Soil organic carbon in relation to cultivation in arable and greenhouse cropping systems in Lanzhou, NW China

Abstract

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a major source/sink in atmospheric carbon balances. Farmland usually has a high potential for carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake from the atmosphere, but also for emission. Data from different areas are valuable for global SOC calculations and model development, and a survey of 108 agricultural fields in Lanzhou, China was performed. The fields were grouped by: cropping intensity (3 levels), cropping methodology (3), and crop species (10). Intensive cropping (two or more crops per year, typically vegetables), moderate (annuals in monoculture: wheat, maize, potato, melons), and extensive (orchards, lily [Lilium brownii] fields, fallow) were the intensity classes; and open field, greenhouse field, and sand-covered field (10–20 cm added on top of the topsoil) were the three methodologies. SOC concentration, pH, electrical conductivity, and soil bulk density were measured, and SOC mass (g·m−2 0–20 cm depth) was calculated. SOC concentration was high in cauliflower, wheat, leaf vegetables, and fruit vegetables; moderate in potato, fallow (3–5 years), tree orchards, and melons; while low in lily and maize fields, and differences in SOC mass followed the same pattern. SOC concentration and mass were lowest in the extensive fields while moderate and intensive fields showed higher values. Soil bulk density in open fields was significantly lower than those in greenhouse and sand-covered fields. The climate-induced soil activity factor re_clim was calculated, compared with European conditions, and was fairly similar to those in central Sweden. Other factors behind the measured results, such as the influence of initial SOC content, manure addition, crops, etc., are discussed.