Differential soil acidification caused by parent materials and land-use changes in the Pearl River Delta region

Soil acidification occurs widely across the world, which has been partly attributed to land-use change. However, measureable effect of land-use change as well as parent materials on soil acidification remains poorly understood. Here, a typical area with intensive land-use change in the Pearl River Delta of China was chosen for this study. Topsoil (0–20 cm) and subsoil (20–40 cm) samples (n = 169) under different land uses (paddy fields, vegetable lands and orchards) and parent materials (granite and alluvial sediment) were collected in 2020. Soil pH, exchangeable base cations, exchangeable acidity and pH buffering capacity were measured to evaluate the status of soil acidification. The change of soil pH over the last 15 years was evaluated via comparing with historical data (n = 329) in 2005. The results showed a higher exchangeable acidity and lower pH buffering capacity and exchangeable base cations of soils derived from granite compared with soils derived from alluvial sediment in 2020. In the last 15 years, significant soil acidification under different parent materials was observed under vegetable lands and orchards but not paddy fields. Faster pH decline was found under land-use change from paddy fields compared with the unchanged vegetable lands or orchards. Furthermore, stronger acidification under the same land-use change was observed for soils derived from granite compared with soils derived from alluvial sediment. These results indicate that land-use change induced soil acidification is dependent on parent materials. This study implies that cropping management such as suitable rotation operation may slow soil acidification, and measures including straw returning may ameliorate acidified soils.