Evaluating indices of soil organic carbon stability. A case study for forest restoration projects near Beijing, China
Afforestation of degraded lands close to mega-urban areas such as Beijing may help to restore some of the original soil carbon stocks and hold the potential for ameliorating the rate of increase in atmospheric CO2. However, the determinants of the stability of different soil carbon pools and the uti...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X2200694X |
| _version_ | 1817999078824345600 |
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| author | Zeyu Zhang Tonggang Zha Yang Yu Xiaoxia Zhang Pete Smith Jesús Rodrigo-Comino |
| author_facet | Zeyu Zhang Tonggang Zha Yang Yu Xiaoxia Zhang Pete Smith Jesús Rodrigo-Comino |
| author_sort | Zeyu Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Afforestation of degraded lands close to mega-urban areas such as Beijing may help to restore some of the original soil carbon stocks and hold the potential for ameliorating the rate of increase in atmospheric CO2. However, the determinants of the stability of different soil carbon pools and the utility of indices of stability remain poorly characterized near these highly anthropogenic areas. In the current study, we compared metrics of soil organic carbon (SOC) stability taking into account different soil types and plantation forest combinations (Quartisamment soil-poplar plantation–QP, Eutrochrepts soil-Chinese pine plantation–ECP, Haplustepts soils-East-Liaoning oak plantation–HEO), in an experimental sub-humid area close to a mega-urban area (Beijing, China). We evaluated the following relative stability indices sequence: respired carbon from incubations (RI) for several incubation days to respire 5% of initial SOC (D), aggregate stability index (ASI), the ratio of SOC to total nitrogen (C: N), water-soluble carbon (WSC), particulate organic carbon (POC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC). We examined the indices by three repeated measurements on soil samples from four soil layers (0–40 cm) in three soil-forest types in a forest area close to the peri-urban area of Beijing. Our results showed that there are inconsistencies among the six SOC stability indexes. The contribution rates of different indexes to the SOC in three plantations were different, for QP the highest contributor is WSC (54.73%), and for ECP and HEO the highest contributor is RI, contribution rates are 34.85% and 36.382%, respectively. Respired carbon from incubations registered the largest contribution rate to SOC (69.79%), and the correlation between RI and soil physical and chemical properties was the highest. We conclude that a combination of indices and knowledge of soil and vegetation types are needed for assessing SOC stability in restoration and reforestation projects close to mega-urban areas. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T03:03:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e23ffe5b746548b38815a01c31bb6d98 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T03:03:11Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj.art-e23ffe5b746548b38815a01c31bb6d982022-12-22T02:15:51ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2022-09-01142109222Evaluating indices of soil organic carbon stability. A case study for forest restoration projects near Beijing, ChinaZeyu Zhang0Tonggang Zha1Yang Yu2Xiaoxia Zhang3Pete Smith4Jesús Rodrigo-Comino5School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Qinghua East Road 35, Beijing 100083, China; Jixian National Forest Ecosystem Research Network Station, CNERN, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, ChinaSchool of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Qinghua East Road 35, Beijing 100083, China; Jixian National Forest Ecosystem Research Network Station, CNERN, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Corresponding authors at: School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Qinghua East Road 35, Beijing 100083, China.School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Qinghua East Road 35, Beijing 100083, China; Jixian National Forest Ecosystem Research Network Station, CNERN, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Corresponding authors at: School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Qinghua East Road 35, Beijing 100083, China.The Third Construction Co., Ltd. of China Construction First Group, Beijing 100161, ChinaInstitute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UKDepartamento de Análisis Geográfico Regional y Geografía Física, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Campus Universitario de Cartuja, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainAfforestation of degraded lands close to mega-urban areas such as Beijing may help to restore some of the original soil carbon stocks and hold the potential for ameliorating the rate of increase in atmospheric CO2. However, the determinants of the stability of different soil carbon pools and the utility of indices of stability remain poorly characterized near these highly anthropogenic areas. In the current study, we compared metrics of soil organic carbon (SOC) stability taking into account different soil types and plantation forest combinations (Quartisamment soil-poplar plantation–QP, Eutrochrepts soil-Chinese pine plantation–ECP, Haplustepts soils-East-Liaoning oak plantation–HEO), in an experimental sub-humid area close to a mega-urban area (Beijing, China). We evaluated the following relative stability indices sequence: respired carbon from incubations (RI) for several incubation days to respire 5% of initial SOC (D), aggregate stability index (ASI), the ratio of SOC to total nitrogen (C: N), water-soluble carbon (WSC), particulate organic carbon (POC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC). We examined the indices by three repeated measurements on soil samples from four soil layers (0–40 cm) in three soil-forest types in a forest area close to the peri-urban area of Beijing. Our results showed that there are inconsistencies among the six SOC stability indexes. The contribution rates of different indexes to the SOC in three plantations were different, for QP the highest contributor is WSC (54.73%), and for ECP and HEO the highest contributor is RI, contribution rates are 34.85% and 36.382%, respectively. Respired carbon from incubations registered the largest contribution rate to SOC (69.79%), and the correlation between RI and soil physical and chemical properties was the highest. We conclude that a combination of indices and knowledge of soil and vegetation types are needed for assessing SOC stability in restoration and reforestation projects close to mega-urban areas.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X2200694XSoil organic carbon stabilityRelative stability indicesSoil typesForestMega-cities |
| spellingShingle | Zeyu Zhang Tonggang Zha Yang Yu Xiaoxia Zhang Pete Smith Jesús Rodrigo-Comino Evaluating indices of soil organic carbon stability. A case study for forest restoration projects near Beijing, China Ecological Indicators Soil organic carbon stability Relative stability indices Soil types Forest Mega-cities |
| title | Evaluating indices of soil organic carbon stability. A case study for forest restoration projects near Beijing, China |
| title_full | Evaluating indices of soil organic carbon stability. A case study for forest restoration projects near Beijing, China |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating indices of soil organic carbon stability. A case study for forest restoration projects near Beijing, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating indices of soil organic carbon stability. A case study for forest restoration projects near Beijing, China |
| title_short | Evaluating indices of soil organic carbon stability. A case study for forest restoration projects near Beijing, China |
| title_sort | evaluating indices of soil organic carbon stability a case study for forest restoration projects near beijing china |
| topic | Soil organic carbon stability Relative stability indices Soil types Forest Mega-cities |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X2200694X |
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