Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Soil Carbon Storage Characteristics of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Artificial Grasslands in the Semi-Arid Hilly Gully Region of the Loess Plateau, China

  • Published:
Russian Journal of Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract—

Seven artificial alfalfa grasslands (aged 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 a) and an abandoned land plot were selected to examine the changes in soil organic carbon content, active organic carbon content, soil organic carbon storage and active organic carbon storage in the 0–200 cm soil layer and their correlation with soil nutrients, soil water content, soil bulk density, alfalfa cover, density, height and aboveground biomass. The results show that the soil organic carbon content was between 2.02 and 4.54 g kg–1 within depths of 0–200 cm, which was higher than that in the abandoned land. The soil organic carbon storage in the 0–40 cm layers accounted for, on average, 29.50 ± 7.13% of the total storage in the 0–200 cm soil layers in the 7-year-old alfalfa grasslands and the abandoned land, and the 0–40 cm layer was the main layer of soil organic carbon storage. The soil organic carbon storage in 12 a grassland was the highest, and the abandoned land had the smallest reserve, with values of 10.22 and 5.06 kg m–2, respectively. In addition, carbon storage was, on average, 1.84 kg m–2 higher in 7-year alfalfa artificial grassland than in abandoned farmland. The proportion of soil AOC storage to SOC storage ranged from 30.24 to 58.11%; the proportion in 5-year grassland was the lowest, while it was the highest in the abandoned land. SOC storage had significant positive correlations with TN and soil active organic carbon storage, and it had negative correlations with soil bulk density at the 0.01 level (p < 0.01).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 6.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. Jiang, J.P., Xiong, Y.C., Jia, Y., Li, F.M., and Xu, J.Z., Soil quality dynamics under successional alfalfa field in the semi-arid Loess Plateau of Northwestern China, Arid Land Res. Manag., 2007, vol. 21, pp. 287–303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Deng, L., Wang, K.B., Li, J.P., Shangguan, Z.P., and Sweeney, S., Carbon storage dynamics in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) fields in the hilly-gully region of the Loess Plateau, China, Clean–Soil, Air,Water, 2014, vol. 9, pp. 1253–1262

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chang, R.Y., Fu, B.J., Liu, G.H., and Liu, S.G., Soil carbon sequestration potential for “Grain for Green” project in Loess Plateau, China, Environ. Manag., 2011, vol. 48, pp. 1158–1172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Deng, L., Shangguan, Z.P., and Li, R., Effects of the Grain-for-Green Program on soil erosion in China, Int. J. Sediment Res., 2012, vol. 27, pp. 120–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Makarov, M.I., Kadulin, M.S., Turchin, S.R., Malysheva, T.I., Aksenova, A.A., Onipchenko, V.G., and Menyailo, O.V., The effect of Vaccinium vitis-idaea on properties of mountain meadow soil under alpine lichen heath, Russ. J. Ecol., 2019, vol. 50, pp. 337–342.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Onipchenko, V.G., Makarov, M.I., and van der Maarel, E., Influence of alpine plants on soil nutrient concentrations in a monoculture experiment, Folia Geobot., 2001, vol. 36, pp. 225‒241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Zhang, T.J., Wang, Y.W., Wang, X.G., Wang, Q.Z., and Han, J.G., Organic carbon and nitrogen stocks in reed meadow soils converted to alfalfa fields, Soil Tillage Res., 2009, vol. 105, pp. 143–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Stumpf, F., Keller, A., Schmidt, K., Mayr, A., Gubler, A., and Schaepman, M., Spatio-temporal land use dynamics and soil organic carbon in Swiss agroecosystems, Agric. Ecosyst. Environ., 2018, vol. 258, pp. 129–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Conant, R.T., Paustian, K., and Elliott, E.T., Grassland management and conversion into grassland: Effects on soil carbon, Ecol. Appl., 2001, vol. 11, pp. 343–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Lal, R., Soil carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change, Geoderma, 2004, vol. 123, pp. 1–22.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Li, S.B., Ji, B., Wang, Y.L., and Dong, L.G., Comprehensive assessment on different restoration measures to soil environmental effect in Ningnan hilly area, Res.Soil Water Conserv., 2007, vol. 1, pp. 51–53.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Nelson, D.W. and Sommers, L.E., Total carbon, organic carbon, and organic matter, in Methods of Soil Analysis, part 2: Chemical and Microbial Properties, Page, A.L., Ed., Madison, WI: ASA SSSA, 1982, pp. 539–579.

