Physical disturbance accelerates carbon loss through increasing labile carbon release
Labile carbon (C) is a major source of C loss because of its high vulnerability to environmental change. Yet its potential role in regulating soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics remains unclear. In this study, we tested the effect of physical disturbance on SOC decomposition using soils from two aban...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Plant, Soil and Environment |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/artkey/pse-202011-0007_physical-disturbance-accelerates-carbon-loss-through-increasing-labile-carbon-release.php |
| _version_ | 1797898091565678592 |
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| author | Xiuwei Zhang Feihai Yu |
| author_facet | Xiuwei Zhang Feihai Yu |
| author_sort | Xiuwei Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Labile carbon (C) is a major source of C loss because of its high vulnerability to environmental change. Yet its potential role in regulating soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics remains unclear. In this study, we tested the effect of physical disturbance on SOC decomposition using soils from two abandoned farmlands free of management practice for more than 28 years. The soil respiration rate was measured in undisturbed and disturbed soil columns and was inversely modeled using the two-compartment model. We found that the C loss was 16.8~74.1% higher in disturbed than in undisturbed soil columns. Physical disturbance increased the total amount of labile C (C1) loss by 136~241%, while had no effect on the kinetic decomposition rate constants of both labile (k1) and stable (k2) SOC decomposition. Physical disturbance fragmented the large macroaggregates into small macroaggregates, microaggregates, and free silt and clay-sized fractions. This indicates that C loss was derived from the initially protected labile C, and there was no change of SOC fraction being decomposed. Our results give insights into the understanding of the extent of labile C loss to physical disruption and demonstrate the potential effect of physical disturbance on SOC dynamics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T08:08:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b0acc2f2c74a40238b4c6d53d06b7f00 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1214-1178 1805-9368 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T08:08:49Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plant, Soil and Environment |
| spelling | doaj.art-b0acc2f2c74a40238b4c6d53d06b7f002023-02-23T03:46:53ZengCzech Academy of Agricultural SciencesPlant, Soil and Environment1214-11781805-93682020-11-01661158458910.17221/257/2020-PSEpse-202011-0007Physical disturbance accelerates carbon loss through increasing labile carbon releaseXiuwei Zhang0Feihai Yu1Instituteof Wetland Ecology and Clone Ecology/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, P.R. ChinaInstituteof Wetland Ecology and Clone Ecology/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, P.R. ChinaLabile carbon (C) is a major source of C loss because of its high vulnerability to environmental change. Yet its potential role in regulating soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics remains unclear. In this study, we tested the effect of physical disturbance on SOC decomposition using soils from two abandoned farmlands free of management practice for more than 28 years. The soil respiration rate was measured in undisturbed and disturbed soil columns and was inversely modeled using the two-compartment model. We found that the C loss was 16.8~74.1% higher in disturbed than in undisturbed soil columns. Physical disturbance increased the total amount of labile C (C1) loss by 136~241%, while had no effect on the kinetic decomposition rate constants of both labile (k1) and stable (k2) SOC decomposition. Physical disturbance fragmented the large macroaggregates into small macroaggregates, microaggregates, and free silt and clay-sized fractions. This indicates that C loss was derived from the initially protected labile C, and there was no change of SOC fraction being decomposed. Our results give insights into the understanding of the extent of labile C loss to physical disruption and demonstrate the potential effect of physical disturbance on SOC dynamics.https://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/artkey/pse-202011-0007_physical-disturbance-accelerates-carbon-loss-through-increasing-labile-carbon-release.phpcarbon modelorganic carbon decompositionphysical protectionsoil incubationsoil organic matter |
| spellingShingle | Xiuwei Zhang Feihai Yu Physical disturbance accelerates carbon loss through increasing labile carbon release Plant, Soil and Environment carbon model organic carbon decomposition physical protection soil incubation soil organic matter |
| title | Physical disturbance accelerates carbon loss through increasing labile carbon release |
| title_full | Physical disturbance accelerates carbon loss through increasing labile carbon release |
| title_fullStr | Physical disturbance accelerates carbon loss through increasing labile carbon release |
| title_full_unstemmed | Physical disturbance accelerates carbon loss through increasing labile carbon release |
| title_short | Physical disturbance accelerates carbon loss through increasing labile carbon release |
| title_sort | physical disturbance accelerates carbon loss through increasing labile carbon release |
| topic | carbon model organic carbon decomposition physical protection soil incubation soil organic matter |
| url | https://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/artkey/pse-202011-0007_physical-disturbance-accelerates-carbon-loss-through-increasing-labile-carbon-release.php |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xiuweizhang physicaldisturbanceacceleratescarbonlossthroughincreasinglabilecarbonrelease AT feihaiyu physicaldisturbanceacceleratescarbonlossthroughincreasinglabilecarbonrelease |