Abstract
Purpose
The karst region in southwestern China is undergoing soil erosion and rocky desertification. The different silicon (Si) fractions along the hillslopes in this mountainous region could benefit plant growth and alleviate the ecological deterioration. However, extensive distribution of carbonate rocks may lead to limited plant available Si. The mountainous terrain in karst region also leads to more Si output, which seriously affects the biogeochemical cycle of Si in this area. Yet, the soil Si fractions in the karst region have not been fully evaluated.
Methods
Soil profiles and their corresponding plants were sampled from two typical karst mountains in Guizhou, China. The different fractions of non-crystalline Si in soil, accounting for the most important pool for Si availability to plants, were analyzed by the improved sequential chemical extraction and Si concentrations in plants grown in this region were also measured.
Results
The concentration and storage of non-crystalline Si were higher at lower slopes (storage was 2.44, 2.73, and 3.25 kg·m−2 for upper, middle, and lower slopes, respectively) than other slope positions. Grasses dominated at lower slopes and contained significantly higher Si (mean ± SD: 14.42 ± 6.63 mg·g−1) than trees and shrubs (1.94 ± 1.78 and 1.29 ± 1.00 mg·g−1, respectively), which were primarily distributed on upper slopes. However, Si concentrations of the same plant species in different slope positions had no significant correlation with soil acid Na acetate–Si, the Si regarded as directly available for plants.
Conclusions
This study suggests that plant species and soil properties have a significant impact on the soil Si distribution of hillslopes in karst region. Soil erosion may decrease non-crystalline Si concentrations in soils and impair Si uptake in grasses, which need to be considered in ecosystem management in this region.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Albert RM, Weiner S, Bar-Yosef O, Meignen L (2000) Phytoliths in the Middle Palaeolithic deposits of Kebara Cave, Mt Carmel, Israel: study of the plant materials used for fuel and other purposes. J Archaeol Sci 27:931–947. https://doi.org/10.1006/jasc.2000.0507
Alexandre A, Meunier JD, Colin F, Koud JM (1997) Plant impact on the biogeochemical cycle of silicon and related weathering processes. Geochim Cosmochim Ac 61:677–682. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7037(97)00001-X
An MT (2019) Studies on maintenance mechanism of plant diversity and soil moisture and nutrient pattern in karst forest. Dissertation for degree of PhD, Guizhou University
Bai Y, Zhou Y (2020) The main factors controlling spatial variability of soil organic carbon in a small karst watershed, Guizhou Province. China Geoderma 357:113938. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2019.113938
Barão L, Clymans W, Vandevenne F, Meire P, Conley D, Struyf E (2014) Pedogenic and biogenic alkaline-extracted silicon distributions along a temperate land-use gradient. Eur J Soil Sci 65:693–705. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.12161
Barão L, De Cort G, Meire P, Verschuren D, Struyf E (2015) Biogenic Si analysis in volcanically imprinted lacustrine systems: the case of Lake Rutundu (Mt. Kenya). Biogeochemistry 125(2):243–259. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-015-0125-0
Barão L, Teixeira R, Vandevenne F, Ronchi B, Unzué-Belmonte D, Struyf E (2020) Silicon mobilization in soils: the Broader Impact of Land Use. SILICON 12:1529–1538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12633-019-00245-y
Bhatt D, Sharma G (2018) Role of silicon in counteracting abiotic and biotic plant stresses. Int J Chem Stud 6:1434–1442
Carey JC, Fulweiler RW (2012) Human activities directly alter watershed dissolved silica fluxes. Biogeochemistry 111:125–138. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-011-9671-2
Comino JR, Sinoga JR, González JS, Guerra-Merchán A, Seeger M, Ries JB (2016) High variability of soil erosion and hydrological processes in Mediterranean hillslope vineyards (Montes de Málaga, Spain). Catena 145:274–284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2016.06.012
Drever JI (1994) The effect of land plants on weathering rates of silicate minerals. Geochim Cosmochim Ac 58:2325–2332. https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(94)90013-2
