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Distribution characteristics of soil carbon density and influencing factors in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau region

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Abstract

The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau has low anthropogenic carbon emissions and large carbon stock in its ecosystems. As a crucial region in terrestrial ecosystems responding to climate change, an accurate understanding of the distribution characteristics of soil carbon density holds significance in estimating the soil carbon storage capacity in forests and grasslands. It performs a crucial role in achieving carbon neutrality goals in China. The distribution characteristics of carbon and carbon density in the surface, middle, and deep soil layers are calculated, and the main influencing factors of soil carbon density changes are analyzed. The carbon density in the surface soil ranges from a minimum of 1.62 kg/m2 to a maximum of 52.93 kg/m2. The coefficient of variation for carbon is 46%, indicating a considerable variability in carbon distribution across different regions. There are substantial disparities, with geological background, land use types, and soil types significantly influencing soil organic carbon density. Alpine meadow soil has the highest carbon density compared with other soil types. The distribution of soil organic carbon density at three different depths is as follows: grassland > bare land > forestland > water area. The grassland systems in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau have considerable soil carbon sink and storage potential; however, they are confronted with the risk of grassland degradation. The grassland ecosystems on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau harbor substantial soil carbon sinks and storage potential. However, they are at risk of grassland degradation. It is imperative to enhance grassland management, implement sustainable grazing practices, and prevent the deterioration of the grassland carbon reservoirs to mitigate the exacerbation of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. This highlights the urgency of implementing more studies to uncover the potential of existing grassland ecological engineering projects for carbon sequestration.

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Funding

The authors thank the Provincial Geological Exploration Special Funds Project in Qinghai Province (Project No. 2022012018jc012) for financial support to carry out this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fifth Institute of Geological and Exploration of Qinghai Province, Xining, 810000, China

    Ying Ma, Qiang Huang, Qingyu Liu & Yao Niu

  2. College of Resources and Environment, Yangtze University, 111 University Road, Wuhan, China

    Siyao Feng & Yuqi Zhang

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  1. Ying Ma
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Contributions

Yuqi Zhang: Conceptualization, Data curation, Writing- Original draft preparation; Ying Ma: Methodology, Funding acquisition, Writing – original draft; Siyao Feng: Writing- Reviewing and Editing; Qiang Huang: Data curation; Yao Niu: Methodology; Qingyu Liu: Supervision. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Ma, Y., Feng, S., Huang, Q. et al. Distribution characteristics of soil carbon density and influencing factors in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau region. Environ Geochem Health 46, 152 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-024-01945-0

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