  13. Chan, K.Y., Bowman, A., and Oates, A., Oxidizible organic carbon fractions and soil quality changes in an oxic Paleustalf under different pasture leys, Soil Sci., 2001, vol. 166, pp. 61–67.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Shen, H., Cao, Z., and Xu, Z., Effects of fertilization on different carbon fractions and carbon pool management index in soils, Acta Pedol. Sinica, 2000, vol. 37, pp. 166–173.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Bremner, J.M., Nitrogen-total, in Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 3, Sparks, D.L., Ed., Madison, WI: American Society of Agronomy 1996, pp. 1085–1121.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Parkinson, J.A. and Allen, S.E., Nutrients in biological material, Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal., 1975, vol. 6, pp. 1–11.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Guo, L.B. and Gifford, R.M., Soil carbon stocks and land use change: A meta-analysis, Global Change Biol., 2002, vol. 8, pp. 345–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Ding, Y.K., Study on soil organic carbon pool under different vegetation types in Mu Us desert, Dissertation for Master’s Degree, Inner Mongolia Univ., 2011.

  19. Wang, S.Q. and Zhou, C.H., Estimating soil carbon reservoir of terrestrial ecosystem in China, Geogr. Res., 1999, vol. 8, pp. 349–355.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Liu, M.Y., An, S.S., and Chang, Q.R., Features of soil organic carbon under different land use in mountain area of Southern Ningxia, Res.Soil Water Conserv., 2005, vol. 3, pp. 47–49.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Kong, L. and Chu, L.M., Subtropical urban turfs: Carbon and nitrogen pools and the role of enzyme activity, J. Environ. Sci., 2018, vol. 65, pp. 18–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Zhou, H., Variation characteristics of organic carbon and its fractions in soil of alfalfa grassland with different growing years, Dissertation for Master’s Degree, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 2016.

  23. Dad, J.M., Organic carbon stocks in mountain grassland soils of northwestern Kashmir Himalaya: Spatial distribution and effects of altitude, plant diversity and land use, Carbon Manag., 2019, vol. 10, pp. 149–162.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Maslov, M.N., Kopein, E.I., Zudkin, A.G., Korolev, N.E., Shulakov, A.A., Onipchenko, V.G., and Makarov, M.I., Stocks of phytomass and organic carbon in tundra ecosystems of northern Fennoscandia, Moscow Univ. Soil Sci. Bull., 2016, vol. 71, pp. 113–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Piovanelli, C., Gamba, C., Brandi, G., Simoncini, S., and Batistoni, E., Tillage choices affect biochemical properties in the soil profile, Soil Tillage Res., 2006, vol. 90, pp. 84–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Zhang, T.J., Wang, Y.W., Wang, X.G., Wang, Q.Z., and Han, J.G., Organic carbon and nitrogen stocks in reed meadow soils converted to alfalfa fields, Soil Tillage Res., 2009, vol. 105, pp. 143–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Li, F.M., Wang, T.C., and Cao, J., Effect of organic matter on total amount and availability of nitrogen and phosphorus in loess soil of Northwest China, Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal., 1998, vol. 29, pp. 947–953.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Li, Y.S. and Huang, M.B., Pasture yield and soil water depletion of continuous growing alfalfa in the Loess Plateau of China, Agric. Ecosyst. Environ., 2008, vol. 124, pp. 24–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We are grateful to the head and members of the Institute of Desert Management, Ningxia Agriculture and Forestry Science Academy, for their technical assistance.

Funding

This study was supported by the Whole Industry Chain Innovation Demonstration Project (YES-16-10, YES-16-1002), the Construction and Promotion Project of Ningxia Agriculture and Forestry Science Academy (NKYP-19-06) and the Natural Science Foundation in Ningxia (NZ16106, NZ16095).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Agriculture Ningxia University, 750021, Yin Chuan, China

    Bo Ji

  2. Institute of Desert Management, Ningxia Agriculture and Forestry Science Academy, 750002, Yin Chuan, China

    Bo Ji, Zhanjun Wang, Zhanbing Pan, Hao Xu & Xin-sheng Han

  3. Key Laboratory of Desertification Control and Soil & Water Conservation of Ningxia, 750002, Yinchuan, China

    Bo Ji, Zhanjun Wang, Zhanbing Pan, Hao Xu & Xin-sheng Han

  4. Ningxia University, 750021, Yin Chuan, China

    Yingzhong Xie

Authors
  1. Bo Ji
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhanjun Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhanbing Pan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hao Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Xin-sheng Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yingzhong Xie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yingzhong Xie.

Ethics declarations

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. This article does not contain any studies involving animals or human participants performed by any of the authors.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bo Ji, Wang, Z., Pan, Z. et al. Soil Carbon Storage Characteristics of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Artificial Grasslands in the Semi-Arid Hilly Gully Region of the Loess Plateau, China. Russ J Ecol 51, 466–476 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1067413620050045

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1067413620050045

Keywords:

Search

Navigation