Georgiadis A, Sauer D, Herrmann L, Breuer J, Zarei M, Stahr K (2013) Development of a method for sequential Si extraction from soils. Geoderma 209:251–261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.06.023
Georgiadis A, Sauer D, Herrmann L, Breuer J, Zarei M, Stahr K (2014) Testing a new method for sequential silicon extraction on soils of a temperate-humid climate. Soil Res 52:645–657. https://doi.org/10.1071/SR14016
Gewirtzman J, Tang J, Melillo JM, Werner WJ, Kurtz AC, Fulweiler RW, Carey JC (2019) Soil warming accelerates biogeochemical silica cycling in a temperate forest. Front Plant Sci 10:1097. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01097
Guntzer F, Keller C, Meunier J-D (2012) Benefits of plant silicon for crops: a review. Agron Sustain Dev 32:201–213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-011-0039-8
Han G, Liu CQ (2004) Water geochemistry controlled by carbonate dissolution: a study of the river waters draining karst-dominated terrain, Guizhou Province, China. Chem Geol 204:1–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2003.09.009
Han MY, Zhang LX, Fan CH, Liu LH, Zhang LS, Li BZ, Alva AK (2011) Release of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium during the decomposition of apple (Malus domestica) leaf litter under different fertilization regimes in Loess Plateau, China. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 57:549–557. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380768.2011.593481
Hao Q, Yang S, Song Z, Li Z, Ding F, Yu C, Hu G, Liu H (2020) Silicon affects plant stoichiometry and accumulation of C, N, and P in grasslands. Front Plant Sci 11:1304. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.01304
Hodson MJ, White PJ, Mead A, Broadley MR (2005) Phylogenetic variation in the silicon composition of plants. Ann Bot 96:1027–1046. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mci255
Hook PB, Burke IC (2000) Biogeochemistry in a shortgrass landscape control by topography, soil texture, and microclimate. Ecology 81:2686–2703. https://doi.org/10.1890/0012-9658(2000)081[2686:BIASLC]2.0.CO;2
Ibrahim MA, Lal R (2014) Soil carbon and silicon pools across an un-drained toposequence in central Ohio. Catena 120:57–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2014.04.006
Jiang ZC, Lian YQ, Qin XQ (2014) Rocky desertification in Southwest China: impacts, causes, and restoration. Earth-Sci Rev 132:1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2014.01.005
Jiang ZH, Liu HY, Wang HY, Peng J, Meersmans J, Green SM, Quine TA, Wu XC, Song ZL (2020) Bedrock geochemistry influences vegetation growth by regulating the regolith water holding capacity. Nat Commun 11(1):2392. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16156-1
Johanna DC, Olga SH, Cirelli AF (2018) Soluble silicon in differently textured mollisols of Argentina. Geoderma Reg 15:e00191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geodrs.2018.e00191
Jost G, Dirnbock T, Grabner MT, Mirtl M (2011) Nitrogen leaching of two forest ecosystems in a karst watershed. Water Air Soil Pollut 218:633–649. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-010-0674-8
Khan F, Hayat Z, Ahmad W, Ramzan M, Shah Z, Sharif M, Hanif M (2013) Effect of slope position on physico-chemical properties of eroded soil. Soil Environ 32:22–28
Klotzbücher T, Marxen A, Jahn R, Vetterlein D (2016) Silicon cycle in rice paddy fields: insights provided by relations between silicon forms in topsoils and plant silicon uptake. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 105:157–168. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-016-9782-1
Kurtz AC, Derry LA, Chadwick OA (2002) Germanium-silicon fractionation in the weathering environment. Geochim Cosmochim Ac 66:1525–1537. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7037(01)00869-9
Li Z, Cornelis JT, Vander Linden C, Van Ranst E, Delvaux B (2020) Neoformed aluminosilicate and phytogenic silica are competitive sinks in the silicon soil–plant cycle. Geoderma 368:114308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2020.114308
Li Z, Delvaux B (2019) Phytolith-rich biochar: a potential Si fertilizer in desilicated soils. GCB Bioenergy 11:1264–1282. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12635
Li Z, Song Z, Cornelis JT (2014b) Impact of rice cultivar and organ on elemental composition of phytoliths and the release of bio-available silicon. Front Plant Sci 5:529. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2014.00529
