Abstract
Soil inorganic carbon (SIC) and organic carbon (SOC) are important carbon reservoirs in terrestrial ecosystems. However, little attention was paid to SIC dynamics in cropland. We conducted a survey in the upper Yellow River Delta of North China Plain. We collected 155 soil samples from 31 profiles, and measured SOC, SIC and soluble Ca2+ and Mg2+ contents. Our results showed that mean SOC content decreased from 9.30 g kg−1 near the surface to 2.36 g kg−1 in 80–100 cm whereas mean SIC content increased from 10.48 to 12.72 g kg−1. On average, SOC and SIC stocks over 0–100 cm were 5.73 kg C m−2 and 16.89 kg C m−2, respectively. There was a significantly positive correlation (r = 0.88, P < 0.001) between SOC and SIC in the cropland. We also found that SIC had a significantly positive correlation with both soluble Ca2+ (r = 0.57, P < 0.01) and Mg2+ (r = 0.43, P < 0.05). Our study suggested that increasing SOC might lead to an increase in SIC stocks in the cropland of North China Plain. This study highlights the importance of SIC in the carbon cycle of China’s semi-arid region.
Highlights
Soil inorganic carbon (SIC) and organic carbon (SOC) are important carbon reservoirs in terrestrial ecosystems
Acidic conditions could lead to dissolution of carbonate, causing a decrease in soil inorganic carbon (SIC) stock, whereas alkaline environment would benefit the formation of carbonate[7]
There were some studies of SIC dynamics in north China, which were mainly conducted in the Loess Plateau[10,11], the Inner Mongolia[12,13] and near the deserts of Xinjiang province[14,15]
Summary
Soil inorganic carbon (SIC) and organic carbon (SOC) are important carbon reservoirs in terrestrial ecosystems. Our study suggested that increasing SOC might lead to an increase in SIC stocks in the cropland of North China Plain. There were some studies of SIC dynamics in north China, which were mainly conducted in the Loess Plateau[10,11], the Inner Mongolia[12,13] and near the deserts of Xinjiang province[14,15]. Some studies showed that the SIC stock was significantly higher in cropland than in grassland, e.g., in the middle of the Hexi Corridor, Gansu, China[16], around the Yunwu Mountain, Ningxia, www.nature.com/scientificreports/
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