Effects of revegetation and precipitation gradient on soil carbon and nitrogen variations in deep profiles on the Loess Plateau of China

Abstract

Precipitation is one of the most important factors affecting the variations in soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) following revegetation. However, the effects of revegetation and precipitation gradients on soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) and C-N interactions in deep profiles over large scales are poorly understood. This study measured the SOC and TN stocks to depth of 300 cm in three revegetation types (grassland, shrubland and forestland) and paired cropland stands at seven sites along a precipitation gradient with mean annual precipitation (MAP) from 280 to 540 mm yr−1 in the Loess Plateau of China. The results showed that the SOC and TN stocks in the 0–300 cm profile increased along the precipitation gradient. Revegetation did not always result in accumulation of SOC and TN stocks, which depended on the precipitation condition and varied among different vegetation types. Grassland restoration resulted in more SOC and TN accumulation than shrubland and forestland in areas with MAP < 510 mm, whereas there were losses in SOC and TN following grass plantation in sites with MAP > 510 mm. The changes in SOC and TN stocks following revegetation (∆SOC and ∆TN) were significantly correlated with MAP in only the 0–20 cm layer, whereas the changes in the C/N ratio of each depth were significantly and negatively correlated with MAP. The correlations between ∆SOC and ∆TN were stronger in the 0–60 cm layer than that in the 60–300 cm layer, and an accumulation of 1 g TN was associated with approximately 7.9 g increase of SOC in the 0–300 cm profile following revegetation. This study indicated that the changes in soil C and N stocks following revegetation had different patterns along precipitation gradient and among depths, and grassland restoration and N fertilizer input benefitted soil C and N sequestration in drier areas.