Li Z, Unzué-Belmonte D, Cornelis JT, Vander Linden C, Struyf E, Ronsse F, Delvaux B (2019) Effects of phytolithic rice-straw biochar, soil buffering capacity and pH on silicon bioavailability. Plant Soil 438:187–203. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-019-04013-0
Li Q, Zhou DW, Chen XY (2014a) The accumulation, decomposition and ecological effects of above-ground litter in terrestrial ecosystem. Acta Ecol Sin 34(14):3807–3819. https://doi.org/10.5846/stxb201211271684
Liu M, Han G, Li Z, Liu T, Yang X, Wu Y, Song Z (2017) Effects of slope position and land use on the stability of aggregate-associated organic carbon in calcareous soils. Acta Geochim 36:456–461. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-017-0194-y
Liu M, Han G, Zhang Q (2020) Effects of agricultural abandonment on soil aggregation, soil organic carbon storage and stabilization: results from observation in a small karst catchment, Southwest China. Agr Ecosyst Environ 288:106719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2019.106719
Liu CQ, Lang YC, Li SL, Piao HC, Tu CL, Liu TZ, Zhang W, Zhu SF (2009) Researches of biogeochemical process and nutrient cycling in karstic ecological systems, southwest China: a review. Earth Sci Front 16:001–012. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1003-6326(09)60084-4
Liu C, Liu Y, Guo K, Zhao H, Qiao X, Wang S, Zhang L, Cai X (2016a) Mixing litter from deciduous and evergreen trees enhances decomposition in a subtropical karst forest in southwestern China. Soil Biol Biochem 101:44–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2016.07.004
Liu F, Wang SJ, Liu HB, Liu YS, Liu HY (2008) Micro-habitats in karst forest ecosystem and variability of soils. Acta Pedol Sin 45(6):1155–1162. https://doi.org/10.11766/200705170607
Liu L, Wu Y, Hu G, Zhang Z, Cheng A, Wang S, Ni J (2016b) Biomass of karst evergreen and deciduous broadleaved mixed forest in Central Guizhou Province, Southwestern China: a comprehensive inventory of a 2 ha plot. Silva Fenn 50:1492. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1492
Lu R (2000) Methods of soil and agrochemical analysis. China Agricultural Science and Technology Press, Beijing (in Chinese)
Ma JF, Miyake Y, Takahashi E (2001) Silicon as a beneficial element for crop plants. In: Datnoff LE, Snyder GH, Korndorfer GH (eds) Silicon in Agriculture. Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, pp 17–39
Ma JF, Takahashi E (1993) Interaction between calcium and silicon in water-cultured rice plants. Plant Soil 148:107–113. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02185390
Ma JF, Takahashi E (2002) Soil, fertilizer, and plant silicon research in Japan. Elsevier, New York
Ma JF, Yamaji N (2008) Functions and transport of silicon in plants. Cell Mol Life Sci 65:3049–3057. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-008-7580-x
Maghsoudi K, Emam Y, Ashraf M (2016) Foliar application of silicon at different growth stages alters growth and yield of selected wheat cultivars. J Plant Nutr 39:1194–1203. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2015.1115876
Marxen A, Klotzbücher T, Jahn R, Kaiser K, Nguyen V, Schmidt A, Schädler M, Vetterlein D (2016) Interaction between silicon cycling and straw decomposition in a silicon deficient rice production system. Plant Soil 398:153–163. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2645-8
Meunier JD, Sandhya K, Prakash NB, Borschneck D, Dussouillez P (2018) pH as a proxy for estimating plant-available Si? A case study in rice fields in Karnataka (South India). Plant Soil 432:143–155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3758-7
Mitani N, Ma JF (2005) Uptake system of silicon in different plant species. J Exp Bot 56:1255–1261. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eri121
Ni J, Luo DH, Xia J, Zhang ZH, Hu G (2015) Vegetation in karst terrain of southwestern China allocates more biomass to roots. Solid Earth 6:799–810. https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-799-2015
Nguyen MN, Picardal F, Dultz S, Dam TTN, Nguyen AV, Nguyen KM (2017) Silicic acid as a dispersibility enhancer in a Fe-oxide-rich kaolinitic soil clay. Geoderma 286:8–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.10.029
Osnas JL, Katabuchi M, Kitajima K, Wright SJ, Reich PB, Van Bael SA, Kraft NJ, Samaniego MJ, Pacala SW, Lichstein JW (2018) Divergent drivers of leaf trait variation within species, among species, and among functional groups. P Natl Acad Sci USA 115:5480–5485. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1803989115
