Stable Carbon Isotopic Composition (δ13C) as a Proxy of Organic Matter Dynamics in Soils on the Western Shore of Lake Baikal

Abstract

Abstract Assessing the main factors that control carbon dynamics in soils is an urgent problem in the context of modern climate change. The analysis of stable carbon isotope (δ13С) composition is one of the approaches to understanding this dynamics. The study was carried out in the landscapes of the southeastern slope and foothills of the Primorskii Range, characterized by contrasting physico-geographical conditions. Climatic parameters, spatial variations in the composition of stable carbon isotopes and their distribution in soil profiles, and soil physicochemical properties controlling carbon dynamics have been analyzed. The soil humus horizons formed in mountainous tundra and steppe landscapes manifest the highest δ13С values (–24.72 and –23.97…–24.75‰); whereas the lowest (–25.61…–27.18‰) values are registered in the mountainous taiga soils. Based on the calculation of linear dependence between δ13С values and the total carbon content in soil, which varies with the depth, the carbon turnover intensity was determined using the slope of linear regression. It was revealed that under the contrasting conditions of mountainous tundra and steppe landscapes, the climate (deficiency of heat and moisture) has a significant impact on the intensity of organic matter transformation, blocking the effect of edaphic (soil profile) factors. Under more favorable climatic conditions of mountainous taiga landscapes, the dynamics of organic matter in soils is controlled mainly by edaphic factors.