Spatial changes in soil organic carbon density and storage of cultivated soils in China from 1980 to 2000

Abstract

We address the spatial changes in organic carbon density and storage in cultivated soils in China from 1980 to 2000 on the basis of measured data from individual studies and those acquired during the second national soil survey in China. The results show a carbon gain in ∼66% of the cultivated area of China as a whole with the increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) density mostly ranging from 10% to 30%. Soil organic carbon density increased in fluvi‐aquic soils (fluvisols, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations) in north China, irrigated silting soils (calcaric fluvisols) in northwest China, latosolic red earths (haplic acrisols/alisols), and paddy soils (fluvisols/cambisols) in south China. In contrast, significant decreases are observed in black soils (phaeozems) in northeast China and latosols (haplic acrisols) in southwest China. No significant changes are detected in loessial soils (calcaric regosols) and dark loessial soils (calcisols) in the loess plateau region. The total SOC storage and average density in the upper 20 cm in the late 1990s are estimated to be ∼5.37 Pg C and 2.77 kg/m2, respectively, compared with the values of ∼5.11 Pg C and 2.63 kg/m2 in the early 1980s. This reveals an increase of SOC storage of 0.26 Pg C and suggests an overall carbon sink for cultivated soils in China, which has contributed 2–3% to the global terrestrial ecosystem carbon absorption from 1980 to 2000. Statistical analyses suggest an insignificant contribution to the observed SOC increase from climate change, and we infer that it is mostly attributable to improved agricultural practices. Despite the SOC density increases over 20 years, the SOC density of the cultivated soils in China in the late 1990s is still ∼30% lower compared to their uncultivated counterparts in comparable soil types, suggesting a considerable potential for SOC restoration through improving management practices. Assuming a restoration of ∼50% of the lost SOC in the next 30–50 years, these soils could potentially absorb ∼1.03 Pg C from the atmosphere.