Panizzo VN, Swann GE, Mackay AW, Vologina E, Alleman L, André L, Horstwood MS (2017) Constraining modern-day silicon cycling in Lake Baikal. Global Biogeochem Cy 31:556–574. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GB005518
Pang D, Cui M, Liu Y, Wang G, Cao J, Wang X, Dan X, Zhou J (2019) Responses of soil labile organic carbon fractions and stocks to different vegetation restoration strategies in degraded karst ecosystems of southwest China. Ecol Eng 138:391–402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2019.08.008
Prabagar S, Hodson MJ, Evans DE (2011) Silicon amelioration of aluminium toxicity and cell death in suspension cultures of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). Environ Exp Bot 70:266–276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2010.10.001
Quigley KM, Donati GL, Anderson TM (2017) Variation in the soil ‘silicon landscape’ explains plant silica accumulation across environmental gradients in Serengeti. Plant Soil 410:217–229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-3000-4
Raven JA (2003) Cycling silicon-the role of accumulation in plants. New Phytol 158:419–430. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1469-8137.2003.00778.x
Saccone L, Conley DJ, Likens GE, Bailey SW, Buso DC, Johnson CE (2008) Factors that control the range and variability of amorphous silica in soils in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Soil Sci Soc Am J 72:1637–1644. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2007.0117
Sariyildiz T, Anderson JM, Kucuk M (2005) Effects of tree species and topography on soil chemistry, litter quality, and decomposition in Northeast Turkey. Soil Biol Biochem 37:1695–1706. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2005.02.004
Sauer D, Saccone L, Conley DJ, Herrmann L, Sommer M (2006) Review of methodologies for extracting plant-available and amorphous Si from soils and aquatic sediments. Biogeochemistry 80:89–108. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-005-5879-3
Schaller J, Turner BL, Weissflog A, Pino D, Bielnicka AW, Engelbrecht BMJ (2018) Silicon in tropical forests: large variation across soils and leaves suggests ecological significance. Biogeochemistry 140:161–174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-018-0483-5
Schaller J, Struyf E (2013) Silicon controls microbial decay and nutrient release of grass litter during aquatic decomposition. Hydrobiologia 709:201–212. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1449-1
Sommer M, Kaczorek D, Kuzyakov Y, Breuer J (2006) Silicon pools and fluxes in soils and landscapes—a review. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 169:310–329. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.200521981
Song GH, Li LQ, Pan GX, Zhang Q (2005) Topsoil organic carbon storage of China and its loss by cultivation. Biogeochemistry 74:47–62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-004-2222-3
Song Z, Müller K, Wang H (2014a) Biogeochemical silicon cycle and carbon sequestration in agricultural ecosystems. Earth-Sci Rev 139:268–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2014.09.009
Song X, Yang G, Wen X, Guo D, Zhang J (2016) Rock-weathering-related carbon sinks and associated ecosystem service functions in the karst critical zone in China. Acta Geographica Sinica 71:1926–1938. https://doi.org/10.11821/dlxb201611005
Song Z, Wang H, Strong PJ, Shan S (2014b) Increase of available soil silicon by Si-rich manure for sustainable rice production. Agron Sustain Dev 34:813–819. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-013-0202-5
Song Z, Wang H, Strong PJ, Li Z, Jiang P (2012) Plant impact on the coupled terrestrial biogeochemical cycles of silicon and carbon: implications for biogeochemical carbon sequestration. Earth-Sci Rev 115(4):319–331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2012.09.006
Szulc W, Rutkowska B, Hoch M, Spychaj-Fabisiak E, Murawska B (2015) Exchangeable silicon content of soil in a long-term fertilization experiment. Plant Soil Environ 61:458–461. https://doi.org/10.17221/438/2015-PSE
Unzué-Belmonte D, Ameijeiras-Mariño Y, Opfergelt S, Cornelis J-T, Barão L, Minella J, Patrick Meire P, Struyf E (2017) Land use change affects biogenic silica pool distribution in a subtropical soil toposequence. Solid Earth 8:737–750. https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-737-2017
