Nitrogen, water content, phosphorus and active iron jointly regulate soil organic carbon in tropical acid red soil forest

Abstract

AbstractIncreasing forest soil organic carbon (SOC) storage is important for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from terrestrial ecosystems and mitigating global climate change. Although the effects of altitude, temperature and rainfall on organic carbon have been studied extensively, it is difficult to increase SOC storage by changing these factors in actual forest management. This study determined the SOC, soil physical and chemical properties, nutrient elements, heavy metal elements, soil minerals and microbial biomass in the 0–140‐cm soil layer of the monsoon broad‐leaved forest in the acid red soil region of southwestern China by stratification. We tried to identify the soil factors affecting the SOC storage of the forest in the acid red soil region and determine the weights of the factors affecting the SOC, with the aim of improving the SOC retention capacity in forest management by changing the main soil factors affecting SOC storage. The results showed that the soil factors affecting the forest SOC storage in this area are total nitrogen (N, 22.7%) > soil water content (19.9%) > active iron (including poorly crystalline iron, Feo, 15.5%) > pH (9.5%) > phosphorus (P, 9.4%) > aluminium (Al, 8.9%) > silicon (Si, 7.1%) > sulphur (S, 6.8%). Of these factors, N, the water content, Feo, and P are practical factors for forest management, whereas the pH, Al, Si and S are not. SOC was significantly positively correlated with the soil N concentration, water content, active iron content and P concentration (p < .05). In acidic red soil areas, with active iron as the highlight, N, soil water content, phosphorus and active iron jointly regulate the forest SOC storage capacity. Consequently, in actual forest management, any measures to promote soil N and water content and to activate inactive iron can enhance the storage of SOC, as appropriate input of N and P fertiliser and irrigation in dry years and the dry season.Highlights The soil environmental factors affecting SOC storage in forest soil are quantified Activation of inactive iron helps SOC storage in forest soil Irrigation and N and P input are effective for helping SOC storage in forest soil N, WC, P and Feo jointly regulate SOC in tropical acid red soil forest