Abstract
The accelerated process of soil erosion by water and wind, responsible for transport and redistribution of a large amount of carbon-enriched sediments, has a strong impact on the global carbon budget. The breakdown of aggregates by erosivity of water (raindrop, runoff) and wind weakens the stability of soil C (organic and inorganic) and aggravates its vulnerability to degradation processes, which lead to the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) including CO2, CH4, and N2O, depending on the hydrothermal regimes. Nonetheless, a part of the eroded soil C may be buried, reaggregated and protected against decomposition. In coastal steep lands, (e.g., Taiwan, New Zealand) with a short distance to burial of sediments in the ocean, erosion may be a sink of C. In large watersheds (i.e., Amazon, Mississippi, Nile, Ganges, Indus, etc.) with a long distance to the ocean, however, most of the C being transported is prone to mineralization/decomposition during the transit period and is a source of GHGs (CO2, CH4, N2O). Land use, soil management and cropping systems must be prudently chosen to prevent erosion by both hydric and aeolian processes. The so-called plague of the soil, accelerated erosion by water and wind, must be effectively curtailed.
Highlights
Whereas reaggregation and deep burial may stabilize the displaced C against microbial processes [6], decomposition induced by aggregation breakdown and alterations in soil moisture and temperature regimes over the landscape may affect the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) under aerobic environments [7] and those of methane (CH4 ) and nitrous oxide (N2 O) under anaerobic conditions [8]
Rather than being a comprehensive and inclusive review of the available literature, this article merely provides some pertinent examples of the processes, factors and causes which control the fate of carbon being transported by erosional processes
Chappell and colleagues concluded that omission of soil organic C (SOC) dust emission from C cycling and C accounting is a significant source of uncertainty in the global carbon budget (GCB)
Summary
Whereas reaggregation and deep burial may stabilize the displaced C against microbial processes [6], decomposition induced by aggregation breakdown and alterations in soil moisture and temperature regimes over the landscape may affect the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) under aerobic environments [7] and those of methane (CH4 ) and nitrous oxide (N2 O) under anaerobic conditions [8]. The objective of this review article is to deliberate the fate of soil C being transported over the landscape, identify ecosystem conditions that lead to either mineralization and emission of GHGs or to sequestration of the transported C and its stabilization, understand the net effect of erosion/deposition processes as a source or sink of GHGs, explain the effect of global warming on erosional processes, and outline some researchable priorities. Rather than being a comprehensive and inclusive review of the available literature, this article merely provides some pertinent examples of the processes, factors and causes which control the fate of carbon being transported by erosional processes
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