balance of soil water in semi-arid areas.     

Conversion rates of aldicarb and its oxidation products in soils. II. Aldicarb sulphoxide

The loss of aldicarb sulphoxide was studied in incubation experiments with soil from four plough layers and two deeper layers. The loss during the 111 days of the experiment could be described by first-order kinetics. The half-lives at 15°C ranged from 20 days in a clay loam to 46 days in a peaty sand. The loss of sulphoxide in deeper layers was considerably slower than in the corresponding top layers of a soil profile. In soil from a silty layer at 70–90 cm depth the half-life was about 53 days. In soil from a sand layer at 90–110 cm depth a loss of only about 15% was measured after 111 days of incubation. First-order rate constants for sulphoxide conversion in a clay loam at 6, 15 and 25°C were found to be 0.009, 0.033, and 0.05 day^?1 respectively; in a greenhouse soil these rate constants were 0.0052, 0.019 and 0.04 day^?1 respectively. The fractions of aldicarb sulphoxide that were oxidised to sulphone at 15°C in soil from plough layers were computed to range from 0.52 to 0.76.     

退耕年限与方式对土壤团聚体稳定性及有机碳分布的影响

以黄土高原南部退耕还林年限6 a(FL06)和15 a(FL15)刺槐林地、退耕还草年限6 a(GL06)和15 a(GL15)紫花苜蓿草地为研究对象,以临近长期耕作坡耕地(CK)作为对照,采用湿筛法,分离出2 mm、1~2 mm、0.5~1 mm、0.25~0.5 mm和0.25 mm 5个粒级的水稳性团聚体,研究了退耕年限与方式对团聚体稳定性和不同粒径团聚体有机碳分布的影响。结果表明:在0~20 cm土层,退耕还林还草与未退耕相比能显著提高2 mm和1~2 mm粒径团聚体含量,显著减少0.25 mm粒径团聚体含量,其中对于2 mm和1~2 mm粒径团聚体在不同退耕年限与方式下含量表现为GL15GL06FL06FL15CK和GL15FL06GL06FL15CK;退耕还林和还草增加了两个土层的团聚体稳定性,GL15的平均重量直径(MWD)值和几何平均直径(GMD)值均最大,土壤结构最稳定,其次为GL06;不同退耕年限,2 mm粒径下退耕还林地和还草地、1~2 mm粒径下退耕还草地团聚体有机碳含量均随退耕年限的延长而增加。20~40 cm土层中,团聚体含量均值随粒径的减小而增加;MWD和GMD值均小于0~20 cm层;各粒径范围内退耕还林与还草后的团聚体有机碳含量与坡耕地相比总体表现出减小的趋势。研究结果表明,退耕改善了土壤结构,对各粒径团聚体有机碳含量分布的影响随退耕年限与方式不同效应各异,且GL15相较于其它退耕年限和方式下的样地有更好的土壤团聚体稳定性和更多的团聚体有机碳积累。     

Combined application of cyanobacteria with soil fixing chemicals for rapid induction of biological soil crust formation

Combined applications of cyanobacteria with soil fixing chemicals were investigated to generate artificially induced biological soil crust (BSC). Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and Tacki-Spray (TKS7) chemicals composed of bio-polysaccharides and tackifiers were examined under laboratory conditions. Following singular applications of chemicals, the mean weight diameter values of soil treated with TKS7 were 1.4–2.5 times higher than those of soil treated with PVA and thus TKS7 was selected for further tests for application with cyanobacteria (Nostoc Vaucher ex Bornet &; Flahault, Phormidium Kützing ex Gomont, and Scytonema arcangeli Bornet ex Flahault). Combined application of cyanobacteria and different concentrations of TKS7 enhanced soil aggregate stability, resulting in mean weight diameter values of 0.58–0.69 mm and was comparable to TKS7 singular application (0.18–0.40 mm). Surface hardness values were also highly improved by the combined application of cyanobacteria with TKS7 (4.5 MPa) compared to singular treatment of cyanobacteria (2.3 MPa). In addition, superabsorbent polymer (SAP) was applied as a water-holding material and nutrient supplement in soil. The SAP promoted cyanobacterial cell growth under dry conditions. Chlorophyll a content of soil was improved by the addition of SAP (CST1: 2.93 µg g^?1) compared to singular treatment of cyanobacteria (C: 2.25 µg g^?1). These results suggest that combined application of cyanobacteria with TKS7 and SAP can induce BSC formation faster than singular application of cyanobacteria. The novel method presented herein can be applied to restoration of degraded soils in arid and semiarid areas.     

Soil properties that determine the mortality and growth of Haloxylon aphyllum in the Aral region,Kazakhstan

Black saxaul (Haloxylon aphyllum) is a native tree species tolerant of aridity and salinity. It is planted to alleviate environmental damage due to the formation of the Aralkum desert and improve vegetation of the Aral Sea region. To investigate the environmental factors that determine seedling mortality and growth after rooting, we focused on soil properties and topographic factors in a study plot. We found that a hard clay layer that was low in hydraulic conductivity underlay accumulated sandy sediments at different depths. The soil in low seedling mortality areas was consistently sandy and low in salinity from the surface to a depth of 100 cm. In areas of high seedling mortality (75–100%), soils with a high content of silt and clay, with high salinity were detected within 100 cm depths. This suggests that accumulated sand sediment over a depth of 100 cm is required for root development. Plant height was positively correlated with depth of the hard clay layer. Significant relationships with plant height were also detected in chemical and physical properties at 80–100 cm such as electric conductivity (ECe), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and sand ratio. However, these properties had no significant relationship at 0–20 cm or with the relative elevation of the plot, suggesting that the subsequent growth of seedlings depends more on the sub-soil environment than on-surface conditions. The assessment of sub-soil condition is recommended to make site selection for reforestation much more reliable.