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The potential of cropland soil carbon sequestration in the Loess Plateau, China

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Abstract

It is generally accepted that cropland soils could be managed to store significant carbon (C), however little information is available regarding the cropland soil C sequestration potential of the Loess Plateau in northern China. This study aimed to estimate the cropland soil C sequestration potential in this area using the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) method with region-specific C stock change factors. The results show that the C sequestration potential can reach 6.054 Tg C yr−1 (1Tg = 1012 g) in cropland soils of the Loess Plateau using techniques that are currently available (no-tillage and high residue incorporation). Although the results show a high degree of uncertainty in this estimate with 95 % confidence interval ranges from 2.623 to 11.94 Tg C yr−1, our study suggests that cropland soil C sequestration could play a meaningful role in helping to mitigate greenhouse gas increases in the Chinese Loess Plateau.

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Notes

  1. In this study, the base factors (BF) are equal in all scenarios as they are all cultivated soil.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973) (2007CB 108902). We are very grateful to Mr Joshua Philp (University of Western Sydney, Australia) for his English proofreading assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, People’s Republic of China

    Zeng Tang & Zhibiao Nan

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  1. Zeng Tang
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  2. Zhibiao Nan
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Correspondence to Zhibiao Nan.

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Tang, Z., Nan, Z. The potential of cropland soil carbon sequestration in the Loess Plateau, China. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change 18, 889–902 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-012-9397-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-012-9397-z

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