Vander Linden C, Li Z, Iserentant A, Van Ranst E, de Tombeur F, Delvaux B (2021) Rainfall is the major driver of plant Si availability in perudic gibbsitic Andosols. Geoderma 404:115295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115295
Vandevenne FI, Barão L, Ronchi B, Govers G, Meire P, Kelly EF, Struyf E (2015) Silicon pools in human impacted soils of temperate zones. Global Biogeochem Cy 29(9):1439–1450. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014GB005049
Walkley AJ, Black IA (1934) Estimation of soil organic carbon by the chromic acid titration method. Soil Sci 37:29–38
Wang SJ, Liu QM, Zhang DF (2004) Karst rocky desertification in southwestern China: geomorphology, land use, impact and rehabilitation. Land Degrad Dev 15:115–121. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.592
Wu HB, Guo ZT, Peng CH (2003) Distribution and storage of soil organic carbon in China. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 17:1048. https://doi.org/10.1029/2001GB001844
Wu L, Chen H, Fu Z, Wang K, Zhang W, Wang S (2017) Effects of karst fissures on subsurface runoff and nitrogen vertical leaching. J Soil Water Conserv 31(5):64–71. (in Chinese with English abstract). https://doi.org/10.13870/j.cnki.stbcxb.2017.05.011
Xing SH, Chen CR, Zhang H, Zhou BQ, Nang ZM, Xu ZH (2011) Genotype and slope position control on the availability of soil soluble organic nitrogen in tea plantations. Biogeochemistry 103:245–261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-010-9460-3
Xu L, He N, Yu G (2016) Methods of evaluating soil bulk density: impact on estimating large scale soil organic carbon storage. Catena 144:94–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2016.05.001
Xu S, Liu C, Freeman S, Land Y, Schnabel C, Tu C, Wilcken K, Zhao Z (2013) In-situ cosmogenic 36Cl denudation rates of carbonates in Guizhou karst area. Chin Sci Bull 58:2473–2479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-013-5756-8
Xu W, Wan S (2008) Water- and plant-mediated responses of soil respiration to topography, fire, and nitrogen fertilization in a semiarid grassland in northern China. Soil Biol Biochem 40:679–687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2007.10.003
Yan YJ, Dai QH, Yuan YF, Peng XD, Zhao LS, Yang J (2018) Effects of rainfall intensity on runoff and sediment yields on bare slopes in a karst area, SW China. Geoderma 330:30–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2018.05.026
Yang X, Song Z, Sullivan L, Wang H, Li Z, Li Y, Zhang F (2016) Topographic control on phytolith carbon sequestration in moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) ecosystems. Carbon Manag 7:105–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/17583004.2016.1178398
Yang X, Song Z, Yu C, Ding F (2020) Quantification of different silicon fractions in broadleaf and conifer forests of northern China and consequent implications for biogeochemical Si cycling. Geoderma 361:114036. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2019.114036
Zhang M, He J, Wang B, Wang S, Li S, Liu W, Ma X (2013) Extreme drought changes in Southwest China from 1960 to 2009. J Geogr Sci 23:3–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-013-0989-7
Zhang Y, Liu H (2010) How did climate drying reduce ecosystem carbon storage in the forest–steppe ecotone? A case study in Inner Mongolia, China. J Plant Res 123:543–549. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-010-0311-z
Zhang W, Xie Z, Lang D, Cui J, Zhang X (2017) Beneficial effects of silicon on abiotic stress tolerance in legumes. J Plant Nutr 40:2224–2236. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2017.1346127
Zhao M, Zeng C, Liu Z, Wang S (2010) Effect of different landuse/land cover on karst hydrogeochemistry: a paired catchment study of Chenqi and Dengzhanhe, Puding, Guizhou, SW China. J Hydrol 388:121–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2010.04.034
Funding
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41571130042, 41930862, 41701049) and the State’s Key Project of Research and Development Plan of China (2016YFA0601002, 2017YFC0212700).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible editor: Fabio Scarciglia
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hao, Q., Ma, N., Song, Z. et al. Soil silicon fractions along karst hillslopes of southwestern China. J Soils Sediments 22, 1121–1134 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-022-03136-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-022-03136-9